wikibackup/neovim.md

title	description	published	date	tags	editor	dateCreated
Neovim as an IDE	Introduction to Vim and NeoVim, Along with How to Use NeoVim Like Popular IDEs	true	2025-02-13T07:54:40.067Z	ide, vim, neovim, nvim	markdown	2025-02-08T12:49:56.181Z

Vim/NeoVim

Introduction

Vim is a powerful open-source text editor that has been developed since the 1990s. Designed as a command-line editor, it offers highly customizable and personalizable features. NeoVim is a more modern version inspired by Vim, featuring better internal APIs and improved window management, making it a powerful tool for developers.

Installation

1. Vim

Vim is pre-installed on many Linux distributions such as Parch. To install the latest version, you can run the following command:

sudo pacman -S vim

2. NeoVim

NeoVim is a more modern editor that can be easily installed with the following command:

sudo pacman -S neovim

Neovim is installed under the name neovim but it can be run using nvim.

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Turning NeoVim into an IDE

NeoVim alone does not have all the tools necessary for developers, so by using available plugins, it can be transformed into an environment similar to existing IDEs. There are two main approaches for this.

1. Pre-configured Configurations

For users who want to quickly set up a powerful development environment, using pre-configured setups is the best option. Some of the most popular configurations include:

AstroNvim

AstroNvim is a beautiful and feature-rich Neovim configuration focused on efficiency and extensibility. To install it, follow the official AstroNvim documentation.

NVChad

NVChad is a popular Neovim configuration that allows users to easily customize it. To install it, follow the official NVChad documentation.

2. Installing from Scratch

To turn NeoVim into an IDE, you can install the necessary plugins one by one. This approach is suitable for users who want full control over their settings. For this, you need a plugin manager to manage other plugins. One of the most popular plugin managers is lazy.nvim.

Installing the lazy.nvim Plugin Manager:

1. To install lazy.nvim, clone it using Git:

git clone https://github.com/LazyVim/starter ~/.config/nvim

2. After installation, remove the .git folder:

rm -rf ~/.config/nvim/.git

3. You can run it using the nvim command. now you need to install some plugins. Some of the most commonly used plugins include:
   • LSP: nvim-lspconfig
   • Autocompletion: nvim-cmp
   • Project Manager: project.nvim
   • File Explorer: nvim-tree.lua

Sample Configuration:

require("lazy").setup({
  {
    "folke/tokyonight.nvim", -- Theme
    lazy = false,
    priority = 1000,
    config = function()
      vim.cmd([[colorscheme tokyonight]])
    end,
  },
  "neovim/nvim-lspconfig", -- LSP
  "hrsh7th/nvim-cmp",      -- Autocompletion
  "nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua", -- File explorer
  "mbbill/undotree",       -- Undo history
})

For installation using this method, you can follow the official lazy.nvim documentation. {.is-info}

NeoVide

NeoVide is a GUI for NeoVim that functions like a regular terminal but adds more features to NeoVim.

Features

• Ligatures: Support for ligatures and font shaping to improve code appearance.
• Animated Cursor: Cursor animations make it easier to track the cursor's position.
• Smooth Scrolling: Instead of line-by-line scrolling, pixel-by-pixel animations smooth the user experience.
• Blurred Floating Windows: Floating windows have blurred backgrounds for better separation from the main screen.
• Emoji Support: Displays emojis even if the main font doesn't include them.

Installation:

sudo pacman -S neovide

Plugin Marketplace

Most likely, all the IDEs you've worked with before have had an official marketplace for installing plugins, but NeoVim does not have an official marketplace. To find plugins, you can search online for each plugin or browse unofficial resources. Below are some community-made lists of NeoVim plugins:

• https://github.com/rockerBOO/awesome-neovim
• https://neovimcraft.com/
• https://vimawesome.com/