• Introduction
  • Help
  • Action
  • Reload
  • Quit
  • Recall
  • Wrapping up things
• Selection
• Filtering
  • Going to filter line
  • Reset filter
  • Update candidates
  • Movements
  • Patterns
  • Special keywords
• Input history
• Preview
  • Follow mode
• Folds
  • Main menu
  • Wheel tree
  • Tabs & windows
• Non writable
• Writable
  • Confirmation before writing
  • Prompt
  • Filter
  • Range
  • Pressed the wrong button ?
• Dedicated buffers ring
• Layer ring
• Menu
  • Action
  • Main menu
  • Meta menu
• Context menus
  • Navigation
• Navigation
  • Writable dedicated buffers
  • Launching maps
  • Folding

Dedicated buffers allow you to perform Wheel operations intuitively, using full power of your editor : search, yank, paste, completion, and so on.

The available actions depend on the buffer type :

• menu buffers allow you to launch a wheel function
• navigation buffers allow you to go to a :
  • location, circle or torus
  • MRU file, locate file
  • grep result
  • and so on
• reorganizing buffers allow you to
  • rename locations, circles or toruses
  • rename files
  • reorder locations, circles or toruses
  • move, copy or delete locations, circles and toruses
  • perform fine grain operation
    • change locations settings like name, line, col
  • reorganize tabs and windows
• edit buffers allow you to
  • edit grep results
  • edit narrow of current file
  • edit narrow of all circle files

The key <F1> display a basic help.

The key <F2> displays local maps in a new layer. See layer ring.

The main keys are :

• <enter> : trigger the default action, close the dedicated buffer
• g<enter> : trigger the default action, leave the dedicated buffer opened

Press r and the dedicated buffer will reload its content.

Available on most dedicated buffers.

Press q to quit the dedicated buffer.

When you quit a dedicated buffer, its window is closed but it's not lost : it's still there, hidden. You can recall it in a new split with <M-w><left> or <M-w><Right>. See buffer ring for more information.

In normal mode, the keys j/k and <up>/<down> wrap the buffer :

• if on the first line, k or <up> will go to the last line
• if on the last line, j or <down> will go to the first line

Some dedicated buffers will act on selected entries. You can hit :

• <space> or = to toggle the selection of a line
• # to invert the selection of all visible lines
• * to select all visible lines
• | to clear the selection of all visible lines

If a line is selected, it will begin with a distinctive marker.

You can open all selected files in tabs, splits or vertical splits.

In most dedicated buffers, the first line is left almost empty, with just a prompt. In insert mode, it is used as an input line to filter all the other lines with each pattern you enter.

In normal mode :

• pressing i or a moves the cursor to the first line and starts insert mode
  • same thing with <M-i> and <Ins>
• pressing cc moves the cursor to the first line, starts insert mode and clears the line content, except the prompt

Pressing dd in normal mode clears the filter line, except the prompt, and show all unfiltered lines.

In insert mode, these keys updates the candidates :

• <Space> : plain space
• <C-w> : delete word before cursor
• <C-u> : delete until beginning of line
• <C-k> : delete until end of line
• <Esc> : leave insert mode
• <Enter> : leave insert mode

Note that <C-w> and <C-u> do not delete the prompt.

The key <C-c> is not mapped, in case you need to go to normal mode without triggering the filter function.

• <M-f> : move forward one word
• <M-b> : move backward one word
• <C-a> : moves at the beginning of the line, just after the prompt
• <C-e> : moves at the end of the line.

A space between two patterns is a logical and. So, one two will display lines containing both one and two.

A pipe | between two patterns is a logical or. So, one|two will display lines containing one or two.

A bang ! beginning a filtering pattern is a logical not : all lines matching this pattern will be removed from the buffer.

Here, one and two can be any vim regex. Most of the time, they are simply part of the result you want.

For example, if you have the completion list small flower, big flower, small fruit and big fruit :

• the pattern sm will narrow down to small flower, small fruit
• the patterns sm fl will narrow down to small flower
• the patterns all !ower will narrow down to small fruit
• the patterns al|owe will narrow down to small flower, small fruit, big flower

Special filtering keywords are available :

• =s or =selection : the filtered elements will belong to the current selection
• !=s or !=selection : the filtered elements will not belong to the current selection

If small flower and big fruit are selected :

• the pattern =s will narrow down to small flower, big fruit
• the patterns =s fl will narrow down to small flower
• the patterns =s bi will narrow down to big fruit
• the patterns !=s bi will narrow down to big flower

An input history is available in the filter line. You can insert the previous/next input in insert mode with <Up>/<Down> or <M-p>/<M-n>.

The keys <PageUp>/PageDown or <M-r>/<M-s> will insert the previous/next input matching the beginning of the inserted line, until the cursor.

In navigation buffers, you can preview the buffer/location matching the cursor line with p. It is displayed in the previous window.

You can go back any time in the original buffer with o.

The key f enable the follow mode : the preview will then follow the cursor each time you press j or k.

It's a toggle key : press f again and the follow mode is disabled. You should go back automatically to the original buffer.

Some dedicated buffers use folding to reflect the treeish structure of the represented objects.

Filtering in these buffers will keep surrounding folds ; only non matching empty folds will be removed.

In the main menu, each fold contains a category of actions.

Default map : <M-w>m

The index/tree buffer use folds to reflect the tree structure of the Wheel : toruses, circles and locations.

Default map : <M-w><M-x>

The tabwin/tree buffer use folds to reflect the tree structure of tabs and windows in (neo)vim.

Default map : <M-w><M-v>

Some dedicated buffers are not intended to be edited, except on the filter line.

The 'readonly' and 'nomodifiable' are set, except when you use the filter on the first line.

For example, navigation-only mandalas are non writable.

Some dedicated buffers are writable, i.e. they have a BufWriteCmd autocommand, triggered when you :write the buffer.

Saving such a buffer will reflect the changes on the objects represented by the buffer lines.

For instance, saving a rename/location buffer will rename the involved locations in the wheel.

A confirmation is asked if you use :write, but not if you use the bang version :write!.

These buffer local maps are also defined :

• <leader>w : equivalent to :write
• <leader>W : equivalent to :write!

Be careful with :wall! though, for it would save without warning any modified writable mandala.

To distinguish non-writable and writable dedicated buffers, the prompt are different. You can customize them, see prompt configuration

On most writable buffers, a filter line is available. In that case, some adjustement are made to the local maps, so that you can edit the buffer with the usual vim keys.

To access the filter line, press <M-i> or <Ins> instead of i and a.

The key dd is not mapped, use <M-d> to reset the filter.

To move to begin/end of filter line, use <M-a> and <M-e> instead of <C-a> and <C-e>.

The input history is available only with <M-p>/<M-n> and <M-r>/<M-s>.

Some keys have a distinct meaning if the cursor is on the first line or in another one.

On the first line :

• <Enter>, <Esc>, <Space>, <C-w> and <C-u> update the filter
• cc and <C-u> do not delete the prompt

On the other lines :

• <Enter>, <Esc>, <Space> and <C-w> have their usual vim meaning
• cc and <C-u> delete only the last field of the line

If you use an ex command to perform an operation on all the visible lines of a buffer with filter functionality, don't forget to skip the first line.

E.g. :

• 2,$substiture/before/after/g
• 2,$sort

If something goes wrong, you can quit the dedicated buffer and :

• re-read the wheel variables with <M-w>r, if your changes implied the wheel
• undo your changes in the buffers, or quit (neo)vim without saving your files with :qa! if your changes implied files content

Anyway, it's always a good thing to do a backup :

• of the wheel, with <M-w>w
• of your files, or even better, to work within a VCS repository, like git

Wheel manages a dedicated buffers ring. You can :

• add a new dedicated buffer as default one with <M-w><Tab>
• switch to another dedicated buffer with <M-w><M-Space>, completion is available
• cycle the dedicated buffers with <M-w><home> (left) or <M-w><end> (right)
  • reopens the current dedicated buffer in a new window if it is closed
• change the buffer label with <M-n>
  • displayed in dedicated buffer statusline, or in the echo area
  • defaults to a unique buffer id
• remove the current dedicated buffer with <M-w><Backspace>
  • it is removed from the stack and wiped from vim buffers

When switching, you can complete by dedicated buffer labels & types, wich will lead you to the buffer you want. Example of completion candidates :

0 | index/tree 1 | history yank | yank/plain menu | menu/main

A wheel dedicated buffer is also called a mandala.

Each dedicated buffer has its own layer ring.

Each time you launch a wheel function involving a dedicated buffer, a new associated layer is added to a stack local to the buffer. You can see it as a kind of dedicated buffer history. You can :

• go forward to the next layer by pressing <M-j>, or <M-Down>
• go back to the previous layer by pressing <M-k>, or <M-Up>
• switch to another layer with <M-l> or <C-Down>, completion is available
• destroy current layer and go back to the previous one by pressing <Backspace>

0 | index/tree 1 | history 2 | yank/plain

The maximum size of the layer ring is determined by g:wheel_config.maxim.layers

So, there are two levels :

• a dedicated buffer ring
• a layer ring in each dedicated buffer

A layer in a dedicated buffer is also called a leaf.

The local map <Enter> triggers the action and closes the menu, except if it needs an opened dedicated buffer.

In menu buffers, <Tab> is a shortcut for g<Enter> : trigger action, and leave the menu opened.

Since there is no need to select multiple elements, <Space> is also a synonym of g<Enter>.

The main menu is triggered with <M-w><M-m> by default. From there, you can launch an action by pressing <Enter> on its line.

The available actions are grouped by themes and folded :

• wheel help
• wheel status
• save & load wheel file, session file
• wheel navigation
• native (neo)vim navigation (buffer, tab, window, marker, jump, change, tag, ...)
• organize wheel
• organize native (neo)vim elements (tabs, windows, ...)
• refactoring
• search file
• search inside file
• paste from yank ring
• undo list
• run a command and collect its output
• layouts
  • in tabs
  • in windows
  • in tabs & windows

Just open a fold to access its content.

Press <M-w>= to open the meta menu.

Hitting <Enter> on a line launches a sub-menu. Each sub-menu holds actions of the same category.

These categories are the same as in the main menu.

In these sub-menus, you can use the keys :

• <Enter> : launch the action on the cursor line
• g<Enter>, <Tab>, <Space> : launch action and leave the menu opened
• <M-k> : leads you back to the meta menu
• <Backspace> : back to the meta menu, delete submenu layer

Some dedicated buffers have context menu support. In that case, pressing <tab> will open a menu where you can choose the action you want to apply to the selected or cursor line(s).

If you change your mind and wish to come back, just press <M-k> or <Backspace>.

Context menu of a navigation buffer :

• open selection
• open in tab(s)
• open in horizontal split(s)
• open in vertical split(s)
• open in horizontal golden split(s)
• open in vertical golden split(s)

The navigation buffers allow you to quickly switch to a Wheel location by pressing <enter> on the matching line. The buffer will be opened in previous used window. You can also use the keys :

• t : open buffer in a new tab
• s : open buffer in a new split
• v : open buffer in a new vsplit
• S : open buffer in a new split with golden ratio
• V : open buffer in a new vsplit with golden ratio

Same keys as above, but leave the navigation buffer opened :

• g<enter> : same as <enter>
• gt : same as t
• gs : same as s
• gv : same as v
• gS : same as S
• gV : same as V

The navigation buffers also have context menus support. See the context menus.

When a writable dedicated buffer has navigation abilities, local maps are adapted :

• <Enter> : open element in current window
• <M-t> : open element in a new tab
• <M-h> : open element in a new split
• <M-v> : open element in a new vsplit
• <M-S-h> : open element in a new split with golden ratio
• <M-S-v> : open element in a new vsplit with golden ratio

Same keys as above, but leave the navigation buffer opened :

• g<Enter> : same as <Enter>
• g<M-t> : same as <M-t>
• g<M-h> : same as <M-h>
• g<M-v> : same as <M-v>
• g<M-S-h> : same as <M-S-h>
• g<M-S-v> : same as <M-S-v>

The default mappings launching navigation buffers are :

• <M-w><Space> : go to location
• <M-w><C-space> : go to current location of the chosen circle
• <M-w><S-space> : go to current location of the chosen torus
• <M-w><M-x> : index with folds (see below)
• <M-w>X : index of toruses > circles > locations
• <M-w><M-S-x> : index of toruses > circles
• <M-w><M-h> : history
• <M-w><M-e> : frecency
• <M-w>l : search files with locate
• <M-w>f : find files in current directory using **/*pattern* glob
• <M-w>&f : search files with find in async mode
• <M-w><M-u> : most recently used files not found in wheel (mru)
• <M-w><M-b> : switch to buffer (opened file)
• <M-w><C-b> : switch to buffer, included unlisted ones
• <M-w><M-v> : switch to visible buffer in tab & window (tree fold mode)
• <M-w><C-v> : switch to visible buffer in tab & window (plain mode)
• <M-w><M-o> : occur in current file
• <M-w>g : grep in circle files
• <M-w><S-o> : outline headers in circle files
• <M-w><M-'> : markers
• <M-w><M-j> : jumps list
• <M-w>; : changes list
• <M-w><M-t> : tags

The map <M-w><M-x> opens a dedicated buffer where folds are used to reflect the tree structure of the Wheel : toruses, circles and locations.

Filtering in that buffer will keep surrounding folds ; only non mathing empty folds will be removed.