Nvim-genghis ⚔️

Lightweight and quick file operations without being a full-blown file manager. For when you prefer a fuzzy finder over a file tree, but still want some convenient file operations inside nvim.

Table of contents

• Features
• Installation
• Configuration
  • UI plugin
• Usage
  • File operations
  • Copy operations
  • File navigation
• Why the name "Genghis"?
• About the author

Features

Commands

• Perform common file operations: moving, renaming, creating, deleting, or duplicating files.
• Copy the path or name of the current file in various formats.
• Navigate to the next or previous file in the current folder.

Quality-of-life

• All movement and renaming commands update import statements to the renamed file (if the LSP supports workspace/willRenameFiles).
• Automatically keep the extension when no extension is given.
• Use vim motions in the input field.

Installation

Requirements

• nvim 0.10+
• For the trash command: an OS-specific trash CLI like trash or gio trash. (Since macOS 14+, there is a trash CLI already built-in, so there is no need to install anything.)
• Recommended: A provider for vim.ui.input and vim.ui.select such as snacks.nvim. This enables vim motions in the input field and looks nicer.

-- lazy.nvim
{ "chrisgrieser/nvim-genghis" }

-- packer
use { "chrisgrieser/nvim-genghis" }

Configuration

The .setup() call is optional.

-- default config
require("genghis").setup {
	fileOperations = {
		-- automatically keep the extension when no file extension is given
		-- (everything after the first non-leading dot is treated as the extension)
		autoAddExt = true,

		trashCmd = function() ---@type fun(): string|string[]
			if jit.os == "OSX" then return "trash" end -- builtin since macOS 14
			if jit.os == "Windows" then return "trash" end
			if jit.os == "Linux" then return { "gio", "trash" } end
			return "trash-cli"
		end,

		ignoreInFolderSelection = { -- using lua pattern matching (e.g., escape `-` as `%-`)
			"/node_modules/", -- nodejs
			"/typings/", -- python
			"/doc/", -- vim help files folders
			"%.app/", -- macOS pseudo-folders
			"/%.", -- hidden folders
		},
	},

	navigation = {
		onlySameExtAsCurrentFile = false,
		ignoreDotfiles = true,
		ignoreExt = { "png", "svg", "webp", "jpg", "jpeg", "gif", "pdf", "zip" },
		ignoreFilesWithName = { ".DS_Store" },
	},

	successNotifications = true,

	icons = { -- set an icon to empty string to disable it
		chmodx = "󰒃",
		copyFile = "󱉥",
		copyPath = "󰅍",
		duplicate = "",
		file = "󰈔",
		move = "󰪹",
		new = "󰝒",
		nextFile = "󰖽",
		prevFile = "󰖿",
		rename = "󰑕",
		trash = "󰩹",
	},
}

UI plugin

A UI plugin for vim.ui.input and vim.ui.select, such as snacks.nvim, is recommended since it enables for vim motions in the input field. (It also looks much nicer.)

-- minimal snacks.nvim config to use it for `vim.ui.input` and `vim.ui.select`
require("snacks").setup({
	input = { enabled = true },
	picker = { enabled = true },
}),

Usage

You can access a command as Lua function:

require("genghis").createNewFile()

Or you can use the ex command :Genghis with the respective subcommand:

:Genghis createNewFile

File operations

• createNewFile: Create a new file in the same directory as the current file.
• createNewFileInFolder: Create a new file in a folder in the current working directory.
• duplicateFile: Duplicate the current file.
• moveSelectionToNewFile: Create a new file and move the current selection to it. (Visual Line command, the selection is moved linewise.)
• renameFile: Rename the current file.
• moveToFolderInCwd: Move the current file to an existing folder in the current working directory.
• moveAndRenameFile: Move and rename the current file. Keeps the old name if the new path ends with /. Works like the UNIX mv command.
• chmodx: Makes current file executable. Equivalent to chmod +x.
• trashFile: Move the current file to the trash. (Defaults to gio trash on Linux, and trash on macOS or Windows.)
• showInSystemExplorer: Reveals the current file in the system explorer, such as macOS Finder. (Currently only on macOS, PRs welcome.)

The following applies to all commands above:

1. If no extension has been provided, uses the extension of the original file. (Everything after the first non-leading dot is treated as the extension; this behavior can be disabled with the config fileOperations.autoAddExt = false.)
2. If the new filename includes a /, the new file is placed in the respective subdirectory, creating any non-existing intermediate folders.
3. All movement and renaming commands update import statements, if the LSP supports workspace/willRenameFiles.

Copy operations

• copyFilename: Copy the filename.
• copyFilepath: Copy the absolute filepath.
• copyFilepathWithTilde: Copy the absolute filepath, replacing the home directory with ~.
• copyRelativePath: Copy the relative filepath.
• copyDirectoryPath: Copy the absolute directory path.
• copyRelativeDirectoryPath: Copy the relative directory path.
• copyFileItself: Copies the file itself. This means you can paste it into the browser or file manager. (Currently only on macOS, PRs welcome.)

All commands use the system clipboard.

File navigation

require("genghis").navigateToFileInFolder("next"|"prev"): Move to the next/previous file in the current folder of the current file, in alphabetical order.

If snacks.nvim is installed, displays a cycling notification.

Why the name "Genghis"?

A nod to vim.eunuch, an older vimscript plugin with a similar goal. As opposed to childless eunuchs, it is said that Genghis Khan has fathered thousands of children.

About the author

In my day job, I am a sociologist studying the social mechanisms underlying the digital economy. For my PhD project, I investigate the governance of the app economy and how software ecosystems manage the tension between innovation and compatibility. If you are interested in this subject, feel free to get in touch.

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