Search asynchronously and preview file/symbol/word under cursor in the floating window.

• Installation
• Commands
• Options
• Functions
• Keymaps
• Highlights
• Why
• More demos

File searching is initially inspired by vim's gf. It fundamentally works by invoking the build-in function findfile() to perform upward (up to the root directory) and downward searching but asynchronously. It will never block your actions.

Symbol searching basically invokes taglist() function asynchronously to search for the pattern from pre-generated tag files. In addition, the plugin can also use LSP for searching symbols (both definition and references). Therefore it would be better to have an LSP client (only support coc.nvim by now) installed.

Word searching will search for the <cword> in the current buffer.

Plug 'voldikss/vim-skylight'

Only works in NVIM >= 0.4.3

• If ! is given, perform live previewing for multiple entries

• If use with an optional argument:

  • :Skylight file regard the text under cursor as a filepath and search
  • :Skylight symbol regard the text under cursor as a symbol and search
  • :Skylight wordsearch for the <cword> in the current buffer

• If without arguments (i.e., :Skylight), it firstly suppose the text is a filename and search. If failing to search then treat the text as a symbol and search again

• In the drop-down menu, you can use:

  • j or k to move (and perform live previewing if the menu is opened by : Skylight!)
  • <CR> for previewing or jumping to
  • <Esc> or q for closing
  • number keys(1, 2, ...) to quickly jump to the corresponding entry
  • <C-w>p to jump to the skylight window and jump back

This command can also be used with a range, e.g., visual select and '<,'>:Skylight! file.

• g:skylight_width

  Type Number (number of columns) or Float (between 0 and 1). If Float, the width is relative to &columns.

  Default: 0.5

• g:skylight_height

  Type Number (number of lines) or Float (between 0 and 1). If Float, the height is relative to &lines.

  Default: 0.5

• g:skylight_position

  Type String. The position of the floating window.

  Available: 'top', 'right', 'bottom', 'left', 'center', 'topleft', 'topright', 'bottomleft', 'bottomright', 'auto'(at the cursor place) .

  Default: 'topright'(recommended)

• g:skylight_borderchars

  Type List of String. Characters for the border.

  Default: ['─', '│', '─', '│', '╭', '╮', '╯', '╰']

• g:skylight_opener

  Type String. Command used for jumping to

  Available: 'edit', 'split', 'vsplit', 'tabe', 'drop'.

  Default: 'edit'

" Configuration example
nnoremap <silent>       gp    :Skylight!<CR>
vnoremap <silent>       gp    :Skylight!<CR>

In the skylight-menu window, use <C-f> to scroll forward and <C-b> to scroll backward.

SkylightBorder, which is linked to Normal by default, can be used to specify the border style.

" Configuration example
hi SkylightBorder guibg=orange guifg=cyan

For a long time I was hoping to preview file under cursor in a disposable floating window without actually opening it. Then I dug into the web and found some awesome projects, which, however, only support previewing files that are listed only in the quickfix window. What I want is to preview the file that is given by either relative or absolute path and occurs anywhere in vim, even those in the builtin terminal window (when I am using gdb's bt command).

The codes were initially buildup in my personal dotfiles. After the whole feature was almost implemented, I decided to detach them from the dotfiles and reorganize them into a plugin in case of someone who has the same requirement needs it.

Sometimes can not find the files in the hidden folders when performing downward searching. That is because vim's file searching doesn't include hidden directories, I am considering using another suitable file-finder cli tool for the plugin but this will not come out in the short term.

Note that the plugin is developed with pure vimscript. Therefore, until the whole file content has been loaded into memory could it be previewed in the skylight window, so it's not recommended to perform :Skylight[!] on large size files as it will cost more time for nvim to open that file.

• with live preview

• without live preview

• quickfix

• terminal