dsh-vim-plugin

Vim modal editing for the dsh Web GUI composer, installable as an out-of-tree plugin.

What you get

A Vim chip in the composer tool row flips the master switch; while enabled, Escape leaves insert mode for NORMAL mode, where the caret renders as a blinking block over the character it sits on and motions (h j k l w b e 0 ^ $ gg G f F t T ; ,), operators (d c y with motions, doubled dd cc yy), counts, single-key edits (x s X D C r p P o O u i I a A), and one unnamed register work over the draft. v/V start a visual selection (charwise or linewise) that every motion extends and d x y c manipulate. Enter submits the prompt in every mode; Tab, function keys, and every Ctrl/Cmd combination keep their browser-owned behavior. While the slash/@ candidate menu is open, the menu owns the keyboard and vim steps aside entirely.

Key map

Group	Keys
Mode	Escape (insert → normal, backs off one char), i I a A o O (normal → insert)
Visual	v charwise, V linewise (repeating the entry key or Escape exits; v/V again switches flavor)
Motions	h j k l, arrows, w b e, 0 ^ $, Home End, gg G, f/F/t/T{char} with ;/, repeats — in visual mode every motion extends the selection
Operators	d c y + motions (charwise; j k gg G linewise), dd cc yy; in visual mode d x delete, y yanks, c s change, and D Y C act linewise

Install

Requires dsh 0.1.2-alpha.2 or newer. Install into a profile (the shipped web profile or one of your own):

dsh plugin --profile web add github:wingillis/dsh-plugins#path:plugins/dsh-vim-plugin

The first git install asks you to allow the package's prepare script — copy the exact key pnpm prints into the profile's pnpm-workspace.yaml (it is the full dsh-vim-plugin@https://codeload... form, not the bare name), then re-run the add. The build is a no-op when lib/ is committed, so the allowance only replays that check. Alternatively install a prebuilt tarball (no build permission needed):

pnpm pack && dsh plugin --profile web add ./dsh-vim-plugin-0.1.0.tgz

Verify the layer and boot:

dsh --profile web --dump-config   # shows a "# == dsh-vim-plugin" layer
dsh --profile web

How it works

The vim machine is a pure core over the composer's keyboard-extension seam (ctx.composerKeys in dsh-client-ui-conversation); the editor itself, its undo history, and every submit gesture stay the composer's own. The package ships a Node half (an empty host apply so the Loader row exists) and a browser half declared through dsh.client; dsh-client-modules serves the built lib/client.js under /plugins/dsh-vim-plugin/client.js once the row is enabled.

Known limitations

• Undo granularity is Lexical's — the composer's history coalesces rapid consecutive edits (one-second merge window), so u may undo more than one vim operation typed in quick succession.
• Visual selections are inclusive of the cursor character — exclusive motions (w, b) include one character more than strict vim; there is no o endpoint swap, text objects (iw), or visual block mode yet.
• Marks, search (/ ?), J, ~, and dot-repeat are deferred — the keys are consumed (nothing types) but do nothing yet.
• Programmatic caret motion does not scroll — a vim motion in a draft longer than the 14-line composer viewport can move the caret out of view.
• Drag selections are ignored by motions — a NORMAL-mode motion folds against the selection's focus end and collapses the selection on the next edit.

Development

pnpm install
pnpm run build   # tsc declarations + tsdown (lib/index.js, lib/invariant.js, lib/client.js)
pnpm test        # vitest

The apply/component specs import LocaleRuntime and SlotRegistry from the harness's own client sources, because the published packages' ./client export is a browser bundle that cannot run under Node. Clone deepseek-harness next to this repo (or point DSH_HARNESS_CHECKOUT at a checkout) and run pnpm install there before pnpm test.

License

MIT