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Spacemacs conventions

Table of Contents

Code guidelines

Spacemacs core and layer

Function names follow these conventions:

  • spacemacs/xxx is an interactive function called xxx
  • spacemacs//xxx is a private function called xxx (implementation details)
  • spacemacs|xxx is a macro called xxx

Variables follow these conventions:

  • spacemacs-xxx is a variable
  • spacemacs--xxx is a private variable (implementation details)

All layers

A package is initialized in a function with name <layer>/init-xxx where:

  • <layer> is the layer name
  • xxx is the package name

Key bindings conventions

Reserved prefix

User prefix

SPC o must not be used by any layer. It is reserved for the user.

Major mode prefix

SPC m is reserved for the current major mode. Three keys bindings are not an issue (ie. SPC m h d) since SPC m can be accessed via ,.

Micro-state

Whenever possible a micro-state should be enabled with M-SPC and s-M-SPC. We need the latter bindings on OS X since M-SPC is used by the OS for spotlight.

For instance micro-states dedicated to special buffers like helm or ido buffers are good candidates to be put on M-SPC and s-M-SPC.

It is recommended to add q to leave the micro-state.

Evilify buffers

Spacemacs offers convenient functions to evilify a buffer. Evilifying a buffer is to set the evilified state as the default state for the major mode of the buffer.

The evilified state is derived from the emacs state and modify the map to:

  • add hjkl navigation
  • add incremental search with /, n and N
  • add visual state and visual line state
  • add yank (copy) with y
  • activate evil-leader key

Setting the evilified state to a mode is done by calling the macro evilify which takes optional parameters to fix the key bindings shadowed by the above modifications.

To fix the shadowed bindings we capitalize them, for instance: shadowed h is transposed to H, if H is taken then it is transposed to C-h and so on...

Example of evilified buffers are magit status, paradox buffer.

Navigation

n and N

To be consistent with the Vim way, n and N are favored over Emacs n and p.

Ideally a micro-state should be provided to smooth the navigation experience. A micro-state allows to repeat key bindings without entering each time the prefix commands. More info on micro-states in the documentation.

Code Navigation

The prefix for going to something is <SPC> m g.

Key           |                 Description

------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m g a | go to alternate file (i.e. .h <--> .cpp) m g g | go to things under point m g G | go to things under point in other window m g t | go to corresponding test file if any

insert state buffers

Navigation in buffers like Helm and ido which are in insert state should be performed with C-j and C-k bindings for vertical movements.

Key         |                 Description

----------------|------------------------------------------------------------ C-j | go down C-k | go up

Evaluation

Live evaluation of code is under the prefix <SPC> m e.

Key           |                 Description

------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m e $ | put the point at the end of the line and evaluate m e b | evaluate buffer m e e | evaluate last expression m e f | evaluate function m e l | evaluate line m e r | evaluate region

REPLs

Send code

A lot of languages can interact with a REPL. To help keeping a consistent behavior between those languages the following conventions should be followed:

  • <SPC> m s is the prefix for sending code. This allows fast interaction with the REPL whenever it is possible

  • lower case key bindings keep the focus on the current buffer

  • upper case key bindings move the focus to the REPL buffer

    Key | Description ------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m s b | send buffer m s B | send buffer and switch to REPL m s d | first key to send buffer and switch to REPL to debug (step) m s D | second key to send buffer and switch to REPL to debug (step) m s f | send function m s F | send function and switch to REPL m s i | start/switch to REPL inferior process m s l | send line m s L | send line and switch to REPL m s r | send region m s R | send region and switch to REPL

Note: we don't distinguish between the file and the buffer.

In terminal

History navigation in shells or REPLs buffers should be bound as well to C-j and C-k.

Key         |                 Description

----------------|------------------------------------------------------------ C-j | next item in history C-k | previous item in history C-l | clear screen C-r | search backward in history

Building and Compilation

The base prefix for major mode specific compilation is SPC m c.

Key Binding      |                 Description

---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m c b | compile buffer m c c | compile m c r | clean and compile

Note: we don't distinguish between the file and the buffer. We can implement an auto-save of the buffer before compiling the buffer.

Debugging

The base prefix for debugging commands is SPC d.

Key Binding      |                 Description

---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m d a | abandon current process m d b | toggle a breakpoint m d B | clear all breakpoints m d c | continue m d d | start debug session m d i | inspect value at point m d l | local variables m d n | next m d r | run m d s | step

Notes:

  • Ideally a micro-state for breakpoint navigation should be provided.
  • If there is no toggle breakpoint function, then it should be implemented at the spacemacs level and ideally the function should be proposed as a patch upstream (major mode repository).

Plain Text Markup Languages

For layers supporting markup languages please follow the following keybindings whenever applicable.

Headers

All header functionality should be grouped under SPC m h

Key Binding      |                 Description

---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m h i | Insert a header m h I | Insert a header alternative method (if existing) m h 1..10 | Insert a header of level 1..10 (if possible)

Insertion of common elements

Insertion of common elements like links or footnotes should be grouped under SPC m i

Key Binding      |                 Description

---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m i f | Insert footnote m i i | Insert image m i l | Insert link m i u | Insert url m i w | Insert wiki-link

Text manipulation

Manipulation of text regions should be grouped under SPC m r

Key Binding      |                 Description

---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m x b | Make region bold m x c | Make region code m x i | Make region italic m x q | Quote a region m x r | Remove formatting from region m x s | Make region strike-through m x u | Make region underlined m x v | Make region verbose

Movement in normal mode

In normal mode Vim style movement should be enabled with these keybindings:

Key Binding      |                 Description

---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ g h | Move up one level in headings g j | Move to next heading on same level g k | Move to previous heading on same level g l | Move down one level in headings

Promotion, Demotion and element movement

Promotion, demotion and movement of headings or list elements (whatever is possible) should be enabled with the following keys in any mode

Key Binding      |                 Description

---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ M-h | Promote heading by one level M-j | Move element down M-k | Move element up M-l | Demote heading by one level

Table editing

If table specific commands are available the they are grouped under the SPC m t group.

Tests

A lot of languages have their own test frameworks. These frameworks share common actions that we can unite under the same key bindings:

  • <SPC> m t is the prefix for test execution.
  • <SPC> m T is the prefix for test execution in debug mode (if supported).

All languages

Key           |                 Description

------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m t a | execute all the tests of the current project m t b | execute all the tests of the current buffer m t t | execute the current test (thing at point, function)

Note: we don't distinguish between the file and the buffer. We can implement an auto-save of the buffer before executing the tests of buffer.

Language specific

Key           |                 Description

------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m t m | execute the tests of the current module m t s | execute the tests of the current suite

Note that there are overlaps, depending on the language we will choose one or more bindings for the same thing

Refactoring

Refactoring prefix is SPC m r.

Help or Documentation

The base prefix for help commands is SPC h. Documentation is considered as an help command.

Key           |                 Description

------------------|------------------------------------------------------------ m h h | documentation of thing under point m h r | documentation of selected region