Vimperator
Encyclopedia
Vimperator is a Mozilla Firefox extension forked from the original Firefox extension version of Conkeror
and designed to provide a more efficient user interface for keyboard-fluent users. The design is heavily inspired by the Vim text editor
, and the authors try to maintain consistency with it wherever possible.
with command completion, and comprehensive keyboard-accessible help system.
Vimperator hints allow users to perform actions on clickable web page items that would normally be completed with the mouse. When the hint mode is accessed, all clickable items on a page are tagged with numbers. The user can select one of the items by typing its number or typing a part of its link text. Once the item is unambiguously specified, the browser proceeds as if the item was accessed with the mouse. Depending on how hint mode was entered, the browser might proceed by clicking on the item, focusing on it, copying its link location, or several other tasks that would usually be completed with aid of a mouse.
This function was originated in an extension named Hit-a-Hint, and the vimperator developers adopted the function as a vimperator module in the early stage of development, and rewrote the code to make it lighter in pages with many links. They also added function of selecting actions like copying link locations etc.
-like command line
that appears at the bottom of each window. As with Vim, these commands begin with ':'. When the ':' key is pressed, Vimperator moves into "ex mode
," which moves the cursor into the command line for the user to complete the command.
Vimperator provides a sophisticated completion system with auto-completion support. Not only does this save typing, but it allows for exploration without having to resort to manuals, or indeed leaving the command line at all. Often, completion is used to obviate the need for menus. For instance, instead of using the tab menu, a user with auto-completion enabled may press 'b' to open the command line to the 'buffer' command, which will automatically provide a completion list of all open tabs. They would then select a tab by typing part of its title, URL, or index.
To ameliorate its steep learning curve, Vimperator provides an online help system similar to that of Vim. The 'help' command provides quick access to help on a wide array of topics, including all available commands and options. The help pages are indexed via tags, which the user can see while browsing the help pages. To access a help section in the future, one simply needs to type ':help '. Moreover, the help tags follow common naming guidelines. So, for instance, all commands are tagged with :
and a limited version of Vimscript
.
Conkeror
Conkeror is a Mozilla-based web browser designed to be navigated primarily by a computer keyboard. Its design is mainly patterned after the text editor GNU Emacs, with some influence from other programs, including vi....
and designed to provide a more efficient user interface for keyboard-fluent users. The design is heavily inspired by the Vim text editor
Vim (text editor)
Vim is a text editor written by Bram Moolenaar and first released publicly in 1991. Based on the vi editor common to Unix-like systems, Vim is designed for use both from a command line interface and as a standalone application in a graphical user interface...
, and the authors try to maintain consistency with it wherever possible.
Notable features
One of Vimperator's most notable features is mouseless browsing, which is a result of Vimperator's hints, command lineCommand-line interface
A command-line interface is a mechanism for interacting with a computer operating system or software by typing commands to perform specific tasks...
with command completion, and comprehensive keyboard-accessible help system.
Hint mode
This function was originated in an extension named Hit-a-Hint, and the vimperator developers adopted the function as a vimperator module in the early stage of development, and rewrote the code to make it lighter in pages with many links. They also added function of selecting actions like copying link locations etc.
Command line
Most of Vimperator's features may be accessed via its VimVim (text editor)
Vim is a text editor written by Bram Moolenaar and first released publicly in 1991. Based on the vi editor common to Unix-like systems, Vim is designed for use both from a command line interface and as a standalone application in a graphical user interface...
-like command line
Command-line interface
A command-line interface is a mechanism for interacting with a computer operating system or software by typing commands to perform specific tasks...
that appears at the bottom of each window. As with Vim, these commands begin with ':'. When the ':' key is pressed, Vimperator moves into "ex mode
Ex (text editor)
ex, short for EXtended, is a line editor for Unix systems.The original ex was an advanced version of the standard Unix editor ed, included in the Berkeley Software Distribution...
," which moves the cursor into the command line for the user to complete the command.
Completion
Online help
Scripts
Vimperator supports extending its base functionality with scripts. The scripts are written using JavaScriptJavaScript
JavaScript is a prototype-based scripting language that is dynamic, weakly typed and has first-class functions. It is a multi-paradigm language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles....
and a limited version of Vimscript
Vimscript
Vimscript, also Vim script, is the scripting language built into Vim. Based on the ex editor language of the original vi editor, early versions of Vim added commands for control flow and function definitions. Since version 7, Vimscript also supports more advanced data types such as Lists and...
.
See also
- ConkerorConkerorConkeror is a Mozilla-based web browser designed to be navigated primarily by a computer keyboard. Its design is mainly patterned after the text editor GNU Emacs, with some influence from other programs, including vi....
– A browser with EmacsEmacsEmacs is a class of text editors, usually characterized by their extensibility. GNU Emacs has over 1,000 commands. It also allows the user to combine these commands into macros to automate work.Development began in the mid-1970s and continues actively...
-like key bindings - List of Firefox extensions
External links
- home page
- Vimperator's mozilla.org add-on page
- Linux.com: How to control Firefox using Vim keybindings
- Lifehacker.com: Bring VIM-like navigation to Firefox
- LinuxJournal: Dr hjkl Meets the Vimperator
- Vimprobable, a WebKit-based standalone Vimperator clone
- Firemacs – A Firefox extension with EmacsEmacsEmacs is a class of text editors, usually characterized by their extensibility. GNU Emacs has over 1,000 commands. It also allows the user to combine these commands into macros to automate work.Development began in the mid-1970s and continues actively...
-like key bindings - Pentadactyl – A fork of Vimperator by several of its primary developers