From 3d80ce5f8e8917dad1f7c260c869e472fa6fcc2c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Frank LENORMAND Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2016 07:47:07 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] Add a basic FAQ --- doc/manpages/faq.asciidoc | 92 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 92 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/manpages/faq.asciidoc diff --git a/doc/manpages/faq.asciidoc b/doc/manpages/faq.asciidoc new file mode 100644 index 00000000..cb946804 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/manpages/faq.asciidoc @@ -0,0 +1,92 @@ +Frequently Asked Questions +-------------------------- + +Is there going to be a Windows port of Kakoune ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +As many features provided by UNIX systems would be missing, or if anything +much less performant on a Windows system, the incentive to porting the +project to this operating system is pretty low. + +Moreover, you can get pretty decent performance by using Kakoune on Cygwin +(which is officially supported). + +Can you get rid of the `boost` dependency and just use std::regex ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The `boost-regex` library provides use with several features that are +heavily relied upon across several core scripts, and a few of them are +not available in the standard `std::regex` implementations. Therefore, +until the standard catches up with `boost` in terms of features, +the latter will remain a hard -mandatory- dependency. + +Kakoune is very slow on big files, what can I do about it ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The default build mode (set in the `Makefile` of the `src` directory +of the project) is "debug", which makes it convenient to track issues +but also affects performance. To disable the debug mode, recompile the +project by setting the `debug` variable in `src/Makefile` to `no`. + +Can I use Kakoune as a pager ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +. + +Are there any non-console based frontends available ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +No graphical frontend is currently officially maintained, you can however try experimental community-developed ones. + +How do I automatically indent code, as Vim does with `==` ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +As `Kakoune` doesn't parse the contents of the buffers, there is no +builtin equivalent for this Vim feature. Use a formatter/prettifier +dedicated to the language you're using (e.g. `indent` for C). + +Can Kakoune automatically complete the parameters of my functions ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +As mentioned in the above question about Vim's `==` command, Kakoune +does not parse the contents of a buffer by itself, which makes it +impossible for the editor to propose candidates upon completion. + +However, support for such a feature can be achieved through the +use of a dedicated tool, as is the case with `clang` and C code: +you can use the `clang-enable-autocomplete` and `clang-complete` +builtin commands whenever editing a C/C++ file, and completion will +work on function parameters + +Why aren't widely known command line shortcuts such as or available in Kakoune ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Despite their widespread availability in multiple tools, those +shortcuts do not fit the paradigm that Kakoune implements, which is +based on selections first. + +However, you can easily declare key mappings in your configuration +file to be able to use those control-based shortcuts in insert mode +(c.f. the "map" command in the "commands" documentation page). + +How can I explore the filesystem the way Vim's NerdTree does ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The builtin file completion engine used when opening a file for editing +(using the `:edit` command and letting the suggestions popup in the +menu beneath) is much more convenient than Vim's, which should fill +basic needs. + +However, if you need an actual explorer to interact with the editor, +you can create a Kakoune script that will spawn the tool in question, +which should in return send an "edit" command followed by the path +of the file you selected to the current Kakoune session (e.g. `echo +eval -client $kak_client edit /path/to/file | kak -p $kak_session`). + +Why aren't there other scopes except for `%sh{}` e.g. python ? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Supporting custom scopes would add hard dependencies to the project, +which is too much of an drawback when balanced against the low cost of +using an interpreter in a regular shell scope (e.g. `%sh{ python -c +"..." }`), which has a negligible impact on performance.