How to Transform Neovim Into a Full-Fledged IDE on Linux
Neovim is a modern, feature-rich, and highly extensible text editor that has become increasingly popular among developers in recent years. Although it comes with a wide range of features out of the box, it can also be transformed into a full-fledged integrated development environment (IDE) with the help of various plugins and configurations.
This can be particularly useful for developers who prefer to work in a single, powerful environment that can handle all aspects of their workflow. Learn how you can supercharge Neovim and turn it into a full-fledged IDE on Linux.
Step 1: Install Neovim Plugins
Plugins are at the heart of every code editor, be it Vim, Neovim, or Visual Studio Code. Plugins help you enhance and extend the functionalities of the default Neovim installation. It’s also one of the easier ways tomake your coding sessions productiveand much more enjoyable.
To install and manage plugins for Neovim, first, you need to download and install a plugin manager. You have multiple options to choose from but the most commonly used ones are vim-plug, packer.nvim, dein, and lazy.nvim.
vim-plug is a commonly used plugin manager that you can opt to install. Once installed, you can then browse for plugins of your choice to install into your Neovim setup using the corresponding installation syntax of the plugin manager.
To add IDE-esque features to Neovim, I recommend installing these plugins:
With these three installed, you’ll already see a significant boost in your productivity. Don’t be shy to search for and install more plugins as they seem fit to your setup.
Here’s the syntax for adding new plugins to Neovim using the aforementioned plugin managers. For demonstration, we’ll be installing the Telescope plugin.
Installing Neovim plugins is similar tohow you would install a plugin in Vim. You need to edit the Neovim init file located at~/.config/nvim/init.vimand add the following lines beforecall plug#end().
The syntax for vim-plug:
Now, launch Neovim and run the:PlugInstallcommand to install the plugins.
For packer.nvim, enter the following lines in~/.config/nvim/lua/plugins.lua:
dein users need to add the following lines to theinit.vimfile:
The syntax for lazy.nvim is:
Although it’s not necessary, you may source your configuration files before starting Neovim. That’s all you need to do to add a plugin to Neovim.
Step 2: Set Up LSP and DAP Servers
Language Server Protocol or LSP servers add features like semantic auto-completion, linting, error squiggles, and more to your Neovim setup. Using a package manager plugin like mason.nvim, you’ll be able to quickly install and manage LSP servers for multiple supported programming and scripting languages in a few clicks.
Support for programming languages ranges from mainstream languages like Assembly language (ASM_x86_x64), C/C++, and JavaScript to even esoteric stuff like Brainf#ck.
Debug Adapter Protocol or DAP servers allow you to run and debug applications as you would in a traditional IDE. You get the prominent features of a traditional debugger like setting breakpoints, stepping into, over, and through code blocks, attaching to running apps, viewing the app state, etc.
It’s under development and will improve as new updates are pushed. DAP allows you to debug your applications within Neovim, so you won’t have to rely on external debugging and logging tools for simple tasks.
Here’s how to install any LSP, linter, or formatter with Mason:
That’s all the steps required to install a package with mason.nvim on Neovim.
Step 3: Personalize Neovim With Custom Themes
Themes are crucial to truly personalizing your Neovim setup. Neovim offers support for a wide range of custom themes. If you wish to, you can even write your own theme using some of the custom ones as a reference.
Keep in mind that you do need to be familiar with the Vimscript scripting language if you wish to write your own themes.
If you don’t want to go through that hassle a quick Google search will land you multiple pages of themes.
Want a Quick Solution to Setting Up Neovim? Say No More!
Although it’s recommended that you manually set your Neovim up from scratch to fit your needs, sometimes, you might need a quick on-the-go setup that doesn’t take time and effort, and yet, offers most of the features of an IDE.
Well, you’re in luck because there’s a Neovim setup script that does exactly that! Meetthe kickstart.nvim script.It’s one of the quickest ways to supercharge Neovim without having to configure each component manually.
All you need to do is copy the configuration file,init.luainto the~/.config/nvim/directory.
verify to back up the pre-existing Nvim configuration file in case you wish to revert all the changes. Once you’re done copying the configuration file, simply start or restart Neovim and the script should start executing and installing all the features.
Select your preferences as they appear and let them finish installing. By the end, you should have set up a fully functional, feature-rich Neovim instance.
Now You Know How to Overhaul Neovim for Development
Now you know how to integrate the features of an IDE into the Neovim code editor. With these modifications in place, your coding efficiency and overall productivity are sure to grow exponentially.
Keep in mind that although plugins can shorten the gap between a code editor like Neovim and a traditional IDE, there will always be differences and features that cannot be replicated.
If you feel your Neovim setup misses a particular feature, try finding or writing a script for it, or consider installing a different code editor or IDE for programming.
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