I would like to improve the behavior of vim mode in CJK languages.

[yasainet]

Check for existing issues

• Completed

Describe the feature

I am Japanese and a zed enthusiast!
I love zed's UI, Design, UX, etc.

However, there are some problems with the CJK language support.

1. terminal does not allow proper input of CJK languages (this is a separate issue, so I won't go into it here)
2. vim mode does not support CJK languages well.

Here, we would like to express our hope for vim mode's support for CJK languages.

Switching mode

• In normal vim, even if the IME is on in normal mode, typing commands such as i, a, and o will switch to insert mode.
• However, in zed, if the IME is on in normal mode, typing commands such as i, a, and o will not switch to insert mode.

Behavior considering IME switching

• Users of CJK languages (probably) expect the IME to be turned off when returning from insert mode to normal mode.
  -> Reference: https://github.com/daipeihust/im-select

Gaze shifting

• Users of CJK languages (maybe!) expect often check the current IME state and the vim mode.
• As you can see from the attached screenshot, the eye movement is very large.
• I am sure that zed I know will solve this UI problem!

If applicable, add mockups / screenshots to help present your vision of the feature

No response

[ConradIrwin]

@yasainet @huacnlee and I were talking about this in #16278. Would the solution described there of a setting:

{"vim": {
  "normal_keyboard_layout": "com.apple.keylayout.US"
}}

work for you? That way whenever you are in normal mode, the keyboard is a QWERTY keyboard, but when you are in insert mode it restores your previous keyboard layout.

[huacnlee]

I can do a test later. Do I just run that PR code with this setting?

[huacnlee]

Actually in VIM and VS Code with Vim extension, the IME is not auto switch to English keyword when we at the Normal Mode.

Yes, They will go to Insert Mode, when I press i, but that not a good experience, the first i will break the next input, that IME not going to continue get other words.

CleanShot.2024-08-28.at.13.56.40.mp4

So, I usually switch the IME by myself.

---

@ConradIrwin I have tested that setting in Zed Preview 0.150.4, it is no effect. The IME is still in Chinese in Normal Mode.

[huacnlee]

CleanShot.2024-08-28.at.14.03.39.mp4

[yasainet]

Is there a normal_keyboard_layout configuration item in Zed? I tried to find the source code but I could not find it.

I don't know the details, but on Mac there are US, ABC input sources by default, and I have ABC.
Both can be set from the English preferences.

[ConradIrwin]

@yasainet this does not yet exist. It was an idea we were thinking about.

It looks like instead we might try to make this "just work" as described here: #17031.

[yasainet]

@ConradIrwin
Thank you very much! I don't understand English so I read and write using translation software. Sorry for asking questions without understanding the fine nuances.

I will also check the page you presented!

[peng1999]

Related: #7997

@huacnlee says:

Actually in VIM and VS Code with Vim extension, the IME is not auto switch to English keyword when we at the Normal Mode.

Not really. You can configure auto-switching IME in VsCodeVim settings. And we have many plugins (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) to do the same in Vim/Neovim.

@ConradIrwin says:

It looks like instead we might try to make this "just work" as described here: #17031.

I don't think the IME related things will ever be "just work" for Chinese users. We just need an auto-switch function like in VsCodeVim to reduce manual IME switching.

[ConradIrwin]

We changed the way that Zed works with the IME to send keystrokes to Zed first in most cases. Does this give you what you want on macOS?

I still think we may need IME switching on other platforms.

[iwinux]

Related issue: #21042

It still happens with Zed 0.172.10.