Which is Better Flash.nvim OR Leap.nvim?

In this video I go over installation and usage of the flash.nvim plugin and how you can quickly jump to different locations within a buffer or across window splits in Neovim. I compare this to leap.nvim and decide on which provides the best functionality and the best default usage for jumping to exact locations.
Companion Article: / which-is-better-flash-...
My Neovim Config: github.com/exosyphon/nvim
Leap.nvim: github.com/ggandor/leap.nvim
Flash.nvim: github.com/folke/flash.nvim
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⏰ Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:31 Install flash.nvim
1:47 require("flash").jump()
3:40 require("flash").treesitter()
4:23 require("flash").remote()
5:34 require("flash").treesitter_search()
6:33 require("flash").toggle()
7:46 Enhanced f and t
9:32 Flash.nvim vs Leap.nvim
11:06 Outro
#neovim #coding #softwareengineer

[@ascourter]

Do you use flash.nvim?

[@sp3ctum]

I really tried to like it, but a long time ago I got used to, I think, easymotion. I wasn't able to shake the habit and now I use hop.nvim. I guess I'm too set in my ways 😄

[@ZiRo815]

flash works how I want it to. I don’t want to type a specific number of letters. I just want to look at where I want to go, press a letter and then the red letter and boom I’m there. Leap’s need for 2 letter minimum jars me, especially around symbols.

[@ghostsssssss4884]

Been using it for a while and it keeps improving my workflow(no more 13j etc). I would love to get used to the remote operations but somehow the mental overhead is too big and i spend more time thinking bout the commands than it would take me to do it regularly. Do you experience similar issues with plugins you would like to use more but dont?

[@ascourter]

@@ghostsssssss4884 I definitely experience this with different plugins. If you don't use the plugin at all then could be an indicator of having too many but sometimes your workflow just changes over time.

[@ekkyarmandi]

I've been using flash for a couple of months now. flash.nvim resolved my search workflows, but your video covers a feature I do not know exists, it's really helpful!

[@crusader_]

Just when I was scratching my head in confusion whether to choose leap or flash. Thank you!

[@ascourter]

Glad I could help!

[@paolocabaleiro]

I remember back when I suggested you should use Flash, glad to see this video now :D You have been missed on Twitch land, hope to see you there one day.

[@ascourter]

Thanks for suggesting it! I finally got around to trying it out. Hopefully I can get back into Twitch again, maybe once I can get my kids to bed earlier 😂

[@Hoopsters35]

At 3:00 you mention that flash giving one keybind to jump in any window is key to you. If anyone is wondering how to do that in leap, you can use require('leap').leap({target_windows = {winid1, winid2}}) to target as many windows as you'd like. Combine this with require('leap.util').get_enterable_windows() which gives all visible windows except the current one, and vim.api.nvim_get_current_win() and you can jump to anything on the screen with one keybind

[@ascourter]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@liamwoodleigh]

Thanks for this! Could you please give an example of it as lazy config? 👀

[@rwz]

i was using leap, but the 2 char behavior was throwing me too often, now with flash it is very intuitive. thanks!

[@NormalNvim]

Hop is pretty amazing too! Love the aesthetic.

[@ascourter]

Sweet. I'm excited to give it a try next!

[@lpanebr]

I use to like those but then I felt they messed with my vanilla way of doing things with additional overhead. I'm currently loving the precognition plugin that actually helps you use vanilla mappings by adding jump hints in virtual text.

[@atxorsatti]

Honestly I love this extension, and that exactly why I stopped using it. I used it almost exclusively, for every movement, and it came to a point that I didn't know some native vim movement s. I had to stop using it in order to learn them.

[@ascourter]

Oh that's really interesting. I could definitely see being too reliant on it. Thanks for sharing!

[@Lambdaphile]

This is the best Vim channel

[@ascourter]

Thank you! That's very kind

[@mvargasmoran]

I've tried and yeeted all of this plugins, including Emacs Ace Jump Mode, way back in 2010~2012. I far prefer to use the / or incremental search.

[@ascourter]

Haha the idea of yeeting a plugin is hilarious. Maybe this is where we will all end up eventually.

[@mvargasmoran]

@@ascourter it think it's stages in life, getting all the plugins, then ditching all the plugins. it happens.

[@jieli-mw7ox]

nice

[@Petrovich2049]

I think both of these plugins offer an illusion of efficiency. Yes you may save few keystrokes, but you need to think more about how and where do you want to move? Should you use vim motions or the plugin? And while you are using the plugin, you aren't perfecting vim motions. How hard is it to write say 12j + whatever horizontal jump? Or search for something then just press n free times to skip to the one you want?

[@ascourter]

I think this is a really fair question. Some folks want to get better at default vim bindings and others want to customize and use different plugins. I do think there is some potential efficiency gains with using either of these plugins but you need to learn and develop the muscle memory for that efficiency. One of the best features of Neovim is that everyone can choose what they prefer and customize the editor. This decision is also not set in stone, I have seen a couple comments of people who said they relied on these plugins too much and went back to using built in vim motions. Whichever you choose, have fun and continue learning!

[@muizzyranking]

I don't like enhances f/t motion from flash, thats why i use leap + flit.

[@ascourter]

Yeah, I'd say you could disable it but it looks like there is an open issue currently. github.com/folke/flash.nvim/issues/329

[@blbezcc]

Don't you miss the s and S keybinds you have overwritten with it? I do, and I'm searching for better one letter keybind to use instead.

[@ascourter]

I have found other motions to replace s and S for me (e.g. cc). How are you using s and S?

[@blbezcc]

@@ascourter wow, I didn't know about cc. Thanks. That solves the S problem and for s, I just found out that equivalent is "cl" (c and lowercase L).

[@cody_codes_youtube]

IM NOT FIRST BECAUSE YOU PUBLISHED AT 7:45AM YOU MANIAC

[@ascourter]

Half the day is already over! 😂

[@adrianscarlett]

You should move to a different timezone...

[@shubhampawar7921]

Can i disable flash.nvim for f & t, i dont think its useful

[@ascourter]

You should be able to disable it but it looks like there is an open issue currently. Check out this page: github.com/folke/flash.nvim/issues/329

[@seppotaalasmaa3404]

Why can't we just use markers?

[@ascourter]

Haha I think you could if that's what you'd like. You'd have to set a mark somewhere before you were able to jump there is a problem for me. Let me know if you use marks to jump around and how you use them.

[@Gskvj]

I'm not quite sure how this might necessarily be better than Harpoon

[@ascourter]

I believe you jump between buffers with harpoon, this is to jump to locations within the same buffer.

[@ZiRo815]

I sincerely hope this was just someone trolling.

[@MrEternalFool]

None actually, all cause a context change. You screen changes, you then have to type a random character or maybe two. Instead just longpress j, k to go the correct line number and b,w or f to get to where you want. Decrease key repeat time to make this faster. This doesn't cause a brain context change and you can focus on your code instead of random flashing characters.

[@ascourter]

This is what's great about Neovim, you can use what makes sense to you as a user.

[@hechuan5075]

having to repeatedly hitting b or B, j or k even relative line jumping was too slow and exactly why i switched to Flaah, lol

[@no_name4796]

Yeah. Also / works pretty fine most of the times. And if it doesn't, i just manually navigate. But yeah, i hate having to think about what i do (except when i do macros, which in fact i do only if i want to have some fun, or have big changes to make and a good macro is worth it)

[@no_name4796]

Also: i tend to use the defaults as much as possible. This for 3 reasons: - i am lazy - defaults are mantained by neovim devs, so they will always work (unlike plugin stuff which may break, get deprecated or who knows what) - using defaults means that if i fuck up and need to run neovim without plugins, or on a different computer, then my muscle memory will still be valid

[@user-zl6om6kh9s]

You don't mention leap.nvim most useful feature: instantly jump to next match without type a char, that's the bonus of 2 char search

[@ascourter]

Ah I did forget this. I trigger this case so little that I forget about it.

[@RuanSilva-kk1gq]

I prefere hop.nvim

[@ascourter]

Nice. This one is next up! What do you like best?

[@garctin]

I tried flash.nvim when it was added to LazyVim. But coming from leap.nvim I always felt lost. It was unintuitive to me. So I'm back on leap.nvim.

[@rodelias9378]

Great video. I think it's time for me to move from leap.nvim to flash.nvim

[@ascourter]

Definitely worth a try. There have been several people who say hop.nvim is even better so that's on my list to check out next!