Add blog post about Vim's Command-line window

content/posts/vim-command-line-window/index.md

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+---
+title: Vim's Missing Feature Isn't Really Missing
+author: Qasim Warraich
+comments: true
+date: 2023-12-29
+---
+
+Since it's near the end of 2023, I am sure everyone is quite busy with family
+and other festive obligations. I am going to keep this one short and introduce you
+to one Vim feature that, if you don't use it already, will have you excited to
+get back to your beloved editor in 2024.
+
+<!--more-->
+
+## An Addiction
+
+![`:w` everywhere](./colon-w.png)
+
+If you are anything like me, then Vim is so deeply ingrained in you that you
+find yourself accidentally typing `:w` or its friends in all sorts of text
+inputs. Vim motions have taken over your brain to the point that you find it
+difficult to type in “traditional” text inputs. Perhaps your Vim addiction is
+so bad that you have Vi mode configured everywhere you can.
+
+You feel like a well-oiled machine, navigating your browser, your file system,
+and even editing commands in your shell using Vim motions. However, when you
+hit `:` to enter your beloved Vim's
+[Command-line-mode](https://neovim.io/doc/user/cmdline.html) and want to follow
+up with something more than `w` or `q`, something feels off. You make a typo or
+forget a flag, and there it is. Your fingers seek awkwardly for the arrow keys,
+you're reaching for your backspace, and every time you inadvertently hit
+escape, it's game over.
+
+## Command-line Window
+
+The so-called, [Command-line-window](https://neovim.io/doc/user/cmdline.html#cmdline-window) (`:h
+command-line-window`) is one of the less talked-about Vim features, and one that
+I personally discovered sometime ago by pure chance.
+
+It is a special window in Vim that allows you to edit text for `command-line`
+operations in the same way you edit text normally in Vim. This allows you to
+circumvent the awkwardness of searching for arrow keys or using backspace,
+allowing you to use the Vim motions you are so comfortable with, in even more
+contexts. Additionally, the `command-line-window` is also populated with your
+command or search history from previous operations, allowing you to modify a
+recently run command or search using Vim motions. Another advantage of using
+`command-line-window` is that you can also hook into your non-native
+autocompletion suggestions for `command-line` operations.
+
+The command-line-window can be accessed in several ways:
+
+- `q:` : Opens `command-line-window` populated with your recent `Ex` commands
+- `q/` or `q?` : Opens `command-line-window` populated with your recent
+  searches. Hitting enter executes a search using the `/` or `?` behaviour.
+- `CTRL+f` : Brings up the `command-line-window` when you are already in
+  `command-line-mode`.
+
+## In Action
+
+Here are some interesting ways you can integrate `command-line-window` into
+your Vim workflow. Keep in mind that these are toy examples intended to seed ideas
+as to how you may use `command-line-window` in more complex circumstances.
+
+### Command History
+
+![Command-line window `Ex` history command](./cmd-window-ex-hist.gif)
+_`Command-line-window` is activated using `q:`. The last `:h` command is then
+modified using Vim motions and reissued with `Enter`._
+
+### Search History
+
+![Command-line window search history command](./cmd-window-search-hist.gif)
+_`Command-line-window` is activated using `q/`. A previous search term is then
+modified using Vim motions and reissued with `Enter`._
+
+### Filter Command
+
+![Command-line window modify filter command](./cmd-window-filter-command.gif)
+_`Command-line-window` is activated using `CTRL+f` while already in
+`Command-line-mode`. This is then used to insert a missing flag into our
+`filter` command using Vim motions._
+
+### LSP Rename
+
+![Command-line window LSP rename](./cmd-window-lsp-rename.gif)
+_`Command-line-window` is activated using `CTRL+f` after Neovim's
+`vim.lsp.buf.rename` is triggered. Now we can access our recent history of
+renames and also use Vim motions to pick a new name for the variable._
+
+### Netrw
+
+![Command-line window Netrw](./cmd-window-netrw.gif)
+_`Command-line-window` is activated using `CTRL+f` after the rename command on
+a directory inside `netrw` is issued. The file can now be conveniently renamed
+using Vim motions._
+
+## Happy Vim-ing in 2024
+
+The potential use cases for `command-line-window` go well beyond these simple
+examples. Nonetheless, I hope this was a useful introduction to a feature that
+bridges a gap that was always missing (and, frankly, irritating) for me in Vim.
+
+This post is dedicated to the late Bram Moolenaar, who passed away in August 2023. Bram was the creator and
+[BDFL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benevolent_dictator_for_life) of Vim. Vim
+is licensed as [“charityware”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careware) and as
+conveyed by the call to “Help poor children in Uganda!” in Vim's welcome
+message, Bram encouraged users to donate to the [ICCF
+Holland](https://www.iccf-holland.org/) charity he founded. If your end-of-year
+bonus has you feeling generous, I encourage you to spread the wealth to those
+who are less fortunate than people like us, people who spend an obnoxious
+amount of time obsessing over text editors.
+
+Happy new year!