How to Move the Cursor Up or Down Using `feedkeys`

Learn how to programmatically move the cursor up and down using Neovim's feedkeys function. This guide provides an example for invoking normal mode commands through Lua, enabling you to manipulate the cursor efficiently.

What is `vim.api.nvim_feedkeys`?

The vim.api.nvim_feedkeys function allows you to simulate key presses in Neovim, making it a versatile tool for programmatically invoking commands.

Function Signature

vim.api.nvim_feedkeys(keys, mode, escape_ks)

Parameters:

keys: A string representing the key sequence to simulate.
mode: A string indicating the mode to execute the keys (e.g., "n" for normal mode).
escape_ks: A boolean or string determining whether the key sequences should escape special characters.

Example: Moving the Cursor Up or Down

-- Function to move the cursor up by a specified number of lines
local function move_cursor_up(lines)
  vim.api.nvim_feedkeys(tostring(lines) .. "k", "n", false)
end

-- Function to move the cursor down by a specified number of lines
local function move_cursor_down(lines)
  vim.api.nvim_feedkeys(tostring(lines) .. "j", "n", false)
end

-- Example usage: Move the cursor up by 5 lines
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>k', function()
  move_cursor_up(5)
end, { desc = "Move cursor up by 5 lines" })

-- Example usage: Move the cursor down by 5 lines
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>j', function()
  move_cursor_down(5)
end, { desc = "Move cursor down by 5 lines" })