Feature Request: Option to Move Command Input Box Above Status Bar
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- Dominant language
- TypeScript
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Description
Summary
It would be helpful to have an option to place the command mode input box (: command line) above the status bar, mimicking the traditional location in Vim and Neovim.
Motivation
In classic Vim, the command-line appears at the bottom of the window, just above the status line. In VSCodeVim, the current input box sometimes appears detached from this familiar position, depending on the editor layout.
Placing the input box above the status bar would:
- Enhance the sense of continuity for long-time Vim users.
- Improve visual alignment and reduce distraction.
- Make the interface feel more like a true Vim experience within VSCode.
Suggested Implementation
- Add a new setting:
"vim.commandLinePosition": "aboveStatusBar"(default:"floating"or current behavior). - Use VSCode's API to position the input box relative to the status bar when this setting is enabled.
Related
- This would help bridge the UX gap between native Vim and VSCode.
- Could be similar to how
inccommandpreviews changes in place.
Screenshot / Concept
(optional mockup or description of desired position)
Thank you for the great work on VSCodeVim — this plugin has transformed VSCode into a powerful hybrid editor for many of us!
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by locating the command-mode input box implementation and the VS Code API used to display it. Check whether the API supports positioning relative to the status bar and review existing layout behavior. Done means a new vim.commandLinePosition setting supports aboveStatusBar while preserving the current default behavior.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- typescript
- Domain
- desktop, developer-experience
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100