VSCodeVim / VSCodeVim/Vim

Bug: Unexpected Pane Movement with `<C-W>l` from Sidebar & Request for Proper `<C-W>jkhl` Mapping Strategy

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TypeScript
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Description

Hello,

vscode version: 1.104.3
vscodevim version: 1.31.0

I have encountered an issue when attempting to use Vim-like pane navigation to move focus back to the editor area from the sidebar.

1. Configuration Context

I have added the following entry to my keybindings.json file to allow VSCodeVim to intercept the <C-W> prefix key:

[
    {
        "key": "ctrl+w",
        "command": "extension.vim_ctrl+w",
        "when": "vim.active && vim.use<C-w> && !inDebugRepl"
    }
]
2. Bug Report

When the sidebar (e.g., Explorer or Search panel) has focus, pressing the sequence <C-W> followed by l unexpectedly moves the focus past the main editor area and into the editor group to the right (if one exists). The action behaves as if I pressed the sequence twice.

Is this a known bug in VSCodeVim's handling of non-editor focus, or am I missing a crucial configuration step for focus movement from side panels?

3. General Mapping Strategy Request

What is the recommended and most robust way to map the full sequence of <C-W> + j/k/h/l to reliably move focus between all VS Code areas (Sidebar $\leftrightarrow$ Editor $\leftrightarrow$ Terminal $\leftrightarrow$ Editor Groups) without conflicts?

4. Feature Request: Move Editor to Right Split

Separately, is there a way to map a Vim sequence (e.g., <C-W> L) to the VS Code command that moves the current active editor to the editor group on the right (workbench.action.moveEditorToNextGroup)?

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the then j/k/h/l sequences from the sidebar using the keybindings.json entry for extension.vim_ctrl+w. Compare the observed focus movement with the requested workbench.action.moveEditorToNextGroup mapping; done means the mappings work reliably across the named VS Code areas without the sequence being applied twice.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
typescript, vscode
Domain
developer-experience, tooling
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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