Capturing key stroke

Question

I would like to write a script, maybe even using Python, that captures a key stroke in a Vim window. Let's say I am in insert mode and I type the letter g. I would like this key stroke to trigger some action, that I configure, while still typing in the letter. Also, this behaviour should not depend on the key that has been hit (in that case a simple remapping would do). So, I guess what I'm looking for is some kind of key-hit event I can exploit. Is such a thing available in Vimscript (possibly integrated with Python)?

Answer 1

There is an auto-command event InsertCharPre that detects entry of any character while in Insert mode yet still inserts it into the buffer. Here's a dead simple example (put this in your vimrc, for instance):

augroup InterceptKeyPress
    autocmd!
    autocmd InsertCharPre * :echo localtime()
augroup END

You can run any vimscript you want in response to the event.

A quick test confirms it works as expected. The impact on overall usability is something you'll have to evaluate for yourself. :)