How to run a command in neovim's terminal mode without leaving this mode

Question

Suppose ALT+h to mapped to <C-\><C-N><C-w>j as following Nvim documentation: nvim_terminal_emulator. We have two horizontally split windows with terminal buffers and the right window is activated.

After hitting ATL+h, the left window will be activated but the right window will be switched to normal mode automatically. Is it possible to let the right window stay in terminal mode for neovim? Or does neovim has equivalent terminal-typing which allows us to not leave the terminal mode.

Answer 1

It's impossible "to stay" when you have already "left". What you can do is to re-enter terminal-insert mode automatically.

Sort of,

if has('nvim')
    augroup nvim_terminal | au!
        " entering terminal buffer for the first time
        autocmd TermEnter term://* startinsert
        " switching to terminal window/buffer
        autocmd BufEnter term://* startinsert
    augroup end
endif

See also this question about problem with switching to terminal window by mouse click.

UPD. :h <Cmd> pseudokey specific to Neovim is supposed to answer this problem:

if has('nvim')
    tnoremap <alt-h> <Cmd>wincmd h<CR>
    tnoremap <alt-j> <Cmd>wincmd j<CR>
    tnoremap <alt-k> <Cmd>wincmd k<CR>
    tnoremap <alt-l> <Cmd>wincmd l<CR>
endif

however currently it doesn't preserve terminal-insert mode and switches to terminal-normal anyway due to the bug tnoremap wincmd doesn't preserve mode · Issue #12246 · neovim/neovim. You have to wait for a newer release of neovim which will fix this bug. Or you can manually merge this pull request and build your own neovim.