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Do Vim users use Alt key for mappings? If yes, how exactly?
As it is known, there are 2 common ways of handling Alt key in CLI software: either <Esc>-prefix or 8-bit. It seems like Vim chooses the later way while a lot of other CLI software(e.g. Neovim, bash, tmux) chooses the former one. From intro.txt:

 4.  "<key>" means the special key typed.  This is the notation explained in
     the table above.  A few examples:
           <Esc>                Escape key
           ...
           <M-a>                Meta- a  ('a' with bit 8 set)
           <M-A>                Meta- A  ('A' with bit 8 set)

Given my terminal emulator is configured to emit <Esc>-prefix(and it is proven by showkey -a), does it mean that instead of nnoremap <M-y> :echo hello<cr> I should map nnoremap <Esc>y: echo hello<cr>? Or there is some option which I missed or trick that I don't know about?

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  • From my experience, you should be able to map <esc>x in your case. In your terminal, with <c-v><a-x>, you will be able to check the sequence that is received. That's what you want in your map in vim. The ^[ character represents a <esc>, I recommend using the latter.
    – Biggybi
    Commented Nov 12, 2021 at 14:43
  • OFC I am able to map with <esc>, but since I am gonna use these mappings with Alt mapping with <M-..> seems more straightforward. So I would like to know if it is possible and how Vim folks usually deal with Alt-mappings
    – vatosarmat
    Commented Nov 12, 2021 at 14:51
  • Thanks for te clarification. I think you'll be able to do that with both eightbitinput and metasendsescape unset in your terminal. Enabling the former should allow mappings like <A-x>.
    – Biggybi
    Commented Nov 12, 2021 at 14:55

1 Answer 1

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No, I cannot. While in practice it usually works well enough, Vim creator thinks it is a bad idea.
So, either <Esc> prefix should be mapped explicitly

nnoremap <Esc>y :echo 'hello'<cr>

or special :set-termcap option should be set in before:

execute "set <M-y>=\ey"
nnoremap <M-y> :echo 'hello'<cr>
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