Pynvim: Python client to Neovim
Pynvim implements support for python plugins in Nvim. It also works as a library for connecting to and scripting Nvim processes through its msgpack-rpc API.
Supports python 2.7, and 3.4 or later.
pip2 install neovim
pip3 install neovim
If you only use one of python2 or python3, it is enough to install that
version. You can install the package without being root by adding the --user
flag.
If you follow Neovim master, make sure to upgrade the python-client when you upgrade neovim:
pip2 install --upgrade neovim
pip3 install --upgrade neovim
Alternatively, the master version could be installed by executing the following in the root of this repository:
pip2 install .
pip3 install .
Pynvim supports python remote plugins (via the language-agnostic Nvim rplugin
interface), as well as Vim plugins (via the :python[3]
interface). Thus when
pynvim is installed Neovim will report support for the +python[3]
Vim feature.
The rplugin interface allows plugins to handle vimL function calls as well as defining commands and autocommands, and such plugins can operate asynchronously without blocking nvim. For details on the new rplugin interface, see the Remote Plugin documentation.
Pynvim defines some extensions over the vim python API:
- Builtin and plugin vimL functions are available as
nvim.funcs
- API functions are available as
vim.api
and for objects such asbuffer.api
- Lua functions can be defined using
vim.exec_lua
and called withvim.lua
- Support for thread-safety and async requests.
See the Python Plugin API documentation for usage of this new functionality.
If you change the code, you need to run
pip2 install .
pip3 install .
for the changes to have effect. For instructions of testing and troubleshooting, see the development documentation.
A number of different transports are supported, but the simplest way to get
started is with the python REPL. First, start Nvim with a known address (or use
the $NVIM_LISTEN_ADDRESS
of a running instance):
$ NVIM_LISTEN_ADDRESS=/tmp/nvim nvim
In another terminal, connect a python REPL to Nvim (note that the API is similar to the one exposed by the python-vim bridge):
>>> from neovim import attach
# Create a python API session attached to unix domain socket created above:
>>> nvim = attach('socket', path='/tmp/nvim')
# Now do some work.
>>> buffer = nvim.current.buffer # Get the current buffer
>>> buffer[0] = 'replace first line'
>>> buffer[:] = ['replace whole buffer']
>>> nvim.command('vsplit')
>>> nvim.windows[1].width = 10
>>> nvim.vars['global_var'] = [1, 2, 3]
>>> nvim.eval('g:global_var')
[1, 2, 3]
You can embed neovim into your python application instead of binding to a running neovim instance.
>>> from neovim import attach
>>> nvim = attach('child', argv=["/bin/env", "nvim", "--embed"])
The tests can be consulted for more examples.