Vimini: Google Gemini Integration for Vim

Vimini is a Vim plugin that provides seamless integration with Google's Gemini (Generative AI) models, allowing you to interact with AI directly from your Vim editor. You can chat, generate code, get code reviews, and even receive real-time autocomplete suggestions without leaving your coding environment.

Features

• Chat with Gemini: Send prompts and receive responses in a new buffer.
• Context-Aware Code Generation: Use all open buffers as context to generate code.
• Code Review: Get AI-powered reviews for the code in your current buffer or from your git history.
• Git Integration: Generate commit messages and view diffs using AI.
• Real-time Autocomplete: Get code suggestions as you type in insert mode.
• List Models: Easily view all available Gemini models.
• API Key Management: Configure your Gemini API key securely.
• Live "Thinking" View: Optionally watch the AI's thought process in real-time during code generation and reviews.

Requirements

• Vim (or Neovim) with Python 3 support.
• Python 3.6+
• The google-genai Python library. You can install it via pip:

  pip install google-genai

• git must be installed and in your PATH for the Git-related commands.
• ripgrep (rg) must be installed and in your PATH for the Ripgrep integration commands.

Installation

You can install Vimini using your preferred Vim plugin manager.

Using Vim-Plug:

1. Add the following line to your .vimrc or init.vim:

   call plug#begin()
   Plug 'your-github-username/vimini.vim' " Replace with the actual repo path
   call plug#end()

2. Run :PlugInstall in Vim.

Using Packer.nvim:

1. Add the following to your init.lua (for Neovim) or plugins.lua:

   use 'your-github-username/vimini.vim' " Replace with the actual repo path

2. Run :PackerSync or :PackerInstall in Neovim.

(Note: Replace your-github-username/vimini.vim with the actual repository path once published.)

Configuration

Vimini requires your Google Gemini API key and allows for several customizations.

1. API Key (g:vimini_api_key): You can set your API key directly in your .vimrc or init.vim:

   let g:vimini_api_key = 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'

   Alternatively, Vimini will also look for the API key in a file named ~/.config/gemini.token. This is the recommended and more secure approach. Just place your API key (and nothing else) into that file:

   # ~/.config/gemini.token
   YOUR_API_KEY_HERE
   

2. Default Model (g:vimini_model): Specify the default Gemini model you want to use. The default is gemini-2.5-flash. You can list available models using :ViminiListModels.

   let g:vimini_model = 'gemini-2.5-flash' " Or 'gemini-2.5-pro', etc.

3. Generation Temperature (g:vimini_temperature): Control the creativity of the AI's responses for commands like :ViminiCode, :ViminiCommit, and :ViminiReview. The temperature is a value between 0.0 and 2.0. Higher values (e.g., 1.0) make the output more random and creative, while lower values (e.g., 0.2) make it more focused and deterministic. By default, it is not set, allowing the model to use its default temperature.

   " Set a specific temperature for generation
   let g:vimini_temperature = 0.7

4. Thinking Display (g:vimini_thinking): Control whether the AI's "thinking" process is displayed in a separate buffer during code generation and reviews.

   " Show the 'Vimini Thoughts' buffer. (Default)
   let g:vimini_thinking = 'on'
   
   " Hide the 'Vimini Thoughts' buffer.
   let g:vimini_thinking = 'off'

   This can also be controlled with the :ViminiThinking command.

5. Autocomplete (g:vimini_autocomplete): Enable or disable the real-time autocomplete feature. It is disabled by default.

   " Enable autocomplete feature
   let g:vimini_autocomplete = 'on'
   
   " Disable autocomplete feature (Default)
   let g:vimini_autocomplete = 'off'

   This can also be controlled with the :ViminiToggleAutocomplete command.

6. Logging (g:vimini_logging and g:vimini_log_file): Control whether Vimini logs its activity to a file, which can be useful for debugging. Logging is disabled by default.

   " Enable logging (Default is 'off')
   let g:vimini_logging = 'on'
   
   " Set a custom path for the log file (Default is '~/.var/vimini/vimini.log')
   let g:vimini_log_file = '/path/to/your/vimini.log'

   Logging can also be controlled at runtime with the :ViminiToggleLogging command.

7. Commit Author (g:vimini_commit_author): Customize the Co-authored-by trailer used in :ViminiCommit.

   " Set a custom author trailer (Default is 'Co-authored-by: Gemini <gemini@google.com>')
   let g:vimini_commit_author = 'Co-authored-by: My AI Assistant <ai@example.com>'

8. Context Files (g:context_files): In addition to all files currently open in Vim buffers, you can specify a list of files to always include as context for AI commands like :ViminiCode. This is useful for providing the AI with important project files (like configurations, core utilities, or type definitions) without needing to have them open.

   " Always include these files as context for code generation tasks
   let g:context_files = ['package.json', 'src/main.js', 'src/utils/api.js']

Usage

Vimini exposes several commands for interacting with the Gemini API:

:ViminiListModels

Lists all available Gemini models in a new split window. This is useful for knowing which models you can set for g:vimini_model.

:ViminiListModels

:ViminiChat {prompt}

Sends a prompt to the configured Gemini model and displays the AI's response in a new vertical split buffer.

:ViminiChat What is the capital of France?

:ViminiThinking [on|off]

Toggles or sets the display of the AI's real-time thought process during code generation and reviews. When enabled, a Vimini Thoughts buffer will appear alongside the main result buffer.

" Toggle the current setting (on -> off, off -> on)
:ViminiThinking

" Explicitly turn the thinking display on
:ViminiThinking on

" Explicitly turn the thinking display off
:ViminiThinking off

:ViminiToggleLogging [on|off]

Toggles or sets the logging feature. When enabled, Vimini will log API requests, responses, and other internal actions to the file specified by g:vimini_log_file. This is primarily useful for debugging.

" Toggle the current setting (on -> off, off -> on)
:ViminiToggleLogging

" Explicitly turn logging on
:ViminiToggleLogging on

" Explicitly turn logging off
:ViminiToggleLogging off

:ViminiCode {prompt}

Takes the content of all open buffers (and any files specified in g:context_files) as context, along with your prompt, and asks the Gemini model to generate code. The result is streamed into several new buffers:

• Vimini Diff: A diff view showing the proposed changes across one or more files.
• Vimini Thoughts (Optional): If g:vimini_thinking is on, this buffer shows the AI's internal monologue as it works.

This command is ideal for asking the AI to refactor, debug, or extend your current code.

:ViminiCode Please refactor this function to be more concise

After running :ViminiCode, you can use the following command to apply the changes:

:ViminiApply

• :ViminiApply: Applies the AI-generated changes to the relevant files on disk and reloads them in Vim if they are open.

This command will close the temporary Vimini Diff and Vimini Thoughts buffers.

:ViminiContextFiles

Opens an interactive file manager in a new split window to easily manage the list of files in g:context_files. This allows you to add or remove files that should always be included as context for AI commands, without manually editing your .vimrc.

How to use the manager:

• Navigate the file system like a normal file explorer.
• Files marked with a C prefix are currently in the context list.
• <Enter> on a file: Toggles its inclusion in the context.
• <Enter> on a directory: Navigates into that directory.
• l: Shows a popup with a summary of the currently active and pending context files.

When you are done, simply close the window (e.g., with :q). A popup will ask you to confirm whether to save the changes to g:context_files for the current Vim session.

:ViminiContextFiles

:ViminiReview [-c <git_objects>] [--security] [--save] [{prompt}]

Sends content to the Gemini model for a code review. This command has two main modes:

1. Current Buffer Review: If no -c option is provided, it sends the content of the current buffer for review.
2. Git Object Review: If the -c <git_objects> option is provided, it reviews the changes specified by the git objects. It sends the git show output (the diff) to the AI, and critically, it also uploads the full content of all changed files to provide complete context for the review. <git_objects> can be any valid git object reference, like a commit hash, branch name, or a range like HEAD~3..HEAD.

You can add an optional {prompt} to guide the AI's review. The review will be displayed in a new vertical split buffer. If g:vimini_thinking is on, an additional buffer showing the AI's thought process will also be opened.

Additional Options:

• --security: Narrows the scope of the review to focus exclusively on security vulnerabilities, insecure coding practices, and potential attack vectors.
• --save: Used with -c. This option reviews each commit in the given range individually and saves each review to a separate file in the root of the git repository (e.g., 0001-fix-login-bug.review.txt).

Examples:

" Review the current buffer for performance issues
:ViminiReview Check for performance issues.

" Perform a general review of the current buffer
:ViminiReview

" Review the changes in the latest commit
:ViminiReview -c HEAD

" Review changes from two commits ago, focusing only on security
:ViminiReview -c HEAD~2 --security

" Review the last 3 commits and save each review to a file
:ViminiReview -c HEAD~3..HEAD --save

Autocomplete

Vimini can provide real-time, context-aware code completions as you type in insert mode. This feature is disabled by default.

Note: The autocomplete command is experimental and still a little buggy and should be enabled with care.

:ViminiToggleAutocomplete [on|off]

Toggles or sets the real-time autocomplete feature. When enabled, Vimini will automatically request a completion after you stop typing in insert mode for a short period. The suggestion will be displayed as ghost text.

" Toggle the current setting (on -> off, off -> on)
:ViminiToggleAutocomplete

" Explicitly turn autocomplete on
:ViminiToggleAutocomplete on

" Explicitly turn autocomplete off
:ViminiToggleAutocomplete off

Git Integration

Vimini offers commands to integrate with your Git workflow.

:ViminiDiff

Shows the output of git diff for the current repository in a new split window. This allows you to see unstaged changes without leaving Vim.

:ViminiDiff

:ViminiCommit [-n] [-r]

Automates the commit process using AI. This command has two main modes:

Default Mode (Creating a new commit):

When run without flags (or with -n), it automates the creation of a new commit:

1. Stages all current changes (git add .).
2. Generates a commit message based on the staged diff.
3. Displays the generated message for confirmation (y/n).
4. If confirmed, it commits the changes with the generated message.

Regenerate/Amend Mode (-r):

When run with the -r flag, it regenerates the commit message for the last commit (HEAD) and amends it:

1. It gets the diff from the HEAD commit.
2. It generates a new commit message based on that diff.
3. It displays the message for confirmation (y/n).
4. If confirmed, it amends the HEAD commit with the new message. This is useful for quickly rewriting a commit message you just made.

Options:

• -n: Omit the Co-authored-by trailer for a specific commit. By default, a trailer is appended and can be configured with g:vimini_commit_author.
• -r: Enable the regenerate/amend mode.

Examples:

" Stage changes and generate a commit message for a new commit
:ViminiCommit

" Do the same, but without the co-author trailer
:ViminiCommit -n

" Regenerate the message for the HEAD commit and amend it
:ViminiCommit -r

Ripgrep Integration (Highly Experimental)

Note: The ViminiRipGrep command is basically an AI-assisted translation of the code at https://gitlab.com/aarcange/ripgrep-edit. Credit for the original project goes to Andrea Arcangeli.

This powerful feature combines ripgrep's fast searching with Gemini's AI-powered code modification capabilities, allowing you to perform project-wide refactoring from a single prompt.

:ViminiRipGrep {regex} {prompt}

This command initiates an AI-assisted search and replace workflow:

1. It runs ripgrep with the given {regex} to find all occurrences in your project.
2. The search results, including a few lines of context, are placed into a new temporary buffer named ViminiRipGrep.
3. This buffer's content is then sent to Gemini along with your {prompt} for modification.
4. Gemini applies your requested changes to the buffer content. You can then review and even manually edit the proposed changes directly in the ViminiRipGrep buffer before applying them.

Example: To rename old_function_name to new_function_name across your entire project:

:ViminiRipGrep 'old_function_name' 'rename this function to new_function_name'

:ViminiRipGrepApply

Once you are satisfied with the AI-generated changes in the ViminiRipGrep buffer, run this command. It will apply the modifications to the actual files on disk and close the temporary buffer.

:ViminiRipGrepApply

:ViminiFiles

Commands like :ViminiCode automatically upload files to Google to provide context for the AI. These files persist on the server. :ViminiFiles opens an interactive buffer to manage these remotely stored files, allowing you to view details or delete them when they are no longer needed.

The command opens a Vimini Files buffer that lists all your uploaded files.

How to use the manager:

• i: Shows detailed information about the file under the cursor in a new window.
• d: Deletes the file under the cursor from the server. The list is refreshed automatically.
• D: Deletes all uploaded files from the server (with confirmation).
• q: Closes the Vimini Files buffer.

:ViminiFiles

Sheperd's note

Most of the code here is generated by Gemini itself, I only provide guidance and occasioanly edit some small bit where it is easier then asking

Also, it's important to remember that AI, much like a well-fed cat, requires a steady stream of attention and high-quality prompts to perform its best tricks. Neglect it, and you might just find it napping on your keyboard when you need it most.

-- Simo.