fix(cli): Prevent unmapped keys in Vim Normal mode from inserting text into prompt Input. (google-gemini#25139)

Co-authored-by: Tommaso Sciortino <sciortino@gmail.com>

Author: Rajeshpatel07

packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx

@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@ export const Composer = ({ isFocused = true }: { isFocused?: boolean }) => {
           onEscapePromptChange={uiActions.onEscapePromptChange}
           focus={isFocused}
           vimHandleInput={uiActions.vimHandleInput}
+          vimEnabled={vimEnabled}
+          vimMode={vimMode}
           isEmbeddedShellFocused={uiState.embeddedShellFocused}
           popAllMessages={uiActions.popAllMessages}
           onQueueMessage={uiActions.addMessage}

packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx

@@ -4898,6 +4898,60 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
       unmount();
     });
 
+    it('should NOT open shortcuts help with ? in vim NORMAL mode', async () => {
+      const setShortcutsHelpVisible = vi.fn();
+      const vimHandleInput = vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true);
+
+      const { stdin, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(
+        <TestInputPrompt
+          {...props}
+          vimEnabled={true}
+          vimMode="NORMAL"
+          vimHandleInput={vimHandleInput}
+        />,
+        {
+          uiActions: { setShortcutsHelpVisible },
+        },
+      );
+
+      await act(async () => {
+        stdin.write('?');
+      });
+
+      expect(setShortcutsHelpVisible).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(vimHandleInput).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockBuffer.handleInput).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('should open shortcuts help with ? in vim INSERT mode', async () => {
+      const setShortcutsHelpVisible = vi.fn();
+      const vimHandleInput = vi.fn().mockReturnValue(false);
+
+      const { stdin, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(
+        <TestInputPrompt
+          {...props}
+          vimEnabled={true}
+          vimMode="INSERT"
+          vimHandleInput={vimHandleInput}
+        />,
+        {
+          uiActions: { setShortcutsHelpVisible },
+        },
+      );
+
+      await act(async () => {
+        stdin.write('?');
+      });
+
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(setShortcutsHelpVisible).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      });
+
+      unmount();
+    });
+
     it.each([
       {
         name: 'terminal paste event occurs',

packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx

@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ import { useAlternateBuffer } from '../hooks/useAlternateBuffer.js';
 import { useIsHelpDismissKey } from '../utils/shortcutsHelp.js';
 import { useRepeatedKeyPress } from '../hooks/useRepeatedKeyPress.js';
 import { useKeyMatchers } from '../hooks/useKeyMatchers.js';
+import type { VimMode } from '../contexts/VimModeContext.js';
 
 const SCROLLBAR_GUTTER_WIDTH = 1;
 
@@ -126,6 +127,8 @@ export interface InputPromptProps {
   onEscapePromptChange?: (showPrompt: boolean) => void;
   onSuggestionsVisibilityChange?: (visible: boolean) => void;
   vimHandleInput?: (key: Key) => boolean;
+  vimEnabled?: boolean;
+  vimMode?: VimMode;
   isEmbeddedShellFocused?: boolean;
   setQueueErrorMessage: (message: string | null) => void;
   streamingState: StreamingState;
@@ -214,6 +217,8 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
   onEscapePromptChange,
   onSuggestionsVisibilityChange,
   vimHandleInput,
+  vimEnabled,
+  vimMode,
   isEmbeddedShellFocused,
   setQueueErrorMessage,
   streamingState,
@@ -859,7 +864,11 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
       }
 
       if (shortcutsHelpVisible) {
-        if (key.sequence === '?' && key.insertable) {
+        if (
+          key.sequence === '?' &&
+          key.insertable &&
+          (!vimEnabled || vimMode === 'INSERT')
+        ) {
           setShortcutsHelpVisible(false);
           buffer.handleInput(key);
           return true;
@@ -879,7 +888,8 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
         key.sequence === '?' &&
         key.insertable &&
         !shortcutsHelpVisible &&
-        buffer.text.length === 0
+        buffer.text.length === 0 &&
+        (!vimEnabled || vimMode === 'INSERT')
       ) {
         setShortcutsHelpVisible(true);
         return true;
@@ -1374,6 +1384,8 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
       resetCompletionState,
       resetEscapeState,
       vimHandleInput,
+      vimEnabled,
+      vimMode,
       reverseSearchActive,
       textBeforeReverseSearch,
       cursorPosition,

packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/vim.test.tsx

@@ -2258,6 +2258,80 @@ describe('useVim hook', async () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('should handle unmapped keys in Normal mode', () => {
+    type UnmappedKeyCase = {
+      char: string;
+      insertable: boolean;
+    };
+    it.each<UnmappedKeyCase>([
+      { char: 'm', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'n', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'p', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'q', insertable: true },
+      { char: 's', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'v', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'y', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'z', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'H', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'J', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'K', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'L', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'M', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'N', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'P', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'Q', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'R', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'S', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'U', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'V', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'Y', insertable: true },
+      { char: 'Z', insertable: true },
+      { char: '/', insertable: true },
+      { char: '#', insertable: true },
+      { char: '%', insertable: true },
+      { char: '&', insertable: true },
+      { char: "'", insertable: true },
+      { char: '(', insertable: true },
+      { char: ')', insertable: true },
+      { char: '*', insertable: true },
+      { char: '+', insertable: true },
+      { char: '-', insertable: true },
+      { char: '/', insertable: true },
+      { char: ':', insertable: true },
+      { char: '<', insertable: true },
+      { char: '=', insertable: true },
+      { char: '>', insertable: true },
+      { char: '@', insertable: true },
+      { char: '[', insertable: true },
+      { char: '\\', insertable: true },
+      { char: ']', insertable: true },
+      { char: '_', insertable: true },
+      { char: '`', insertable: true },
+      { char: '{', insertable: true },
+      { char: '|', insertable: true },
+      { char: '}', insertable: true },
+    ])(
+      '$char: should be swallowed and do nothing in Normal mode',
+      async ({ char, insertable }) => {
+        const { result } = await renderVimHook();
+        exitInsertMode(result);
+
+        let handled = false;
+        act(() => {
+          handled = result.current.handleInput(
+            createKey({ sequence: char, name: char, insertable }),
+          );
+        });
+
+        expect(handled).toBe(true);
+        expect(mockVimContext.setVimMode).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('INSERT');
+
+        expect(mockBuffer.vimFindCharForward).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(mockBuffer.vimFindCharBackward).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      },
+    );
+  });
+
   describe('Operator + find motions (df, dt, dF, dT, cf, ct, cF, cT)', async () => {
     it('df{char}: executes delete-to-char, not a dangling operator', async () => {
       const { result } = await renderVimHook();

packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/vim.ts

@@ -1486,6 +1486,11 @@ export function useVim(buffer: TextBuffer, onSubmit?: (value: string) => void) {
             // Unknown command, clear count and pending states
             dispatch({ type: 'CLEAR_PENDING_STATES' });
 
+            // Ignore any Insertable key in Normal Mode
+            if (normalizedKey.insertable) {
+              return true;
+            }
+
             // Not handled by vim so allow other handlers to process it.
             return false;
           }