Vim 'db' action deletes the character under the cursor #181

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1. zhengqunkoo

   added

   bugSomething isn't workingSomething isn't working

   on Oct 6, 2026
2. dhruv1220 commented on Oct 6, 2026

   

   dhruv1220

   on Oct 6, 2026

   More actions

   I traced the code path for this (on current main) — posting in case it saves whoever picks it up some digging.

   Where it happens: handleMetaNormal in internal/text/vi/handler.go (the <op>wWeEbB idiosyncrasies switch). For db/cb the flow is:

   1. vi.cursor.Select() anchors a non-explicit selection at the cursor (before),
   2. handleNormal runs the b motion, moving the cursor to the word start (after),
   3. handleDelete calls DeleteSelection() on that selection.

   Why the cursor char is eaten: the vi handler sets RightInclusiveSemantics: true, and Cursor.SelectionRange() folds that in for non-explicit selections (to.X++). So the operator range is effectively [after, before] — right-inclusive — while Vim's b motion is exclusive and the range should be [after, before). Same root cause covers cb (change goes through the same operator path).

   Fix shape: in the case 'b', 'B' branch, shrink the anchor end by one so the character under the original cursor is excluded — e.g. reselect as SelectRange(after, before) (which is documented right-exclusive [start, end)), mirroring how selectWordOperatorRange already pulls the w endpoint back with MoveLeft() for the same class of exclusivity. The multi-line branch (before.Y > after.Y) would need the same treatment for the anchor end. A regression test in handler_test.go in the style of TestViOperatorGoLeftEndWordMotions (drive db/cb key events, assert buffer text keeps the char that was under the cursor) would cover it.

   Happy to turn this into a PR if a maintainer confirms the direction.
3. ernestrc

   added a commit that references this issue on Oct 7, 2026

   Fix db, dB and cb deleting the character under the cursor (#182)

   ...

   This issue will close once commit 9f7bed2 is merged into the 'main' branch.

   9f7bed2
4. ernestrc

   closed this as completedin #182on Oct 7, 2026