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6.4 Easy Entry Into Symex Mode ¶

Here are a few user-contributed recipes for easy entry into Symex mode. Currently, these recipes are relevant specifically for Evil users, but they may suggest approaches for users of other modal systems or vanilla Emacs. If you have a recipe to contribute for another such UI, please get in touch.

1. For Evil users, user @doyougnu suggests binding your local leader to , (instead of the default, \), which frees up \ to be used as entry into Symex Mode. This is convenient as \ feels like another Esc but dedicated to Symex mode instead of Normal state. The drawback is that , is an otherwise useful key in Normal state (for in-line repeat search backwards). Although, using it for the local leader is a widely used pattern by Vim and Evil users, and if you are one of them, then this might be a good option for you.

   With this option, entering Symex from Normal state is convenient, but you’d still need to visit Normal state on your way to Symex mode from Insert state.

2. This recipe to alternate Symex and Normal by @tommy-mor provides another option, making it convenient to alternate between Symex and Normal modes, starting in Symex mode when leaving Insert state.
3. This recipe to additionally remember the most recent editing mode by @jmckernon builds upon the previous recipe to also keep track of the most recent mode from which Insert state is entered.

See Escaping to Symex Instead of Normal State for a formal way to structure modes.