AVY is a powerful Emacs library that allows you to jump to any visible character in a buffer with efficient tree searches.

The core idea that makes Avy a powerful tool is the filter - select - act paradigm.

Usage :*

  1. call avy-goto-char-time - I have bound it to SPC a

  2. filter by typing the characters of stings you want to go to

  3. A decision tree appears at all matching points in the frame

  4. Now before typing the decision select the action

    default (do nothing) - will go to position ? - display all possible actions, runs avy-show-dispatch-help

  5. act by entering your decision

(use-package avy
    :config
 
    ;; the time in seconds after which the decision tree appears when you stop typing
    (setq avy-timeout-seconds 0.4)
 
    ;; Bind avy-goto-char-timer to SPC a using General
    (leader-keys
    "a" '(avy-goto-char-timer :wk "avy goto char")
    )
 
    ;; decision characters to do actions other than going to a match
    (setq avy-keys '(?q ?e ?r ?y ?u ?o ?p
                        ?a ?s ?d ?f ?g ?h ?j
                        ?k ?l ?' ?x ?c ?v ?b
                        ?n ?, ?/))
 
    ;; overrides the function in avy.el, type ? before the decesion phase to call
    (defun avy-show-dispatch-help ()
      (let* ((len (length "avy-action-"))
             (fw (frame-width))
             (raw-strings (mapcar
                           (lambda (x)
                             (format "%2s: %-19s"
                             (propertize
                              (char-to-string (car x))
                              'face 'aw-key-face)
                             (substring (symbol-name (cdr x)) len)))
                           avy-dispatch-alist))
             (max-len (1+ (apply #'max (mapcar #'length raw-strings))))
             (strings-len (length raw-strings))
             (per-row (floor fw max-len))
             display-strings)
        (cl-loop for string in raw-strings
                 for N from 1 to strings-len do
                 (push (concat string " ") display-strings)
                 (when (= (mod N per-row) 0) (push "\n" display-strings)))
        (message "%s" (apply #'concat (nreverse display-strings)))))
 
 
;; Kill text ----------------------------------------------------
(defun avy-action-kill-whole-line (pt)
  (save-excursion
    (goto-char pt)
    (kill-whole-line))
  (select-window
   (cdr
    (ring-ref avy-ring 0)))
  t)
 
(setf (alist-get ?k avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-kill-stay
      (alist-get ?K avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-kill-whole-line)
 
 
;; Copy text -----------------------------------------------------
(defun avy-action-copy-whole-line (pt)
  (save-excursion
    (goto-char pt)
    (cl-destructuring-bind (start . end)
        (bounds-of-thing-at-point 'line)
      (copy-region-as-kill start end)))
  (select-window
   (cdr
    (ring-ref avy-ring 0)))
  t)
 
(setf (alist-get ?w avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-copy
      (alist-get ?W avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-copy-whole-line)
 
 
;; Yank text -----------------------------------------------------
(defun avy-action-yank-whole-line (pt)
  (avy-action-copy-whole-line pt)
  (save-excursion (yank))
  t)
 
(setf (alist-get ?y avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-yank
      (alist-get ?Y avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-yank-whole-line)
 
;; Transpose/Move text --------------------------------------------
(defun avy-action-teleport-whole-line (pt)
  (avy-action-kill-whole-line pt)
  (save-excursion (yank)) t)
 
(setf (alist-get ?t avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-teleport
      (alist-get ?T avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-teleport-whole-line)
 
;; Mark text ------------------------------------------------------
(defun avy-action-mark-to-char (pt)
  (activate-mark)
  (goto-char pt))
 
(setf (alist-get ?  avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-mark-to-char)
 
 
;; Flyspell words --------------------------------------------------
(defun avy-action-flyspell (pt)
  (save-excursion
    (goto-char pt)
    (when (require 'flyspell nil t)
      (flyspell-auto-correct-word)))
  (select-window
   (cdr (ring-ref avy-ring 0)))
  t)
 
;; Bind to semicolon (flyspell uses C-;)
(setf (alist-get ?\; avy-dispatch-alist) 'avy-action-flyspell)
 
)

References