Pyrola

If you are seeking an alternative to Jupyter, Spyder, or RStudio in Neovim, Pyrola is the solution.

Pyrola delivers a multi-language REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) experience inside Neovim. It is designed for interactive programming, especially for data scientists, and supports:

Real-time code execution
Variable inspection
Image visualization

Since Pyrola is built on Jupyter kernels, any language with a Jupyter kernel can be integrated.

Demo

Features

Multi-language support: Any language with a Jupyter kernel works in Pyrola (Python, R, C++, Julia, etc.).
Real-time REPL: Execute code dynamically within Neovim with immediate feedback.
Multiple code-sending methods: Send code via Tree-sitter semantic blocks, visual selection, or entire buffer.
Variable inspector: Inspect variables (class, type, shape, content) directly from the REPL (Python and R).
Global variable browser: View all user globals in a floating window. Press <CR> on any variable to inspect it.
Image viewer: Preview image outputs in a floating window via Kitty or iTerm2 terminal protocols.
Image history: Browse previously plotted images in a floating window.
Reliable interrupts: Interrupt long-running cells and recover cleanly.
One-command setup: :Pyrola setup installs dependencies and prepares a managed pyrola_<language> kernel automatically.
Auto kernel registration: Pyrola auto-manages pyrola_python, pyrola_r, pyrola_cpp, and pyrola_julia unless you explicitly override the kernel name.

Installation

1. Plugin setup

Add Pyrola to your plugin manager. Example using lazy.nvim:

{
  "matarina/pyrola.nvim",
  dependencies = { "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter" },
  config = function()
    local pyrola = require("pyrola")

    pyrola.setup({
      -- Optional: point to a specific Python (conda/venv).
      -- If omitted, Pyrola uses the active python3 from PATH.
      -- python_path = "~/miniconda3/envs/ds/bin/python",

      -- Optional overrides. When omitted, Pyrola auto-creates and uses
      -- managed kernels named pyrola_<language>.
      kernel_map = {
        -- python = "custom-python-kernel",
        -- r = "custom-r-kernel",
      },
      split_horizontal = false,
      split_ratio = 0.65,
      image = {
        cell_width = 10,
        cell_height = 20,
        max_width_ratio = 0.5,
        max_height_ratio = 0.5,
        offset_row = 0,
        offset_col = 0,
        protocol = "auto", -- auto | kitty | iterm2 | none
      },
    })

    -- Keybindings
    vim.keymap.set("n", "<CR>", pyrola.send_statement_definition, { noremap = true })
    vim.keymap.set("v", "<leader>vs", pyrola.send_visual_to_repl, { noremap = true })
    vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>vb", pyrola.send_buffer_to_repl, { noremap = true })
    vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>is", pyrola.inspect, { noremap = true })
    vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>ig", pyrola.show_globals, { noremap = true })
    vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>ik", pyrola.interrupt_kernel, { noremap = true })
    vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>im", pyrola.open_history_manager, { noremap = true })
  end,
},

-- Tree-sitter is required. Install parsers for languages in kernel_map.
{
  "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
  build = ":TSUpdate",
  config = function()
    local ts = require("nvim-treesitter")
    ts.setup({ install_dir = vim.fn.stdpath("data") .. "/site" })
    ts.install({ "python", "r", "lua" })
  end,
}

2. Python environment setup

Pyrola needs a few Python packages. There are three ways to set them up:

Option A: One-command setup (recommended)

Open a file and run:

:Pyrola setup

This installs all dependencies via pip and prepares the managed kernel for the current filetype. By default the managed name is pyrola_<language>. When finished, run :Pyrola init to start.

Option B: Manual install

pip install -r /path/to/pyrola.nvim/rplugin/python3/requirements.txt
pip install ipykernel
python3 -m ipykernel install --user --name py3

If you manually set kernel_map.python = "py3", the kernel name must match that explicit config.

Option C: Auto-prompted install

When you run :Pyrola init with missing packages, Pyrola prompts you to install them. If the kernel is missing for a Python file, it offers to install and register it.

3. Conda / venv users

Usually you do not need extra config. Pyrola follows the active environment that launched Neovim and creates managed kernels named pyrola_<language>.

Set python_path only if you want to override the active Python interpreter:

pyrola.setup({
    python_path = "~/miniconda3/envs/ds/bin/python",
})

This takes precedence over the active python3 on PATH.

4. Non-Python kernels

Pyrola auto-creates pyrola_r, pyrola_cpp, and pyrola_julia by reusing the language kernel available in the current environment. If the underlying language kernel is missing, install it first:

| Language | Underlying kernel requirement | Managed name | |----------|------------------------------|--------------| | R | IRkernel installed in the active R environment | pyrola_r | | C++ | xeus-cling installed | pyrola_cpp | | Julia | IJulia installed | pyrola_julia |

5. Image preview (optional)

Pyrola renders images in floating windows via Kitty or iTerm2 terminal protocols (image.protocol = "auto" detects automatically).

For embedded pixel images in the REPL console output, install timg:

# Debian/Ubuntu
apt install timg

# macOS
brew install timg

tmux users: Add to ~/.tmux.conf:

set -g focus-events on
set -g allow-passthrough all

Usage

Commands

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | :Pyrola setup | Install dependencies + prepare the managed kernel for the current filetype | | :Pyrola init | Start kernel and open REPL terminal |

Both commands support tab completion.

Sending code

| Function | Description | |----------|-------------| | pyrola.send_statement_definition() | Send the Tree-sitter semantic block under cursor. When REPL is not running, falls back to normal <CR>. | | pyrola.send_visual_to_repl() | Send visual selection to REPL. Exits visual mode and moves cursor to next code line. | | pyrola.send_buffer_to_repl() | Send the entire buffer to REPL. |

Inspecting variables

| Function | Description | |----------|-------------| | pyrola.inspect() | Inspect the symbol under cursor in a floating window. Uses Tree-sitter to identify the symbol, falls back to <cword>. Shows type, shape, content, methods, etc. Supports Python and R. | | pyrola.show_globals() | Show all user variables in a floating window. Press <CR> on any entry to inspect it. Press q or <Esc> to close. |

Kernel control

| Function | Description | |----------|-------------| | pyrola.interrupt_kernel() | Send SIGINT to interrupt the running kernel execution. |

Image history

| Function | Description | |----------|-------------| | pyrola.open_history_manager() | Open image history browser. Use h/l to navigate, q to close. | | pyrola.show_last_image() | Show the most recent image in a floating window. | | pyrola.show_previous_image() | Navigate to the previous image in history. | | pyrola.show_next_image() | Navigate to the next image in history. |

Configuration reference

pyrola.setup({
    -- Python interpreter path. Supports ~ expansion.
    -- Priority: python_path > exepath("python3") > g:python3_host_prog > "python3"
    python_path = nil,

    -- Optional explicit overrides. If a filetype is omitted, Pyrola uses
    -- its managed kernel name: pyrola_<language>.
    kernel_map = {
        -- python = "python3",
        -- r = "ir",
        -- cpp = "xcpp17",
    },

    -- REPL terminal split direction and size.
    split_horizontal = false,  -- false = vertical split (right), true = horizontal (bottom)
    split_ratio = 0.65,        -- fraction of editor width/height for the split

    -- Image display settings.
    image = {
        cell_width = 10,        -- terminal cell width in pixels (for size calculations)
        cell_height = 20,       -- terminal cell height in pixels
        max_width_ratio = 0.5,  -- max image width as fraction of editor columns
        max_height_ratio = 0.5, -- max image height as fraction of editor lines
        offset_row = 0,         -- adjust image row position (cells)
        offset_col = 0,         -- adjust image col position (cells)
        protocol = "auto",      -- "auto" | "kitty" | "iterm2" | "none"
    },
})

Highlight groups

Floating windows use theme-aware defaults (linked to FloatBorder, FloatTitle, NormalFloat). Highlight groups are automatically refreshed when you change colorscheme. Override them for custom colors:

-- Inspector window
vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, "PyrolaInspectorBorder", { link = "FloatBorder" })
vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, "PyrolaInspectorTitle",  { link = "FloatTitle" })
vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, "PyrolaInspectorNormal", { link =

Pyrola.nvim

Install / Use

README