Before: let g:ale_floating_preview = 0 let g:ale_hover_to_floating_preview = 0 let g:ale_detail_to_floating_preview = 0 runtime autoload/ale/floating_preview.vim let g:floated_lines = [] let g:floating_preview_show_called = 0 " Stub out so we can track the call function! ale#floating_preview#Show(lines, ...) abort let g:floating_preview_show_called = 1 let g:floated_lines = a:lines endfunction let g:ale_buffer_info = { \ bufnr('%'): { \ 'loclist': [ \ { \ 'lnum': 1, \ 'col': 10, \ 'bufnr': bufnr('%'), \ 'vcol': 0, \ 'linter_name': 'notalinter', \ 'nr': -1, \ 'type': 'E', \ 'code': 'semi', \ 'text': "Missing semicolon.\r", \ 'detail': "Every statement should end with a semicolon\nsecond line", \ }, \ ], \ } \} call ale#linter#Reset() call ale#linter#PreventLoading('javascript') After: Restore let g:ale_floating_preview = 0 let g:ale_hover_to_floating_preview = 0 let g:ale_detail_to_floating_preview = 0 call cursor(1, 1) let g:ale_buffer_info = {} " Close the preview window if it's open. if &filetype is# 'ale-preview' noautocmd :q! endif call ale#linter#Reset() Given javascript(A file with warnings/errors): var x = 3 + 12345678 var x = 5*2 + parseInt("10"); // comment Execute(Floating preview is used with ALEDetail when g:ale_floating_preview set): let g:ale_floating_preview = 1 call cursor(1, 10) ALEDetail let expected = ["Every statement should end with a semicolon", "second line"] AssertEqual 1, g:floating_preview_show_called AssertEqual expected, g:floated_lines Execute(Floating preview is used with ALEDetail when g:ale_detail_to_floating_preview set): let g:ale_detail_to_floating_preview = 1 call cursor(1, 10) ALEDetail let expected = ["Every statement should end with a semicolon", "second line"] AssertEqual 1, g:floating_preview_show_called AssertEqual expected, g:floated_lines Execute(Floating preview is not used with ALEDetail by default): call cursor(1, 10) ALEDetail AssertEqual 0, g:floating_preview_show_called