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How to Do 90% of What Plugins Do (With Just Vim)

Section titled “How to Do 90% of What Plugins Do (With Just Vim)”

Source:

Config to start in vim.rc

Section titled “Config to start in vim.rc”

Edited with comments from https://github.com/changemewtf/no_plugins/blob/master/no_plugins.vim

"       HOW TO DO 90% OF WHAT PLUGINS DO (WITH JUST VIM)


"                          Max Cantor


"               NYC Vim Meetup -- August 3, 2016






















" FEATURES TO COVER:
" - Fuzzy File Search
" - Tag jumping
" - Autocomplete
" - File Browsing
" - Snippets
" - Build Integration (if we have time)




















" GOALS OF THIS TALK:
" - Increase Vim understanding
" - Offer powerful options


" NOT GOALS OF THIS TALK:
" - Hate on plugins
" - Get people to stop using plugins










" {{{ BASIC SETUP
" BASIC SETUP:


" enter the current millenium
set nocompatible


" enable syntax and plugins (for netrw)
syntax enable
filetype plugin on


















" FINDING FILES:


" Search down into subfolders
" Provides tab-completion for all file-related tasks
set path+=**


" Display all matching files when we tab complete
set wildmenu


" NOW WE CAN:
" - Hit tab to :find by partial match
" - Use * to make it fuzzy


" THINGS TO CONSIDER:
" - :b lets you autocomplete any open buffer




" TAG JUMPING:


" Create the `tags` file (may need to install ctags first)
command! MakeTags !ctags -R .


" NOW WE CAN:
" - Use ^] to jump to tag under cursor
" - Use g^] for ambiguous tags
" - Use ^t to jump back up the tag stack


" THINGS TO CONSIDER:
" - This doesn't help if you want a visual list of tags










" AUTOCOMPLETE:


" The good stuff is documented in |ins-completion|


" HIGHLIGHTS:
" - ^x^n for JUST this file
" - ^x^f for filenames (works with our path trick!)
" - ^x^] for tags only
" - ^n for anything specified by the 'complete' option


" NOW WE CAN:
" - Use ^n and ^p to go back and forth in the suggestion list










" FILE BROWSING:


" Tweaks for browsing
let g:netrw_banner=0        " disable top banner
let g:netrw_browse_split=4  " open in prior window
let g:netrw_altv=1          " open splits to the right
let g:netrw_liststyle=3     " tree view
let g:netrw_list_hide=netrw_gitignore#Hide()
let g:netrw_list_hide.=',\(^\|\s\s\)\zs\.\S\+'


" NOW WE CAN:
" - :edit a folder to open a file browser
" - <CR>/v/t to open in an h-split/v-split/tab
" - check |netrw-browse-maps| for more mappings






" SNIPPETS:


" Read an empty HTML template and move cursor to title
nnoremap ,html :-1read $HOME/.vim/.skeleton.html<CR>3jwf>a


" NOW WE CAN:
" - Take over the world!
"   (with much fewer keystrokes)


















" BUILD INTEGRATION:


" Steal Mr. Bradley's formatter & add it to our spec_helper
" http://philipbradley.net/rspec-into-vim-with-quickfix


" Configure the `make` command to run RSpec
set makeprg=bundle\ exec\ rspec\ -f\ QuickfixFormatter


" NOW WE CAN:
" - Run :make to run RSpec
" - :cl to list errors
" - :cc# to jump to error by number
" - :cn and :cp to navigate forward and back










"                          THANK YOU!


"                    Download this file at:
"                github.com/changemewtf/no_plugins/blob/master/no_plugins.vim


"                Follow me for kitten pictures:
"                     twitter.com/mcantor


"          Contact me at `max at maxcantor dot net` for:
"                  - Consulting (Dev and PM)
"                          - Tutoring
"                     - Classroom Teaching
"                     - Internal Training
"                       - Encouragement
Section titled “Fuzzy File Search”

  • With path variable setting above, can use find command to search all files in current working directory and files in subfolders

  • Switch to open buffer using :b and name, number or partial unique string in the file name, also using :b <tab> does autocomplete

  • See :help path and :help find

Tag Jumping

Section titled “Tag Jumping”

Note: LSP provides same ability and more to navigate tags and other code elements instead of ctags/similar tools. The following describing just using ctags with vim:

  • Requires ctags tool installed

  • In CLI, run ctags -R . to generate tags file in folders

  • Use Ctrl + ] to jump to tag under cursor - will go to tag in project file

  • Use g Ctrl + ] for ambiguous tags - will provide list to go to file

  • Use Ctrl + t to jump back up the tag stack

  • Tip for updating tags, can bind ctags to save to update tags regularly

Autocomplete

Section titled “Autocomplete”

  • Insert completion see :help ins-completion

  • Automatically reads from tags file, current file information

  • Activate using Ctrl + n, Ctrl + p (previous in list)

File Browsing

Section titled “File Browsing”
  • netrw is a plugin built into vim, like a file browser
    • Can integrate like with ssh
  • open it like :edit .
  • In netrw
    • Open file at point in split: s
    • Open file at point in tab: t

Snippets

Section titled “Snippets”

Above configuration: nnoremap ,html :-1read $HOME/.vim/.skeleton.html<CR>3jwf>a will create a key mapping to running commands, can help with automation

  • Sets up an html snippet with ,html and moves the cursor to the title tag
  • nnoremap - normal mode mapping, noremap makes sure it will not call itself
  • ,html - type to activate the snippet
  • : - enter command mode
  • -1 - moves cursor minus one line
  • read - read the file specified and paste its contents into the current buffer
  • <CR>3jwfa - <CR> is enter (carriage return), sequence will move the cursor to the title tag and do insert

Build Integration

Section titled “Build Integration”
  • Use vim’s make command, put it into an QuickFix format that vim can read and then go to errors in specific code
  • :cl to list errors
  • :cc# to jump to error by number
  • :cn and :cp to navigate forward and back

Using Help

Section titled “Using Help”
  • Use :help to look at things like commands, shortcuts like:
    • :help n - help on Ctrl + n key
      • :help i_n - help on Ctrl + n in insert
    • :helpgrep