This plugin senses a file's whitespace style and sets up Vim accordingly.
- The check is very basic: the script uses grep to count the number of lines that start with spaces versus those that start with tabs. The script does not attempt to discern how many spaces per tab are used when space-indenting, nor how many spaces-per-tab are assumed when tab-indenting.
This plugin also adds a command makes it easy to switch between common whitespace styles: type \e to cycle through a number of preset styles.
- There are three styles it'll cycle between:
- Tab and auto-indent using 2 spaces per tab;
- Tab and auto-indent using a 4-character-wide tab; and
- Tab and auto-indent using a 2-character-wide tab.
- Note that the author long ago settled on using 2 spaces per tab, i.e.,
expandtab,shitfwidth=2, andtabstop=2.
You can also cycle between common long-line styles, which will either automatically wrap long lines as you type, and/or show a different color in columns on the right, so you can manually wrap as you see fit. Simply type \r to cycle through a number of preset styles.
- There are three long-ling styles it'll cycle between:
textwidth=0 colorcolumn=textwidth=0 colorcolumn=77,78,79textwidth=79 colorcolumn=77,78,79
- Note that the author prefers a colorcolumn without textwidth enforcement.
Note that this plugin prevents itself from running on special buffers, such as within the Quickfix buffer.
Hint: When you first open a Vim help file (ft=help), it'll be formatted specially. But if you want to edit it, you can type set ft=text, and then it'll be formatted like a normal text file.
- To reset the style back to a help file, type
\E, and the modeline will be re-read, and the file will reappear as a help file. (Note that most of the core Vim help files have a modeline at the bottom of the file, which specifiesft=help.) You can also use Vim's built-in:ecommand to re-read an open buffer and reset its editing settings.
Installation is easy using the packages feature (see :help packages).
To install the package so that it will automatically load on Vim startup, use a start directory, e.g.,
mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/landonb/start
cd ~/.vim/pack/landonb/startIf you want to test the package first, make it optional instead (see :help pack-add):
mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/landonb/opt
cd ~/.vim/pack/landonb/optClone the project to the desired path:
git clone https://github.com/landonb/dubs_style_guard.gitIf you installed to the optional path, tell Vim to load the package:
:packadd! dubs_style_guardJust once, tell Vim to build the online help:
:HelptagsThen whenever you want to reference the help from Vim, run:
:help dubs-style-guardVim has built-in support for modelines (refer to :help modeline).
By default, Vim checks the first 5 and list 5 lines of a file for a modeline (see the modelines setting).
- For an example, open any core Vim help file, and you'll typically find a modeline on the last line of the file.
This plugins also checks for a modeline. (2022-09-21: But the author does not remember why this plugin duplicates functionality that Vim implements. Perhaps, over a decade ago when I originally wrote this plugin, Vim didn't read the modeline? I don't recall.)
This plugin also searches up the directory hierarchy for a special modeline file, .dubs_style.vim, that can contain a list of filetypes and modelines. So you can easily define the style for different projects and for different filetypes within projects.
- See the example
.dubs_style.vimmodeline file in the same directory as this README.
Note, however, that there are better style rule solutions.
- The author prefers the EditorConfig plugin, described next, to manage style rules. It works with other editors, and not just Vim. So if you collaborate with other developers, you'll benefit from a better solution, such as EditorConfig, that all team members can use, regardless of their preferred editor.
Style-enforcers:
- EditorConfig is a robust and universal style enforcer.
- It uses an
.editorconfigfile similar (but more expressive) than.dubs_style.vim. - There are plugins for most IDEs, in addition to Vim.
- For the Vim plugin, download EditorConfig Vim Plugin to, e.g.,
~/.vim/pack/editorconfig/start/editorconfig-vim.
- For the Vim plugin, download EditorConfig Vim Plugin to, e.g.,
I recommend using EditorConfig if you have a large team and not everyone has grown into Vim yet.
But the
.dubs_style.vimsolution is nice because it uses the standard modeline syntax -- whereas EditorConfig uses its own INI-style format -- so if you're already a Vimmer, it's quick 'n easy to make a.dubs_style.vimfile and stuff a modeline inside.- Also, the
dubs_style_guardplugin has a few other features:- It'll tries to sleuth the style, if there's no modeline;
- And the
\eand\Emacros make it easy to cycle through different styles and to reset the style.
- Also, the
- It uses an
Whitespace-detectors:
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