Comment out code using vimscript - vim

Hi Im trying to write my first vim script. I want to write a function that will comment out PHP code by the block or curly brackets.
Here is what I've come up with, but I can't get it to work:
:function Mycom()
:let b = line(".")
:echo "this is "b
// trying to grab the matching bracket, not sure wheather this is ok
:%
//keeps missing and going to end og file
:let e = line(".")
:echo "here is end" e
//here is where i want to comment out the block
:echo b,e s%^%//%
:endfunction

You shouldn’t put a leading : on each line — unless you’re writing the function in the Vim command line, Vim will add the : automatically for you. (It‘d be better to write your script in a file, though; that way it’s easier to modify and test.)
Comments in Vimscript start with " (a double quote), not //.
If you want to execute a normal mode command, like % or dd, you can use normal! % or normal! dd.
echo b,e s%... won’t work. If you want to echo the text, try echo b.','.e.' s%^%//%'.
Also, consider using echom instead of echo. Because echom saves the message in the message history, you can re-read it later using :mess.
P.S. If your cursor is on an open { (I saw you’re trying to use % in your script), you can comment the block using
ctrl-v%I//<esc>

Related

Using abbreviation to insert comment

I’m trying to set up an abbreviation in my .vimrc that will insert a comment template for heading-level comments in my CSS files.
The comment I want to insert is:
/* ==========================================================================
#
========================================================================== */
I will then jump back to the # and add my title there (e.g. BUTTONS).
The abbreviation I have attempted to set up looks like this:
iab comsec·
\/* ==========================================================================
\<Cr>#
\<Cr>========================================================================== */
(Where · represents a trailing space.)
Right away this feels pretty crude, but the specific problem is that if try and drop a comsec in my CSS, it starts wrapping it in more comments. The output looks like this:
/* ==========================================================================
* #
* ========================================================================== */
Notice the two * at the beginnings of lines 2 and 3?
Is there a way to tell vim not to try and be clever and to just drop in exactly what I’ve told it? A way to prevent vim from trying to wrap comments around the comment?
I’m not a particularly hardcore vim user, so there’s every chance I’m overcomplicating things, or missing something obvious, or using the wrong tool for the job.
Thanks!
If you are the type of person who can keep track of your personal utilities, this isn't so fancy but works. You can import the output of an external command into your buffer, so I put a mapping like this in my .vimrc file:
"bc = block comment
map ,bc :read! python ~/my_personal_utils/insert_css_comment.py
So, I just have to type ",bc" to add the comment. On my Mac at least, this leaves me hanging in command mode, so that my cursor is after '.py' and I can quickly type an argument like BUTTONS (i.e. the python script takes an optional argument).
Here is a function to do that.
:function! Comment()
:normal! i/*
:normal! 80a=
:normal! o#
:normal! o
:normal! 80i=
:normal! a*/
:endfunction
You can put this in vimrc file and create a command or map for this.
Command
:cmap comsec call Comment()
You can keep the cursor on a line and then call this command.
Or an in insert mode mapping
:imap comsec <ESC>:comsec<CR>
As alternatives I'd suggest nerdcommenter for commenting/uncommenting with a few key strokes.
Or, even better, ultisnips. In which you can easily make your own template for those headings:
open a .css file
exec command : UltiSnipsEdit
create your own snip:
snippet heading "heading comments"
/* ===================================
* ${1}
* =================================== */
endsnippet
Here is a better and simple way to to insert your comment which check everytime if the line is surrounded by the comment template.
All you have to do is to write your comment on new line and then press ; during the insert mode. (you can change the character ; by
any combination you want.)
The comment template is set by the variable l:start, l:begin, l:end
so you can change the number of spaces or = as you like.
If you would like to change the template completely keep in mind that you need to change also the regular expressions for the variables l:matchprev, l:matchhier, l:matchnext .
inoremap <silent> ; <Esc>mx:call Comment()<cr>i<Right>
function! Comment()
let l:start= "/* ====="
let l:begin=" # "
let l:end= " ==== */"
let l:next=getline(line(".")+1)
let l:hier=getline(line("."))
let l:prev=getline(line(".")-1)
let l:matchnext= matchstr( l:next , '^\s*=\+\s*\*/\s*$')
let l:matchhier= matchstr( l:hier , '^\s*#\s*.*$')
let l:matchprev= matchstr( l:prev , '^\s*/\*\s*=\+\s*$')
if l:matchnext != '' && l:matchprev != '' && l:matchhier != ''
return 0
else
execute ":s:^.*$:".l:start."\r".l:begin."&\r".l:end."\r:"
"the number 3 is the length of the variable l:begin
normal! `xj3l
endif
endfunction
write this code in another file scriptname and then you can use the mapping in any css file by typing in the command mode first :so scriptname
Another alternative is to put all that simply in your .vimrc file

How to use execut in vim indentexpr

I tried to use execut in vim indentexpr with under code
function! AddSpace(lnum,str)
while len(getline(a:lnum)) < 80
execut a:lnum . "," . a:lnum . "s/".a:str."/ ".a:str
endwhile
endfunction
function! GetIndent()
if getline(v:lnum) =~ ';'
call AddSpace(v:lnum,";")
endif
...
return ...
endfunction
setlocal indentexpr=GetIndent()
and gg=G.It doesn't work...
Vim just fail into a dead loop...
However,other indent rules works before the loop.
But hen I call it by
call AddSpace(3,";")
It works fine.
Maybe "execut" dosen't work in indentexpr?
Is there still any way to insert space into the file with "execut"?
Or is there better way to finish the insert without cursor moving?
Thanks for your help!
'indentexpr' is not meant to actually modify the text directly. In fact, it is explicitly forbidden to modify the text while evaluating the expression. Error messages are suppressed by default, so you don't get an indication something is wrong, but the expression just stops when it encounters the text modification.
Your AddSpace function should return the number of spaces to add, rather than actually adding the spaces. Note you don't need the while loop, you can just use subtraction to find the number of spaces needed.
See :help 'indentexpr' for details.

Returning to Normal Mode from Insert Mode after "execute normal"

You can perform normal mode commands programmatically in Ex mode, via execute normal, e.g.
:execute "normal" "iNEWTEXT\<Esc>0"
This switches to insert mode (i), writes "NEWTEXT", escapes to normal mode (\< Esc>), then moves to the start of the line (0).
However, using a non-constant string, either a register or variable, the behavior is different. For example, suppose you have the same command above saved on a line in any file (not necessarily a vimscript file):
iNEWTEXT\<Esc>0
You can then copy the text into any register (here, z) via "zy$ and execute the register via #z. This time, though, the output is different:
NEWTEXT\<Esc>0
After entering insert mode, the Escape is no longer treated as a special character, and is instead taken literally. Alternative forms like \e don't work either. Is there a way around this?
EDIT: Using Ingo's answer, I created the the following function. Basically, the use is for having a set of normal/insert commands embedded within the text of the file, and being able to execute them. More commonly, something similar is used for running Ex commands from a line of text, but I couldn't find anything that did this exact thing for normal and insert mode.
So, you'd have text like the following in your file:
jy10j10jpO\<Esc>jEll
When on that line, you could call the function or a remap, and the commands would execute (in this example, copying and pasting 10 lines, and moving 2 columns past the first word). Ingo's alternatives are better for serious usage, namely sourcing commands from another file, having the command in the .vimrc, or a file-type specific option. Macros saved by a session would work just as well, and are more practical than having commands scattered throughout a file. In my case, I was syncing across multiple devices, and didn't want to have another file or clutter my vimrc with this very specific command, but didn't mind cluttering this specific file itself. Think of this like a portable macro.
" Execute current line as Vim normal mode commands.
nnoremap <A-y> :call EvaluateLineAsNormalModeCmd()<CR>
function! EvaluateLineAsNormalModeCmd()
let g:getCurrentLine = getline(".")
"have to :execute twice: once to get the contents of the
"register inserted into a double-quoted string, and then once for
"the :normal to evaluate the string.
execute 'execute "normal" "' . g:getCurrentLine . '"'
endfunction
EDIT2/3: Here are two functions using Christian Brabandt's answer. They work about the same but can put the user in insert mode at the end (whereas, based on my minimal information, 'i' in the other context is considered an incomplete command and not executed, and :startinsert can't be used in that situation). PS: Please don't ask me what all those single and double quotes are doing, as I can't wrap my head around it O_o
function! EvaluateLineAsNormalModeCmd()
normal! 0y$
execute ':call feedkeys("'.#".'", "t")'
endfunction
function! EvaluateLineAsNormalModeCmd()
let g:getCurrentLine = getline(".")
execute ':call feedkeys("'.g:getCurrentLine.'", "t")'
endfunction
If you really need this (the use case is dubious), you have to :execute twice: once to get the contents of the register inserted into a double-quoted string, and then once for the :normal to evaluate the string.
:execute 'execute "normal" "' . #z . '"'
PS: Please give more background; what is your final goal? When a question is only about a small technical step, it's difficult to provide a good answer. If you don't tell us why you want this, it's easy to succumb to the XY problem.
I would rather use the feedkeys() function. E.g. for your sample, this should work:
exe ':call feedkeys("'.#".'", "t")'
(If you yanked your line into the unnamed register, else adjust the register name accordingly). Note, quoting could get ugly.
To understand what is going on, this is what is done:
exe ':call feedkeys(' - First part of the feedkeys() function call
" - Start of Quote for the first argument
. - String concatenation
#" - content of the unnamed register
. - String concatenation
' - Start of second part of the feedkeys function call
" - End of Quote for the first argument
, "t")' - Second argument of feedkeys() function call
You could also do it in 2 steps like this:
exe ':let a="'. #". '"' - Also needs to quote #" correctly.
call feedkeys(a, 't')
which should be easier to understand. The exe call is only to translate the normalized key notation into literal keys.

Custom vi command: How to insert current date with a variable's content?

I'm new to the vi editor and I would like to create a simple custom command in .vimrc that inserts something like 2012-03-13 22:21:17.0 +0100 / Daniel.
Actually, my command (in .vimrc) is as follows:
command! InsertTime :normal a<C-R>=strftime('%F %H:%M:%S.0 %z')<CR>
I also set a variable:
let myname="Daniel"
InsertTime inserts the date perfectly. But how can I concatenate it with the content of my variable?
To concatenate, vim scripts use . caracter. So try this one :
In vimrc:
let myname="Daniel"
command! InsertTime :normal a<C-R>=strftime('%F %H:%M:%S.0 %z') . "/" . myname<CR>
no tested there.
Since you said you're new to "vim" I am going to assume you don't know any of the things I'm about tell you. Mucho sorry if you already know them.
If you're going to do this a lot (insert the line "%F %H:%M:%S.0 %z / Daniel"), instead of defining a command, which you have to invoke with a :command_name, define a macro and/or an input macro that can be invoked with just two or three character.
To define an input macro, do the following at the ':' prompt, or add it to your $HOME/.exrc or $HOME/.vimrc file (without the preceding ':'):
:map <C-X><C-X> Go<ESC>!!date '+\%F \%H:\%M:\%S.0 \%z'<CR>A / Daniel<ESC>
Now when you're in "vi" (but not in input mode), typing control-Xcontrol-X will:
G go to last line in file; replace this with the "motion" keys sequence appropriate for your use (or nothing at all if you want to append the line right after the cursor)
o open a new line
<ESC> escape out of input mode
!!date ... invoke the date command, replace the current line with its stdout (output)
A append at the end of the line (now having the "date")
/ Dan... verbatim intput text
<ESC> escape out of input mode
control-Xcontrol-X can be some unusual sequence that you'd normally not use for anything, nor used by any "vi" operation that you might use. I use as the first character, because in "vi", decrements the next integer on the line after the cursor, if any. That is something I hardly ever do. I define my macros to be invoked with <C-X><C-B>, <C-X><C-D>, <C-X>s1, etc.
To create an input macro, well, that's another whole long subject, and I'm tired of typing today, so, another day. :)

How to remove space at the end of a cab abbreviation and wait for input in GVim?

I have created a Vim abbreviation for the start of a file path, i.e.
cab \x\ M:\xmlexport\Output\
and I want to have this expand, remove the space and wait for further input. I have tried using =Eatchar('s') but don't know what to put before it to make it trigger correctly. All the examples I have seen use <C-R> which adds in a new line. I have tried <left> just to move back one space but this creates M:\xmlexport\Output \
Perhaps I have misunderstood the question, but I've tested the function you pointed out and seems to work:
I've added the Eatchar function to .vimrc:
func Eatchar(pat)
let c = nr2char(getchar(0))
return (c =~ a:pat) ? '' : c
endfunc
And inside vim I've created your abbreviation, like:
:cab \x\ M:\xmlexport\Output\ <left><C-R>=Eatchar('\s')<CR>
Then I write :\x\ in command-line and it expands to :M:\xmlexport\Output\, and the cursor position is just after the last backslash to write your desired input.

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