Re: help.vim's syntax

On 2019-05-15, Mathieu Roux wrote:
> On mer., 2019-05-15 at 11:42 -0700, Gary Johnson wrote:
> > On 2019-05-15, Mathieu Roux wrote:
> > > On mer., 2019-05-15 at 09:02 -0700, Gary Johnson wrote:
> > > > On 2019-05-15, Mathieu Roux wrote:
> > > > > On mar., 2019-05-14 at 13:17 -0700, Gary Johnson wrote:
> > > > > > On 2019-05-14, Mathieu Roux wrote:
> > > > > > > Hi everybody,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I have understood that for vim's help, the syntax file used
> > > > > > > is
> > > > > > > help.vim
> > > > > > > (in the directory /usr/share/vim/vim80/syntax).
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I can use it with:
> > > > > > > :so help.vim
> > > > > > > (if it is in the same directory of the file i open)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > But i still don't understand why, when i open one file in
> > > > > > > /usr/share/vim/vim80/doc
> > > > > > > EVEN A NEW FILE
> > > > > > > it automatically uses the syntax of help.vim, whereas i do
> > > > > > > nothing...
> > > > > > > Maybe someone can explain me.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This is explained in
> > > > > >
> > > > > > :help syntax
> > > > > >
> > > > > > In short, when you enable syntax highlighting by executing
> > > > > >
> > > > > > :syntax enable
> > > > > >
> > > > > > in your vimrc, you source $VIMRUNTIME/filetype.vim, which
> > > > > > contains:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > " Vim help file
> > > > > > au BufNewFile,BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt setf help
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Whenever you open a file matching that pattern, Vim sets the
> > > > > > 'filetype' to "help" and (with the aid of a few other
> > > > > > scripts)
> > > > > > sources $VIMRUNTIME/syntax/help.vim.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > You wrote above that you opened a new file in
> > > > > > /usr/share/vim/vim80/doc. Do not create new syntax files in
> > > > > > that
> > > > > > directory. Do not create new files or modify any files
> > > > > > anywhere
> > > > > > under /usr/share/vim/vim80. Those directories are for files
> > > > > > included with the Vim package. Any files in those
> > > > > > directories
> > > > > > may
> > > > > > be overwritten by an update to the Vim package and will not
> > > > > > be
> > > > > > accessed when you upgrade to a version later than 8.0.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Instead, put any files you create for you own use under
> > > > > > ~/.vim or
> > > > > > any that you want to share with other users under
> > > > > > /usr/share/vim/vimfiles. Then they will be safe from any
> > > > > > changes
> > > > > > to
> > > > > > your distribution's Vim package and will continue to be used
> > > > > > even
> > > > > > if
> > > > > > you build Vim yourself.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > Gary
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > >
> > > > > I think i don't understand...
> > > > >
> > > > > In fact, i don't want to modify /usr/share/vim/vim80/. i just
> > > > > tried,
> > > > > and i see that a new file automatically uses help.vim syntax.
> > > >
> > > > I inferred too much from your comment in your earlier post about
> > > > opening a new file in /usr/share/vim/vim80/doc. Newcomers to Vim
> > > > often do not understand the problems with modifying or adding
> > > > files
> > > > under $VIMRUNTIME (in your case, /user/share/vim/vim80) and I
> > > > wanted
> > > > to help you avoid those problems.
> > > >
> > > > > In my ~/.vimrc, i don't see where i source filetype.vim. Should
> > > > > i
> > > > > have
> > > > > a lign so filetype.vim?
> > > >
> > > > No, you don't need a line in your ~/.vimrc to source
> > > > filetype.vim.
> > > > Vim automatically sources filetype.vim when it executes the
> > > > ":syntax
> > > > on" or ":filetype on" commands. Those commands are usually in
> > > > the
> > > > system vimrc provided by your Linux distribution's vim package.
> > > >
> > > > > /usr/share/vim/vim80/ has a subdirectory called syntax, but it
> > > > > contains
> > > > > many .vim files with many syntaxes. I don't understand why file
> > > > > in
> > > > > doc
> > > > > directory uses help.vim.
> > > >
> > > > The files in /usr/share/vim/vim80/doc use help.vim because of the
> > > > line I quoted earlier from $VIMRUNTIME/filetype.vim:
> > > >
> > > > au BufNewFile,BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt setf help
> > > >
> > > > That is an autocommand that sets the 'filetype' to help for every
> > > > file opened whose path name matches the pattern
> > > >
> > > > $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt
> > > >
> > > > Vim also uses modelines in help files to set the filetype to
> > > > "help".
> > > > Look at the last line of any file in $VIMRUNTIME/doc. It will
> > > > look
> > > > like this example from $VIMRUNTIME/doc/workshop.txt:
> > > >
> > > > vim:tw=78:ts=8:noet:ft=help:norl:
> > > >
> > > > If you put that line as the last line of your files, their
> > > > filetype
> > > > will be set to "help" when they are opened.
> > > >
> > > > > As for me, in my directory, say ~/mathieu, i want that every
> > > > > .txt
> > > > > file
> > > > > that i create uses help.vim syntax.
> > > >
> > > > The easiest way to do that is to put that modeline at the bottom
> > > > of
> > > > every .txt file in that directory. Another way to do that is to
> > > > create an autocommand to set the filetype to "help" for any file
> > > > whose path name matches the pattern
> > > >
> > > > ~/mathieu/*.txt
> > > >
> > > > If you want to use that second method, read
> > > >
> > > > :help new-filetype
> > > >
> > > > I know that you're not adding a new filetype, you're adding a new
> > > > pattern to detect an existing filetype, but in this case, the
> > > > solution is the same.
> > > >
> > > > > I copied help.vim file in ~/mathieu and in ~/mathieu/syntax. I
> > > > > tried
> > > > > :syntax on
> > > > > But it does not work.
> > > > >
> > > > > The only solution for me is to do :so help.vim
> > > > > But when i close my .txt file and open it again, i have to do
> > > > > :so
> > > > > help.vim again.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am sorry, i am quite a beginner in vim, but i really don't
> > > > > understand
> > > > > your explanation.
> > > >
> > > > I hope the explanation above is better.
> > >
> > >
> > > yes, it is, thanks for all!
> >
> > You're welcome.
> >
> > > in fact, i think the ligns
> > >
> > > au BufNewFile,BufRead *.txt
> > > \ if getline('$') !~ 'vim:.*ft=help'
> > > \| setf text
> > > \| endif
> > >
> > > in filetype.vim are also important.
> > >
> > >
> > > But the modeline
> > > vim: tw=0;ft=help:
> > > at the end of my txt file is not enough.
> >
> > The separator between settings in that style of modeline is a colon
> > (':'), not a semicolon (';'). If you really did put a semicolon
> > between the '0' and the 'f', then that modeline failed because the
> > syntax was incorrect. If the modeline you actually used had a colon
> > at that point, i.e.,
> >
> > vim: tw=0:ft=help:
> >
> > then the modeline should have worked fine. You may need to check
> > that 'modeline' is set. That is,
> >
> > :verbose set modeline?
> >
> > should print
> >
> > modeline
> >
> > > I had to modify my .vimrc too with:
> > >
> > > au BufRead /home/m/*.txt setf help
> > > au BufRead /home/m/*.txt set tw=0
> > >
> > > and now everything is ok.
> >
> > I'm glad to hear that.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Gary
> >
> > --
>
>
> Even with a : instead of ; it fails.
>
> When i do
> set modeline?
> i have nomodeline.
> I can do
> set modeline,
> but after, when i start vi again, it is again nomodeline...

How and to what value modeline is set depends on a number of
factors, including those discussed in ":help 'modeline'" and whether
your Linux distribution has chosen to disable it in the system
vimrc.

I guess it doesn't really matter how, where or why nomodeline was
set; if you want modeline set, you'll have to set it in your vimrc.
Or, you can not worry about the modeline for your files and just set
the filetype and textwidth as you have.

Regards,
Gary

--
--
You received this message from the "vim_use" maillist.
Do not top-post! Type your reply below the text you are replying to.
For more information, visit http://www.vim.org/maillist.php

---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "vim_use" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to vim_use+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/vim_use/20190515193132.GB21348%40phoenix.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.