RE: [EXTERNAL] 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...
>
>

Add in the "set modeline" in your .vimrc file.

Best of luck,
Andy

--
--
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/5ADFF93892EDB147B66FCBABC8E4F27F017D36FE%40prgmbx01.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.