Vim 2022: Format your code in real-time !!

#vim #productivity #linux #editor

There are plenty of code-formatting plugins, like auto-format and neoformat, for vim. But all of them require running a certain command or using :w to trigger formating.

Is it possible to see the immediate formatted code in the real-time ? If so, life could be much easier.

Therefore, I created a little plugin vim-rt-format, which can format the current line immediately in INSERT mode as soon as you press ENTER:

When you are focusing on editing, everything is done without paying extra attention. No need to stop your work to run an extra command like gq or :Neoformat.

Ready to try this out ? Firstly, +python3 feature must be enabled in your vim, check it by:

:echo has('python3')

It will return 1 if python is supported in your current vim version. If not, install a new vim with +python3 feature, for example in ubuntu/debian:

sudo apt-get install vim-nox

Secondly, a python module named autopep8 is required:

sudo pip install autopep8

Then add a few code in your .vimrc:

" Install the plugin with vim-plug:
Plug 'skywind3000/vim-rt-format'

" By default, it will be triggered by `ENTER` in insert mode.
" set this to 1 to use `CTRL+ENTER` instead, and keep the  
" default `ENTER` behavior unchanged.
let g:rtf_ctrl_enter = 0

" Enable formatting when leaving insert mode
let g:rtf_on_insert_leave = 1