sponsor Vim development Vim logo Vim Book Ad

SoftTabStops : Set typewriter like tabstops.

 script karma  Rating 0/0, Downloaded by 1096  Comments, bugs, improvements  Vim wiki

created by
Hari Krishna Dara
 
script type
utility
 
description
Description:
  This plugin provides the ability to enter tabular data quickly in two
  different ways:
      - Set explicit stops at the columns.
      - Enter a sample row and have the stops inferred from it.
  The plugin provides a visual editor such that you can set explicit stops
  with ease. The stops can be toggled using a mouse or keyboard. You can
  toggle the plugin functionality on and off at the buffer or global
  level.

Usage:
  - Use :STTgl to toggle using tabstops. This maps/unmaps <Tab> and <BS>.
    When buffer-local tabs are enabled (the default), the maps are made
    local to the current buffer, otherwise, the maps are global.
  - Use :STEdit[!] to bring up an editor for setting explicit tab stops (or
    to just view them). You would see three lines, two with numbers to guide
    the column number and another to show the current tab stops. To toggle
    stop at a any column, move cursor to the column and push spacebar or
    directly click left mouse button. To save changes at the end, use :wq
    command (or just :w, to leave the window open). You can press "q" to
    quit when no changes have been made. When buffer-local tabs have been
    enabled (the default), use bang to edit the global tabstops.
  - Use STReset to reset the tabstops to one every 8 columns (or whatever
    'tabstop' is set to), or STClear to clear all of them.
  - By default the stops are lcoal to a buffer
    (g:softtabstops_local_to_buffer setting is set). This helps to localize
    the stops and maps to the current buffer of interest, but as a result
    are not shared across buffers. The tabstops will be stored as a list of
    columns in the buffer local variable called "b:softtabstops". To have
    same set of stops for all buffers reset this setting and have the stops
    stored in the global variable "g:softtabstops".
  - You can manipulate softtabstops in any of these ways:
      - directly, by using the Vim's |List| functions. You can even clone
        (using |copy()| function) the global "g:softtabstops" to the buffer
        local variable "b:softtabstops"
      - using plugin commands :STAddTab, :STRemoveTab, :STReset and :STClear
      - using visual editor started by :STEdit command
  - When softtabstops is toggled on and off, the plugin doesn't try to
    restore any prior maps for <Tab> and <BS>, this is because Vim doesn't
    provide any means to capture a map completely. If the experimental
    g:softtabstops_restore_original_map option is turned on the plugin
    attempts to capture the maps by parsing the :map command output and the
    maparg() result, but this method is very limited, and will not work for
    many scenarios. If you have have your own insert mode mappings for <Tab>
    and <BS> or use a plugin that defines them, make sure this plugin
    doesn't conflict with them.

Settings:
  - g:softtabstops_local_to_buffer (default: 1). Set to 0 to make tabstops
    shared globally by all buffers. This also makes :STTgl create global
    maps.
  - g:softtabstops_repeat_last_stop (default: 0). When set to 1, the plugin
    repeats the entire sequence of tabstops when it needs to extend them.
  - g:softtabstops_align_line_with_editor (default: 1): Set to 0 to avoid
    repositioning the current line when the tab editor is opened.
  - g:softtabstops_infer_tabstops (default: 1). Set to 0, if you don't want
    the plugin to infer the tabstops based on the previous lines, when no
    explicit tabstops are set (or existing ones are cleared using :STClear)
  - g:softtabstops_infer_imm_nonblank_only (default: 1). Set to 0, if you
    want the tabstops to be inferred from the previous line, only when there
    are no blank lines between them.
  - g:softtabstops_editor_guide_start_num (default: 0). Controls the column
    number sequence in the tab editor. Should be between 0 to 9.
  - g:softtabstops_editor_guide_end_num (default: 9). Controls the column
    number sequence in the tab editor. Should be between 0 to 9 and greater
    than g:softtabstops_editor_guide_start_num.
  - g:softtabstops_restore_original_map (default: 0). Set to 1 to enable the
    experimental feature to save and restore maps while toggling on and off.

Limitations:
  - Can only insert all spaces, not a mix of tabs and spaces.
 
install details
Unzip the file into your runtime. Also make sure the latest version of genutils (vimscript #197) is installed.
 

rate this script Life Changing Helpful Unfulfilling 
script versions (upload new version)

Click on the package to download.

package script version date Vim version user release notes
softtabstops-1.0.zip 1.0 2009-10-02 7.0 Hari Krishna Dara Initial upload
ip used for rating: 142.132.191.50

If you have questions or remarks about this site, visit the vimonline development pages. Please use this site responsibly.
Questions about Vim should go to the maillist. Help Bram help Uganda.
   
Vim at Github