Viml projects

This article describes viml project(plugin) file hierarchy. You may also want to see viml plugins.

Tutorials

steve losh plugin tutorial

https://learnvimscriptthehardway.stevelosh.com/chapters/41.html

Basics

viml does not have the concept of packages (like java, python, ...) but instead has plugins.

Plugin shares the same directory structure as your ~/.vim directory, are added to the vim runtime path, and loaded with vim. See /usr/share/vim/vim81 for an example.

example:

~/.vim/bundles/yourplugin/
    autoload/   # source called
    colors/     # colorschemes
    doc/        # vim help files
    ftplugin/   # sourced (into buffer) if filetype matches filename
    plugin/     # sourced on vim-startup
    syntax/     # syntax files
    tools/      # standalone cli tools (like bin/)

    after/{syntax,colors,autoload,...}   # load after vim

autoload (packages)

Autoload solves the same problem as packages/imports in java/python. These source files are not read until one of their commands is invoked. No sourcing required.

" ~/.vim/bundles/yourplugin/autoload/filesystem/unix.vim
"                                   {filesystem}#{unix}   <-- see

function! filesystem#unix#normalize_path(filepath)
    let normalized_filepath = substitute(a:filepath, '\\', '/', 'g')
    return normalized_filepath
endfunc

calling autoload functions simply refers to the file on the path.

call filesystem#unix#normalize_path('\\a\\b\\c')

ftplugin

ftplugin files are sourced (locally to buffer) if

• their filename matches current buffer's filetype (ex: 'python.vim' is read when reading a '.py' file)
• they are in a directory whose name matches current buffer's filetype (ex: 'python/pymode.vim' is read when reading a '.py' file)

plugin

This directory is loaded during vim startup.

You should skip reloading these files if they have already been loaded
otherwise some plugin managers may trip over them.

if exists('XXXXX_plugin_loaded') || &cp
    finish
endif
let XXXXX_plugin_loaded=1