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Tip 355 Previous Tip • Next Tip

Created: October 30, 2002 Complexity: intermediate Author: Luis Mondesi Minimum version: 6.0 Karma: 8/6 Imported from: Tip#355

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There is probably an easier way to do this, but, if I cannot find an easy solution for a given problem, I just devise one that works for the meantime -- which usually becomes permanent.

This function comments out lines according to file type. So if a file is .sh, it uses # to comment lines. And if a file is type .c it will start the comments with /* and end them with */.

Put these lines in your vimrc file:

" comment out highlighted lines according to file type
" put a line like the following in your ~/.vim/filetype.vim file
" and remember to turn on filetype detection: filetype on
" au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.sh,*.tcl,*.php,*.pl let Comment="#"
" if the comment character for a given filetype happens to be @
" then use let Comment="\@" to avoid problems...
fun CommentLines()
  "let Comment="#" " shell, tcl, php, perl
  exe ":s@^@".g:Comment."@g"
  exe ":s@$@".g:EndComment."@g"
endfun
" map visual mode keycombo 'co' to this function
vmap co :call CommentLines()<CR>

Now create a ~/.vim/filetype.vim file if you don't have one and add things like these to it Remember to put a line

:filetype on

in your vimrc file, if you don't already have one. Vim needs to be compiled with filetype detection support for this to work.

if exists("did_load_filetypes")
  finish
endif
augroup filetypedetect
  au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.inc,*.ihtml,*.html,*.tpl,*.class set filetype=php
        \ | let Comment="<!-- " | let EndComment=" -->"
  au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.sh,*.pl,*.tcl let Comment="#" | let EndComment=""
  au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.js set filetype=html | let Comment="//" | let EndComment=""
  au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.cc,*.php,*.cxx let Comment="//" | let EndComment=""
  au! BufRead,BufNewFile *.c,*.h let Comment="/*" | let EndComment="*/"
augroup END

All set, now whenever you are editing a file of those you have defined in your filetype.vim script, you can just go into Visual mode, highlight what you want to comment out, and type "co". Simple.

[edit] See also

• EnhancedCommentify: script#23
• ToggleCommentify: script#4
• .... -> Search Vim Scripts

[edit] Comments

I was used to using 'boxes' as an external filter to comment/decomment, but pushing to the program and back is more 'expensive' then using a simple script, but boxes really is better then EnhancedCommentify.vim (at least I haven't found a way yet to make it behave just like I want it to.).

But I would prefer a maintained thing any day.

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