Edit configuration files for a filetype

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Tip: #215 - Edit configuration files for a filetype

Created: February 14, 2002 8:02 Complexity: intermediate Author: Mark A. Hillebrand Version: 6.0 Karma: 6/8 Imported from: Tip#215

When you open a file, vim may load several scripts to customize itself for editing the file type the file is associated with (for example a file "test.c" is associated with the filetype "c").

Such configurations include the setting of syntax highlighting colors (:help syntax) and support for indentation (:help filetype-indent-on).

When you start to override these files for yourself, it can sometimes be confusing, which file sets a specific option.

The following function can be used, to edit the configuration files which are associated with a specific filename. It opens a buffer for all files which get loaded.

If I invoke it with ':call Edit_ft_conf("test.c")', for example, I end up with the following buffers / windows:

1. a "[No File]" line 1
2. a "test.c" line 1
3. a= "/usr/local/share/vim/vim60/syntax/c.vim" line 1
4. a "~/.vim/after/syntax/c.vim" line 1
5. #a= "/usr/local/share/vim/vim60/indent/c.vim" line 1
6. %a= "/usr/local/share/vim/vim60/ftplugin/c.vim" line 1

Here comes the function:

" Edit filetype configuration files 
" Usage: ':call Edit_ft_conf("file")' 
" Purpose: open all scripts which get loaded implicitly by opening "file" 
" (syntax highlighting, indentation, filetype plugins, ..) 
" The order of windows reflects the order of script loading (but "file" is 
" the topmost window) 
fun! Edit_ft_conf(name) 
 " we may not do this with a loaded file, since this won't trigger the 
 " configuration file loading as desired. 
 " try calling with 'call Edit_ft_conf("nonexistingfile.<EXT>")' if this 
 " gives you troubles 
 if bufexists(a:name) && bufloaded(a:name) 
   echo "!Attention: buffer for " . a:name . " is loaded, unload first." 
   return 
 endif 
 " split-open the file with verbose set, grab the output into a register 
 " (without clobbering) 
 let safereg = @u 
 redir @u " redirect command output to register @u 
   exec "silent 2verbose split " . a:name 
   " verbose level 2 suffices to catch all scripts which get opened 
 redir END 
 " Parse register @u, looking for smth like: 'sourcing"/usr/local/share/vim/vim60/syntax/c.vim"' 
 let pos = 0 
 let regexp = 'sourcing "[^"]\+"' 
 while match(@u,regexp,pos) >= 0 
   let file = matchstr(@u,regexp,pos) 
   let pos = matchend (@u,regexp,pos) 
   let file = strpart(file,10,strlen(file)-11) 
   exec "silent below split " . file 
 endwhile 
 " restore the register 
 let @u = safereg 
endfun 

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