Toggle auto-wrap

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created March 11, 2003 · complexity basic · author Xiangjiang Ma · version 6.0

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In insert mode, I would like to

1. Keep typing without auto-wrap (good for editing vimrc and C).
2. Wrap long lines at will (good for email and text).

Following is the map I figured out, using <C-B>:

set sr fo=roqm1 tw=64
im <C-B> <C-O>:setl sr! fo<C-R>=strpart("-+",&sr,1)<CR>=tc<CR>_<BS><Right>

By default, it goes without auto-wrap. If I want, I can type <C-B> to toggle auto-wrap. Another <C-B> toggles back.

Basically it toggles two settings:

:set fo+=tc<CR>
:set fo-=tc<CR>

strpart() is used for toggling; "sr" is choosing for no good reason; "_" can be any char; <BS><Right> is needed to toggle this action.

Comments

A better toggle command, which doesn't just abuse the sr setting for a toggle switch would be:

imap <C-B> :call AutoWrapToggle()<CR>
function! AutoWrapToggle()
  if &formatoptions =~ 't'
    set fo-=t
  else
    set fo+=t
  endif
endfunction

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I found on Unix, we don't need the last part of the map.

im <C-B> <C-O>:setl sr! fo<C-R>=strpart("-+",&sr,1)<CR>=tc<CR>

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Just found that it is not related Unix or Windows.

It is a settting of virtualedit. For current vim version (6.1), if we

:set virtualedit=insert

We need the last part in the map, otherwise, we don't need it.

---

To easily turn on and off automatic line wrapping, there are "wrap" and "nowrap" options. For example, wrapping can be enabled thus:

 set wrap

Or to disable, use:

 set nowrap

You may also need to set `textwidth`, which controls the line size (not just the presentation of the line). To turn of the text width, use:

 set textwidth=0

To set a line to 80 characters, use:

 set textwidth=80

For more, `help textwidth` or `help wrap`.