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https://github.com/hsitz/PyScratch

Makes Vim into a "scratchpad" tool for Python, Ruby, Perl, and/or Lua
https://github.com/hsitz/PyScratch

Last synced: about 2 months ago
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Makes Vim into a "scratchpad" tool for Python, Ruby, Perl, and/or Lua

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README 

        
You can see a screencast demo of PyScratch here:

http://vimeo.com/16871727



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NOTE:  You can get tab completion of your Python commands by using any of the 

available methods of completion in Vim.  I've tried the pydiction 

tab-completion plugin and recommend that anyone using PyScratch install pydiction 

( http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=850 ) 

-----------------------------------------------------

NOTE2:  Also works with RUBY, PERL, and LUA.

The name PyScratch is now misleading, since code has been modified to work

with Ruby, Perl, and/or Lua.  The global variable g:script_language can

be set to 'python,'ruby','perl', or 'lua', and controls which interpreter

is used to process '>>>' commands and code blocks.  Support for each

interpreter must be compiled into your Vim.  Note also that usng Perl 

is a little different from the other languages, because Vim does not

support Perl's 'print' or 'say' commands.  Instead 'VIM::Msg' is used

to specify printed output.   See :help perl for more.

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The PyScratch plugin consists of a single vimscript file that a Vim user can

install by placing it in their 'plugin' directory.



PyScratch requires a Vim executable compiled with support for the 

scripting language(s) that will be used. It has been

tested with Python26, Ruby1.8, Perl 5.12, and Lua 5.1,

but version should not matter.



Over last few years several different plugins have been designed to send 

commands in a Vim buffer out to a shell for processing (typically scripting the 

'Gnu Screen utility), where the output can be viewed.  This works well, but for 

languages where Vim has built-in support some people might prefer executing the 

commands and getting output right in the Vim buffer.  All this takes is 

redirecting the output from a supported language's command to the user's buffer 

instead of to a message buffer.  This technique is possible only for the 

languages where Vim offers compile-in support, which include Python, Perl, 

Ruby, Lua, MZScheme (anything else?)  This plugin is specific to Python but it 

should be relatively easy to extend to other supported languages.



In general, this plugin makes Vim into an alternative to Python's

IDLE.  It has advantages and disadvantages compared to IDLE, but it's possible that some

people may prefer it to a tool like IDLE, at least for some uses.



When the PyScratch plugin is loaded you can process language commands and get 

output in your Vim buffer in several different ways:



(1)  Prepend a '>>>' user prompt as first characters in a line, then press 

.  The command will be evaluated and results will be shown beginning in 

the next line.  Commands that provide no output have the command itself 

mirrored as output as confirmation that they have been processed.  You will 

typically want to issue Python print commands, and these can be abbreviated 

with 'p' instead of 'print'.  Some examples:



>>> print 8 + 16

24

>>> p 8 + 16

24

>>> import sys

( import sys )

>>> for i in range(5): print i

1

2

3

4

5

>>> etc. etc.



(2)  You can execute a block of lines at one time by visually selecting them 

and pressing .  The block should be a clean block of code with no 

user prompt chars (i.e, '>>>') at left margin.  Output will be returned below 

the block of lines.  Note that this method uses  rather than the 

simple  of the single-line-prompt method.



(3)  It's not part of the plugin, but an entire file of Python can be executed 

with the Vim command:   pyfile .  The plugin does not capture any 

output from this command, however functions defined in the file can may then be 

accessed in the Vim buffer using single-line-prompt Python commands or the 

block-select Python processing.



The plugin has a couple of lines defining a syntax region for error messages 

and a highlight command that displays them in red.  This may be overwritten by 

a syntax file that clears all syntax settings so if you want to use these you 

may want to move the syntax and the highlight command to a syntax and color 

file, respectively.



This is just a Sunday afternoon hack and there are lots of little tweaks and 

improvements that could be added.   I'd be happy to hear comments or 

suggestions. . .