https://github.com/susam/vimer
Declutter your desktop by opening files in existing instance of GVim/MacVim
https://github.com/susam/vimer
batch-script gvim linux macos macvim posix shell-script vim windows
Last synced: 11 days ago
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Declutter your desktop by opening files in existing instance of GVim/MacVim
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/susam/vimer
- Owner: susam
- License: mit
- Created: 2016-01-05T13:20:32.000Z (over 9 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2024-05-09T08:37:39.000Z (about 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-05-09T23:42:35.530Z (about 1 year ago)
- Topics: batch-script, gvim, linux, macos, macvim, posix, shell-script, vim, windows
- Language: Shell
- Homepage:
- Size: 43.9 KB
- Stars: 70
- Watchers: 3
- Forks: 6
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGES.md
- License: LICENSE.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
Vimer
=====
Vimer is a convenience wrapper script to open files in an existing
instance of GVim or MacVim.
[![Download][SHIELD_WIN]][DOWNLOAD_WIN]
[![Download][SHIELD_LIN]][DOWNLOAD_LIN]
[![Build Status][BUILD_IMG]][BUILD_URL]
[![Coverage Status][COVERAGE_IMG]][COVERAGE_URL]
The Windows script has been tested on Windows 7 only. However, it
should work fine on other recent versions of Windows too.
The Linux/Mac script has been tested with [bash][], [ksh][] and
[zsh][] on Debian and Mac as well as with [dash][], [posh][] and
[yash][yash] on Debian. It should work fine on any POSIX compliant
system with a POSIX compliant shell.
[SHIELD_WIN]: https://img.shields.io/badge/download-vimer%2ecmd%20for%20Windows-brightgreen.svg
[SHIELD_LIN]: https://img.shields.io/badge/download-vimer%20for%20Linux%2fMac-brightgreen.svg
[DOWNLOAD_WIN]: https://github.com/susam/vimer/releases/download/0.2.0/vimer.cmd
[DOWNLOAD_LIN]: https://github.com/susam/vimer/releases/download/0.2.0/vimer
[BUILD_IMG]: https://travis-ci.org/susam/vimer.svg?branch=master
[BUILD_URL]: https://travis-ci.org/susam/vimer
[COVERAGE_IMG]: https://coveralls.io/repos/github/susam/vimer/badge.svg?branch=master
[COVERAGE_URL]: https://coveralls.io/github/susam/vimer?branch=master
[bash]: https://packages.debian.org/stable/bash
[ksh]: https://packages.debian.org/stable/ksh
[zsh]: https://packages.debian.org/stable/zsh
[dash]: https://packages.debian.org/stable/dash
[posh]: https://packages.debian.org/stable/posh
[yash]: https://packages.debian.org/stable/yash
Contents
--------
* [Necessity](#necessity)
* [Current Development Status](#current-development-status)
* [Getting Started](#getting-started)
* [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
* [Context Menu](#context-menu)
* [Windows](#windows)
* [Xfce on Linux](#xfce-on-linux)
* [GNOME on Linux](#gnome-on-linux)
* [Mac](#mac)
* [License](#license)
* [Support](#support)
Necessity
---------
This project was written to address the following needs.
1. Running `gvim foo.txt` on Windows or Linux, or `mvim foo.txt` on
Mac, opens the file in a new GVim or MacVim window. Launching
GVim or MacVim from the shell in this manner again and again can
easily clutter the desktop with too many windows. Moreover, if
the file being opened is already open in another instance of GVim
or MacVim, the editor warns about an existing swap file and
requires the user to take action for it. This can be distracting
sometimes.
Of course, one can open and edit all files from within a single
GVim or MacVim instance with the editor commands such as `:e` or
`:tabe` to avoid these problems, but it is still useful to be able
to edit files from the shell, especially while navigating
directories in the shell.
Vimer offers a way to edit files from the shell such that every
file being edited opens in a new buffer in the same instance of
GVim or MacVim. If a file being opened is already open in GVim or
MacVim, no warning occurs; instead the editor silently displays
the specified file.
2. The problems discussed in the previous point can also be solved
using a simple wrapper script on Windows, say, myvim.cmd.
```bat
@echo off
gvim --remote-silent %*
```
Or using alias on Linux.
```sh
alias myvim="gvim --remote-silent"
```
Here is a similar alias for Mac.
```sh
alias myvim="mvim --remote-silent"
```
But this solution is not without flaws. Of course, it takes care
that a command like `myvim foo.txt bar.txt` opens both files in
two buffers in the same instance of GVim or MacVim. However the
following annoying behaviour occurs.
- Running `myvim` without arguments leads to an error: `Argument
missing after: "--remote-silent"`.
- Trying to pipe standard output of one command into the
standard input of GVim or MacVim with a command like `ls |
myvim -` results in an empty buffer for a file named `-`. The
reason for this is documented in the editor's documentation.
Enter `:help remote` in the editor to read it.
Vimer offers a litle more elaborate wrapper script that handles
these special cases better.
- `vimer foo.txt bar.txt` opens both files in the same instance
of GVim or MacVim.
- `vimer` launches a new instance of GVim or MacVim.
- `ls | vimer -` shows the output of `ls` in an existing
instance of GVim or MacVim if it exists.
3. Vim provides a context menu option called *Edit with Vim* that
opens a file in a new buffer in an *existing* tab page in an
existing instance of GVim. However, it doesn't provide a context
menu option that opens a file in a *new* tab page in an existing
instance of GVim. Vimer fills this gap by creating a context menu
option for files called *Edit with GVim tab* that opens a file in
a new tab page in an existing instance of GVim. This feature is
available only for Windows.
Current Development Status
--------------------------
You might notice that this project has not received a new release for
many years now. This is due to the following three reasons:
- This project worked well for me as long as I used Vim actively.
- I use Emacs as my primary computing environment these days. As a
result I use this project only occassionally these days. When I
do use Vim, this project works well for me.
- In the initial few releases of this, I took great care to run the
test suite in the [test/](test/) directory with various shells. I
do not have the time and resources to perform such testing
anymore. As a result, I am reluctant to make any changes to this
project anymore.
Due to the points mentioned above, I do not accept pull requests to
this project. If this project works for you, that's great! However,
if it does not, I hope you will be able to dive into the Vimer script
that you use and update the script to suit your needs.
Alternatively, you could also use Konfekt's fork of Vimer available at
[github.com/konfekt/vimer](https://github.com/konfekt/vimer) which
provides certain enhancements pertaining to locating the Vim
executable more flexibly.
Getting Started
---------------
Vimer is a single-file executable script.
Download [`vimer.cmd`][DOWNLOAD_WIN] for Windows, or
[`vimer`][DOWNLOAD_LIN] for Linux or Mac.
Copy it to a directory specified in the PATH environment variable. On
Linux or Mac, make the script executable: `chmod u+x vimer`.
The following list describes some of the ways Vimer may be used.
1. Launch a new instance of GVim or MacVim.
```sh
vimer
```
2. Edit files.
```sh
vimer foo.txt bar.txt baz.txt
```
If an instance of GVim or MacVim is already running, this command
opens the files in separate buffers in the same instance of the
editor. Otherwise, they are opened in separate buffers in a new
instance of the editor.
3. If the `-t` option is specified, then files are opened in separate
tab pages in an existing instance of GVim or MacVim if it exists.
If no instance of GVim or MacVim already exists, the files are
opened in separate tabs in a new instance of the editor.
```sh
vimer -t foo.txt bar.txt baz.txt
```
4. Pipe the standard output of a command into the standard input of
GVim or MacVim. Use the `-t` option to open it in a separate tab.
```sh
ls -l | vimer -
ls -l | vimer -t -
```
5. Launch a new instance of GVim or MacVim with a specific server
name.
```sh
vimer -s FOO
```
If the specified server name is already being used by another
instance of the editor, a number postfix is applied (e.g. `FOO1`,
`FOO2`, etc.) until a free name is encountered.
6. Edit files in GVim or MacVim with a specific server name.
```sh
vimer -s FOO foo.txt bar.txt baz.txt
```
If an instance of GVim or MacVim with the specified server name is
already running, this command opens the files in that instance of
the editor. If such an instance of the editor does not exist,
then the first server with the number postfix will be used.
If there is no existing instance of the editor with a matching
server name or a server name with number postfix, the files are
opened in separate buffers in a new instance of the editor with
the specified server name, or a server name with number postfix.
7. Enable a context menu option called *Edit with GVim* for files on
Windows.
```bat
vimer --enable
```
After executing the above command, on right clicking a file, an
option called *Edit with GVim* should appear in the context menu.
Selecting this option opens the file in an existing instance of
GVim if it exists. If no existing instance of GVim already
exists, then the file is opened in a new instance of GVim.
A similar context menu option called *Edit with existing Vim* is
already provided by the GVim installer for Windows. But this
option is provided in Vimer anyway because combining this option
with `-t` creates a context menu option to open files in separate
tab pages, as explained in the next point. Such a context menu
option is not provided by the GVim installer for Windows.
8. Enable a context menu option called *Edit with GVim tab* for files
on Windows.
```bat
vimer -t --enable
```
9. Disable context menu options on Windows.
```bat
vimer --disable
vimer -t --disable
```
The `--enable` and `--disable` options are not supported for Linux
and Mac. See the [Context Menu](#context-menu) section below to
read how to create such context menu option in other desktop
environments.
10. For more details on how to use Vimer, execute the following
command.
```sh
vimer --help
```
Users who are very used to typing `vi`, `vim`, `gvim` or `mvim` to run
the editor and find it difficult to type `vimer` might want to rename
this script. For example, a user very used to typing `vi`, might want
to rename this script from `vimer.cmd` to `vi.cmd` on Windows, or to
`vi` on Linux or Mac.
Troubleshooting
---------------
1. When the script is executed from a 32 bit [Console2][C2] window
running on a 64 bit Windows operating system, the script fails
with the following error.
```
ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.
```
To work around the issue, execute the script in the native Windows
Command Prompt, or install the 64 bit Console2 application and
execute the script from a 64 bit Console2 window.
2. After the script is renamed to `gvim` on Linux or `mvim` on Mac,
running `gvim` or `mvim` with a filename as argument may still
open the file in a new instance of the editor, not in an existing
instance of the editor, even if such an instance already exists.
If this happens, it is very likely that the `gvim` or `mvim`
command is still running GVim or MacVim, respectively, not Vimer.
To confirm, execute the following command on Linux.
```sh
gvim --version
```
Or the following command on Mac.
```sh
mvim --version
```
If the string "VIM" appears in the first line of the output, it is
GVim or MacVim.
If it is confirmed that running `gvim` on Linux, or `mvim` on Mac
executes GVim or MacVim, respectively, ensure that the path where
this script is located appears before the path where GVim or
MacVim is located in the PATH environment variable.
Further, on Linux or Mac, set the `VIM_CMD` environment variable
to the absolute path of GVim or MacVim. For more details about
this, see the next point.
3. When the script is renamed to `gvim` on Linux or `mvim` on Mac,
and `gvim` or `mvim` is run, the shell may hang. If the `VIM_CMD`
environment variable is not set, internally, the script invokes
the `gvim` command on Linux or the `mvim` command on Mac to edit
files. But when this script itself is named as `gvim` on Linux or
`mvim` on Mac, invoking `gvim` or `mvim`, respectively, ends up
invoking itself thereby resulting in an infinite recursion.
To resolve the issue, set the `VIM_CMD` environment variable to
the absolute path of GVim. Here is an example for Linux.
```sh
export VIM_CMD=/usr/bin/gvim
```
Here is an example for Mac.
```sh
export VIM_CMD=/usr/local/bin/mvim
```
Consider adding this to the shell's initialization file (e.g.
~/.bashrc) so that this environment variable is persistent and
available across shell sessions.
As a workaround, consider renaming the script to something other
than `gvim` or `mvim`, perhaps `vi` which is short and sweet and
has the additional advantage that no matter what system it is, one
only has to remember to type `vi` to edit files.
[C2]: http://sourceforge.net/projects/console/
Context Menu
------------
This section descibes how to add context menu option for files that
opens files in an existing instance of GVim or MacVim in various
desktop environments. This section does not require the use of Vimer.
The steps provided in the sections below create a context menu option
to edit files in new buffers. To edit files in new tabs instead, use
the `--remote-tab-silent` option instead of the `--remote-silent`
option in the sections below.
### Windows ###
The following steps have been found to work fine on Windows XP and
Windows 7. These steps probably work fine on other versions of
Windows too.
1. Run the following command.
```bat
regedit
```
2. Go to `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell`. Right click on the node named
`shell`, select *New* > *Key*. Name the new key as `Edit with
GVim`.
3. Then right click on the new node, select *New* > *Key* and name
the new node as `command`.
4. Now `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Edit with GVim\command` should be
the current node. On the right-hand pane, double click on
*(Default)* and enter the command to edit a file in existing GVim.
Here is an example.
```bat
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Vim\vim74\gvim.exe" --remote-silent "%1"
```
4. Click *OK*.
To remove this context menu option, run `regedit`, go to
`HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell`, right click on the node for this context
menu, select *Delete* and click *Yes*.
Alternatively, run `vimer --enable` to automatically find the path to
`gvim.exe` and create the registry value described above. To remove
this registry value, run `vimer --disable`. To enable or disable
similar registry value that creates a context menu option to edit
files with existing GVim in a new tab page, run `vimer --tab --enable`
or `vim --tab -disable`, respectively.
### Xfce on Linux ###
The following steps have been found to work fine on Xfce 4.10 on
Debian 8.0. These steps probably work fine on Xfce 4 on any Linux
distribution.
1. Run *Thunar*, i.e. *Applications Menu* > *File Manager*.
2. From the menu, go to *Edit* > *Configure custom actions*.
2. Click the plus icon to add a new custom action..
3. Enter the following details.
- Name: `Edit with GVim`
- Command: `gvim --remote-silent %F`
- Icon: vim
4. Go to *Apperance Conditions* tab and select *Directories*, *Text
Files* and *Other Files*.
5. Click *OK*. Click *Close*.
To remove this context menu option, follow step 1 again, select the
context menu option, click the bin icon to delete the currently
selected action and click *Delete*.
### GNOME on Linux ###
The following steps have been found to work fine on GNOME 2.28.2 on
CentOS 6.5 and GNOME 3.4.1 on Debian 8.2 (Jessie). These steps
probably work fine on GNOME 2 and GNOME 3 on any Linux distribution.
The steps below need to be performed in a shell.
1. On GNOME 2, go to the ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/ directory.
```sh
cd ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/
```
On GNOME 3, go to ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/ instead.
```sh
cd ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/
```
2. Now create an executable script that contains the shell command to
edit files in an existing instance of GVim if it exists.
```sh
echo 'gvim --remote-silent "$@"' > "Edit with GVim"
chmod u+x "Edit with GVim"
```
After following these steps, open Nautilus (File Browser on GNOME 2,
or Files on GNOME 3), right click on a file, select Scripts > Edit
with GVim.
To remove this context menu option, delete the script for the context
menu option from ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts (GNOME 2) or
~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts (GNOME 3).
### Mac ###
The following steps have been found to work fine on Mac 10.9.5
(Mavericks).
1. Go to *Launchpad*, search for *Automator*, then click on it to
launch it. It should display a dialog box to choose a type for
the new document. If this is not displayed, click *New Document*
to display it.
2. Select *Service* and click *Choose*.
3. In the *Service receives selected* drop-down list, select *files
or folders*.
4. Under *Library*, select *Utilities* and double click *Run Shell
Script*.
5. In the new pane that appears, go to the *Pass Input* drop-down
list and select *as arguments*.
6. Erase all the code in the text box and enter the shell command to
edit files in an existing instance of MacVim if it exists. Note
that the absolute path to MacVim should be used in the command.
```sh
/usr/local/bin/mvim --remote-silent "$@"
```
7. From the menu, select *File* > *Save*. Enter `Edit with MacVim`
as the service name and click *Save*.
8. From the menu, select *Automator* > *Quit Automator*.
To remove this context menu option, launch Finder, select *Go* > *Go
to Folder*, enter `~/Library/Services`, right click on the workflow
for this context menu option and select *Move to Trash*.
License
-------
This is free and open source software. You can use, copy, modify,
merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of it,
under the terms of the MIT License. See [LICENSE.md][L] for details.
This software is provided "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
express or implied. See [LICENSE.md][L] for details.
[L]: LICENSE.md
Support
-------
To report bugs, suggest improvements, or ask questions, please create
a new issue at .