vim-simpl

(Yet another) REPL/interpreter plugin for vim

Goals

vim-simpl aims to be the simplest functional REPL/interpreter plugin for vim.

It prefers customization over sane defaults, and doesn't attempt to work out-of-the-box for everyone, everywhere. (Many languages have different REPL/interpreters to choose from; vim-simpl does not attempt to force the creator's preferences on others.)

It prefers library-style functions and a map-it-yourself attitude, so you are in control of how you interact with your REPL/interpreter. (Prefer commands to maps? Great! You're in control, so setup whatever you like!)

It provides (at time of writing) two core features. Namely:

1. the ability to quickly start a filetype-relevant REPL/interpreter, or a shell if none exists; and
2. the ability to "load" a file/module into an existing REPL/interpreter (creating a new one if one does not yet exist)

(2) differs in terminology and semantics for many languages. Examples would be the source command in bash, the (load) function in lisp, and the use function in SML. vim-simpl does attempt to provide sane defaults here, because they are mostly affected by language and not by tool.

This fits the author's needs, and prevents him from having to write a lot of extra code to support everyone's favorite mapping or REPL/interpreter.

Interface

1. Loading a REPL/interpreter

Set b:interpreter to a program you would like to run. In most cases, this is a one-word string such as 'python' or 'clj'. It can, however, be a more complex value, such as the author's odd java variant 'bash -c "make jdb || jdb".

Note that this program is not executed by 'shell', so using shell features requires a level of "wrapping."

With b:interpreter set, use the following ex command:

call simpl#repl()

See the docs for more on this function's arguments.

If b:interpreter is not set, the default is your shell.

2. Loading a file/module into an existing REPL/interpreter

If the appropriate callbacks have been registered for the filetype, you need to know about the following functions.

The first loads the current buffer:

call simpl#load()

See the docs for more on this function's arguments.

The second prompts for a buffer to load:

call simpl#prompt_and_load()

If the filetype is not registered, these will be no-ops, making them safe for global mapping.

As always, see the docs for more information, including how to register new filetypes.