How to execute file I'm editing in VI(M)

Question

How to execute file that I'm editing in VI(M) and get output in split window (like in SciTE)?

Of course I could execute it like that:

:!scriptname

But is it posible to avoid writing script name and how to get output in split window instead just bottom of the screen?

Answer 1

There is the make command. It runs the command set in the makeprg option. Use % as a placeholder for the current file name. For example, if you were editing a python script:

:set makeprg=python\ %

Yes, you need to escape the space. After this you can simply run:

:make

If you wish, you can set the autowrite option and it will save automatically before running the makeprg:

:set autowrite

This solves the execute part. Don't know any way of getting that output into a split window that doesn't involve redirection to file.

Answer 2

To access the current buffer's filename, use %. To get it into a variable you can use the expand() function. To open a new window with a new buffer, use :new or :vnew. To pipe the output from a command into the current buffer, use :.! . Putting it all together:

:let f=expand("%")|vnew|execute '.!ruby "' . f . '"'

obviously replacing ruby with whatever command you want. I used execute so I could surround the filename with quotation marks, so it'll work if the filename has spaces in it.

Answer 3

I use a slightly more intrusive mechanism through maps:

map ;e :w<CR>:exe ":!python " . getreg("%") . "" <CR>

Just makes it so I don't have to save, then go. Just go.

Answer 4

For Shell script I've used

:set makeprg=%

:make