On 25/10/12 04:02, analogsix wrote:
I created a 'scratch notes file' of VIM commands on gvim on my home pc's Fedora 
desktop environment.
When I port this file to my workplace's UNIX environment and launch the notes 
from VIM, my tab spacing is thrown off. For example, at home my text looks like 
this:

command1        <- comment blah blah blah
cmd2            <- comment blah blah blah
comnd3          <- comment blah blah blah

at work, I get a near similar output when I open the file through VIM. When I 
open through gvim, I get something like this:

command1        <- comment blah blah blah
cmd2         <- comment blah blah blah
comnd3         <- comment blah blah blah

Can you assist please?


I think that tab stops are not set to the same width at home and at work. The responsible setting is 'tabstop' whose standard value is 8. I recommend keeping hard tabs at 8 characters and using soft tabs (by setting 'softtabstop' and/or 'shiftwidth') if you want the tab key to move the cursor by a different amount.

Anyway: To see the file identically regardless of the tabstop setting, make sure it is edited with 'expandtab':

1) Add a modeline near the top or bottom (no more than 5 lines from the start or end), see :help modeline -- here are examples:

Type 1 (nothing can follow on the same line)
vim:et
// vim:et
===== vim:et

Type 2 (anything can precede, or, after a colon, follow)
/* vim: set et :*/
<!-- vim: set et :-->
====== vim: set et :======

This line is to tell Vim to ":setlocal expandtab" when editing this file. It needs 'modeline' on in order to work.

2) Then (once only, and at home where the file looks right)

:setlocal et
:retab!

This will replace all tabs by the proper number of spaces, so you will see it the same way regardless of where Vim thinks the tab stops are.

See:
        :help 'ts'                " width of hard tab characters
        :help 'et'                " if on, hitting <Tab> adds spaces
        :help :retab              " to change tabs <-> spaces
        :help modeline            " what a modeline may look like
        :help 'modeline'          " enable/disable modelines
        :help 'modelines'         " how far from top/bottom they may be
and possibly
        :help 'sts'               " soft tab stop
        :help 'sw'                " width of indenting columns


Best regards,
Tony.
--
Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.
                -- Euripides

--
You received this message from the "vim_use" maillist.
Do not top-post! Type your reply below the text you are replying to.
For more information, visit http://www.vim.org/maillist.php

Reply via email to