codi.vim

The interactive scratchpad for hackers.

Using Codi as a Python scratchpad through the shell wrapper

Using :CodiExpand on a javascript object

Codi is an interactive scratchpad for hackers, with a similar interface to Numi. It opens a pane synchronized to your main buffer which displays the results of evaluating each line as you type (with NeoVim or Vim with +job and +channel, asynchronously). It's extensible to nearly any language that provides a REPL (interactive interpreter)!

Languages with built-in support: Python, JavaScript, CoffeeScript, Haskell, PureScript, Ruby, OCaml, R, Clojure/ClojureScript, PHP, Lua, C++, Julia, Elm, Elixir, TypeScript, Mathjs, Haxe

Pull requests for new language support welcome!

Note: without async support, evaluation will trigger on cursor hold rather than text change.

For more information, check out the documentation. Watch a screencast!

Installation

Use your favorite package manager (vim-plug, Vundle, pathogen.vim), or add this directory to your Vim runtime path.

For example, if you're using vim-plug, add the following line to ~/.vimrc:

Plug 'metakirby5/codi.vim'

Dependencies

• OS X or Linux (Windows support coming soon!)
• Vim 7.4 (with +job and +channel for asynchronous evaluation) or NeoVim (still in its infancy - please report bugs!)
• uname
• If not using NeoVim, script (BSD or Linux, man page should say at least 2013)

Each interpreter also depends on its REPL. These are loaded on-demand. For example, if you only want to use the Python Codi interpreter, you will not need ghci.

Default interpreter dependencies:

• Python: python (Note: Python 3 requires config - see :h codi-configuration)
• JavaScript: node
• CoffeeScript: coffee
• Haskell: ghci (be really careful with lazy evaluation!)
• PureScript pulp psci
• Ruby: irb
• OCaml: ocaml
• R: R
• Clojure: planck
• PHP: psysh
• Lua: lua
• C++: cling
• Julia: julia
• Elm: elm
• Elixir: iex
• TypeScript: tsun
• Mathjs: mathjs
• Haxe: ihx (installed with haxelib install ihx)

Usage

• Codi [filetype] activates Codi for the current buffer, using the provided filetype or the buffer's filetype.
• Codi! deactivates Codi for the current buffer.
• Codi!! [filetype] toggles Codi for the current buffer, using the provided filetype or the buffer's filetype.
• CodiNew [filetype] creates a new scratch buffer with Codi in it.
• CodiSelect opens a select menu and creates a new scratch buffer with the selected filetype and Codi in it. Only available on neovim.
• CodiExpand expands the output of the current line in a popup menu to display multi-line content. Only available on neovim.

Shell wrapper

A nice way to use Codi is through a shell wrapper that you can stick in your ~/.bashrc:

# Codi
# Usage: codi [filetype] [filename]
codi() {
  local syntax="${1:-python}"
  shift
  vim -c \
    "let g:startify_disable_at_vimenter = 1 |\
    set bt=nofile ls=0 noru nonu nornu |\
    hi ColorColumn ctermbg=NONE |\
    hi VertSplit ctermbg=NONE |\
    hi NonText ctermfg=0 |\
    Codi $syntax" "$@"
}

Options

• g:codi#interpreters is a list of user-defined interpreters. See the documentation for more information.
• g:codi#aliases is a list of user-defined interpreter filetype aliases. See the documentation for more information.

The below options can also be set on a per-interpreter basis via g:codi#interpreters:

• g:codi#autocmd determines what autocommands trigger updates. See the documentation for more information.
• g:codi#width is the width of the Codi split.
• g:codi#rightsplit is whether or not Codi spawns on the right side.
• g:codi#rightalign is whether or not to right-align the Codi buffer.
• g:codi#autoclose is whether or not to close Codi when the associated buffer is closed.
• g:codi#raw is whether or not to display interpreter results without alignment formatting (useful for debugging).
• g:codi#sync is whether or not to force synchronous execution. No reason to touch this unless you want to compare async to sync.

Autocommands

• CodiEnterPre, CodiEnterPost: When a Codi pane enters.
• CodiUpdatePre, CodiUpdatePost: When a Codi pane updates.
• CodiLeavePre, CodiLeavePost: When a Codi pane leaves.

• Why doesn't X work in Codi, when it works in a normal source file?
  • Codi is not meant to be a replacement for actually running your program; it supports nothing more than what the underlying REPL supports. This is why Haskell language pragmas don't work and OCaml statements must end with ;;.
• Codi leaves a bunch of old processes running, what's going on?
  • The cause of this issue is still unknown, but it happens infrequently. See :h codi-introduction-warnings for more information.
• Codi doesn't seem to work on my setup.
  • Check :h codi-introduction-gotchas.

Thanks to

• @DanielFGray and @purag for testing, feedback, and suggestions
• @Joaquin-V for helping me discover critical bugs with vanilla settings
• Everyone who has reported an issue or sent in a pull request :)