Turn VIM into Python IDE

Background

I've tried several editors for writing Python, such as VSCode, Atom, Sublime, PyCharm, and even Bluefish. The issues I experienced bothered me, like Atom too fat, Sublime complicated plugin configuration, PyCharm uncertain runtime path... Eventually I decided to stay with my love, vi and vim that I've used for almost 20 years.

There are multiple ways to configure VIM as Python IDE, through vundle, pip3 install, then I figured to have plugins managed by git and vundle, the plugin manager. Therefore I write this document.

Notes:

• This doc is written with Python3, not tested with Python2
• Python's plugin are very various and many. I choose some as my personal experience only
• Using Fedora 36 with default vim, at the moment when writing this doc

Personally I think that the best practice to Enable VIM as Python IDE is https://realpython.com/vim-and-python-a-match-made-in-heaven/ with credits. And I also fixed 2 defects in configuration, supplied by RealPython.com, with comment starting with Jeff's Fix

My current ~/.vimrc can be downloaded ./vimrc

VIM Pre-requisite

vim --version

Supposedly you can see

VIM - Vi IMproved 8.0 (2016 Sep 12, compiled Sep 30 2017 18:21:38)
...
Huge version with GTK3 GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl             +file_in_path    +mouse_sgr       +tag_old_static
...
+conceal         +libcall         +profile         +viminfo
+cryptv          +linebreak       -python          +vreplace
+cscope          +lispindent      +python3         +wildignore

that indicates this pre-built vim (version 8.0) supports python3, but not python2. Weird but this is default from Debian Stretch 9.6, with vim-tiny completely removed

And verify in vim

:python import sys; print(sys.version)

Install Plugins and Setup

vundle

git clone https://github.com/gmarik/Vundle.vim.git ~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim

~/.vimrc

Touch ~/.vimrc and copy the following into it. Remember to execute :wq and :PluginInstall each time after adding new plugin(s) in ~/.vimrc

set nocompatible              " required
filetype off                  " required

" set the runtime path to include Vundle and initialize
set rtp+=~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim
call vundle#begin()

" alternatively, pass a path where Vundle should install plugins
"call vundle#begin('~/some/path/here')

" let Vundle manage Vundle, required
Plugin 'gmarik/Vundle.vim'

" add all your plugins here (note older versions of Vundle
" used Bundle instead of Plugin)

Plugin 'tmhedberg/SimpylFold'
let g:SimpylFold_docstring_preview=1


" Auto-indentation
Plugin 'vim-scripts/indentpython.vim'


" Jedi-vim
Plugin 'davidhalter/jedi-vim'


" Auto-complete
Plugin 'Valloric/YouCompleteMe'
let g:ycm_autoclose_preview_window_after_completion=1
map <leader>g  :YcmCompleter GoToDefinitionElseDeclaration<CR>


" Syntax checking/ highlighting
Plugin 'vim-syntastic/syntastic'
Plugin 'nvie/vim-flake8'
let python_highlight_all=1
syntax on


" Color schemes
Plugin 'jnurmine/Zenburn'
Plugin 'altercation/vim-colors-solarized'


" File browsing
Plugin 'scrooloose/nerdtree'
Plugin 'jistr/vim-nerdtree-tabs'
let NERDTreeIgnore=['\.pyc$', '\~$'] "ignore files in NERDTree


" Super searching
Plugin 'kien/ctrlp.vim'


" Git integration
Plugin 'tpope/vim-fugitive'


" Powerline
Plugin 'Lokaltog/powerline', {'rtp': 'powerline/bindings/vim/'}


" All of your Plugins must be added before the following line
call vundle#end()            " required
filetype plugin indent on    " required


" Color scheme
if has('gui_running')
  set background=dark
  colorscheme solarized
else
  colorscheme zenburn
endif


" Split Layouts
set splitbelow
set splitright

" split navigations
nnoremap <C-J> <C-W><C-J>
nnoremap <C-K> <C-W><C-K>
nnoremap <C-L> <C-W><C-L>
nnoremap <C-H> <C-W><C-H>

" Enable folding
set foldmethod=indent
set foldlevel=99

" Enable folding with the spacebar
nnoremap <space> za

" Jeff's Fix: there must be a "|" to isolate each "set" 
au BufNewFile,BufRead *.py,*.md
    \ set tabstop=4 |
    \ set softtabstop=4 |
    \ set shiftwidth=4 |
    \ set textwidth=79 |
    \ set expandtab |
    \ set autoindent |
    \ set fileformat=unix

" Jeff's Fix: there is NO whitespace between *.js and *.html, etc
au BufNewFile, BufRead *.js,*.html,*.css,*.yml,*.yaml
    \ set tabstop=2 |
    \ set softtabstop=2 |
    \ set shiftwidth=2

" Flagging Unnecessary Whitespace
au BufRead, BufNewFile *.py,*.pyw,*.c,*.h match BadWhitespace /\s\+$/

" UTF-8 Support
set encoding=utf-8

YouCompleteMe plugin

Reference > https://ycm-core.github.io/YouCompleteMe/#linux-64-bit

Clone the code, then

If you want auto-complete for Go, a pre-requisite is to install go and go-lang

Or for Python only,

cd ~/.vim/bundle/YouCompleteMe
git submodule update --init --recursive

python3 install.py

Auto-Complete

Based on jedi-vim and reference to https://github.com/davidhalter/jedi-vim

Clone the code

git clone --recursive https://github.com/davidhalter/jedi-vim.git ~/.vim/bundle/jedi-vim

Then place the following in ~/.vimrc, execute install with :PluginInstall

Plugin 'davidhalter/jedi-vim'

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