Add your function heading with a keystroke

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created October 18, 2001 · complexity basic · author Mohit Kalra · version 5.7

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Below is a tip that the C/C++ Newbies may find interesting and handy to use. The following code will add a function heading and position your cursor just after Description so that one can document as one proceeds with code.

function FileHeading()
  let s:line=line(".")
  call setline(s:line,"/*********************************************")
  call append(s:line,"* Description - ")
  call append(s:line+1,"* Author - Mohit Kalra")
  call append(s:line+2,"* Date - ".strftime("%b %d %Y"))
  call append(s:line+3,"* *******************************************/")
  unlet s:line
endfunction

imap <F4> <Esc>mz:execute FileHeading()<RET>`zjA

Where <Esc> stands for ^V+ESC and <RET> for ^V+ENTER

Comments

To get this working type F4 in insert mode.

The `zja is not a typo. Observe that:

1. mz is actually marking the first line that is inserted because of this macro. That is, it remembers the position of /******
2. `z actually takes the cursor to that marker.
3. j will take you one line below that marked line.
4. A will put you in Append mode at the end of the line where the cursor is.

Effectively, you have a cursor that is in insert mode and is positioned right after "Description" so that you can type it then and there itself.

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"I was wondering however if you can insert some block of text as a header for a newly created file?"

Put this in your .vimrc file

:autocmd BufNewFile,BufRead *.java <vim command that you want run>

I use it to read a stored program heading into my programs

:autocmd BufNewFile,BufRead *.C r ~/style/mainh

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Not sure if this is of use to you and I apologise since it's not the nicest or most elegant way of doing things, but a way to get text you type automatically inserted into code is by using a combination of command and functions.

here's one I wrote for a friend whose messing around with c# and getting bored of writing!:-

### put the following in you vimrc
command -nargs=+ CSprop :call Prop(<f-args>)

## function to do the business!
function Prop(return,property,name)
 normal o<Esc>
 let currline = line(".")
 call setline(currline, "public " . a:return . " " . a:property)
 normal o<Esc>
 let currline = currline + 1
 call setline(currline, "{")
 normal o<Esc>
 let currline = currline + 1
 call setline(currline, "\tget { return this." . a:name . "; }")
 normal o<Esc>
 let currline = currline + 1
 call setline(currline, "\tset { this." . a:name . " = value; }")
 normal o<Esc>
 let currline = currline + 1
 call setline(currline, "}")
endfunction

...so now, with that loaded in when you type the following command in VIM

:CSprop returnval propval nameval

the following text will be inserted in your script:-

public returnval propval
{
 get { return this.nameval; }
 set { this.nameval = value; }
}

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when i use command similar to the one below to add stored header to my new program file, it works. However every time i reopen the file, the header is getting added, which is not i want. What is going wrong here?

:autocmd BufNewFile,BufRead *.C r ~/style/mainh yahoo.com

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Remove BufRead

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Instead of using <RET> use <CR>

-->imap <F4> <Esc>mz:execute FileHeading()<CR>`zjA

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