More information is at https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxtWx2h12yVPOEUzTUFscWp0VVU/edit?usp=sharing
Vim 7.3 is distributed with file vim73/syntax/syncolor.vim. The following is an example of how that file might be changed. These comments were originally posted at Changing the default syntax highlighting, and the comments were then moved to Highlighting, and then moved to here.
I want a simple syntax highlighting which does not take attention from the real thing. Color codes are:
- Green for comments
- Blue for keywords/types
- Bluebold for flow-control
- Brown or gray for strings and constants
- Black (or navy) for the rest
For that purpose I changed the "syncolor.vim" file (and it works best for light background xterm).
Some changes are:
SynColor Comment term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkGreen ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=MediumSeaGreen guibg=NONE SynColor Constant term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkRed ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=SlateGrey guibg=NONE SynColor Special term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkRed ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=DarkRed guibg=NONE SynColor Identifier term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkCyan ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=DarkCyan guibg=NONE SynColor Statement term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=Blue ctermbg=NONE gui=bold guifg=SlateBlue guibg=NONE SynColor PreProc term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkBlue ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=SlateBlue guibg=NONE SynColor Type term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkBlue ctermbg=NONE gui=bold guifg=Blue guibg=NONE SynColor Underlined term=underline cterm=underline ctermfg=DarkMagenta gui=underline guifg=SlateBlue SynColor Ignore term=NONE cterm=NONE ctermfg=white ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=NONE
The changed syncolor.vim file follows.
" Vim syntax support file " Maintainer: Bram Moolenaar <Bram --at-- vim.org> " Change: 2001 Sep 12 " Changed again by Donald Axel <donald_j_axel --at-- yahoo.com> " dax:ca.2004 and uploaded 2009-11-12 " This file sets up the default methods for highlighting. " It is loaded from "synload.vim" and from Vim for ":syntax reset". " Also used from init_highlight(). if !exists("syntax_cmd") || syntax_cmd == "on" " ":syntax on" works like in Vim 5.7: set colors but keep links command -nargs=* SynColor hi <args> command -nargs=* SynLink hi link <args> else if syntax_cmd == "enable" " ":syntax enable" keeps any existing colors command -nargs=* SynColor hi def <args> command -nargs=* SynLink hi def link <args> elseif syntax_cmd == "reset" " ":syntax reset" resets all colors to the default command -nargs=* SynColor hi <args> command -nargs=* SynLink hi! link <args> else " User defined syncolor file has already set the colors. finish endif endif " Many terminals can only use six different colors (plus black and white). " Therefore the number of colors used is kept low. It doesn't look nice with " too many colors anyway. " Careful with "cterm=bold", it changes the color to bright for some terminals. " There are two sets of defaults: for a dark and a light background. if &background == "dark" SynColor Comment term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkGreen ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=#80a0ff guibg=NONE SynColor Constant term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkRed ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=slategrey guibg=NONE SynColor Special term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkRed ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=Orange guibg=NONE SynColor Identifier term=underline cterm=bold ctermfg=NONE ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=#40ffff guibg=NONE SynColor Statement term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=white ctermbg=NONE gui=bold guifg=#ffff60 guibg=NONE SynColor PreProc term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=LightBlue ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=#ff80ff guibg=NONE SynColor Type term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=LightBlue ctermbg=NONE gui=bold guifg=#60ff60 guibg=NONE SynColor Underlined term=underline cterm=underline ctermfg=LightBlue gui=underline guifg=#80a0ff SynColor Ignore term=NONE cterm=NONE ctermfg=black ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=NONE else SynColor Comment term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkGreen ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=MediumSeaGreen guibg=NONE SynColor Constant term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkRed ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=SlateGrey guibg=NONE SynColor Special term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkRed ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=DarkRed guibg=NONE SynColor Identifier term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkCyan ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=DarkCyan guibg=NONE SynColor Statement term=bold cterm=NONE ctermfg=Blue ctermbg=NONE gui=bold guifg=SlateBlue guibg=NONE SynColor PreProc term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkBlue ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=SlateBlue guibg=NONE SynColor Type term=underline cterm=NONE ctermfg=DarkBlue ctermbg=NONE gui=bold guifg=Blue guibg=NONE SynColor Underlined term=underline cterm=underline ctermfg=DarkMagenta gui=underline guifg=SlateBlue SynColor Ignore term=NONE cterm=NONE ctermfg=white ctermbg=NONE gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=NONE endif SynColor Error term=reverse cterm=NONE ctermfg=White ctermbg=Red gui=NONE guifg=White guibg=Red SynColor Todo term=standout cterm=NONE ctermfg=Black ctermbg=Yellow gui=NONE guifg=Blue guibg=Yellow " Common groups that link to default highlighting. " You can specify other highlighting easily. SynLink String Constant SynLink Character Constant SynLink Number Constant SynLink Boolean Constant SynLink Float Number SynLink Function Identifier SynLink Conditional Statement SynLink Repeat Statement SynLink Label Statement SynLink Operator Statement SynLink Keyword Statement SynLink Exception Statement SynLink Include PreProc SynLink Define PreProc SynLink Macro PreProc SynLink PreCondit PreProc SynLink StorageClass Type SynLink Structure Type SynLink Typedef Type SynLink Tag Special SynLink SpecialChar Special SynLink Delimiter Special SynLink SpecialComment Special SynLink Debug Special delcommand SynColor delcommand SynLink