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How to mark 80-characters column limit in Vi?


Contents


Help pages

man vim

vimtutor

:highlight in syntax.txt


Edit

    :set textwidth=80 linebreak

Format a bunch of text.

    select some lines
    gq

Format the current paragraph without selecting first.

    gqip

Format all paragraphs in the current file without selecting first.

    gggwG

but you lose your cursor position unfortunately.


View

AUTOMATIC text formatting DOES NOT WORK!!! DISPLAY ONLY!

If you want to display the vertical ruler, select:

    :set colorcolumn=80
        
        or    
    
    :set cc=80

Help pages for:

    :help colorcolumn

If you want to highlight the entire area outside the column boundary, select:

    let &colorcolumn = join(range(81,999), ',')

If you want to highlight characters past a certain column boundary, select:

    :match Error /\%>80c/

Change color

Vim doesn't use transparency for the color settings, in this case you are setting the color to ANSI 1, or Red. If the syntax highlighting on top is close to the same color it will be hard to read.

On my system I have the background and black configured slightly different so find good results by using ANSI 16:

    :highlight ColorColumn ctermbg=16

Or if you have a 256 color terminal:

    :highlight ColorColumn ctermbg=235

    :highlight ColorColumn ctermbg=232

    :highlight ColorColumn ctermbg=238

Colors listed here:

Help pages for:

    :help highlight

Color schemes

You might also start with a colorscheme where the hard work has been done for you.

    :colorscheme zellner
        
        or

    :colorscheme desert

All standard color schemes:

    ls /usr/share/vim/vim81/colors

My permanent settings

Open file:

    vi ~/.vimrc

Paste the settings into the file:

    set nocompatible
    set backspace=indent,eol,start
    set paste
    set mouse=a
    set number     " line number
    set showcmd    " count the number of characters in a line, with v or V
    set linebreak
    let &colorcolumn=join(range(81,999), ',')
    highlight ColorColumn ctermbg=235
    syntax enable        " enable colorscheme mariana
    colorscheme mariana

Save and close:

    :wq

Reload .vimrc:

    :so %

        or

    :so ~/.vimrc

#vi


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