docvim: a documentation generator for Vim plug-ins

docvim is a documentation generator for Vim plug-ins, written in Haskell.

Quickstart

# Print Markdown-formatted help documentation for files in current directory
docvim

# Write Markdown README + Vim help text file for $PLUGIN
docvim -c ~/code/$PLUGIN ~/code/$PLUGIN/doc/$PLUGIN.txt ~/code/$PLUGIN/README.md

Usage

docvim - a documentation generator for Vim plug-ins

Usage: docvim [--version] [OUTFILES...] [-d|--debug] [-c|--directory DIRECTORY]
              [-v|--verbose]
  Generate documentation for a Vim plug-in

Available options:
  -h,--help                Show this help text
  --version                Print version information
  OUTFILES...              Target file(s) for generated output (default:
                           standard output)
  -d,--debug               Print debug information during processing
  -c,--directory DIRECTORY Change to DIRECTORY before processing (default: ".")
  -v,--verbose             Be verbose during processing

Installation

# Stack:
stack install docvim

# Cabal:
cabal update # Do if you see "Warning: The package list for 'hackage.haskell.org' does not exist."
cabal install

Syntax

""
" Docblocks start with a pair of double quotes, followed
" by standard Vim comments (with a double quote prefix)
" containing Markdown-like text and optional annotations
" that look like this:
"
" ```
" @command :Ack {pattern} {options}
" ```

Supported Markdown features

# Top-level heading

## Sub-heading

--- (Horizontal dividers)

> Blockquote

`inline code`

```
fenced codeblocks (leading space syntax not supported)
```

![alt text](http://example.com/image.jpg)
(becomes a link in vimdoc, but an image in markdown)

- Lists.

Unsupported Markdown syntax

*foo* (emphasis; turns into Vim doc targets instead)

*,+ (list syntax; just use - instead)

<html> (we don't want ambiguity with things like <leader> and so on)

Annotations

@command
@commands
@dedent
@footer
@function
@functions
@indent
@mapping
@mappings
@option
@options
@plugin

Development

Convenience wrappers

bin/accept  # Accept current "golden" test output.
bin/docvim  # Run the docvim executable.
bin/golden  # Run just the "golden" tests.
bin/haddock # Produce Haddock documentation.
bin/lint    # Run the linter.
bin/tasty   # Run just the Tasty tests.
bin/test    # Run all tests, including lints.

These are wrappers for the explicit invocations described below.

Set-up

You can set-up a development environment using Stack (recommended) or Cabal:

# Stack:
brew install stack
stack build

# Cabal:
brew install cabal-install
cabal sandbox init
cabal install --only-dependencies --enable-tests
cabal build

Running

Run using stack exec (or cabal run) and passing in docvim-specific OPTIONS:

# Stack:
stack exec docvim [OPTIONS]

# Cabal:
cabal run -- [OPTIONS]

You can also run the modules from inside the REPL:

# Stack:
stack repl
> pp "let l:test=1" -- pretty-prints AST

# Cabal:
cabal repl
> import Text.Docvim.Parse
> pp "let l:test=1" -- pretty-prints AST

Building

stack build --file-watch

Building and viewing the code-level documentation

# Stack:
stack haddock
open .stack-work/dist/x86_64-osx/Cabal-1.22.5.0/doc/html/docvim/index.html

# Cabal:
cabal haddock --executables
open dist/doc/html/docvim/docvim/index.html

Testing

# Stack:
stack test        # Runs all test suites, including linting.
stack test :tasty # Runs just the Tasty test suite.

# Cabal:
cabal test       # Runs all test suites, including linting.
cabal test tasty # Runs just the Tasty test suite.

Updating "golden" files

# Stack:
stack test --test-arguments=--accept          # Runs all test suites.
stack test :tasty --test-arguments=--accept   # Runs just the Tasty test suite.

# Cabal:
cabal test --test-options=---accept           # Runs all test suites.
cabal test tasty --test-options=---accept     # Runs just the Tasty test suite.

Linting

# Stack:
stack test              # Runs linter as part of overall set of suites.
stack test :hlint       # Runs linter alone.

# Cabal:
cabal install hlint     # (First-time only).
cabal test              # Runs linter as part of overall set of suites.
cabal test hlint        # Runs linter alone.

hlint src               # If you have HLint installed under $PATH.

Release process

vim docvim.cabal # Update version number in two places.
vim CHANGELOG.md # Update, er, changelog.
git commit -p # git tag, git push --follow-tags etc...
bin/sdist
bin/upload

FAQ

Why a new tool and not an existing one like Vimdoc?

I wanted to target multiple output formats (Vim help files and Markdown).
I wanted total control over the presentation of the output.
It's fun to build new things from scratch.
The project is a great fit for my learn-me-a-Haskell goal this year.

Why is it called "docvim"?

"Vimdoc" was the first name that occurred to me when I started this project, but:

The number one hit for "vimdoc" is this online copy of Vim's own documentation.
The name "Vimdoc" is already taken by a similar project.

So, in a remarkable flash of profound creativity, I settled on "docvim" instead, which right now yields this pleasing search result:

Did you mean: dacvim

wincent / docvim

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