We can get highlight group information by the following command
:hi[ghlight] {group-name}
But is it possible to get this information by given keyword? Something like this :
syn match Integer '\d\+'
hi def link Integer Constant
:hi '3'
Integer xxx links to Constant
If I understand your question correctly, it's not possible to do exactly what you're asking. Vim needs the items to be in their correct context in order to determine what highlighting applies to them.
However, you can ask Vim what syntax items are currently being applied. See the example at the end of :help synID():
:echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
This will output the name of the syntax item under the cursor. So instead of typing :hi '3', you'd find a 3 in your current, syntax-highlighted buffer (or add one), place the cursor on it, and run the command.
To obtain the highlighting information, you can slot the above into a :highlight command:
execute 'hi' synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
If your purpose is debugging syntax highlighting, then you will also find the example in :help synstack() useful. I have a little wrapper command in my .vimrc containing that code so I can check syntax items quickly:
function! s:syntax_query() abort
for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
echo synIDattr(id, "name")
endfor
endfunction
command! SyntaxQuery call s:syntax_query()
You can modify the echo line similarly, if you want this also to display highlighting info:
execute 'hi' synIDattr(id, "name")
Based on Rich answer and Drew Neil’s vimcast, one can:
A: To just read the syntax file ~/.vim/after/syntax/<filetype>.vim.
nnoremap <leader>z :call <SID>SyntaxStack()<CR>
Or B: modify syntax file appending the highlight settings of groups under cursor
nnoremap <leader>z! :call <SID>SyntaxStack(1)<CR>
A picture is worth a thousand words. Up screenshot is previous to executing the map, down the result:
Next more complex mappings to highlight groups. With groups under cursor searched (to search for less groups, just press / - up-arrow and modify it). Mappings are more complex because 1st I must open a buffer, and then search in it, so it cannot be all in same function. Actually, cause I cannot achieve getting the return of this <SID> function directly in the mapping, my workaround is that this function must add a global variable g:str2Search_SyntaxStack, which the mapping reads.
A:
nnoremap <leader>z :call <SID>SyntaxStack()<CR>:let g:var02=':silent execute "normal /' . g:str2Search_SyntaxStack . '\' .'<' .'CR' .'>"'<CR>:execute(g:var02)<CR>:echo "Searched: ". substitute(g:str2Search_SyntaxStack, '\\\\\\', '\', 'g')<CR>
B:
nnoremap <leader>z! :call <SID>SyntaxStack(1)<CR>:let g:var02=':silent execute "normal /' . g:str2Search_SyntaxStack . '\' .'<' .'CR' .'>"'<CR>:execute(g:var02)<CR>:echo "Searched: ". substitute(g:str2Search_SyntaxStack, '\\\\\\', '\', 'g')<CR><CR>
where <SID>SyntaxStack() function:
function! <SID>SyntaxStack(append_to_file_bool=0)
if !exists("*synstack")
return
endif
let l:str2Search=List_to_strings_to_search(map(synstack(line('.'), col('.')), 'synIDattr(v:val, "name")'), 1)
let l:file__after_syntax=Get_file__after_syntax()
" read current highlight for <group> under cursor
" and append to syntax file
if (a:append_to_file_bool)
for l:syntaxID in synstack(line("."), col("."))
let l:hi_group=execute('hi ' . synIDattr(l:syntaxID, "name"))
let l:hi_group=substitute(l:hi_group, "\n", '', 'g') " remove new lines
let l:hi_group=substitute(l:hi_group, "xxx", '', 'g') " remove 'xxx' added to show highlight settings default (I think)
let l:hi_group="highlight " . l:hi_group
if l:hi_group =~ "clear"
" if cleared (noone should) from colorscheme plugin, then comment line before appending
let l:hi_group= '" ' . l:hi_group
endif
call writefile([l:hi_group], l:file__after_syntax, "a")
endfor
endif
" 1st I must open a buffer, and then search in it, so it cannot be all in same function
" therefore, I need a global variable to return from an <SID> fcn
let g:str2Search_SyntaxStack=l:str2Search
" open syntax file with last syntaxID highlighted
execute ":tabnew " . l:file__after_syntax
endfunc
And auxiliary functions:
function! List_to_strings_to_search(list01,slash_double_bool=0)
" https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Search_patterns#Finding_this_or_that
let str01=""
let cnt01=0
let list01_len=len(a:list01)
for l:str02 in a:list01
let l:cnt01+=1
" remove single quotes
let l:str03=substitute(l:str02, "'", '', 'g')
let l:str01=l:str01 . l:str03
if l:cnt01 < l:list01_len
if (a:slash_double_bool)
let l:str01=l:str01 . '\\\' .'|'
else
let l:str01=l:str01 . '\' .'|'
endif
endif
endfor
return l:str01
endfunc
function! Get_filetype()
let l:filetype_str=&filetype " get filetype
let l:filetype_str=substitute(string(l:filetype_str), "'", '', 'g') " remove single quotes
return l:filetype_str
endfunc
function! Get_file__after_syntax()
let l:filetype_str=Get_filetype()
let l:file__after_syntax=expand('~/.vim/after/syntax/' . l:filetype_str . '.vim') " expand() to avoid tilde errors
return l:file__after_syntax
endfunc
