Pattern in match in mapping in autocmd

Question

Working on a more lightweight vim-endwise replacement (endwise breaks imap <expr> <CR> mappings).

In the following text:

def name<-cursor here

it adds a newline and another line with an end:

def name
  <-cursor here
end

This mapping does the job:

autocmd FileType ruby inoremap <buffer> <expr> <CR> match(getline('.'), 'def') >= 0 ? '<CR><CR>end<Esc>-cc' : '<CR>'

However, I'd like to extend this to also understand if, case and do, but the following does not work:

autocmd FileType ruby inoremap <buffer> <expr> <CR> match(getline('.'), 'def\|if\|case\|do') >= 0 ? '<CR><CR>end<Esc>-cc' : '<CR>'

Even though match(" case abc", 'def\|if\|case\|do') >= 0 returns 1 (e.g. true).

What am I doing wrong?

Extracting to a function does not make things easier: '\<CR>' returns text, not a newline, an unescaped '<CR>' errors out, even though match seems to work properly. — phil pirozhkov, Nov 9, 2016 at 13:31
Do yourself a favor and put that into a normal ftplugin and simply call a function for that filetype. Then you don't have to worry about escaping all possible metachars and even better 2 days from today, you still understand what you are doing ;) — Christian Brabandt, Nov 9, 2016 at 17:13
@ChristianBrabandt moved everything to a ftplugin, but still have to double escape | — phil pirozhkov, Nov 9, 2016 at 20:27
@philpirozhkov There is another advice in Christian's comment: define a function. This way your regex will be simplified, and much easier to maintain. — Luc Hermitte, Nov 9, 2016 at 22:58
@LucHermitte See above, in a function output needs to be escaped, e.g. '<CR>' does not work, nor '\<CR>' does, I've seen people use ""<CR' and '\<lt>CR>', but none of them worked in a function. I'm pretty satisfied with my current solution, will dig deeper when I decide I need to add a closing curly brace when I open one and press CR. — phil pirozhkov, Nov 11, 2016 at 16:46

Luc Hermitte · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-09 13:41:35Z

4

IIRC, it's related to the bar character in command lines. You need to escape the bar twice, e.g.:

" ftplugin/ruby/myshortcuts.vim 
inoremap <buffer> <expr> <CR> match(getline('.'), 'if\\|def\\|case\\|do') >= 0 ? '<CR><CR>end<Esc>-cc' : '<CR>

BTW, you should make sure this is exactly def (and not define), that you aren't in string, nor comments.

answered Nov 9, 2016 at 13:31

Luc Hermitte

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alternatively, you can use <bar>, in place of |, i.e. 'def\<bar>if\<bar>case\<bar>do' worlks
– nobe4
Nov 9, 2016 at 13:34
autocmd FileType ruby inoremap <expr> <CR> match(getline('.'), 'if\\|def\\|case\\|do') >= 0 ? '<CR><CR>end<Esc>-cc' : '<CR> worked as expected, thanks!
– phil pirozhkov
Nov 9, 2016 at 13:35
@nobe4 it wouldn't have been enough. A backslash is required when there is no magic around (:h /\v)
– Luc Hermitte
Nov 9, 2016 at 13:42
@LucHermitte, Yup, a \<bar> then ? (that's what I've put in the example)
– nobe4
Nov 9, 2016 at 13:46
1

@philpirozhkov. Always. Mappings that make sense only in a restrictive list of filetypes/buffers shall always be declared with <buffer>. Otherwise the next time you open a buffer with a different filetype, the mapping will be defined and could be triggered. Which is not what we want.
– Luc Hermitte
Nov 9, 2016 at 22:56

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nobe4 · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-09 16:30:19Z

2

Alternatively, you can use <bar> instead of |:

autocmd FileType ruby inoremap <buffer> <expr> <CR> match(getline('.'), 'def\<bar>if\<bar>case\<bar>do') >= 0 ? '<CR><CR>end<Esc>-cc' : '<CR>'

see: :h <bar>

answered Nov 9, 2016 at 16:30

nobe4

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