inoremap inserts unwanted tabs

Question

I recently made myself custom insert mode keybindings to type faster in LaTeX. However, When I use them, Vim adds tabs that weren't part of the original keybinding.

Example:

Here is my inoremap:

autocmd FileType tex inoremap ;t \begin{table}<Enter>\caption{}<Enter>\label{<++>}<Enter>\begin{center}<Enter>\begin{tabular}{<++>}<Enter>\toprule<Enter><++><Space>\\<Enter>\toprule<Enter><++><Space>\\<Enter><++><Space>\\<Enter>\bottomrule<Enter>\end{tabular}<Enter>\end{center}<Enter>\end{table}<Enter><Enter><++><Esc>?caption{<Enter>8li

This is the output (<X> is the final location of my cursor):

             \begin{table}
             \caption{<X>}
             \label{<++>}
             \begin{center}
             \begin{tabular}{<++>}
             \toprule
 <++> \\
             \toprule
 <++> \\
 <++> \\
             \bottomrule
             \end{tabular}
             \end{center}
             \end{table}

 <++>

Why isn't everything lining up at the beginning of the line? (the previous lines are not indented)

Thanks!

P.S.

I know that it would be more appropriate to use functions instead of mapping but I haven't learned them yet...

Answer 1

Snippet plugin instead of a simple inoremap

If you are interested in features like jumping from one placeholder to another one, you might be interested in using a plugin. There are many options you can choose from. There are a few dedicated to LaTeX:

1. vim-latex (details in section 3.12 and plugin/imaps.vim)

   You can also install only plugin/imaps.vim with
   $ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vim-latex/vim-latex/master/plugin/imaps.vim -O ~/.vim/plugin/imaps.vim
   and then define in ~/.vim/after/ftplugin/tex.vim:

   call IMAP('ETE', "\\begin{table}\<CR>\\caption{<++>}\<CR>\\label{<++>}\<CR>\\begin{center}\<CR>\\begin{tabular}{<++>}\<CR>\\toprule\<CR><++><Space>\\\\\<CR>\\toprule\<CR><++><Space>\\\\\<CR><++><Space>\\\\\<CR>\\bottomrule\<CR>\\end{tabular}\<CR>\\end{center}\<CR>\\end{table}\<CR>\<CR><++>", 'tex')
   

2. latex-support
3. quicktex

There are also a few plugins which provide a fixed set of snippets for LaTeX (however, you can always modify the source code):

1. auctex.vim
2. drcstubs
3. texmaps

I personally prefer a general plugin such as

1. Ultisnips
2. snipmate
3. neosnippet

Your insert mode mapping as a ultisnips snippet (e.g. placed in ~/.vim/UltiSnips/tex.snippets):

snippet table "Table & Tabular"
\begin{table}
  \caption{${1:<+Caption text+>}}
  \label{tab:${2:<+label+>}}
  \centering
  \begin{tabular}{${3:<+dimensions+>}}
    \toprule
    $4 \\
    \toprule
    ${5:${VISUAL}} \\
    \bottomrule
  \end{tabular}
\end{table}$0
endsnippet

A more advanced snippet request is the question Easiest way to insert LaTeX matrix?.

You find also similar ones predefined in snippet collections such as

• honza/vim-snippets/UltiSnips/tex.snippets
• Shougo/neosnippet-snippets/neosnippets/tex.snip

The question What is the difference between the vim snippets plugins? could also be interesting to compare the different options.