How to compile a program and open the output in a vertical terminal window?

Question

How can I write a command that does the following?

With one mapping, compile and/or run a program based on the filetype (*.c, *.cpp, *.js, *.py, etc.), and open a vertical terminal window with the output.
With another mapping, close the vertical terminal window.

I know you can open the terminal next to Vim with tmux, but I want to do it with just Vim.

Gambo · Accepted Answer · 2020-10-02 10:15:37Z

3

Yes. This is basically a 2 part question.

Can you compile a program in vim, yes :make will run your Makefile, you can also set makeprg to your compile program if its different.

type :he :make and :he makeprg for more info

:vertical terminal ++shell ++cols=40 dir Will run the command dir and show the output in a vertical split window.

So combining these together, you get this

nnoremap <c-m> :make<cr>:vertical terminal ++shell ++cols=40 YourProgram.exe<cr>

type :he :vertical and :he :terminal for more info

An additional tip, to close the window <C-w>c is a default keybind in Vim to do that for you.

answered Oct 2, 2020 at 10:15

Gambo

1662 bronze badges

but how to manage extension .c , .cpp , .py ?
– Visrut
Commented Oct 2, 2020 at 10:20
@Visrut for that, set your makeprg appropriately (based on filetype or project structure or some other mechanism). And you can adjust the map to be more generic (“run the program in the variable b:compiled_program, for example, and set that variable too)
– D. Ben Knoble ♦
Commented Oct 2, 2020 at 12:41
@D.ben Knoble if you know vim script than please write your answer, if you found any way to do that because I don't know vim script very well.
– Visrut
Commented Oct 2, 2020 at 15:44
1

May I add that in most cases we don't need to change makeprg for languages supported by gnumake implicit rules, i.e. C++, C, and Fortran at least -- there may be other languages. However, the right compilation command would be :make %< for single file programs. And to execute the result it would be :vert term ./%<. Also, for some languages, proper 'makeprg, and errorformat are provided through compiler plugins (:h compiler)
– Luc Hermitte
Commented Oct 3, 2020 at 9:50
1

I get some issues with neovim , I think terminal not properly shown , we have to use plugin called floatterm in nvim , so anybody know how to do that
– Visrut
Commented Oct 6, 2020 at 15:45

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