created 2002 · complexity intermediate · author Max Ischenko · version 6.0
While creating scripts and other executable files with Vim you need to set the Unix executable bit on the file.
You can do this from inside Vim with
:!chmod a+x %. The
% represents the current buffer's file name.
The problem is that Vim will notice attribute changes and prompt you to reload the file. If you do this, your undo history for the file will be lost.
The following function facilitates changing executable attributes without reloading a buffer. It accomplishes this feat by setting up a FileChangedShell autocmd that does nothing before running the external command, which means Vim will take no action when it detects the changed attributes. After making sure that Vim has detected the new file attributes using :checktime, the script removes the FileChangedShell autocmd again so that Vim acts normally for future file attribute changes.
function! SetExecutableBit() let fname = expand("%:p") checktime execute "au FileChangedShell " . fname . " :echo" silent !chmod a+x % checktime execute "au! FileChangedShell " . fname endfunction command! Xbit call SetExecutableBit()
Now you can type
:Xbit to make the file executable.
Using Max's idea, I came up with this code to toggle the read-only state of a file on Windows.
function! ToggleReadOnlyBit() let fname = fnameescape(substitute(expand("%:p"), "\\", "/", "g")) checktime execute "au FileChangedShell " . fname . " :echo" if &readonly silent !attrib -r % else silent !attrib +r % endif checktime set invreadonly execute "au! FileChangedShell " . fname endfunction command! XRU call ToggleReadOnlyBit()
Note that a simple
let fname = expand("%:p") doesn't work on Windows since autocmd patterns need /'s instead on \'s. It also seemed prudent to escape the filename in case it had embedded spaces. 184.108.40.206 21:08, 7 November 2008 (UTC)
- Does this command interfere with other FileChangedShell autocmds?
Another option could be to use 'undofile' - will this not persist the undo history?
Inspired by the above, I made the following modifications: You could use a variable to keep track of how the file change should be handled:
"Change read/only files to read/write when they are edited au FileChangedRO * !start attrib -r % au FileChangedRO * :let s:changedRO = 1 au FileChangedRO * :set noro "Don't ask about the modified read-only file au FileChangedShell * call s:HandleChangedROFile() function s:HandleChangedROFile() if exists('s:changedRO') && s:changedRO == 1 let s:changedRO = 0 let v:fcs_choice='reload' else v:fcs_choice='ask' endif endfunction