vim_bridge - a Python-to-Vim bridge

What is it?

vim_bridge is a Python-to-Vim bridge decorator that allows transparent calls to Python functions in native Vim scripts.

Installation

Simply install the vim_bridge Python package, using setuptools, easy_install, or pip.

Usage

In a Vim script, decorate your Python functions as follows to expose them as native Vim callables. Both arguments and return values are casted so it should be transparent:

python << endpython
from vim_bridge import bridged

@bridged
def SayHello(first, last):
    return "Hello, %s %s!" % (first, last)

endpython

" Now call directly into the Python function!
echo SayHello("John", "Doe")
           " prints "Hello, John Doe!"

Supported

The following data types have proven to work:

• Strings
• Integers
• Lists
• Exceptions

More examples

Passing in a list:

python << endpython
from vim_bridge import bridged

@bridged
def GetLongest(list):
    return max(map(lambda s: len(s), list))

endpython

echo GetLongest(['one', 'two', 'three', 'four'])
            " returns 5 (because "three" is 5 chars long)

Catching exceptions:

python << endpython
from vim_bridge import bridged

@bridged
def WillCauseException():
    raise Exception("Oops")

endpython

" This will throw an error to the user...
echo WillCauseException()

" But here's how you can catch that in Vim
try
    echo WillCauseException()
catch
    echo "Something went wrong. Aborting."
finally
    echo "Cleaning up."
endtry

Using Python stdlib functions to do work that would be more difficult using pure Vim scripting:

python << END
import os.path
from vim_bridge import bridged

@bridged
def NormalizePath(path):
    return os.path.realpath(path)
END

echo NormalizePath("/this/../or/./.././that/is/./a/.//very/../obscure/..//././long/./../path/name")
echo NormalizePath("..")

You can use the bridged function definitions within a Python block itself, or from inside Vim, it does not matter. In this example, NormalizePath is called from both Python and Vim:

python << END
import os.path
from vim_bridge import bridged

@bridged
def NormalizePath(path):
    return os.path.realpath(path)

@bridged
def RealPath(path):
    # It does not matter if you call NormalizePath from here...
    return NormalizePath(path)
END

" ...or from here
echo NormalizePath("/this/../or/./.././that/is/./a/.//very/../obscure/..//././long/./../path/name")
echo RealPath("..")

Since vim_bridge 0.4, the function name casing convention is automatically converted to match Vim's conventions (and requirement even, since function names must start with a capital letter). Besides casing, prefixing the Python function with an underscore will lead to the function being defined in the Vim context as a <SID>-prefixed function (i.e. a "private" function that cannot be called from outside the script):

python << eop
import os
import vim
from vim_bridge import bridged

@bridged
def public():
    return "I am public."

@bridged
def _private():
    return "I am private (available in the current script only)."

@bridged
def my_name_is_auto_converted():
    return "In Python, I'm called my_name_is_auto_converted, " + \
           "but in Vim, I'm called MyNameIsAutoConverted :)"

@bridged
def _long_private_name():
    return "I'm private, and my case is converted automatically."
eop

echo Public()
echo s:Private()
echo MyNameIsAutoConverted()
echo s:LongPrivateName()