rails.vim

This is a massive (in a good way) Vim plugin for editing Ruby on Rails
applications.

• Easy navigation of the Rails directory structure. gf considers
  context and knows about partials, fixtures, and much more. There are
  two commands, :A (alternate) and :R (related) for easy jumping
  between files, including favorites like model to schema, template to
  helper, and controller to functional test. Commands like :Emodel,
  :Eview, :Econtroller, are provided to :edit files by type, along
  with S, V, and T variants for :split, :vsplit, and
  :tabedit. Throw a bang on the end (:Emodel foo!) to automatically
  create the file with the standard boilerplate if it doesn’t exist.
  :help rails-navigation

• Enhanced syntax highlighting. From has_and_belongs_to_many to
  distance_of_time_in_words, it’s here.

• Interface to the rails command. Generally, use :Rails console to
  call rails console. Many commands have wrappers with additional features:
  :Generate controller Blog generates a blog controller and loads the
  generated files into the quickfix list, and :Runner wraps rails runner
  and doubles as a direct test runner. :help rails-exec

• Default task runner. Use :Rails (with no arguments) to run the current
  test, spec, or feature. Use :.Rails to do a focused run of just the
  method, example, or scenario on the current line. :Rails can also run
  arbitrary migrations, load individual fixtures, and more.
  :help rails-default-task

• Partial and concern extraction. In a view, :Extract {file}
  replaces the desired range (typically selected in visual line mode)
  with render '{file}', which is automatically created with your
  content. In a model or controller, a concern is created, with the
  appropriate include declaration left behind.
  :help rails-:Extract

• Fully customizable. Define “projections” at the global, app, or gem
  level to define navigation commands and override the alternate file,
  default rake task, syntax highlighting, and more.
  :help rails-projections.

• Integration with other plugins. If dispatch.vim is installed, :Rails
  and other command wrappers will use it for asynchronous execution. Users of
  dadbod.vim and
  dbext get easy access to
  their application’s database. Users of
  abolish.vim get pluralize and
  tableize coercions, and users of bundler.vim get a smattering of
  features. :help rails-integration

Installation

If you don’t have a preferred installation method, I recommend
installing pathogen.vim, and
then simply copy and paste:

cd ~/.vim/bundle
git clone https://github.com/tpope/vim-rails.git
vim -u NONE -c "helptags vim-rails/doc" -c q

While not strictly necessary, bundler.vim and dispatch.vim are highly
recommended.

FAQ

I installed the plugin and started Vim. Why does only the :Rails
command exist?

This plugin cares about the current file, not the current working
directory. Edit a file from a Rails application.

I opened a new tab. Why does only the :Rails command exist?

This plugin cares about the current file, not the current working directory.
Edit a file from a Rails application. You can use :AT and the :T family
of commands to open a new tab and edit a file at the same time.

Can I use rails.vim to edit Rails engines?

It’s not supported, but if you touch config/environment.rb in the root
of the engine, things should mostly work.

Can I use rails.vim to edit other Ruby projects?

I wrote rake.vim for exactly that
purpose. It activates for any project with a Rakefile that’s not a
Rails application.

What Rails versions are supported?

All of them, although you may notice a few minor breakages if you dip below
3.0. A few features like syntax highlighting tend to reflect the latest
version only.

Didn’t rails.vim used to handle indent settings?

It got yanked after increasing contention over JavaScript. Check out
sleuth.vim.

Self-Promotion

Like rails.vim? Follow the repository on
GitHub and vote for it on
vim.org. And if
you’re feeling especially charitable, follow tpope on
Twitter and
GitHub.

License

Copyright © Tim Pope. Distributed under the same terms as Vim itself.
See :help license.