# BRVIM Vim configuration and plugin bundle

Last modified: 2018-09-13 15:36

While teaching a computer science course using C, C++, PHP and other languages in our college, the need arose to have a powerful editor for developing software.

VI/M was chosen for the following reasons:
* standard software available or even preinstalled on most UNIX Systems
* basic knowledge of vi is useful when administering UNIX Systems
* open source
* available on almost all platforms
* works well on GUIs but also in a terminal window
* extensible using plugins
* great support for programming in different languages in the form of 
  * syntax highlighting
  * snippets
  * syntax checks

As is the case with every tool, vim also has it's disadvantages
* Quite a steep learning curve, mostly due to the modal editing concept, which requires a good gentle introduction
* Text mode vim has no menus, making it less approachable
* Modal editing is difficult to grasp for young people who are used to do almost everything by pointing

This vim configuration attempts to provide a development plattform with the best features and plugins, while still trying to remain lean. 

Overview:
* configuration which integrates the mouse
* pathogen is used to load all plugins from the directory bundle
* Plugins currently used:
  * cvim C Programming support
  * doxygen Documentation standard
  * nerdtree File manager
  * snipmate For language dependent snipptes expansion
  * supertab
  * syntastic for syntax and style checking. You will have to install the necessary checkers, see the .vimrc for details
  * airline for a nice, colored status line. Be sure to have xterm-256colors!
  * bracketed paste

B.Brunner, 2018-09-13