Vim 5.x for MacOS 

This page tries to keep up to date all the information about the current status of the port of Vim 5.x to the Macintosh. Since I'm trying to work on the port, this page is awfully designed.

What is Vim?

Work in progress (included in latest patch)

• Including Vim Help inside the MacOS Help Menu.
  • Coding: done
  • Testing: seems to work fine
  • Sideeffect: a localized version of "menu.vim" and of the MacOS will give two 'Aide', 'Hilfe' or whatever menu.
• Adding Contextual Menu support.
  • Coding: done
  • Testing: seems to work fine
• Adding support for CodeWarrior AppleEvent
  • Coding: mainly done
  • Testing: in-progress, few unresolved issues
  • Issues:
    • Modified flag confusing (maybe cause by changing creation date)
    • <CTRL-L> needed when double-clicking error/warning/search
    • Double-clicking error/etc causes override warning if the file as been edited
    • Unable to erase the backup file when Codewarrior display the errors in the file

Requirements

• System 7.0 or better (tested on System 7.5, MacOS 8.1 and MacOS 9)
• 68020 or better (tested on 68040 and G3)
• Since the development is done on a G3, the performance on 68k may be sluggish.

What are the current versions?

Version 5.6 (MacOS Release 1)

The version 5.6 for MacOS should be considered in as an advanced beta stage.
(Some MacOS Human Interface Guideline are bent, and some Vim functionality are not yet available)

Deficiencies & Known Problems

• The first Python command must be :python from vim import *
• Apple Event: Print, Run and Quit
• Menu: Apple menu not handled
• Fonts: Display properly proportional font
• Fonts: Can't use space in font name
• Source files: MacOS fileformat supported but slow and not recommended.
• Tags file must be in macintosh format
• filename completion doesn't work for volume name in mac-like path
• Mapping option key doesn't work properly with the <M-...< syntax beside with function key and mouse.
• Command key doesn't work with the mouse.
• Slow on 68k

Todo

• Vim features
  • Toolbar
  • Tearoff Menus
  • Cursor Blinking
• MacOS integration
  • Shortcut for menus

Tips'n'Tricks

• Monaco:h9, MPW:h9, Mishawaka:h9 and Courier:h10 co-exist wonderfully.

Mishawaka comes with Eudora
MPW comes with MPW and CodeWarrior

Links