Vim plugin: does this download the plugin at every use of vim command?

dedec0 · 08-18-2021, 11:34 AM

Hello,

I am trying to find a way to align a text conversation in a terminal window like we see them in Telegram, or some other instant message services. Id est: our messages are aligned to the right of the screen, with some margin to the left border for long lines; and other people messages just use a margin, so they do not touch the right screen border (this second one is easy with textwidth).

I found a promising plugin called vim-easy-align, which is found here:

https://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=4520

BUT following the installation instruction demands another plugin, the vim-plug ("a minimalist Vim plugin manager": https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug). So, i installed vim-plug by saving the file https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ju...aster/plug.vim into my ~/.vimrc/autoload/ folder.

Now, vim-plug wants me to put some new lines in my ~/.vimrc :

Code:

" Specify a directory for plugins
" - For Neovim: stdpath('data') . '/plugged'
" - Avoid using standard Vim directory names like 'plugin'
call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')

" [MIDDLE PART] Shorthand notation; fetches 
" https://github.com/junegunn/vim-easy-align
Plug 'junegunn/vim-easy-align'

" Initialize plugin system
call plug#end()

" Is there something missing?

The middle part in the above code is where i have my doubt: will https://github.com/junegunn/vim-easy-align be downloaded every time i execute vim? Because it clearly says "fetches https://[...]", and i want to download it just one time.

dugan · 08-18-2021, 11:45 AM

No. Vim-plug only redownloads when you give it the :PlugUpdate command.

computersavvy · 08-18-2021, 12:03 PM

Where does the "vim-easy-align" plugin get stored? Apparently from your post you can define that for vim. Find that then use an if - then construct to download only if it does not exist. I think on my system the main plugins are at /usr/share/vim/vimfiles/plugin/ . Yours may be different.

It seems from what you posted that you have to tell vim where your user downloaded plugins reside, and define which ones you have and where they come from. Theoretically it should only do the download if it is not already there, but without trying it I don't know. I do not have a ~/.vimrc file, nor have I downloaded any extra plugins so have no detail as to how that works.

dedec0 · 08-18-2021, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by computersavvy

Where does the "vim-easy-align" plugin get stored? Apparently from your post you can define that for vim. Find that then use an if - then construct to download only if it does not exist. I think on my system the main plugins are at /usr/share/vim/vimfiles/plugin/. Yours may be different.

Yes, the folder to store plugins is arbitrarily defined in the line:

Code:

call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')

The only "rule" is that we should avoid names that are potentially used by Vim itself. I mentioned that vim-plug was installed by me into ~/.vimrc/autoload/. I created this folder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by computersavvy

It seems from what you posted that you have to tell vim where your user downloaded plugins reside, and define which ones you have and where they come from. Theoretically it should only do the download if it is not already there, but without trying it I don't know. I do not have a ~/.vimrc file, nor have I downloaded any extra plugins so have no detail as to how that works.

Yes. I do not want that it tries to download the plugin until i decide to update it - if ever. But dugan said it pretty clear: it will not download it again, unless i use the command to install it.

Thank you both! I will just check that i install vim-easy-align successfully, and then i mark this thread as solved.

dedec0 · 08-18-2021, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by computersavvy

[...] I think on my system the main plugins are at [b][u]/usr/share/vim/vimfiles/plugin/ . Yours may be different.

This folder does not even exist in my Debian. Maybe it can exist to put globally installed vim plugins. However, there is no point for this idea, here. So, i will stick with my userwide plugin folder. (:

dedec0 · 08-27-2021, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

No. Vim-plug only redownloads when you give it the :PlugUpdate command.

I am still locked with this plugin. I made a script in a separate file to download and install the plugin. I do not make it in ~/.vimrc because i only want one download, as said. I tried to :source 3 files, and none worked:

Code:

' file 1
call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')
PlugInstall 'junegunn/vim-easy-align'
call plug#end()

Code:

' file 2
call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')
PlugUpdate 'junegunn/vim-easy-align'
call plug#end()

Code:

' file 3
call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')
Plug 'junegunn/vim-easy-align'
PlugUpdate 'junegunn/vim-easy-align'
call plug#end()

For files 1 and 2, the error is "No plugin to install". For file 3, "No plugin to update". What is wrong?

And do you agree with me that vim-plug should change the text in install instructions about the 'Plug' command? The part i quoted in the first post:

Code:

" [MIDDLE PART] Shorthand notation; fetches 
" https://github.com/junegunn/vim-easy-align
Plug 'junegunn/vim-easy-align'

Change the word "fetches" so something that points that 'Plug' command will not download anything? Or add this note, somehow.

dedec0 · 09-01-2021, 04:40 PM

Are you reading me? None is saying nothing about my previous post. What is wrong?

dedec0 · 09-05-2021, 06:55 AM

Thread's title question is answered (download not repeated), but i am still unable to download that plugin with vim-plug, as detailed in #6.

Can someone, please, say something?