Easy way to get syntax highlighting for julia in vim

If you are looking for an easy way to get syntax highlighting for Julia in Vim, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will explore three different options to achieve this.

Option 1: Using the Julia-vim plugin

The first option is to use the Julia-vim plugin, which provides syntax highlighting, indentation, and other useful features for editing Julia code in Vim. To install this plugin, you can use a plugin manager like Vundle or Pathogen.

Plugin 'JuliaEditorSupport/julia-vim'

After installing the plugin, you can enable syntax highlighting for Julia files by adding the following line to your .vimrc or init.vim file:

au BufRead,BufNewFile *.jl set filetype=julia

This option is straightforward and requires minimal configuration. However, it may not provide the most advanced features compared to other options.

Option 2: Using the vim-julia plugin

The second option is to use the vim-julia plugin, which is specifically designed for editing Julia code in Vim. This plugin offers more advanced features, including syntax highlighting, code folding, and integration with Julia’s REPL.

Plugin 'JuliaEditorSupport/vim-julia'

To enable syntax highlighting for Julia files, you can add the following line to your .vimrc or init.vim file:

au BufRead,BufNewFile *.jl set filetype=julia

This option provides more advanced features compared to the Julia-vim plugin. However, it may require additional configuration and customization to suit your preferences.

Option 3: Using the vim-polyglot plugin

The third option is to use the vim-polyglot plugin, which is a collection of language-specific plugins bundled together. This plugin includes support for Julia, along with many other programming languages.

Plugin 'sheerun/vim-polyglot'

To enable syntax highlighting for Julia files, you don’t need to add any additional configuration. The vim-polyglot plugin automatically detects the file type and applies the appropriate syntax highlighting.

This option provides a wide range of features for various programming languages, including Julia. However, it may include plugins that you don’t need, resulting in a larger plugin footprint.

After exploring these three options, the best choice depends on your specific requirements and preferences. If you are looking for a simple and lightweight solution, the Julia-vim plugin (Option 1) may be sufficient. If you need more advanced features and integration with Julia’s REPL, the vim-julia plugin (Option 2) is a good choice. Finally, if you work with multiple programming languages and want a comprehensive solution, the vim-polyglot plugin (Option 3) is worth considering.