Instant Code Formatting in Vim with the vim-rt-format Plugin

Overview

The vim-rt-format plugin provides real‑time code formatting in Vim. When you press ENTER while in INSERT mode, the current line is automatically reformatted according to the language‑specific formatter, eliminating the need to run manual commands such as gq or :Neoformat.

Prerequisites

vim-rt-format requires Vim compiled with +python3. Verify the feature with: :echo has('python3') If the command returns 1, your Vim supports Python 3. Otherwise, install a version that includes the feature, for example on Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt-get install vim-nox The plugin also depends on the Python formatter autopep8. Install it system‑wide:

sudo pip install autopep8

Installation

Using vim-plug, add the following lines to your .vimrc:

Plug 'skywind3000/vim-rt-format'

" Format on ENTER in INSERT mode (default)
let g:rtf_ctrl_enter = 0   " Set to 1 to use CTRL+ENTER instead

" Also format when leaving INSERT mode
let g:rtf_on_insert_leave = 1

After updating the plugin list ( :PlugInstall) restart Vim.

Configuration and Usage

Enable the plugin for the current buffer: :RTFormatEnable Now, while editing a file, press ENTER in INSERT mode and the line will be reformatted instantly. The same behaviour can be triggered when exiting INSERT mode if g:rtf_on_insert_leave is set to 1.

Supported Languages

Python

Lua

Ruby

JavaScript

Reference

GitHub repository:

https://github.com/skywind3000/vim-rt-format