What is the recommended way to use Vim folding for Python code

Question

I am interested in enabling code folding in Vim for Python code. I have noticed multiple ways to do so.

Does anyone have a preferred way to do Python code folding in

Answer 1

I think that indent folding is fine for python. I'm making a multi-branched git repo for vim-config python/django IDE ideas. Fork away!

http://github.com/skyl/vim-config-python-ide

Answer 2

The Python source comes with a vim syntax plugin along with a custom vimrc file. Check the python FAQ on vim

Answer 3

I use this syntax file for Python. It sets the folding method to syntax and folds all classes and functions, but nothing else.

Answer 4

Python is well suited for folding on indent, bit for writing my own code I use markers as they can crunch a document down the way you want it and can serve as a kind of a table of contents. I have this in my vimrc to flip between the two when I'm viewing someone elses code.

#Toggle fold methods \fo
let g:FoldMethod = 0
map <leader>fo :call ToggleFold()<cr>
fun! ToggleFold()
    if g:FoldMethod == 0
        exe 'set foldmethod=indent'
        let g:FoldMethod = 1
    else
        exe 'set foldmethod=marker'
        let g:FoldMethod = 0
    endif
endfun
#Add markers (trigger on class Foo line)
nnoremap ,f2 ^wywO#<c-r>0 {{{2<esc>
nnoremap ,f3 ^wywO#<c-r>0 {{{3<esc> 
nnoremap ,f4 ^wywO#<c-r>0 {{{4<esc>
nnoremap ,f1 ^wywO#<c-r>0 {{{1<esc>

Answer 5

For me the ideal folding is to fold just the class and def blocks, indent folding is too much for my taste. I think one elegant solution is to use the syntax system like this one mentioned by Tomas. However, this one is meant to replace the original syntax file and it may end being older than the original (i.e. that script doesn't mention Python 3 syntax).

My solution is to place in the ~/.vim/syntax folder a file named python.vim with just the important lines (taken from the above script):

syn match   pythonDefStatement  /^\s*\%(def\|class\)/
       \ nextgroup=pythonFunction skipwhite
syn region  pythonFunctionFold  start="^\z(\s*\)\%(def\|class\)\>"
       \ end="\ze\%(\s*\n\)\+\%(\z1\s\)\@!." fold transparent

hi link pythonDefStatement Statement

Then simply activate the folding with :set foldmethod=syntax.

Answer 6

In your .vimrc:

set foldmethod=indent
set shiftwidth=4

Then zM to mask all zR to expand all. I also added:

nnoremap <space> za
vnoremap <space> zf
map z1  :set foldlevel=0<CR><Esc>
map z2  :set foldlevel=1<CR><Esc>
map z3  :set foldlevel=2<CR><Esc>
map z4  :set foldlevel=3<CR><Esc>
map z5  :set foldlevel=4<CR><Esc>
map z6  :set foldlevel=5<CR><Esc>
map z7  :set foldlevel=6<CR><Esc>
map z8  :set foldlevel=7<CR><Esc>
map z9  :set foldlevel=8<CR><Esc>

So you can z1 and z2 to unindent little by little.