How to Customize Your VIM From Zero to C/C++ (Ubuntu Cinnamon)

In these article we install plugins for:

Autocomplete for C/C++
Color Themes
Autocomplete with Articial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Powerline for Vim Airline
Mappings
Vim editor settings
Snippets
Fonts
Language Server
In addition to additional Tips

The procedures were performed on Ubuntu Cinnamon

All settings

01. Update your system

sudo apt update && \
  sudo apt upgrade -y && \
  sudo apt clean && \
  sudo apt autoclean && \
  sudo apt autoremove -y

02. Install Vim, curl and Git

sudo apt install vim curl git wget

03. Install the Vim Plug

curl -fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim

Add to ~/.vimrc

The plugin https://github.com/terroo/vim-simple-emoji will be used to test if everything is working.

call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')
" Here will be only plugins

" Sample initial plugin
Plug 'terroo/vim-simple-emoji'

call plug#end()

Close ~/.vimrc and open it again and then run:

:PlugInstall

Test to see if it’s working:

vim test.md

Type :smile: and give space then, if the face appears: 😃 it’s because everything is right! Or run :ShowEmoji.

04. Install fonts

git clone https://github.com/terroo/fonts
cd fonts
mv fonts ~/.local/share/fonts
cd && rm -rf fonts
fc-cache -fv

05. Install a vim color theme

https://github.com/Matsuuu/pinkmare

Plug 'matsuuu/pinkmare'

colorscheme pinkmare " OPTIONAL: hi! MatchParen cterm=NONE,bold gui=NONE,bold guibg=NONE guifg=#FFFF00

06. Additional and optional lines of my preference

set nu!
set mouse=a
set title
set cursorline
set encoding=utf-8 " Important to YCM

07. Interesting mappings

map q :quit<CR> " for quit only type q on command mode

" for save using Ctrl + s on command mode
" Need run this command: echo 'stty -ixon' >> ~/.bashrc && exec $SHELL
map <C-s> :write<CR>

08. Install YouCompleMe

https://github.com/ycm-core/YouCompleteMe

Install dependencies

sudo apt install gcc g++ cmake make build-essential vim-nox python3-dev

Add to your .vimrc: Plug 'ycm-core/YouCompleteMe'
Complete the installation:

cd .vim/plugged/YouCompleteMe/
python3 install.py --clangd-completer # Only C/C++
# python3 install.py --all # Need Go and NPM:
# sudo apt install golang npm

Save this file: .ycm_extra_conf.py in ~/.vim/.ycm_extra_conf.py
Add this for others libs:

vim ~/vim/.ycm_extra_conf.py

'-I/usr/include/gtkmm-3.0',
'-I./',
'-I/usr/include'

09. Settings to YouCompleteMe

vim test.cpp

I came testing.cpp

By typing #include <iostream> and #include <vector> it will autocomplete! If not, add this line to your ~/.vimrc

let g:ycm_global_ycm_extra_conf = '~/.vim/.ycm_extra_conf.py'

Removing the drop-down window when using the autocomplete, add this line:

set completeopt-=preview

To disable write-time diagnostics:

let g:ycm_show_diagnostics_ui = 0

Compiling: :terminal and g++ test.cpp, to exit the terminal: exit.

10 Add Auto-pairs

https://github.com/jiangmiao/auto-pairs

Plug 'jiangmiao/auto-pairs'

11. Installing the ccls Language Server

https://github.com/MaskRay/ccls

sudo apt install ccls

Copy this code and paste into your ~/.vimrc

let g:ycm_language_server =
  \ [{
  \   'name': 'ccls',
  \   'cmdline': [ 'ccls' ],
  \   'filetypes': [ 'c', 'cpp', 'cc', 'h', 'hpp' ],
  \   'project_root_files': [ '.ccls-root', 'compile_commands.json' ]
  \ }]

Note that when autocompleting now it automatically adds a header, if you don’t want that to happen, add this line to your .vimrc: let g:ycm_clangd_args=['--header-insertion=never']

12. Add UtilSnips and SuperTab

Plug 'SirVer/ultisnips'
Plug 'honza/vim-snippets'
Plug 'ervandew/supertab'

To work add this code:

let g:ycm_key_list_select_completion = ['<C-n>', '<Down>']
let g:ycm_key_list_previous_completion = ['<C-p>', '<Up>']
let g:SuperTabDefaultCompletionType = '<C-n>'
let g:UltiSnipsExpandTrigger = "<tab>"
let g:UltiSnipsJumpForwardTrigger = "<tab>"
let g:UltiSnipsJumpBackwardTrigger = "<s-tab>"

Edit snippets in: .vim/plugged/vim-snippets/UltiSnips/cpp.snippets or .vim/plugged/vim-snippets/snippets/cpp.snippets

Bonus

Add Vim Airline

Plug 'vim-airline/vim-airline'
Plug 'vim-airline/vim-airline-themes'

:AirlineTheme
:help AirLineTheme

Install TabNine and make it compatible with YouCompleteMe

let extension = expand('%:e')

if( extension == "cpp" || extension == "cc" || extension == "h" || extension == "hpp" ) 
Plug 'ycm-core/YouCompleteMe'
else
Plug 'zxqfl/tabnine-vim'
endif

Install Dracula Theme

Watch the video

If you want to see all the steps above on video I recommend watching the video below. However, the video is in Brazilian Portuguese, but you will be able to follow the commands and settings without any problems.