NOTE: this README file is outdated, once installed see relevant section of vim doc, e.g. :help force.com
or read ./doc/force.com.txt directly.

salesforce.com / force.com plugin for Vim version 7.3 or later.
Requires :set nocompatible

force.com plugin is a bunch of .vim scripts that allow to develop on force.com platform using only web browser and Vim.

It is designed for those who do not feel productive in Force.com IDE for Eclipse.

General vim-force.com overview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5zKA6V__co
:ApexRetrieve command demo - http://youtu.be/umO86ji2Iqw
:ApexStage command demo - http://youtu.be/zQg8LORh8uc

Other vim plugins recommended for use alongside vim-force.com plugin

• FuzzyFinder - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtiaXVnTA4g
• SnipMate - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri_DP1sRn2o
• NERDTree - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d93o9qAqIhE
• TagList - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suk45FHU6s8
• TagBar (alternative to TagList) - screenshot

• Build/Save to SFDC

  • with error reporting
  • "Run test"
  * Execute unit tests in all modified files * Execute unit tests in a specific Class * Execute *specific* test method in a specific Class

• Deploy from one Org to Another

• Delete selected metadata from SFDC

• Persistent "Stage" for cherry-picking components to be deployed or deleted

• Load/update metadata from SFDC

  • Retrieve All or Selected components of given metadata type
  • Support for metadata types that reside inside folders (e.g. Document, Dashboard or Report) is limited because requires querying data (in addition to metadata) and SFDC Ant plugin does not support that.

• Create triggers/classes/pages

• Refresh current file from SFDC, Refresh whole project from SFDC, etc

• Search

  • find word in classes/triggers
  • find word everywhere
  • find visual selection

• Syntax highlighting

  • supports syntax highlighting of Apex Classes, Triggers, Pages, JS Resources

• Basic (really basic) Visualforce code completion

  • try following in .page file
    < Ctrl-X,Ctrl-U
<apex: Ctrl-X,Ctrl-U
<chatter Ctrl-X,Ctrl-U

vim force.com plugin does not support creating force.com project. Use provided template instead.

ant-salesforce.jar library does not (in most cases) report error line numbers in Visualforce pages making it impossible to go-to actual problem line if compile/save fails due to syntax error. This is similar to Force.com IDE for Eclipse.

Current version does not support environment aware code completion.
For example if you write:
String val = 'abc';
typing
val.
will not bring the list of String methods as Force.com IDE may do.

"Execute Anonymous" and Unit Test code coverage report features are not implemented. Use your favourite web browser and "Developer Console".

On MS Windows default configuration spawns separate DOS/CMD window on every call to command line utility, ex: ant deploy.
It looks like there is a way to overcome this but I have not tried it.
@see shell.vim - http://peterodding.com/code/vim/shell/

Before force.com plugin can be used the following requirements must be met:

1. Vim version 7.3 or later with :set nocompatible
   There is a chance that it will work with 7.2 as well, but I have not tested.

2. Java JDK/JRE, Version 6.1 or greater
   tested with OpenJDK and Oracle JDK

   • java version "1.6.0_18" OpenJDK Runtime Environment (IcedTea6 1.8.10)
   • Oracle JDK http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
     JDK is not strictly required, JRE will suffice.
     With JRE Ant will complain about missing tools.jar but it is safe to ignore this warning.

3. Apache ANT
   Tested with Apache Ant

   • version 1.8.2 on Win XP SP3
   • version 1.8.0 on Linux
   • version 1.8.2 on OSX 10.8

4. Force.com Migration Tool
   http://wiki.developerforce.com/page/Force.com_Migration_Tool
   Tested with salesforce_ant_19.0

   Download it as described here.

   ant-salesforce.jar library must be made available to ANT, i.e. must reside in one of the folders of which ANT "knows" about.
   The order in which jars are added to the classpath when ANT starts is as follows:

   • -lib jars in the order specified by the -lib elements on the command line
   • jars from ${user.home}/.ant/lib (unless -nouserlib is set)
   • jars from ANT_HOME/lib

   see http://ant.apache.org/manual/running.html#libs for more details
   as well as
   http://www.salesforce.com/us/developer/docs/apexcode/Content/apex_deploying_ant.htm

5. On MS Windows Install shortname.vim
   http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=433

6. Unpack force.com plugin archive anywhere you like
   ex: ~/vim/force.com

7. Add 'force.com' folder to vim runtime path and make sure it loads apexcode filetype detection
   e.g.

   if has("unix")
   let &runtimepath=&runtimepath . ',~/vim/force.com'
   elseif has("win32")
   let &runtimepath=&runtimepath . ',c:\Documents and Settings\username\vimfiles\force.com'
   endif
   " make sure vim loads apexcode filetype detection
   runtime ftdetect/vim-force.com.vim
   
   

8. Enable filetype plugin and syntax highlighting
   e.g. add these lines into .vimrc (or _vimrc on windows)

   filetype plugin on
   syntax on

8. Index help file
   e.g. :helptags ~/vim/force.com/doc

   Or if using with pathogen.vim plugin and vim-force.com is in .vim/bundle run
   :Helptags

There is a number of great Vim plugins which you may want to consider

• Fugitive - git support
• FuzzyFinder - quick file/buffer open
• NERDTree - project/file-system browsing
• Pathogen - manage individually installed plugins in ~/.vim/bundle
• Session - save/restore open files like IDE Project
• SnipMate - implements some of TextMate's snippets features in Vim
• Taglist - a source code browser plugin for Vim

##CREDITS

Author: Andrey Gavrikov

Credit must go out to Bram Moolenaar and all the Vim developers for making the world's best editor (IMHO). I also want to thank everyone who helped and gave me suggestions. I wouldn't want to leave anyone out so I won't list names.