How Can I Enable Vim Auto-Indent For Python Files?

2025-09-04 03:25:38 134

4 Answers

Kyle

2025-09-05 15:36:09

Short checklist for getting Python indent working in vim, from my late-night tinkering: 1) Ensure filetype scripts are enabled by adding filetype plugin indent on to your ~/.vimrc. 2) Set sensible Python indentation either globally or per-filetype. For per-filetype, use an autocommand or put a file ~/.vim/ftplugin/python.vim with these lines: setlocal expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 tabstop=4. 3) Verify recognition with :set filetype? and inspect loaded scripts with :scriptnames. 4) If behavior is still wrong, look for conflicting plugins or ftplugin files in your config and use the ~/.vim/after/ftplugin/ path to override them.

As a finishing tip, pairing this with a formatter like 'black' makes indentation predictable across machines — I save a few headaches every week that way.

Finn

2025-09-06 04:16:27

I tend to debug this by starting from the symptoms and moving outward. If vim won't auto-indent for Python, first I test in the file: type a def and hit Enter — if the cursor doesn't indent, run :set filetype? to confirm the buffer is detected as python. If it's not, the file extension or shebang might be odd; add a modeline or force the filetype with :set filetype=python.

Next, I check whether indent scripts are enabled: :echo &filetype and whether 'filetype plugin indent on' is in my config. If that line is missing, add it to ~/.vimrc. Sometimes another plugin overrides ftplugin settings; :scriptnames shows what ftplugin or indent scripts were loaded. To enforce my personal policy, I create ~/.vim/after/ftplugin/python.vim and put setlocal expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 tabstop=4 there so it runs last. For advanced control, inspect :setlocal indentexpr? and :set indentkeys? — Python's indent script sets those.

Finally, if you prefer automatic reformatting on save, combine these vim settings with an external tool like 'yapf' or 'black' through a plugin or an autocommand. That way even stubborn files get normalized on write. If you want, share the output of :scriptnames and I can point out which script might be conflicting.

Quinn

2025-09-08 01:39:40

Okay, quick practical route: enable filetype indenting and set Python-friendly tab settings. Put this in your ~/.vimrc or init.vim:

filetype plugin indent on
augroup python_indent
autocmd!
autocmd FileType python setlocal expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 tabstop=4
augroup END

That autocmd ensures only Python files get those local settings. For a one-off in the current buffer use :setlocal expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 tabstop=4. If indent rules still behave weirdly, check :set syntax? and :set filetype? to be sure vim recognized the file as python. Another useful trick is using modelines in a file (e.g. # vim: set ft=python ts=4 sw=4 et:) if you're sharing files with mixed settings. I also like pairing this with a formatter like 'black' run from a plugin so my saved files keep consistent indentation automatically.

Ursula

2025-09-09 06:52:16

Honestly, getting Python auto-indent working in vim is one of those tiny victories that makes editing a joy. My go-to is to enable vim's filetype detection and then set sensible Python indentation rules in my config. Add these lines to your ~/.vimrc or init.vim for Neovim:

filetype plugin indent on
set autoindent
set expandtab
set shiftwidth=4
set softtabstop=4
set tabstop=4

The first line turns on filetype-specific plugins and indent scripts (this loads vim's python indent file). The rest make tabs into spaces and use four spaces per indent, which is the common Python convention. If you want the setting to apply only to Python buffers, drop the global lines into ~/.vim/ftplugin/python.vim and use setlocal instead of set.

If indentation still feels off, check the buffer's filetype with :set filetype? and inspect loaded scripts with :scriptnames. I sometimes install a plugin like 'vim-python-pep8-indent' or use external formatters like 'black' called via a formatter plugin to normalize whitespace. Try opening a .py and typing an indented block — it should behave. If not, tell me what output :set filetype? and :verbose set shiftwidth? give and we can debug further.

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