Know a good syntax highlighter?

Does anyone know a good text editor with an easy to understand grammar? I'd like to write one for the script engine that my company uses, but so far the ones that I've seen have impossibly hard to understand grammars of XML based crap. So far I've tried Code::Blocks, Jedit and gEdit. It also needs to be cross platform.

I used SciTE for a while. It uses plain text for configuration so you might like it since you don't like XML. I never wrote a syntax highlighter with it but I hacked the C++ one into a javascript one and it wasn't that bad. That was years ago though so I might not be able to help you much.

On the whole though, I think that it's usable but sucks. Quit worrying and learn to love the XML. I hope I don't get an infraction for trolling for that last sentence ;)

I love XML, I mean it's no JSON, it's just the way that they design the XML. You can't make a grammar in XML, you can only define keywords and such.

Oh, SciTE uses SCIntilla. Uhg

NotePad++ is effing amazing.

:( That's also got a Scintilla backend and uses the Windows API.

Vim
Extensible syntax highlighting with a fairly easy to follow format

Here's the documentation on writing custom synatx highlighting files
http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/usr_44.html

Also, here's the standard C & C++ syntax files

c.vim

Spoiler for c.vim:

Code:

" Vim syntax file " Language: C " Maintainer: Bram Moolenaar <[email protected]> " Last Change: 2009 Jun 03 " Quit when a (custom) syntax file was already loaded if exists("b:current_syntax") finish endif " A bunch of useful C keywords syn keyword cStatement goto break return continue asm syn keyword cLabel case default syn keyword cConditional if else switch syn keyword cRepeat while for do syn keyword cTodo contained TODO FIXME XXX " It's easy to accidentally add a space after a backslash that was intended " for line continuation. Some compilers allow it, which makes it " unpredicatable and should be avoided. syn match cBadContinuation contained "\\\s\+$" " cCommentGroup allows adding matches for special things in comments syn cluster cCommentGroup contains=cTodo,cBadContinuation " String and Character constants " Highlight special characters (those which have a backslash) differently syn match cSpecial display contained "\\$x\x\+\|\o\{1,3}\|.\|$$" if !exists("c_no_utf") syn match cSpecial display contained "\\$u\x\{4}\|U\x\{8}$" endif if exists("c_no_cformat") syn region cString start=+L\="+ skip=+\\\\\|\\"+ end=+"+ contains=cSpecial,@Spell " cCppString: same as cString, but ends at end of line syn region cCppString start=+L\="+ skip=+\\\\\|\\"\|\\$+ excludenl end=+"+ end='$' contains=cSpecial,@Spell else if !exists("c_no_c99") " ISO C99 syn match cFormat display "%$\d\+\$$\=[-+' #0*]*$\d*\|\*\|\*\d\+\$$$\.\(\d*\|\*\|\*\d\+\$$\)\=$[hlLjzt]\|ll\|hh$\=$[aAbdiuoxXDOUfFeEgGcCsSpn]\|\[\^\=.[^]]*\]$" contained else syn match cFormat display "%$\d\+\$$\=[-+' #0*]*$\d*\|\*\|\*\d\+\$$$\.\(\d*\|\*\|\*\d\+\$$\)\=$[hlL]\|ll$\=$[bdiuoxXDOUfeEgGcCsSpn]\|\[\^\=.[^]]*\]$" contained endif syn match cFormat display "%%" contained syn region cString start=+L\="+ skip=+\\\\\|\\"+ end=+"+ contains=cSpecial,cFormat,@Spell " cCppString: same as cString, but ends at end of line syn region cCppString start=+L\="+ skip=+\\\\\|\\"\|\\$+ excludenl end=+"+ end='$' contains=cSpecial,cFormat,@Spell endif syn match cCharacter "L\='[^\\]'" syn match cCharacter "L'[^']*'" contains=cSpecial if exists("c_gnu") syn match cSpecialError "L\='\\[^'\"?\\abefnrtv]'" syn match cSpecialCharacter "L\='\\['\"?\\abefnrtv]'" else syn match cSpecialError "L\='\\[^'\"?\\abfnrtv]'" syn match cSpecialCharacter "L\='\\['\"?\\abfnrtv]'" endif syn match cSpecialCharacter display "L\='\\\o\{1,3}'" syn match cSpecialCharacter display "'\\x\x\{1,2}'" syn match cSpecialCharacter display "L'\\x\x\+'" "when wanted, highlight trailing white space if exists("c_space_errors") if !exists("c_no_trail_space_error") syn match cSpaceError display excludenl "\s\+$" endif if !exists("c_no_tab_space_error") syn match cSpaceError display " \+\t"me=e-1 endif endif " This should be before cErrInParen to avoid problems with #define ({ xxx }) if exists("c_curly_error") syntax match cCurlyError "}" syntax region cBlock start="{" end="}" contains=ALLBUT,cCurlyError,@cParenGroup,cErrInParen,cCppParen,cErrInBracket,cCppBracket,cCppString,@Spell fold else syntax region cBlock start="{" end="}" transparent fold endif "catch errors caused by wrong parenthesis and brackets " also accept <% for {, %> for }, <: for [ and :> for ] (C99) " But avoid matching <::. syn cluster cParenGroup contains=cParenError,cIncluded,cSpecial,cCommentSkip,cCommentString,cComment2String,@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cUserCont,cUserLabel,cBitField,cOctalZero,cCppOut,cCppOut2,cCppSkip,cFormat,cNumber,cFloat,cOctal,cOctalError,cNumbersCom if exists("c_no_curly_error") syn region cParen transparent start='(' end=')' contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cCppParen,cCppString,@Spell " cCppParen: same as cParen but ends at end-of-line; used in cDefine syn region cCppParen transparent start='(' skip='\\$' excludenl end=')' end='$' contained contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cParen,cString,@Spell syn match cParenError display ")" syn match cErrInParen display contained "^[{}]\|^<%\|^%>" elseif exists("c_no_bracket_error") syn region cParen transparent start='(' end=')' contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cCppParen,cCppString,@Spell " cCppParen: same as cParen but ends at end-of-line; used in cDefine syn region cCppParen transparent start='(' skip='\\$' excludenl end=')' end='$' contained contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cParen,cString,@Spell syn match cParenError display ")" syn match cErrInParen display contained "[{}]\|<%\|%>" else syn region cParen transparent start='(' end=')' contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cCppParen,cErrInBracket,cCppBracket,cCppString,@Spell " cCppParen: same as cParen but ends at end-of-line; used in cDefine syn region cCppParen transparent start='(' skip='\\$' excludenl end=')' end='$' contained contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cErrInBracket,cParen,cBracket,cString,@Spell syn match cParenError display "[\])]" syn match cErrInParen display contained "[\]{}]\|<%\|%>" syn region cBracket transparent start='\[\|<::\@!' end=']\|:>' contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cErrInParen,cCppParen,cCppBracket,cCppString,@Spell " cCppBracket: same as cParen but ends at end-of-line; used in cDefine syn region cCppBracket transparent start='\[\|<::\@!' skip='\\$' excludenl end=']\|:>' end='$' contained contains=ALLBUT,@cParenGroup,cErrInParen,cParen,cBracket,cString,@Spell syn match cErrInBracket display contained "[);{}]\|<%\|%>" endif "integer number, or floating point number without a dot and with "f". syn case ignore syn match cNumbers display transparent "\<\d\|\.\d" contains=cNumber,cFloat,cOctalError,cOctal " Same, but without octal error (for comments) syn match cNumbersCom display contained transparent "\<\d\|\.\d" contains=cNumber,cFloat,cOctal syn match cNumber display contained "\d\+$u\=l\{0,2}\|ll\=u$\>" "hex number syn match cNumber display contained "0x\x\+$u\=l\{0,2}\|ll\=u$\>" " Flag the first zero of an octal number as something special syn match cOctal display contained "0\o\+$u\=l\{0,2}\|ll\=u$\>" contains=cOctalZero syn match cOctalZero display contained "\<0" syn match cFloat display contained "\d\+f" "floating point number, with dot, optional exponent syn match cFloat display contained "\d\+\.\d*$e[-+]\=\d\+$\=[fl]\=" "floating point number, starting with a dot, optional exponent syn match cFloat display contained "\.\d\+$e[-+]\=\d\+$\=[fl]\=\>" "floating point number, without dot, with exponent syn match cFloat display contained "\d\+e[-+]\=\d\+[fl]\=\>" if !exists("c_no_c99") "hexadecimal floating point number, optional leading digits, with dot, with exponent syn match cFloat display contained "0x\x*\.\x\+p[-+]\=\d\+[fl]\=\>" "hexadecimal floating point number, with leading digits, optional dot, with exponent syn match cFloat display contained "0x\x\+\.\=p[-+]\=\d\+[fl]\=\>" endif " flag an octal number with wrong digits syn match cOctalError display contained "0\o*[89]\d*" syn case match if exists("c_comment_strings") " A comment can contain cString, cCharacter and cNumber. " But a "*/" inside a cString in a cComment DOES end the comment! So we " need to use a special type of cString: cCommentString, which also ends on " "*/", and sees a "*" at the start of the line as comment again. " Unfortunately this doesn't very well work for // type of comments :-( syntax match cCommentSkip contained "^\s*\*$$\|\s\+$" syntax region cCommentString contained start=+L\=\\\@<!"+ skip=+\\\\\|\\"+ end=+"+ end=+\*/+me=s-1 contains=cSpecial,cCommentSkip syntax region cComment2String contained start=+L\=\\\@<!"+ skip=+\\\\\|\\"+ end=+"+ end="$" contains=cSpecial syntax region cCommentL start="//" skip="\\$" end="$" keepend contains=@cCommentGroup,cComment2String,cCharacter,cNumbersCom,cSpaceError,@Spell if exists("c_no_comment_fold") " Use "extend" here to have preprocessor lines not terminate halfway a " comment. syntax region cComment matchgroup=cCommentStart start="/\*" end="\*/" contains=@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cCommentString,cCharacter,cNumbersCom,cSpaceError,@Spell extend else syntax region cComment matchgroup=cCommentStart start="/\*" end="\*/" contains=@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cCommentString,cCharacter,cNumbersCom,cSpaceError,@Spell fold extend endif else syn region cCommentL start="//" skip="\\$" end="$" keepend contains=@cCommentGroup,cSpaceError,@Spell if exists("c_no_comment_fold") syn region cComment matchgroup=cCommentStart start="/\*" end="\*/" contains=@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cSpaceError,@Spell extend else syn region cComment matchgroup=cCommentStart start="/\*" end="\*/" contains=@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cSpaceError,@Spell fold extend endif endif " keep a // comment separately, it terminates a preproc. conditional syntax match cCommentError display "\*/" syntax match cCommentStartError display "/\*"me=e-1 contained syn keyword cOperator sizeof if exists("c_gnu") syn keyword cStatement __asm__ syn keyword cOperator typeof __real__ __imag__ endif syn keyword cType int long short char void syn keyword cType signed unsigned float double if !exists("c_no_ansi") || exists("c_ansi_typedefs") syn keyword cType size_t ssize_t off_t wchar_t ptrdiff_t sig_atomic_t fpos_t syn keyword cType clock_t time_t va_list jmp_buf FILE DIR div_t ldiv_t syn keyword cType mbstate_t wctrans_t wint_t wctype_t endif if !exists("c_no_c99") " ISO C99 syn keyword cType bool complex syn keyword cType int8_t int16_t int32_t int64_t syn keyword cType uint8_t uint16_t uint32_t uint64_t syn keyword cType int_least8_t int_least16_t int_least32_t int_least64_t syn keyword cType uint_least8_t uint_least16_t uint_least32_t uint_least64_t syn keyword cType int_fast8_t int_fast16_t int_fast32_t int_fast64_t syn keyword cType uint_fast8_t uint_fast16_t uint_fast32_t uint_fast64_t syn keyword cType intptr_t uintptr_t syn keyword cType intmax_t uintmax_t endif if exists("c_gnu") syn keyword cType __label__ __complex__ __volatile__ endif syn keyword cStructure struct union enum typedef syn keyword cStorageClass static register auto volatile extern const if exists("c_gnu") syn keyword cStorageClass inline __attribute__ endif if !exists("c_no_c99") syn keyword cStorageClass inline restrict endif if !exists("c_no_ansi") || exists("c_ansi_constants") || exists("c_gnu") if exists("c_gnu") syn keyword cConstant __GNUC__ __FUNCTION__ __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ __func__ endif syn keyword cConstant __LINE__ __FILE__ __DATE__ __TIME__ __STDC__ syn keyword cConstant __STDC_VERSION__ syn keyword cConstant CHAR_BIT MB_LEN_MAX MB_CUR_MAX syn keyword cConstant UCHAR_MAX UINT_MAX ULONG_MAX USHRT_MAX syn keyword cConstant CHAR_MIN INT_MIN LONG_MIN SHRT_MIN syn keyword cConstant CHAR_MAX INT_MAX LONG_MAX SHRT_MAX syn keyword cConstant SCHAR_MIN SINT_MIN SLONG_MIN SSHRT_MIN syn keyword cConstant SCHAR_MAX SINT_MAX SLONG_MAX SSHRT_MAX if !exists("c_no_c99") syn keyword cConstant __func__ syn keyword cConstant LLONG_MIN LLONG_MAX ULLONG_MAX syn keyword cConstant INT8_MIN INT16_MIN INT32_MIN INT64_MIN syn keyword cConstant INT8_MAX INT16_MAX INT32_MAX INT64_MAX syn keyword cConstant UINT8_MAX UINT16_MAX UINT32_MAX UINT64_MAX syn keyword cConstant INT_LEAST8_MIN INT_LEAST16_MIN INT_LEAST32_MIN INT_LEAST64_MIN syn keyword cConstant INT_LEAST8_MAX INT_LEAST16_MAX INT_LEAST32_MAX INT_LEAST64_MAX syn keyword cConstant UINT_LEAST8_MAX UINT_LEAST16_MAX UINT_LEAST32_MAX UINT_LEAST64_MAX syn keyword cConstant INT_FAST8_MIN INT_FAST16_MIN INT_FAST32_MIN INT_FAST64_MIN syn keyword cConstant INT_FAST8_MAX INT_FAST16_MAX INT_FAST32_MAX INT_FAST64_MAX syn keyword cConstant UINT_FAST8_MAX UINT_FAST16_MAX UINT_FAST32_MAX UINT_FAST64_MAX syn keyword cConstant INTPTR_MIN INTPTR_MAX UINTPTR_MAX syn keyword cConstant INTMAX_MIN INTMAX_MAX UINTMAX_MAX syn keyword cConstant PTRDIFF_MIN PTRDIFF_MAX SIG_ATOMIC_MIN SIG_ATOMIC_MAX syn keyword cConstant SIZE_MAX WCHAR_MIN WCHAR_MAX WINT_MIN WINT_MAX endif syn keyword cConstant FLT_RADIX FLT_ROUNDS syn keyword cConstant FLT_DIG FLT_MANT_DIG FLT_EPSILON syn keyword cConstant DBL_DIG DBL_MANT_DIG DBL_EPSILON syn keyword cConstant LDBL_DIG LDBL_MANT_DIG LDBL_EPSILON syn keyword cConstant FLT_MIN FLT_MAX FLT_MIN_EXP FLT_MAX_EXP syn keyword cConstant FLT_MIN_10_EXP FLT_MAX_10_EXP syn keyword cConstant DBL_MIN DBL_MAX DBL_MIN_EXP DBL_MAX_EXP syn keyword cConstant DBL_MIN_10_EXP DBL_MAX_10_EXP syn keyword cConstant LDBL_MIN LDBL_MAX LDBL_MIN_EXP LDBL_MAX_EXP syn keyword cConstant LDBL_MIN_10_EXP LDBL_MAX_10_EXP syn keyword cConstant HUGE_VAL CLOCKS_PER_SEC NULL syn keyword cConstant LC_ALL LC_COLLATE LC_CTYPE LC_MONETARY syn keyword cConstant LC_NUMERIC LC_TIME syn keyword cConstant SIG_DFL SIG_ERR SIG_IGN syn keyword cConstant SIGABRT SIGFPE SIGILL SIGHUP SIGINT SIGSEGV SIGTERM " Add POSIX signals as well... syn keyword cConstant SIGABRT SIGALRM SIGCHLD SIGCONT SIGFPE SIGHUP syn keyword cConstant SIGILL SIGINT SIGKILL SIGPIPE SIGQUIT SIGSEGV syn keyword cConstant SIGSTOP SIGTERM SIGTRAP SIGTSTP SIGTTIN SIGTTOU syn keyword cConstant SIGUSR1 SIGUSR2 syn keyword cConstant _IOFBF _IOLBF _IONBF BUFSIZ EOF WEOF syn keyword cConstant FOPEN_MAX FILENAME_MAX L_tmpnam syn keyword cConstant SEEK_CUR SEEK_END SEEK_SET syn keyword cConstant TMP_MAX stderr stdin stdout syn keyword cConstant EXIT_FAILURE EXIT_SUCCESS RAND_MAX " Add POSIX errors as well syn keyword cConstant E2BIG EACCES EAGAIN EBADF EBADMSG EBUSY syn keyword cConstant ECANCELED ECHILD EDEADLK EDOM EEXIST EFAULT syn keyword cConstant EFBIG EILSEQ EINPROGRESS EINTR EINVAL EIO EISDIR syn keyword cConstant EMFILE EMLINK EMSGSIZE ENAMETOOLONG ENFILE ENODEV syn keyword cConstant ENOENT ENOEXEC ENOLCK ENOMEM ENOSPC ENOSYS syn keyword cConstant ENOTDIR ENOTEMPTY ENOTSUP ENOTTY ENXIO EPERM syn keyword cConstant EPIPE ERANGE EROFS ESPIPE ESRCH ETIMEDOUT EXDEV " math.h syn keyword cConstant M_E M_LOG2E M_LOG10E M_LN2 M_LN10 M_PI M_PI_2 M_PI_4 syn keyword cConstant M_1_PI M_2_PI M_2_SQRTPI M_SQRT2 M_SQRT1_2 endif if !exists("c_no_c99") " ISO C99 syn keyword cConstant true false endif " Accept %: for # (C99) syn region cPreCondit start="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*$if\|ifdef\|ifndef\|elif$\>" skip="\\$" end="$" end="//"me=s-1 contains=cComment,cCppString,cCharacter,cCppParen,cParenError,cNumbers,cCommentError,cSpaceError syn match cPreCondit display "^\s*$%:\|#$\s*$else\|endif$\>" if !exists("c_no_if0") if !exists("c_no_if0_fold") syn region cCppOut start="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*if\s\+0\+\>" end=".\@=\|$" contains=cCppOut2 fold else syn region cCppOut start="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*if\s\+0\+\>" end=".\@=\|$" contains=cCppOut2 endif syn region cCppOut2 contained start="0" end="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*$endif\>\|else\>\|elif\>$" contains=cSpaceError,cCppSkip syn region cCppSkip contained start="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*$if\>\|ifdef\>\|ifndef\>$" skip="\\$" end="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*endif\>" contains=cSpaceError,cCppSkip endif syn region cIncluded display contained start=+"+ skip=+\\\\\|\\"+ end=+"+ syn match cIncluded display contained "<[^>]*>" syn match cInclude display "^\s*$%:\|#$\s*include\>\s*["<]" contains=cIncluded "syn match cLineSkip "\\$" syn cluster cPreProcGroup contains=cPreCondit,cIncluded,cInclude,cDefine,cErrInParen,cErrInBracket,cUserLabel,cSpecial,cOctalZero,cCppOut,cCppOut2,cCppSkip,cFormat,cNumber,cFloat,cOctal,cOctalError,cNumbersCom,cString,cCommentSkip,cCommentString,cComment2String,@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cParen,cBracket,cMulti syn region cDefine start="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*$define\|undef$\>" skip="\\$" end="$" end="//"me=s-1 keepend contains=ALLBUT,@cPreProcGroup,@Spell syn region cPreProc start="^\s*$%:\|#$\s*$pragma\>\|line\>\|warning\>\|warn\>\|error\>$" skip="\\$" end="$" keepend contains=ALLBUT,@cPreProcGroup,@Spell " Highlight User Labels syn cluster cMultiGroup contains=cIncluded,cSpecial,cCommentSkip,cCommentString,cComment2String,@cCommentGroup,cCommentStartError,cUserCont,cUserLabel,cBitField,cOctalZero,cCppOut,cCppOut2,cCppSkip,cFormat,cNumber,cFloat,cOctal,cOctalError,cNumbersCom,cCppParen,cCppBracket,cCppString syn region cMulti transparent start='?' skip='::' end=':' contains=ALLBUT,@cMultiGroup,@Spell " Avoid matching foo::bar() in C++ by requiring that the next char is not ':' syn cluster cLabelGroup contains=cUserLabel syn match cUserCont display "^\s*\I\i*\s*:$" contains=@cLabelGroup syn match cUserCont display ";\s*\I\i*\s*:$" contains=@cLabelGroup syn match cUserCont display "^\s*\I\i*\s*:[^:]"me=e-1 contains=@cLabelGroup syn match cUserCont display ";\s*\I\i*\s*:[^:]"me=e-1 contains=@cLabelGroup syn match cUserLabel display "\I\i*" contained " Avoid recognizing most bitfields as labels syn match cBitField display "^\s*\I\i*\s*:\s*[1-9]"me=e-1 contains=cType syn match cBitField display ";\s*\I\i*\s*:\s*[1-9]"me=e-1 contains=cType if exists("c_minlines") let b:c_minlines = c_minlines else if !exists("c_no_if0") let b:c_minlines = 50 " #if 0 constructs can be long else let b:c_minlines = 15 " mostly for () constructs endif endif if exists("c_curly_error") syn sync fromstart else exec "syn sync ccomment cComment minlines=" . b:c_minlines endif " Define the default highlighting. " Only used when an item doesn't have highlighting yet hi def link cFormat cSpecial hi def link cCppString cString hi def link cCommentL cComment hi def link cCommentStart cComment hi def link cLabel Label hi def link cUserLabel Label hi def link cConditional Conditional hi def link cRepeat Repeat hi def link cCharacter Character hi def link cSpecialCharacter cSpecial hi def link cNumber Number hi def link cOctal Number hi def link cOctalZero PreProc " link this to Error if you want hi def link cFloat Float hi def link cOctalError cError hi def link cParenError cError hi def link cErrInParen cError hi def link cErrInBracket cError hi def link cCommentError cError hi def link cCommentStartError cError hi def link cSpaceError cError hi def link cSpecialError cError hi def link cCurlyError cError hi def link cOperator Operator hi def link cStructure Structure hi def link cStorageClass StorageClass hi def link cInclude Include hi def link cPreProc PreProc hi def link cDefine Macro hi def link cIncluded cString hi def link cError Error hi def link cStatement Statement hi def link cPreCondit PreCondit hi def link cType Type hi def link cConstant Constant hi def link cCommentString cString hi def link cComment2String cString hi def link cCommentSkip cComment hi def link cString String hi def link cComment Comment hi def link cSpecial SpecialChar hi def link cTodo Todo hi def link cBadContinuation Error hi def link cCppSkip cCppOut hi def link cCppOut2 cCppOut hi def link cCppOut Comment let b:current_syntax = "c" " vim: ts=8

cpp.vim

Spoiler for cpp.vim:

Code:

" Vim syntax file " Language: C++ " Maintainer: Ken Shan <[email protected]> " Last Change: 2002 Jul 15 " For version 5.x: Clear all syntax items " For version 6.x: Quit when a syntax file was already loaded if version < 600 syntax clear elseif exists("b:current_syntax") finish endif " Read the C syntax to start with if version < 600 so <sfile>:p:h/c.vim else runtime! syntax/c.vim unlet b:current_syntax endif " C++ extentions syn keyword cppStatement new delete this friend using syn keyword cppAccess public protected private syn keyword cppType inline virtual explicit export bool wchar_t syn keyword cppExceptions throw try catch syn keyword cppOperator operator typeid syn keyword cppOperator and bitor or xor compl bitand and_eq or_eq xor_eq not not_eq syn match cppCast "\<$const\|static\|dynamic\|reinterpret$_cast\s*<"me=e-1 syn match cppCast "\<$const\|static\|dynamic\|reinterpret$_cast\s*$" syn keyword cppStorageClass mutable syn keyword cppStructure class typename template namespace syn keyword cppNumber NPOS syn keyword cppBoolean true false " The minimum and maximum operators in GNU C++ syn match cppMinMax "[<>]?" " Default highlighting if version >= 508 || !exists("did_cpp_syntax_inits") if version < 508 let did_cpp_syntax_inits = 1 command -nargs=+ HiLink hi link <args> else command -nargs=+ HiLink hi def link <args> endif HiLink cppAccess cppStatement HiLink cppCast cppStatement HiLink cppExceptions Exception HiLink cppOperator Operator HiLink cppStatement Statement HiLink cppType Type HiLink cppStorageClass StorageClass HiLink cppStructure Structure HiLink cppNumber Number HiLink cppBoolean Boolean delcommand HiLink endif let b:current_syntax = "cpp" " vim: ts=8

Excellent, I love vim :D Now that's a grammar.

I can never make up my mind which code editor to use, so I have like half a dozen I switch between, and more installed. Notepad++, PSPad, Komodo Edit, gVim, Emacs, HTML-Kit, Aptana Studio, and Screem and Bluefish in Ubuntu. In addition to gedit, obviously.

I doubt this will help you, just thought I'd provide more options. I'm still trying to get the hang of gVim and Emacs. I'm used to Notepad derivatives.

I'm a big vi (well, vim) supporter
As far as technical text-editors go, you can't get much more capable, or more extendable.

Console based, so you're not hampered by a GUI
(think ssh to a server half-way round the world)

The standard *nix job controls give you access to multiple instances, allowing editing of any number of files simultaneously

Coupled with screen, you can detach and re-attach console sessions between different systems / across local reboots, etc.

GUI editors have their place, but can't hope to compete with something like vim

+1 for vim.

but the more important question....

Indentation - tabs or spaces?

Tabs. Definitely tabs. For several reasons, most of which probably wouldn't make any sense if I tried to explain them, but still.

Personally I only use three editors with syntax highlighting: Notepad++, TextPad and Kwrite. Vim is too... advanced, and thus difficult. If I need syntax highlighting on a remote SSH-server, I'd rather mount the folder and use a local editor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Man of Steel

Tabs. Definitely tabs. For several reasons, most of which probably wouldn't make any sense if I tried to explain them, but still.

Defiantly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ynot

but the more important question....

Indentation - tabs or spaces?

Depends on what you mean, I like pressing the tab key, but having the editor insert spaces instead of \t.

Spaces.

Though really, the IDEAL way would be, you configure your source control client how YOU want to download your source, and it handles the conversion for you, so your code is always in the format you want, and it doesn't matter what other people do.

I personally have been using a combo of Notepad++ and Editra. Editra is technically still in Beta, but it's so far worked very well for my (relatively low) needs.

How easy is it to write a syntax grammar? I'm not going to use it for a preexisting language, I want it for LiveScript, my company's internal scripting language.