Support for vim syntax modeline

[palvarezcordoba]

I have a logging.yaml.j2.
Because of the extension, neovim won't use the correct syntax, which could be solved configuring filetype, but its easier to add to the file a vim modeline like this: # vim: syntax=yaml.

I used bat to show the file, but because of the extension, it didn't pick the right syntax.
So I thought it would be nice if bat could recognize the vim modeline and use the correct syntax.

I guess everyone wants bat to improve it's file type recognition, but maybe not everybody wants it implemented this way.
Some other options:

• Use standard thing that does the same as the vim syntax modeline, if it exists
• Implement bat "modelines" to archieve the same
• If bat cannot detect the syntax of a file with double extension (like .yaml.j2) try to use the other extension as fallback

I am aware you can use a CLI option to select the syntax. However there's some inconveniences:

• When you use it from others tools like git, you cannot pass arguments to bat, or don't know how and have to search how (you would probably have to search everytime)
• Everytime you want to bat a file, you have to provide additional arguments, which is annoying. Just running bat is nicer

[palvarezcordoba]

Just did one more search and found this has been already discussed. I'm closing this.

[keith-hall]

• If bat cannot detect the syntax of a file with double extension (like .yaml.j2) try to use the other extension as fallback

There is a way to add j2 as an ignored file extension in your bat config, so that it would use the yaml extension.
(Currently it is not automatically dropping uble extensions etc when the last one fails to be mapped, it is only done for specifically configured extensions.)

[keith-hall]

The closest documentation I can find right now is the help text:
https://github.com/sharkdp/bat/pull/1892/files#diff-f1819e91c1ecd8fa23971b45dc46ddcf75990cb136d1caf9464d6e3eb38bc63dR521

[palvarezcordoba]

Thanks @keith-hall
I tried: bat --ignored-suffix .j2 logging.yaml.j2 and bat --ignored-suffix j2 logging.yaml.j2
But it does not seem to work :/

[keith-hall]

Thanks for letting me know. I have looked into this a bit more, and it turns out I misunderstood how --ignored-suffix works... it only helps if there is a "syntax mapping" which would match the file path once the suffix has been removed. I mistakenly expected it to also try the standard file extension mappings defined in the syntax definitions as well. I personally consider it a bug that it doesn't, as it rather limits the usefulness of the ignored suffix feature...

Anyway, long story short, the way to achieve this at the moment is:

bat --map-syntax '*.yaml:YAML' --ignored-suffix=.j2 logging.yaml.j2

The map syntax and ignored suffix can be put in your config file so you don't need to type it out each time of course 😉

[palvarezcordoba]

That command works, thanks!

I personally consider it a bug
Do you want me to create an issue? Or will you do it?

[keith-hall]

If you have time, that would be great, thanks. Otherwise I will get round to it eventually 🙂