Syntax Highlighting and other enhancements for Vim

Vim is my go-to command-line editor, so it's always useful to have some nice additions including syntax highlighting and nice indenting. It also enables tab behaviour which matches the context.

To do this, create a .vimrc file in your home directory (e.g. vim ~/.vimrc) and paste the below

syntax on
filetype plugin on

set modeline

set ts=2
set sw=2
set smarttab
set expandtab
set autoindent
set smartindent

" enable showing of matching braces
set showmatch
set mat=5
set list

"Solarized colors!
set background=dark
if ! has('gui_running')
  let g:solarized_termcolors=256
  set t_Co=256
endif

This is a file i've copied and pasted between a few machines. So I could So I could fully understand what each line was doing I used AI to explain:

• ⁠syntax on: Enables syntax highlighting for improved readability of code by color-coding different elements based on their type.
• ⁠filetype plugin on: Activates file type detection and loads relevant plugins, enhancing functionality based on the type of file being edited.
• ⁠set modeline: Allows Vim to read modelines (special comments) within files to automatically set options when the file is opened.
• ⁠set ts=2: Sets the tab size to 2 spaces, determining how many spaces a tab character represents.
• ⁠set sw=2: Configures the shift width to 2 spaces, defining the number of spaces used for each step of (auto)indentation.
• ⁠set smarttab: Enables intelligent behavior for the Tab key, adjusting its function based on the context of the line.
• ⁠set expandtab: Converts tab characters into spaces when the Tab key is pressed, ensuring uniform indentation across different environments.
• ⁠set autoindent: Automatically inherits the indentation of the previous line for new lines, maintaining consistent formatting.
• ⁠set smartindent: Provides enhanced automatic indentation for programming languages, particularly useful for C-like languages.
• ⁠set showmatch: Highlights matching parentheses, brackets, and braces when the cursor is placed on one, aiding in code structure visualization.
• ⁠set mat=5: Sets the time (in tenths of a second) Vim will wait before highlighting matching braces, with a value of 5 meaning half a second.
• ⁠set list: Enables the display of whitespace characters (like tabs and spaces) to help visualize formatting issues.
• ⁠set background=dark: Configures the color scheme to a dark background, improving visibility when using dark themes.
• ⁠if ! has('gui_running'): Checks if Vim is not running in a graphical user interface (GUI) environment to apply terminal-specific settings.
• ⁠let g:solarized_termcolors=256: Sets the variable for the Solarized color scheme to use 256 colors when in a terminal.
• ⁠set t_Co=256: Defines the number of colors supported by the terminal as 256, ensuring compatibility with the Solarized color scheme.
• ⁠endif: Marks the end of the conditional statement that checks for GUI mode, closing the ⁠if block.