Universal extensions/plug-ins

The CodeChat Server offers two modes that will work with almost any text editor or IDE:

  • A file change watcher which renders any file as soon as it’s saved. For example, executing CodeChat_Server watch will monitor all files in the current directory and all it subdirectories for a change, rendering as soon as the change is detected. This command can be run multiple times from multiple directories.

  • A command-line render option that allows an editor or IDE to perform a render by executing the CodeChat server with the render subcommand.

VIM

In VIM, enter :nmap <C-X> :w<cr>:!CodeChat_Server render % 1<cr> to define the Ctrl-X command in normal mode which saves the current file and renders it. Additional notes:

  • If you’d like to render files in a separate window, replace the 1 with any other number of your choice.

  • If the CodeChat_Server is not in your path, simply prepend the path: for example, :nmap <C-X> :w<cr>:!/path/to/CodeChat_Server render % 1<cr>.

  • To make this mapping permanent, add it to your .vimrc file.

Usage tips

Documentation using CodeChat often involves long lines. To wrap lines, enable automatic word wrapping.