How To Create ASCII Drawings in Vim Editor (Draw Boxes, Lines, Ellipses, Arrows Inside Text File)

Author:	SathiyaMoorthy
Date:	December 16, 2009
file:	how-to-create-ascii-drawings-in-vim-editor-draw-boxes-lines-ellipses-arrows-inside-text-file.txt
url:	http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2009/12/how-to-create-ascii-drawings-in-vim-editor-draw-boxes-lines-ellipses-arrows-inside-text-file/

Create ASCII drawings inside Vim EditorYou can create line drawings in Vim editor using the Vim DrawIt! plugin. You can draw flow charts, ER diagrams, or any other diagrams that can be created as line drawing inside a text editor using this plugin.

2 Steps to install drawit.vim Step 1: Download latest version of the plugin from vim.org

Download the plugin from vim.org

$ cd ~ $ wget -O DrawIt.vba.gz http://www.vim.org/scripts/download_script.php?src_id=8798

Step 2: Install the DrawIt! Vim plugin

$ cd ~ $ vim DrawIt.vba.gz

:so % :q

5 Powerful Features of Vim Editor DrawIt! Plugin

• di will turn on the Drawit! plugin
• ds will turn off the Drawit! plugin

Feature 1: Draw as you Navigate inside Vim Editor

From the Vim editor, when you navigate using arrow keys (left, right, up and down) it will draw boxes or lines appropriately as per your navigation.

Following is an example of a simple CPU-Input-Output diagram that was drawn inside Vim editor in just few seconds using only navigation keys to draw the boxes and lines.

Vim Editor DrawIt! Plugin - Draw left, right, up, down and slanting lines

Fig: Text diagram created inside Vim editor in few seconds Feature 2: Drawing a Box inside Vim Editor (in Visual Mode)

Step 1: Select a region using visual selection.

Draw boxes on a blank filled areas inside a text file

Fig: Visual selection of area to draw a box inside Vim editor

Step 2: Draw box by pressing b

ASCI Diagram inside a text file using Vim Editor Draw It plugin Fig: Box diagram created automatically based on selected area inside text file Feature 3: Drawing Ellipse inside Vim Editor (in Visual Mode)

Step 1: Select a region using visual selection.

Step 2: Draw ellipse by pressing e

Draw Circle, Rectangle, Triangle or Ellipse inside a Vim Editor Text file Fig: Ellipse diagram created automatically based on selected area inside text file Feature 4: Draw Arrows inside Vim Editor

Use the following key strokes to draw the corresponding arrows mentioned below.

• > left arrow
• > fat left arrow
• < right arrow
• < fat arrow
• ^ up arrow
• ^ fat up arrow
• V down arrow
• V fat down arrow

Feature 5: Draw Slanting Lines inside Vim Editor

Slanting lines is — front slash and back slash. Use the following key strokes to draw the corresponding slanting lines

• PageDown – Draw move down and right
• End – Draw / move down and left
• PageUP – Draw / move up and right
• Home – Draw move up and left