This is a mirror of http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=3382

A custom text object for selecting ruby blocks.

Depends on vimscript #2100, which provides a framework for creating custom text objects.

Also requires that matchit.vim vimscript #39 is enabled.

Usage

When textobj-rubyblock is installed you will gain two new text objects, which are triggered by ar and ir respectively. These follow Vim convention, so that ar selects all of a ruby block, and ir selects the inner portion of a rubyblock.

In ruby, a block is always closed with the end keyword. Ruby blocks may be opened using one of several keywords, including module, class, def if and do. This example demonstrates a few of these:

module Foo
  class Bar
    def Baz
      [1,2,3].each do |i|
        i + 1
      end
    end
  end
end

Suppose your cursor was positioned on the word def. Typing var would enable visual mode selecting all of the method definition. Your selection would comprise the following lines (also, see screenshot: http://vimcasts.org/images/blog/rubyblock-all.png):

def Baz
  [1,2,3].each do |i|
    i + 1
  end
end

Whereas if you typed vir, you would select everything inside of the method definition, which looks like this (also, see screenshot: http://vimcasts.org/images/blog/rubyblock-inner.png):

[1,2,3].each do |i|
  i + 1
end

Note that the ar and ir text objects always enable visual line mode, even if you were in visual character or block mode before you triggered the rubyblock text object.

Note too that the ar and ir text objects always position your cursor on the end keyword. If you want to move to the top of the selection, you can do so with the o key.

Limitations

Some text objects in Vim respond to a count. For example, the a{ text object will select all of the current {} delimited block, but if you prefix it with the number 2 (e.g. v2i{) then it will select all of the block that contains the current block. The rubyblock text object does not respond in this way if you prefix a count. This is due to a limitation in vimscript #2100.

However, you can achieve a similar effect by repeating the rubyblock text-object manually. So if you press var to select the current ruby block, you can expand your selection outwards by repeating ar, or contract your selection inwards by repeating ir.