runtime(erlang): Add support for triple-quoted strings and docstrings

hcs42 · jchristgit · chrisbra · commit e85a66a4d4a4 · 2025-07-14T22:03:06.000+02:00
Erlang recently added the `-moduledoc` attribute as well as triple quoted strings and the `~` prefix for binary strings, see [1]. Erlang also added nominal types. See EEP-69 [2]. This commit removes the documentation of "g:erlang_highlight_bifs" and "g:erlang_highlight_special_atoms", which are not longer supported. "g:erlang_old_style_highlight" is kept undocumented (as it should not be used by new users). This commit contains the modifications in the following PR and commits: - vim-erlang/vim-erlang-runtime#58 - vim-erlang/vim-erlang-runtime@43d18d3 - vim-erlang/vim-erlang-runtime@ac88ebf - vim-erlang/vim-erlang-runtime@19c1be9 - vim-erlang/vim-erlang-runtime@7f5cefc - vim-erlang/vim-erlang-runtime@976b10b [1]: https://www.erlang.org/doc/system/documentation.html [2]: https://www.erlang.org/eeps/eep-0069 closes: #17687 Co-authored-by: Johannes Christ <jc@jchri.st> Signed-off-by: Csaba Hoch <csaba@cursorinsight.com> Signed-off-by: Christian Brabandt <cb@256bit.org>
diff --git a/runtime/doc/syntax.txt b/runtime/doc/syntax.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-*syntax.txt*	For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2025 Jun 03
+*syntax.txt*	For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2025 Jul 14
 
 
 		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL	  by Bram Moolenaar
@@ -1573,15 +1573,47 @@ ERLANG						*erlang.vim* *ft-erlang-syntax*
 Erlang is a functional programming language developed by Ericsson.  Files with
 the following extensions are recognized as Erlang files: erl, hrl, yaws.
 
-The BIFs (built-in functions) are highlighted by default. To disable this,
-put the following line in your vimrc: >
+Vim highlights triple-quoted docstrings as comments by default.
 
-      :let g:erlang_highlight_bifs = 0
+If you want triple-quoted docstrings highlighted as Markdown, add the
+following line to your |.vimrc|: >
 
-To enable highlighting some special atoms, put this in your vimrc: >
+	:let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 1
 
-      :let g:erlang_highlight_special_atoms = 1
+The plain text inside the docstrings (that is, the characters that are not
+highlighted by the Markdown syntax) is still highlighted as a comment.
 
+If you want to highlight the plain text inside the docstrings using a
+different highlight group, add the following line to your |.vimrc| (the
+example highlights plain text using the String highlight group): >
+
+	:let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = 'String'
+
+If you don't enable Markdown, this line highlights the full docstrings
+according to the specified highlight group.
+
+Use the following line to disable highlighting for the plain text: >
+
+	:let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = ''
+
+Configuration examples: >
+
+	" Highlight docstrings as Markdown.
+	:let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 1
+
+	" 1. Highlight Markdown elements in docstrings as Markdown.
+	" 2. Highlight the plain text in docstrings as String.
+	:let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 1
+	:let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = 'String'
+
+	" Highlight docstrings as strings (no Markdown).
+	:let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = 'String'
+
+	" 1. Highlight Markdown elements in docstrings as Markdown.
+	" 2. Don't highlight the plain text in docstrings.
+	:let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 1
+	:let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = ''
+<
 
 ELIXIR						*elixir.vim* *ft-elixir-syntax*
 
diff --git a/runtime/syntax/erlang.vim b/runtime/syntax/erlang.vim
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 " Language:     Erlang (https://www.erlang.org)
 " Maintainer:   Csaba Hoch <csaba.hoch@gmail.com>
 " Contributor:  Adam Rutkowski <hq@mtod.org>
-" Last Update:  2022-Sep-06
+"               Johannes Christ <jc@jchri.st>
+" Last Update:  2025-Jul-06
 " License:      Vim license
 " URL:          https://github.com/vim-erlang/vim-erlang-runtime
 
@@ -23,20 +24,121 @@
 " To use the old highlighting style, add this to your .vimrc:
 "
 "     let g:erlang_old_style_highlight = 1
-"
-" To highlight further module attributes, add them to
-" ~/.vim/after/syntax/erlang.vim:
-"
-"     syn keyword erlangAttribute myattr1 myattr2 contained
 
 " quit when a syntax file was already loaded
 if exists("b:current_syntax")
     finish
 endif
 
+if !exists('g:main_syntax')
+  " This is an Erlang source file, and this is the main execution of
+  " syntax/erlang.vim.
+  let g:main_syntax = 'erlang'
+elseif g:main_syntax == 'erlang'
+  " This is an Erlang source file, and this is an inner execution of
+  " syntax/erlang.vim. For example:
+  "
+  " 1.  The main execution of syntax/erlang.vim included syntax/markdown.vim
+  "     because "g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs == 1".
+  "
+  " 2.  syntax/markdown.vim included syntax/erlang.vim because
+  "     "g:markdown_fenced_languages == ['erlang']". This is the inner
+  "     execution of syntax/erlang.vim.
+  "
+  " To avoid infinite recursion with Markdown and Erlang including each other,
+  " and to avoid the inner syntax/erlang.vim execution messing up the
+  " variables of the outer erlang.vim execution, we finish executing the inner
+  " erlang.vim.
+  "
+  " In the inner execution, we already have the Erlang syntax items included,
+  " so the highlighting of Erlang within Markdown within Erlang will be
+  " acceptable. It won't highlight Markdown inside Erlang inside Markdown
+  " inside Erlang.
+  finish
+endif
+
 let s:cpo_save = &cpo
 set cpo&vim
 
+" "g:erlang_old_style_highlight": Whether to use old style highlighting.
+"
+" *   "g:erlang_old_style_highlight == 0" (default): Use new style
+"     highlighting.
+"
+" *   "g:erlang_old_style_highlight == 1": Use old style highlighting.
+let s:old_style = (exists("g:erlang_old_style_highlight") &&
+                  \g:erlang_old_style_highlight == 1)
+
+" "g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs": Whether to use Markdown highlighting in
+" docstrings.
+"
+" *   "g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs == 1": Enable Markdown highlighting in
+"     docstrings.
+"
+" *   "g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs == 0" (default): Disable Markdown
+"     highlighting in docstrings.
+"
+" If "g:main_syntax" is not 'erlang', this is not an Erlang source file but
+" for example a Markdown file, and syntax/markdown.vim is including
+" syntax/erlang.vim. To avoid infinite recursion with Markdown and Erlang
+" including each other, we disable sourcing syntax/markdown.vim in this case.
+if exists("g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs") && g:main_syntax == 'erlang'
+  let s:use_markdown = g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs
+else
+  let s:use_markdown = 0
+endif
+
+" "g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight": How to highlight the text inside
+" docstrings (except the text which is highlighted by Markdown).
+"
+" If "g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs == 1":
+"
+" *   "g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight == 'Comment'" (default): the plugin
+"     highlights the plain text inside Markdown as Markdown normally does,
+"     with comment highlighting to regular text in the docstring.
+"
+" *   If you set g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight to the name of highlight
+"     group, for example "String", the plugin highlights the plain text inside
+"     Markdown with the specified highlight group. See ":highlight" for the
+"     available groups. You may also set it to an empty string to disable any
+"     specific highlighting.
+"
+" If "g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs == 0":
+"
+" *   "g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight == 'Comment'" (default): the plugin
+"     does not highlight the contents of the docstring as markdown, but
+"     continues to display them in the style of comments.
+"
+" *   If you set g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight to the name of highlight
+"     group, for example "String", the plugin highlights the plain text inside
+"     Markdown with the specified highlight group. See ":highlight" for the
+"     available groups. You may also set it to an empty string to disable any
+"     specific highlighting.
+"
+" Configuration examples:
+"
+"    " Highlight docstrings as Markdown.
+"    let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 1
+"    let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = 'Comment'
+"
+"    " 1. Highlight Markdown elements in docstrings as Markdown.
+"    " 2. Highlight the plain text in docstrings as String.
+"    let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 1
+"    let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = 'String'
+"
+"    " Highlight docstrings as strings.
+"    let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 0
+"    let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = 'String'
+"
+"    " Highlight docstrings as comments (default).
+"    let g:erlang_use_markdown_for_docs = 0
+"    let g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight = 'Comment'
+if exists("g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight")
+  let s:docstring_default_highlight = g:erlang_docstring_default_highlight
+else
+  let s:docstring_default_highlight = 'Comment'
+endif
+
 " Case sensitive
 syn case match
 
@@ -55,6 +157,21 @@ syn match erlangNumberFloat   '\<\d\+\.\d\+\%([eE][+-]\=\d\+\)\=\>'
 
 " Strings, atoms, characters
 syn region erlangString            start=/"/ end=/"/ contains=erlangStringModifier
+syn region erlangStringTripleQuoted matchgroup=String start=/"""/ end=/\%(^\s*\)\@<="""/ keepend
+
+" Documentation
+syn region erlangDocString          start=/^-\%(module\)\=doc\s*\~\="/ end=/"\.$/                  contains=@erlangDocStringCluster keepend
+syn region erlangDocString          start=/^-\%(module\)\=doc\s*<<"/ end=/">>\.$/                  contains=@erlangDocStringCluster keepend
+syn region erlangDocString          start=/^-\%(module\)\=doc\s*\~\="""/ end=/\%(^\s*\)\@<="""\.$/ contains=@erlangDocStringCluster keepend
+syn region erlangDocString          start=/^-\%(module\)\=doc\s*<<"""/ end=/\%(^\s*\)\@<=""">>\.$/ contains=@erlangDocStringCluster keepend
+syn cluster erlangDocStringCluster contains=erlangInnerDocAttribute,erlangDocStringDelimiter
+syn region erlangDocStringDelimiter matchgroup=erlangString start=/"/ end=/"/ contains=@erlangDocStringContained contained
+syn region erlangDocStringDelimiter matchgroup=erlangString start=/"""/ end=/"""/ contains=@erlangDocStringContained contained
+
+if s:use_markdown
+  syn cluster erlangDocStringContained contains=@markdown
+endif
+
 syn region erlangQuotedAtom        start=/'/ end=/'/ contains=erlangQuotedAtomModifier
 syn match erlangStringModifier     '\\\%(\o\{1,3}\|x\x\x\|x{\x\+}\|\^.\|.\)\|\~\%([ni~]\|\%(-\=\d\+\|\*\)\=\.\=\%(\*\|\d\+\)\=\%(\..\)\=[tl]*[cfegswpWPBX#bx+]\)' contained
 syn match erlangQuotedAtomModifier '\\\%(\o\{1,3}\|x\x\x\|x{\x\+}\|\^.\|.\)' contained
@@ -94,12 +211,14 @@ syn match erlangBitType '\%(\/\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\)\@<=\%(integer\|float\|binary
 
 " Constants and Directives
 syn match erlangUnknownAttribute '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\l[[:alnum:]_@]*' contains=erlangComment
-syn match erlangAttribute '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(behaviou\=r\|compile\|export\(_type\)\=\|file\|import\|module\|author\|copyright\|doc\|vsn\|on_load\|optional_callbacks\|feature\)\>' contains=erlangComment
+syn match erlangAttribute '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(behaviou\=r\|compile\|dialyzer\|export\|export_type\|file\|import\|module\|author\|copyright\|vsn\|on_load\|optional_callbacks\|feature\|mode\)\>' contains=erlangComment
+syn match erlangDocAttribute '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(moduledoc\|doc\)\>' contains=erlangComment,erlangDocString
+syn match erlangInnerDocAttribute '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(moduledoc\|doc\)\>' contained
 syn match erlangInclude   '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(include\|include_lib\)\>' contains=erlangComment
 syn match erlangRecordDef '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*record\>' contains=erlangComment
 syn match erlangDefine    '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(define\|undef\)\>' contains=erlangComment
 syn match erlangPreCondit '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(ifdef\|ifndef\|else\|endif\)\>' contains=erlangComment
-syn match erlangType      '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(spec\|type\|opaque\|callback\)\>' contains=erlangComment
+syn match erlangType      '^\s*-\%(\s\|\n\|%.*\n\)*\%(spec\|type\|opaque\|nominal\|callback\)\>' contains=erlangComment
 
 " Keywords
 syn keyword erlangKeyword after begin case catch cond end fun if let of else
@@ -147,9 +266,21 @@ let b:erlang_syntax_synced = 1
 " Define the default highlighting. See ":help group-name" for the groups and
 " their colors.
 
-let s:old_style = (exists("g:erlang_old_style_highlight") &&
-                  \g:erlang_old_style_highlight == 1)
+if s:use_markdown
+  " Add markdown syntax elements for docstrings (actually, for all
+  " triple-quoted strings).
+  unlet! b:current_syntax
 
+  syn include @markdown syntax/markdown.vim
+  let b:current_syntax = "erlang"
+
+  " markdown-erlang.vim includes html.vim, which includes css.vim, which adds
+  " the dash character (-) to the list of syntax keywords, which causes
+  " `-VarName` not to be highlighted as a variable in the Erlang code.
+  "
+  " Here we override that.
+  syntax iskeyword @,48-57,192-255,$,_
+endif
 
 " Comments
 hi def link erlangComment Comment
@@ -163,6 +294,12 @@ hi def link erlangNumberFloat Float
 
 " Strings, atoms, characters
 hi def link erlangString String
+hi def link erlangStringTripleQuoted String
+
+" Triple quoted strings
+if s:docstring_default_highlight != ''
+  execute 'hi def link erlangDocStringDelimiter '. s:docstring_default_highlight
+endif
 
 if s:old_style
 hi def link erlangQuotedAtom Type
@@ -232,6 +369,8 @@ hi def link erlangPreCondit Type
 hi def link erlangType Type
 else
 hi def link erlangAttribute Keyword
+hi def link erlangDocAttribute Keyword
+hi def link erlangInnerDocAttribute Keyword
 hi def link erlangMacroDef Macro
 hi def link erlangUnknownAttribute Normal
 hi def link erlangInclude Include
@@ -257,9 +396,12 @@ hi def link erlangExtra Statement
 hi def link erlangSignal Statement
 endif
 
-
 let b:current_syntax = "erlang"
 
+if g:main_syntax ==# 'erlang'
+  unlet g:main_syntax
+endif
+
 let &cpo = s:cpo_save
 unlet s:cpo_save
 
