c4vi - Custom Vim/Neovim Environment for C4

c4vi is a portable, lightweight, and customizable editor environment optimized for the C4 language. It includes syntax highlighting, auto-indentation, filetype detection, and a custom Python-based Language Server Protocol (LSP) server providing hover tooltips, diagnostics, and context-aware autocomplete.

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Installation Guide

Follow these steps to clone and install c4vi on your system:

1. Clone the Repository

Clone the codebase into your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/AllenJK1/c4vi.git
cd c4vi

2. Run the Installer

Execute the self-contained installation script:

./install.sh

The installer will:

1. Copy all configurations, colorschemes, syntax rules, and LSP binaries to a portable local folder: ~/.c4vi/.
2. Clean up any runtime caches.
3. Guide you through interactive setup menus to customize your colorscheme and autocompletion preferences.
4. Detect your active shell profile (bash, zsh, fish, ksh, sh, csh, or tcsh) and add the alias: alias c4vi="nvim -u ~/.c4vi/vimconfigs/vimrc" (formatted automatically for your shell dialect).

3. Reload Your Shell

Activate the new alias in your current terminal session:

• For Zsh: source ~/.zshrc
• For Bash: source ~/.bashrc
• For Fish: source ~/.config/fish/config.fish
• For other shells: Restart your terminal.

Launch your new custom editor with:

c4vi example.c4

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Editor Options & Themes

During installation, you will configure your preferences. You can adjust these settings later by editing ~/.c4vi/vimconfigs/config.json.

Color Themes

c4vi ships with five color palettes designed to fit any aesthetic. All themes support dynamic diagnostics (underlines) and C4 grammar rules:

1. Default Dark (c4_theme): A modern dark coding interface based on VS Code aesthetics.
2. Cyberpunk Neon (c4_neon): Deep dark workspace with vibrant cyan, hot pink, and lime green accents.
3. Retro Monochrome (c4_monochrome): A clean black-and-white theme featuring classic terminal amber highlights.
4. Solarized Dark (c4_solarized): A classic dark green-teal palette with low-contrast, easy-on-the-eyes syntax highlights.
5. Crisp Light (c4_light): A clean, high-contrast, premium paper-white light theme.

You can swap themes live inside the editor using the standard command: :colorscheme c4_<name>.

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Autocomplete Configuration Combinations

c4vi allows you to fine-tune how and when autocomplete popups appear to match your typing flow. The configurations are saved in ~/.c4vi/vimconfigs/config.json.

Here are the primary configurations, their impacts, and use cases:

Combination	config.json Settings	Visual & Editing Impact
1. Full Autocomplete	"autocomplete_enabled": true "auto_trigger": true "trigger_on_methods_only": false	Autocomplete menu pops up automatically on every keystroke (letters, numbers, underscores, operators).
2. Method-Only Trigger	"autocomplete_enabled": true "auto_trigger": true "trigger_on_methods_only": true	Autocomplete ONLY triggers automatically when you type a member/method access symbol (. or ->).
3. Manual Trigger	"autocomplete_enabled": true "auto_trigger": false "trigger_on_methods_only": false	The popup never appears automatically. You must explicitly press <C-Space> in insert mode to show completions.
4. Completion Disabled	"autocomplete_enabled": false "auto_trigger": false "trigger_on_methods_only": false	Autocomplete features are fully disabled. No popups or triggers are active.

Tab Navigation Settings

Configure how you navigate and confirm items in the autocomplete popup:

• Standard Vim Mode ("map_tab_complete": false) (Recommended):
  • Impact: Preserves standard Vim keymaps. Use <C-n> to move down, <C-p> to move up, and <C-y> to confirm a selection.
  • Why: Standard <Tab> remains mapped to insert spacing and formatting, preventing coding layout issues.
• VS Code Mode ("map_tab_complete": true):
  • Impact: Overrides standard keys. Use <Tab> to move down, <S-Tab> to move up, and <CR> (Enter) to confirm.