How to Fix Wrong Indentation When Pasting Source Code in VIM

When copying and pasting source code into the VIM text editor, you might encounter issues with incorrect indentation due to the way VIM handles auto-indentation. This happens because VIM’s default behavior tries to adjust the indentation based on the surrounding code, which can lead to unwanted results when pasting code from external sources. To prevent this, you can use the :set paste and :set nopaste commands to toggle the paste mode. Here’s how to do it:

1. Enter Paste Mode

   To prevent VIM from automatically adjusting the indentation while pasting code, follow these steps:

   1. Open the terminal or command prompt.
   2. Launch VIM by typing vim followed by the name of the file you want to edit.
   3. Press Esc to ensure you’re in normal mode.
   4. Enter paste mode by typing :set paste and pressing Enter. You won’t see any visual feedback, but VIM is now in paste mode.

2. Paste the Code

   Now you can paste the code you want to insert from your clipboard:

   1. Right-click on the terminal or press Ctrl+Shift+V to paste the code.
   2. The code will be inserted without any automatic indentation adjustments.

3. Exit Paste Mode

   After pasting the code, you should exit paste mode to restore VIM’s normal behavior:

   1. Press Esc to ensure you’re in normal mode.
   2. Type :set nopaste and press Enter to exit paste mode. Again, there won’t be much visual feedback, but VIM is now back to its regular indentation behavior.

4. Adjust Indentation Manually (Optional)

   If the pasted code requires some manual adjustments, you can make them after exiting paste mode. Navigate through the code using VIM’s navigation keys (h, j, k, l) and adjust the indentation as needed using >> to indent right and << to indent left.

5. Save and Exit

   Once you’ve pasted and adjusted the code, you can save the changes and exit VIM:

   1. Press Esc to ensure you’re in normal mode.
   2. Type :w and press Enter to save the changes.
   3. Type :q and press Enter to exit VIM.

By using the :set paste and :set nopaste commands, you can easily control VIM’s indentation behavior while pasting source code, preventing unwanted auto-indentation adjustments. This method ensures that your code remains correctly formatted and reduces the need for manual adjustments after pasting.