How to syntax highlight fragments of code in one language embedded in the source code in another language in Vim?

Question

I have a custom XML file format which can contain blocks of code within certain tags.

For example:

<Root>
    <Sql> select * from foo </Sql>
    <MoreJunk> ... </MoreJunk>
    <Python><![CDATA[
    def Bar(*args):
        return False
    ]]></Python>
</Root>

How can I get Vim to use SQL syntax highlighting for the text inside <Sql> tags and use Python higlighting for text inside <Python> tags?

I know Vim can already do this because it correctly highlights Javascript inside HTML files.

I tried inspecting the HTML syntax file but couldn’t figure it out.

http://superuser.com/questions/929134/extend-vims-syntax-highlighting-for-only-some-files shows how to extend XML coloring. — Camille Goudeseune, Jun 23 '15 at 15:33

score 29 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 06 '09 at 10:44

For your XML with python example you would have to do something like this:

runtime! syntax/xml.vim
unlet b:current_syntax
syntax include @Python syntax/python.vim
syntax region pythonCode  start=+<Python>+ keepend end=+/</Python>+  contains=@Python

These lines will include the XML syntax and the python syntax, and the specify a python region where VIM will use the python syntax instead of the XML syntax...

Of course, all this is well documented in VIM. See :he :syn-include on how to include syntax files.

you might want to add ```containedin=xmlCdata``` before ```contains=@Python``` — Orwellophile, Jun 16 '16 at 11:58

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 02 '11 at 12:57

2

This document describes how to write your own syntax highlighting. You should probably be able to figure out how the HTML-syntax highlighting works with javascript, with that as a reference.

edited Feb 02 '11 at 12:57

Brian M. Hunt

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answered Feb 06 '09 at 10:11

Simon B. Jensen

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How to syntax highlight fragments of code in one language embedded in the source code in another language in Vim?

2 Answers2

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