chuck.nvim

A Neovim plugin for ChucK, a programming language for real-time sound synthesis and music creation. Currently supports syntax highlighting and controling the Chuck VM (e.g. starting/stopping shreds).

This is a modified version of Andy Wilson's chuck.vim plugin. It meets my needs, but the original version might work better for you. Here are the differences:

• Expects you to start ChucK in loop mode yourself, rather than starting it for you in a Vim split.
• Uses Neovim's jobstart() function to send commands to ChucK, instead of depending on vimproc. This means it's Neovim-specific—it won't work in Vim, even if you're using the latest version and/or have vimproc installed.
• Does not map its functions to any keys by default. Recommended bindings are listed below.
• Enables more granular control of ChucK shreds. The original plugin could only add a shred (from the current buffer), whereas this one can also replace a shred (also using the current buffer), remove a shred (by number), and clear all active shreds. See below for details on these functions.

Installation

This plugin is compatible with Vim plugin managers like vundle, pathogen, and vim-plug. The simplest way to get it installed is to use one of those. Consult your plugin manager's documentation for details.

Usage

Chuck.nvim makes no attempt to start or stop the ChucK VM. You'll need to start it up yourself before running any of the plugin's functions. I like to have ChucK running in a separate Tmux pane.

Available Functions

Chuck.nvim provides the following functions to interact with the ChucK VM:

ChuckStatus()
Prints the ChucK VM's current status (time and active shreds). The status is printed to the window the ChucK VM is running in, not within Neovim. If ChucK is not running in a visible window (for example, if you started ChucK by typing chuck --loop &), this command will have no effect.

ChuckAddShred()
Sends the filename of the currently active buffer to the ChucK VM, to be added as an active shred. If the current buffer has unsaved changes, those changes will not be sent to ChucK. If the current buffer is unnamed, nothing will be sent to ChucK.

ChuckRemoveShreds()
Prompts the user for a shred number, then removes that shred from the ChucK VM. To get the number of a shred to remove, use the ChuckStatus() function. To remove multiple shreds with a single call to ChuckRemoveShreds(), enter the numbers of multiple shreds at the prompt, separated by spaces.

ChuckClearShreds()
Removes all active shreds, but keeps the ChucK VM running.

ChuckReplaceShred()
Prompts the user for a shred number, then replaces that shred with the currently active file. Like ChuckAddShred(), this just sends the name of the current file to the ChucK VM, meaning unsaved changes will not be sent to ChucK. Like ChuckRemoveShred(), it assumes that you know the number of the shred you want to replace, probably because you called ChuckStatus() before calling ChuckReplaceShred().

Mapping Functions to Keystrokes

Chuck.nvim does not map any of its functions by default. You'll need to create maps in your .vimrc file, using mappings that make sense to you and don't conflict with any other mappings you use. If you don't have a preference, you're welcome to use mine:

augroup chuckMaps
  au!
  au FileType chuck nnoremap <leader>^ :call ChuckStatus()<CR>
  au FileType chuck nnoremap <leader>+ :call ChuckAddShred()<CR>
  au FileType chuck nnoremap <leader>- :call ChuckRemoveShreds()<CR>
  au FileType chuck nnoremap <leader>_ :call ChuckClearShreds()<CR>
  au FileType chuck nnoremap <leader>= :call ChuckReplaceShred()<CR>
augroup END

Future Plans

I'd like to streamline the shred management flow. Currently, removing or replacing a shred involves calling ChuckStatus(), reading the results to find the shred you're interested in, running the command, and entering the number of the shred. That's too many steps. I'd like to make it possible to update a shred just by saving it, for example, or remove a shred by closing its buffer. Currently these things aren't possible because ChucK doesn't return a shred number when it adds a shred, even when verbosity is set to 10. I'm thinking through some ways to solve this problem, but since my ChucK skills aren't yet at the point where realtime control is necessary, it's not a priority.