[vim/vim] Add syntax highlight to ENV files (PR #19260)

DuckAfire

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Jan 26, 2026, 4:30:10 PM (2 days ago) Jan 26

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Add a simple syntax highlight to files named as:

*.env{rc,}; and
.env{rc,}.*.

Note

File type name is env.

Tip

Examples:

.env.example
backup.env
000.envrc

It covers the follow items:

Fields (all texts they follow the match: /^\h\(\w\|\.\)*/);
Comments (lines started with #):
- To do tags (CAUNTION, NOTE, TODO, WARN, WARNING),
- Titles; and
Values (strings delimited by =, and end of the line).

Note

I did not use the "classic To do tags" because I think it does not fit into this context.

The main objective of this PR is to improve the syntax beauty*, code legibility,
and syntax extensibility**.

Note

* Now I used the correct word (see commit: 7ebf6a7a7189d2be7562c9da70f2c24ecdc9535b).
** Even though there is not many what to extend now, but it can change a day).

Below there is an example code, copy it, and run the syntax script to see how it works.

# Generic comment

# TODO: do something to improve this syntax.

# FOO: based in VimScript "titles".

foo = bar

foo.example =

# Indentation is not recommended by
# this syntax highlight
  # No-recommended comment position

  bar = 0
  bar.example =

When I was making this, I’m a bit confused whether I need to add .env extension to
ft_from_ext or not, because there is no about .env there, even it is a valid
extension (without self syntax). So, for now, I do not added it.

Note

My English is a little bad, so they can have some gramatical errors here and in my
commits messages - I'm trying to improve it daily.

You can view, comment on, or merge this pull request online at:

https://github.com/vim/vim/pull/19260

Commit Summary

7ebf6a7 Add syntax highlight to environment (`.env`) files:
79f7683 Add `autocmd` rule to enable ENV syntax:

File Changes

(2 files)

M runtime/filetype.vim (5)
A runtime/syntax/env.vim (30)

Patch Links:

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DuckAfire

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Jan 26, 2026, 5:03:24 PM (2 days ago) Jan 26

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duckafire left a comment (vim/vim#19260)

I think I undestand what it is wrong, but I do not have certain of how to fix it. Because of this I just will wait for the professionals.

Tip

The main is below:

./src/testdir/runtest.vim:636
└── ./src/testdir/runtest.vim:312
    └── ./src/testdir/test_filetype.vim:1046
        └── ./src/testdir/test_filetype.vim:1021

From test_filetype.vim:
Found errors in Test_filetype_detection():
command line..script /tmp/cirrus-ci-build/src/testdir/runtest.vim[636]..function RunTheTest[63]..Test_filetype_detection[8]..<SNR>8_CheckItems line 12: cannot edit ".env": Vim:E492: Not an editor command: .env{rc,}{.*,} setf env
command line..script /tmp/cirrus-ci-build/src/testdir/runtest.vim[636]..function RunTheTest[63]..Test_filetype_detection[8]..<SNR>8_CheckItems line 18: with file name: .env: Expected 'sh' but got ''
command line..script /tmp/cirrus-ci-build/src/testdir/runtest.vim[636]..function RunTheTest[63]..Test_filetype_detection[8]..<SNR>8_CheckItems line 12: cannot edit ".envrc": Vim:E492: Not an editor command: .env{rc,}{.*,} setf env
command line..script /tmp/cirrus-ci-build/src/testdir/runtest.vim[636]..function RunTheTest[63]..Test_filetype_detection[8]..<SNR>8_CheckItems line 18: with file name: .envrc: Expected 'sh' but got ''

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zeertzjq

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Jan 26, 2026, 6:25:40 PM (2 days ago) Jan 26

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@zeertzjq commented on this pull request.

In runtime/filetype.vim:

> @@ -1411,6 +1411,9 @@ au BufNewFile,BufRead drac.*			call s:StarSetf('dracula')
 " Execline (s6) scripts
 au BufNewFile,BufRead s6-*			call s:StarSetf('execline')
 
+" Env
+au BufNewFile,BufRead *.env{rc,} .env{rc,}{.*,} setf env

⬇️ Suggested change

-au BufNewFile,BufRead *.env{rc,} .env{rc,}{.*,} setf env
+au BufNewFile,BufRead *.env{rc,},.env{rc,}{.*,} setf env

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DuckAfire

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Jan 27, 2026, 7:45:35 AM (23 hours ago) Jan 27

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@duckafire pushed 1 commit.

532281a Fix missing comma:

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DuckAfire

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Jan 27, 2026, 8:19:58 AM (22 hours ago) Jan 27

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@duckafire pushed 1 commit.

22d3a76 Remove unused variable (`g:main_syntax`):

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DuckAfire

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Jan 27, 2026, 9:07:42 AM (22 hours ago) Jan 27

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@duckafire pushed 1 commit.

6081652 Add ENV files to "filetypes validator":

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DuckAfire

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Jan 27, 2026, 10:15:25 AM (21 hours ago) Jan 27

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duckafire left a comment (vim/vim#19260)

I understand what is wrong, but I do not know what causes these problems.

I think I did not edit nothing related with "server state".

# Summary
...WaitForAssert[2]..<SNR>4_WaitForCommon[11]..<lambda>10 line 1: Expected 'n' but got 'i'
...WaitForAssert[2]..<SNR>4_WaitForCommon[11]..<lambda>11 line 1: Expected '13' but got '14'
...WaitForAssert[2]..<SNR>4_WaitForCommon[11]..<lambda>12 line 1: Expected 'dead' but got 'run'
...Test_client_server_stopinsert line 36: Server did not exit

Tip

See ./src/testdir/test_clientserver.vim, lines: 233; 234; and 238.

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dkearns

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Jan 27, 2026, 11:16:16 AM (19 hours ago) Jan 27

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@dkearns requested changes on this pull request.

Thanks for the PR. However, I'm not sure it's safe to restrict these files to simple parameter definitions, let's see what others think.

In runtime/syntax/env.vim:

> @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+" Vim syntax file
+" Language:    env
+" Maintainer:  DuckAfire <duck...@gmail.com>
+" Last Change: 2026 Jan 27
+" Version:     1
+" Changelog:
+" 0. Create syntax file.
+" 1. Remove unused variable (g:main_syntax).
+
+if exists("b:current_syntax")
+	finish

The de facto standard indent for Vim script is 2 spaces.

In runtime/syntax/env.vim:

> @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+" Vim syntax file
+" Language:    env
+" Maintainer:  DuckAfire <duck...@gmail.com>
+" Last Change: 2026 Jan 27
+" Version:     1
+" Changelog:
+" 0. Create syntax file.
+" 1. Remove unused variable (g:main_syntax).
+
+if exists("b:current_syntax")
+	finish
+endif
+
+sy match   envField   nextgroup=envValue         /^\h\(\w\|\.\)*/

⬇️ Suggested change

-sy match   envField   nextgroup=envValue         /^\h\(\w\|\.\)*/
+syn match   envField   nextgroup=envValue         /^\h\%(\w\|\.\)*/

The difference will be negligible in this case but \%(...\) is generally preferred when the sub-expression (capturing group) is not referenced later in the pattern with backreferences as it's a little bit faster.

While :sy is the shortest abbreviation it's almost never used, :syn is the normal spelling.

In runtime/syntax/env.vim:

> +" Maintainer:  DuckAfire <duck...@gmail.com>
+" Last Change: 2026 Jan 27
+" Version:     1
+" Changelog:
+" 0. Create syntax file.
+" 1. Remove unused variable (g:main_syntax).
+
+if exists("b:current_syntax")
+	finish
+endif
+
+sy match   envField   nextgroup=envValue         /^\h\(\w\|\.\)*/
+sy region  envValue   matchgroup=Operator        start=/=/ end=/$/
+sy match   envComment contains=envTodo,envTitles /^#.*$/
+sy keyword envTodo    contained                  CAUTION NOTE TODO WARN WARNING
+sy match   envTitles  contained                  /#\s*\zs[A-Z0-9][A-Z0-9 ]*:/

⬇️ Suggested change

-sy match   envTitles  contained                  /#\s*\zs[A-Z0-9][A-Z0-9 ]*:/
+sy match   envTitle  contained                  /^\s*#\s*\zs[A-Z0-9][A-Z0-9 ]*:/

This will avoid BAR: being matched in # FOO: ... # BAR: ..., assuming that's the intent.

Usually, syntax group names use the singular form envTitle rather than envTitle.

In runtime/filetype.vim:

> @@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@ au BufNewFile,BufRead *.decl,*.dcl,*.dec
 " NOTE: Patterns ending in a star are further down, these have lower priority.
 au BufNewFile,BufRead .bashrc,bashrc,bash.bashrc,.bash[_-]profile,.bash[_-]logout,.bash[_-]aliases,.bash[_-]history,bash-fc[-.],*.ebuild,*.bash,*.eclass,PKGBUILD,*.bats,*.cygport call dist#ft#SetFileTypeSH("bash")
 au BufNewFile,BufRead .kshrc,*.ksh call dist#ft#SetFileTypeSH("ksh")
-au BufNewFile,BufRead */etc/profile,.profile,*.sh,*.env{rc,} call dist#ft#SetFileTypeSH(getline(1))
+au BufNewFile,BufRead */etc/profile,.profile,*.sh call dist#ft#SetFileTypeSH(getline(1))

.envrc files support full shell syntax, at least when used by direnv so I don't think it should be removed.

.env could be anything, are we sure it's safe to restrict it to parameter definitions?

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DuckAfire

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Jan 27, 2026, 1:45:18 PM (17 hours ago) Jan 27

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@duckafire pushed 1 commit.

5a87021 Apply changes required by github@dkearns:

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Christian Brabandt

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Jan 27, 2026, 1:59:32 PM (17 hours ago) Jan 27

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chrisbra left a comment (vim/vim#19260)

I am confused, why is this line there:

au BufNewFile,BufRead */etc/profile,.profile,*.sh,*.envrc,.envrc.* call dist#ft#SetFileTypeSH(getline(1))

Doesn't this set the filetype to sh? Is that actually being used for any shell file? It should go to env filetype as well, no? I also think that the extension .env should go to autoload/dist/ft.vim to ft_from_ext instead.

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DuckAfire

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Jan 27, 2026, 2:38:14 PM (16 hours ago) Jan 27

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duckafire left a comment (vim/vim#19260)

I am confused, why is this line there:
au BufNewFile,BufRead */etc/profile,.profile,*.sh,*.envrc,.envrc.* call dist#ft#SetFileTypeSH(getline(1))
Doesn't this set the filetype to sh? Is that actually being used for any shell file? It should go to env filetype as well, no? I also think that the extension .env should go to autoload/dist/ft.vim to ft_from_ext instead.

Based on what I read and understood (from source code):

This line is used to call functions used to search possible shebangs (in SH Flavors) and "exec" commands hidden in comments (in shell-like files). The file type is set based in what is found (default is SH).

Based in what I know, ENV is not a SH file, it is a file to declarate environment variables. This means support of other resources of SH (keywords; operators; ...) does not always supported.

Note

Before this PR, ENV files use SH syntax highlight.

Why do you think ENV to be "moved"?

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DuckAfire

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Jan 27, 2026, 2:46:10 PM (16 hours ago) Jan 27

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duckafire left a comment (vim/vim#19260)

Thanks for the PR. However, I'm not sure it's safe to restrict these files to simple parameter definitions, let's see what others think.

Linguists supports it as a dedicated filetype: https://github.com/github-linguist/linguist/blob/e51c227048a02a8a1b0fae6e72214e7c5f327c73/lib/linguist/languages.yml#L1762-L1784
Dotenv:
  type: data
  color: "#e5d559"
  extensions:
  - ".env"
  filenames:
  - ".env"
  - ".env.ci"
  - ".env.dev"
  - ".env.development"
  - ".env.development.local"
  - ".env.example"
  - ".env.local"
  - ".env.prod"
  - ".env.production"
  - ".env.sample"
  - ".env.staging"
  - ".env.template"
  - ".env.test"
  - ".env.testing"
  tm_scope: source.dotenv
  ace_mode: text
  language_id: 111148035

Sorry for the errors related with code conventions, I am new here.

About the ENVRC, I did not know this file, nor its purpose. I throght it was legacy name to environment files, or a name low used.

I gave back ENVRC to the place where they were. I also improved the its match.

Do you think files names (.env.example; env.dev; ...) have to be defined to hidden files instead wildcard (.env.*)?