Add TeX macro around (visual) selections in Vim

With simple mappings, we can add a TeX command around visually selected text or around the current word in vim.

This is the mapping for visual mode:

vnoremap <leader>m c\{}<esc>PF{i

Assuming you have a selection in visual mode in vim, this mapping consists of the following commands;

c (ex command) to cut text and switch to insert mode.
\{} adds the necessary text.
<esc> returns to normal mode.
P inserts the originally selected text before the cursor.
F{ moves the cursor to the to first { left of the cursor.
i enters insert mode.

Now the only thing you have to do is to type the name of the TeX command.

The equivalent mapping for normal mode is only slightly different:

nnoremap <leader>m ciw\{}<esc>PF{i

Instead of c we use ciw. This is short for “change inner word”. That is change the word under the cursor without surrounding whitespace.

Since these commands are specific to TeX files, I have put them in a special augroup:

augroup TeX
    autocmd!
    " For enclosing a word or selected text with a TeX command.
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>m ciw\{}<esc>PF{i
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>m c\{}<esc>PF{i
    " Add index entry for word or selected text.
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>i yiwea\index{}<esc>P
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>i dPa\index{}<esc>P
    " Enclose a word or selected text with a \SI command.
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>si ciw\SI{}{}<esc>F}P2f}i
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>si c\SI{}{}<esc>F}P2f}i
    " For emphasizing a word or selected text.
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>em ciw\emph{}<esc>P
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>em c\emph{}<esc>P
    " For making a word or selected text bold.
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>st ciw\textbf{}<esc>P
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>st c\textbf{}<esc>P
    " For making a word or selected text small caps.
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>sc ciw\textsc{}<esc>P
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>sc c\textsc{}<esc>P
    " For rendering a word or selected text in a typewriter font.
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>tt ciw\textttz{}<esc>P
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>tt c\texttt{}<esc>P
    " For wrapping a word or selected text in TeX quotation marks
    autocmd FileType tex nnoremap <leader>tq ciw``<esc>pa''<esc>
    autocmd FileType tex vnoremap <leader>tq c``<esc>pa''<esc>
augroup end

This augroup also contains similar commands to add an index item for a word or selection and commands to wrap a number in an SI unit or TeX quotes. It also has commands to change font styles.

For comments, please send me an e-mail.

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Add TeX macro around (visual) selections in Vim

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