Instructions for setting up vimtex on windows

1. Install the latest stable snapshot version of vim from https://www.vim.org/download.php

2. Add a new environment variable VIM in the system properties with your Vim installation folder path. (New variable with name = VIM and value = <vim-installation-path>)

3. Add a plugin manager vim-plug by executing following command in Windows PowerShell.

   iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim |`
       ni "$env:VIM/vimfiles/autoload/plug.vim" -Force
   

4. Locate the _vimrc file in the Vim installation folder, and add the following snippet at the end.

   " Begin plugin section for vim-plug
   call plug#begin('<your-vim-installation-path>/vimfiles/plugged')
   
   " Add your plugins below:
   Plug 'lervag/vimtex'
   
   call plug#end()
   

   Make sure to replace <your-vim-installation-path> with your actual path

5. Save the _vimrc file, open vim app, and run the following command.

   :PlugInstall
   

6. Install SumatraPDF from https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/download-free-pdf-viewer, and add the pdfviewer installation folder path to PATH variable in environment variables.

7. Add the following vimtex configuration in _vimrc.

   " VimTeX configuration
   filetype plugin indent on
   syntax enable
   
   let g:vimtex_view_method = 'general'
   let g:vimtex_view_general_viewer = '<sumatra-installatin-path>/SumatraPDF.exe'
   let g:vimtex_compiler_method = 'latexmk'
   let g:tex_flavor='latex'
   let g:vimtex_quickfix_mode=1
   

   Make sure to replace <sumatra-installatin-path> with your actual path.

8. To enable save, copy, cut, paste, undo operations with control key in vim (if not working by default), add the following configuration in the _vimrc file.

   nnoremap <C-s> :w<CR>
   inoremap <C-s> <Esc>:w<CR>a
   vnoremap <C-c> "+y
   vnoremap <C-x> "+d
   inoremap <C-v> <C-r>+
   nnoremap <C-v> "+p
   inoremap <C-z> <C-o>u
   nnoremap <C-z> u
   

9. To enable the line numbering, add the following to the _vimrc file.

   set number
   

10. For the light background Delek theme, add the following to the _vimrc file.

    colorscheme Delek
    set termguicolors
    

11. To reload Vim with an updated configuration:

    :source $MYVIMRC
    

12. To open a file in vim:

    :e <file-path>
    

• The following is set up with the help of https://castel.dev/post/lecture-notes-1/ and https://ejmastnak.com/tutorials/vim-latex/intro/.

13. To enable concealing, add the following to the _vimrc file.

    set conceallevel=1
    let g:tex_conceal='abdmg'
    highlight Conceal ctermfg=blue guifg=blue
    

14. For snippets, to use the plugin UltiSnips, add the following in the plugin section of the _vimrc file.

    Plug 'sirver/ultisnips'
    

    Execute PlugInstall in Vim (as administrator).
15. Create the folder UltiSnips inside <your-vim-installation-path>/vimfiles/, and create/copy the file tex.snippets in this folder. Add the following to the vimrc file.

    let g:UltiSnipsExpandTrigger = '<tab>'
    let g:UltiSnipsJumpForwardTrigger = '<tab>'
    let g:UltiSnipsJumpBackwardTrigger = '<s-tab>'
    let g:UltiSnipsSnippetDirectories=["UltiSnips"]
    

    The file tex.snippets is a modified version of https://github.com/gillescastel/latex-snippets/blob/master/tex.snippets.
16. For correcting spellings in US English using ctrl+l, add the following to the _vimrc file.

    setlocal spell
    set spelllang=en_us
    inoremap <C-l> <c-g>u<Esc>[s1z=`]a<c-g>u