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              / \,,_  .'|
           ,{{| /}}}}/_.'            _____________________________________________
          }}}}` '{{'  '.            /                                             \
        {{{{{    _   ;, \          /                Gentlemen,                     \
     ,}}}}}}    /o`\  ` ;)        |                                                |
    {{{{{{   /           (        |                 this is ...                    |
    }}}}}}   |            \       |                                                |
   {{{{{{{{   \            \      |                                                |
   }}}}}}}}}   '.__      _  |     |    _____             __             __  _      |
   {{{{{{{{       /`._  (_\ /     |   / ___/__  ______  / /_____ ______/ /_(_)____ |
    }}}}}}'      |    //___/   --=:   \__ \/ / / / __ \/ __/ __ `/ ___/ __/ / ___/ |
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     }}}`                         | /____/\__, /_/ /_/\__/\__,_/____/\__/_/\___/   |
                                  |      /____/                                    |
                                  |                                               /
                                   \_____________________________________________/

Syntastic is a syntax checking plugin that runs files through external syntax checkers and displays any resulting errors to the user. This can be done on demand, or automatically as files are saved. If syntax errors are detected, the user is notified and is happy because they didn't have to compile their code or execute their script to find them.

At the time of this writing, syntax checking plugins exist for applescript, c, coffee, cpp, css, cucumber, cuda, docbk, erlang, eruby, fortran, gentoo_metadata, go, haml, haskell, html, javascript, json, less, lua, matlab, perl, php, puppet, python, rst, ruby, sass/scss, sh, tcl, tex, vala, xhtml, xml, xslt, yaml, zpt

Screenshot

Below is a screenshot showing the methods that Syntastic uses to display syntax errors. Note that, in practise, you will only have a subset of these methods enabled.

1. Location list. Errors are loaded into the location list for the corresponding window.
2. Command window. When the cursor is on a line containing an error, the error message is echoed in the command window.
3. Signs. Signs are placed beside lines with errors - note that warnings are displayed in a different color.
4. Statusline flag. There is a configurable statusline flag you can include in your statusline config.
5. Error balloons. Hover the mouse over a line containing an error and the error message is displayed as a balloon.
6. (not shown) Highlighting errors with syntax highlighting. Erronious parts of lines can be highlighted.

Installation

pathogen.vim is the recommended way to install syntastic.

cd ~/.vim/bundle
git clone https://github.com/scrooloose/syntastic.git

Then reload vim, run :helptags, and check out :help syntastic.txt.

Google group

To get information or make suggestions check out the google group.

Changelog

2.2.0 (24-dec-2011)

• only do syntax checks when files are saved (not when first opened) - add g:syntastic_check_on_open option to get the old behavior back
• bug fix with echoing error messages; fixes incompatability with cmd-t (datanoise)
• dont allow warnings to mask errors when signing/echoing errors (ashikase)
• auto close location list when leaving buffer. (millermedeiros)
• update errors appropriately when :SyntasticToggleMode is called
• updates/fixes to existing checkers:
  • javascript/jshint (millermedeiros)
  • javascript/jslint
  • c (kongo2002)
• Support for new filetypes:
  • JSON (millermedeiros, tocer)
  • rst (reStructuredText files) (JNRowe)
  • gentoo-metadata (JNRowe)

2.1.0 (14-dec-2011)

• when the cursor is on a line containing an error, echo the
• error msg (kevinw)
• various bug fixes and refactoring
• updates/fixes to existing checkers:
  • html (millermedeiros)
  • erlang
  • coffeescript
  • javascript
  • sh
  • php (add support for phpcs - technosophos)
• add an applescript checker (Zhai Cai)
• add support for hyphenated filetypes (JNRowe)

2.0.0 (2-dec-2011):

• Add support for highlighting the erroneous parts of lines (kstep)

• Add support for displaying errors via balloons (kstep)

• Add syntastic_mode_map option to give more control over when checking should be done.

• Add :SyntasticCheck command to force a syntax check - useful in passive mode (justone).

• Add the option to automatically close the location list, but not automatically open it (milkypostman)

• Add syntastic_auto_jump option to automatically jump to the first error (milkypostman)

• Only source syntax checkers as needed - instead of loading all of them when vim starts

• Support for new filetypes:

  • less (julienXX)
  • docbook (tpope)
  • matlab (jasongraham)
  • go (dtjm)
  • puppet (uggedal, roman, zsprackett)
  • haskell (baldo, roman)
  • tcl (et)
  • vala (kstep)
  • cuda (temporaer)
  • css (oryband, sitedyno)
  • fortran (Karl Yngve Lervåg)
  • xml (kusnier)
  • xslt (kusnier)
  • erlang (kTT)
  • zpt (claytron)

• updates to existing checkers:

  • javascript (mogren, bryanforbes, cjab, ajduncan)
  • sass/scss (tmm1, atourino, dlee, epeli)
  • ruby (changa)
  • perl (harleypig)
  • haml (bmihelac)
  • php (kstep, docteurklein)
  • python (kstep, soli)
  • lua (kstep)
  • html (kstep)
  • xhtml (kstep)
  • c (kongo2002, brandonw)
  • cpp (kongo2002)
  • coffee (industrial)
  • eruby (sergevm)