I am writing Python code using Vim, and every time I want to run my code, I type this inside Vim:

:w !python

This gets frustrating, so I was looking for a quicker method to run Python code inside Vim. Executing Python scripts from a terminal maybe? I am using Linux.

How about adding an autocmd to your ~/.vimrc-file, creating a mapping:

autocmd FileType python map <buffer> <F9> :w<CR>:exec '!python3' shellescape(@%, 1)<CR>
autocmd FileType python imap <buffer> <F9> <esc>:w<CR>:exec '!python3' shellescape(@%, 1)<CR>

then you could press <F9> to execute the current buffer with python

Explanation:

• autocmd: command that Vim will execute automatically on {event} (here: if you open a python file)
• [i]map: creates a keyboard shortcut to <F9> in insert/normal mode
• <buffer>: If multiple buffers/files are open: just use the active one
• <esc>: leaving insert mode
• :w<CR>: saves your file
• !: runs the following command in your shell (try :!ls)
• %: is replaced by the filename of your active buffer. But since it can contain things like whitespace and other “bad” stuff it is better practise not to write :python %, but use:
• shellescape: escape the special characters. The 1 means with a backslash

TL;DR: The first line will work in normal mode and once you press <F9> it first saves your file and then run the file with python. The second does the same thing, but leaves insert mode first

Just go to normal mode by pressing <esc> and type:

! clear; python %

Step by step explanation:

! allows you to run a terminal command

clear will empty your terminal screen

; ends the first command, allowing you to introduce a second command

python will use python to run your script (it could be replaced with ruby for example)

% concats the current filename, passing it as a parameter to the python command

I have this in my .vimrc file:

imap <F5> <Esc>:w<CR>:!clear;python %<CR>

When I’m done editing a Python script, I just press <F5>. The script is saved and then executed in a blank screen.

I prefer Python output redirected to a new Vim window (and if that window is left open then update its content the next time you execute Python code with this function):

" Bind F5 to save file if modified and execute python script in a buffer.
nnoremap <silent> <F5> :call SaveAndExecutePython()<CR>
vnoremap <silent> <F5> :<C-u>call SaveAndExecutePython()<CR>

function! SaveAndExecutePython()
    " SOURCE [reusable window]: https://github.com/fatih/vim-go/blob/master/autoload/go/ui.vim

    " save and reload current file
    silent execute "update | edit"

    " get file path of current file
    let s:current_buffer_file_path = expand("%")

    let s:output_buffer_name = "Python"
    let s:output_buffer_filetype = "output"

    " reuse existing buffer window if it exists otherwise create a new one
    if !exists("s:buf_nr") || !bufexists(s:buf_nr)
        silent execute 'botright new ' . s:output_buffer_name
        let s:buf_nr = bufnr('%')
    elseif bufwinnr(s:buf_nr) == -1
        silent execute 'botright new'
        silent execute s:buf_nr . 'buffer'
    elseif bufwinnr(s:buf_nr) != bufwinnr('%')
        silent execute bufwinnr(s:buf_nr) . 'wincmd w'
    endif

    silent execute "setlocal filetype=" . s:output_buffer_filetype
    setlocal bufhidden=delete
    setlocal buftype=nofile
    setlocal noswapfile
    setlocal nobuflisted
    setlocal winfixheight
    setlocal cursorline " make it easy to distinguish
    setlocal nonumber
    setlocal norelativenumber
    setlocal showbreak=""

    " clear the buffer
    setlocal noreadonly
    setlocal modifiable
    %delete _

    " add the console output
    silent execute ".!python " . shellescape(s:current_buffer_file_path, 1)

    " resize window to content length
    " Note: This is annoying because if you print a lot of lines then your code buffer is forced to a height of one line every time you run this function.
    "       However without this line the buffer starts off as a default size and if you resize the buffer then it keeps that custom size after repeated runs of this function.
    "       But if you close the output buffer then it returns to using the default size when its recreated
    "execute 'resize' . line('$')

    " make the buffer non modifiable
    setlocal readonly
    setlocal nomodifiable
endfunction

Building on the previous answers, if you like to see the code while looking at its’ output you could find :ter (:terminal) command useful.

autocmd Filetype python nnoremap <buffer> <F5> :w<CR>:ter python2 "%"<CR>
autocmd Filetype python nnoremap <buffer> <F6> :w<CR>:vert ter python3 "%"<CR>

Using vert in the second line runs the code in vertical split instead of horizontal.

The negative of it is that if you don’t close the split-window where the code ran you will have many splits after multiple runs (which doesn’t happen in original python IDLE where the same output window is reused).

(I keep these lines inside /home/user/.vimrc)

Keep in mind that you’re able to repeat the last used command with @:, so that’s all you’d need to repeat are those two character.

Or you could save the string w !python into one of the registers (like "a for example) and then hit :<C-R>a<CR> to insert the contents of register a into the commandline and run it.

Or you can do what I do and map <leader>z to :!python %<CR> to run the current file.

If you don’t want to see “:exec python file.py” printed each time, use this:

nnoremap <F9> :echo system('python2 "' . expand('%') . '"')<cr>
nnoremap <F10> :echo system('python3 "' . expand('%') . '"')<cr>

It didn’t mess up my powerline / vim-airline statusbar either.

Plugin: jupyter-vim

So you can send lines (<leader>E), visual selection (<leader>e) to a running jupyter-client (the replacement of ipython)

I prefer to separate editor and interpreter (each one in its shell). Imagine you send a bad input reading command …

For generic use (run python/haskell/ruby/C++… from vim based on the filetype), there’s a nice plugin called vim-quickrun. It supports many programming languages by default. It is easily configurable, too, so one can define preferred behaviours for any filetype if needed. The github repo does not have a fancy readme, but it is well documented with the doc file.

The accepted answer works for me (on Linux), but I wanted this command to also save the buffer before running, so I modified it slightly:

nnoremap <buffer> <F9> :w <bar> :exec '!python' shellescape(@%, 1)<cr>

The :w <bar> saves the buffer THEN runs the code in it.

A simple method would be to type : while in normal mode, and then press the up arrow key on the keyboard and press Enter. This will repeat the last typed commands on VIM.

If you want to quickly jump back through your :w commands, a cool thing is to type :w and then press your up arrow. It will only cycle through commands that start with w.

I have this on my .vimrc:

"map <F9> :w<CR>:!python %<CR>"

which saves the current buffer and execute the code with presing only Esc + F9

You can use skywind3000/asyncrun.vim as well. It is similar to what @FocusedWolf has listed.

You can extends for any language with 1 keybinding with augroup command, for example:

augroup rungroup
    autocmd!
    autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.go nnoremap <F5> :exec '!go run' shellescape(@%, 1)<cr>
    autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.py nnoremap <F5> :exec '!python' shellescape(@%, 1)<cr>
augroup END

Think about using shebang line, so you will be able to use it with still any language, not only Python.

Adding shebang:

Add this to first line of your script:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

or this, if you are using Python 2:

#!/usr/bin/env python2

Vim keymap:

Add this to your ~/.vimrc:

nmap <F7> :w<cr>:!clear;"%:p"<cr>

Make file executable:

Type in Vim:

:!chmod +x %

or in terminal:

chmod +x script_name.py

Explanation:

When F7 is pressed in normal mode, Vim will try to execute current file as bash script. Then bash interpreter will see shebang line and understand, that this file should be passed to Python (or any other programm if needed).

Also you will be able to run your script from terminal using it’s name:

./script_name.py

instead of this way (that will work too):

python3 script_name.py

This .vimrc mapping needs Conque Shell, but it replicates Geany (and other X editors’) behaviour:

• Press a key to execute
• Executes in gnome-terminal
• Waits for confirmation to exit

• Window closes automatically on exit

  :let dummy = conque_term#subprocess('gnome-terminal -e "bash -c \"python ' . expand("%") . '; answer=\\\"z\\\"; while [ $answer != \\\"q\\\" ]; do printf \\\"\nexited with code $?, press (q) to quit: \\\"; read -n 1 answer; done; \" "')

Put your cursor in the code somewhere. Right click and choose one of the “Select” choices to highlight your code. Then press Ctrl : and you will see the new prompt ‘<, >’

Now type !python and see if that works.

I just spend days trying to figure out the same problem!!! I used the coding:

s='My name'
print (s) 

After I pulled out all my hair, I finally got it right!

Instead of putting the command mapping in your .vimrc, put the mapping in your ~/.vim/ftplugin/python.vim file (Windows $HOME\vimfiles\ftplugin\python.vim). If you don’t have this file or directories, just make them. This way the key is only mapped when you open a .py file or any file with filetype=python, since you’ll only be running this command on Python scripts.

For the actual mapping, I like to be able to edit in Vim while the script runs. Going off of @cazyas’ answer, I have the following in my ftplugin\python.vim (Windows):

noremap <F5> <Esc>:w<CR>:!START /B python %<CR>

This will run the current Python script in the background. For Linux just change it to this:

noremap <F5> <Esc>:w<CR>:!python % &<CR>

" run current python file to new buffer
function! RunPython()
    let s:current_file = expand("%")
    enew|silent execute ".!python " . shellescape(s:current_file, 1)
    setlocal buftype=nofile bufhidden=wipe noswapfile nowrap
    setlocal nobuflisted
endfunction
autocmd FileType python nnoremap <Leader>c :call RunPython()<CR>