# Formatting Go code with Vim


There are no formatting rules when writing Go code, but there is an official
style. If you pipe your code through `gofmt`, its output *is* the
official style. So while writing you need to occasionally execute:
`%!~/bin/gofmt` (which I've wrapped in a command, so I only need
to type `:Fmt`). 

But the trouble is that executing this code resets the
cursor to the first line and you then have to jump back to whatever
line number you were on.

Surely `vim` should do better... and it does. The scripting in `vim` is
wonderful, this small function is all you need:

	function Goformat()
	    let regel=line(".")
	    %!~/bin/gofmt
	    call cursor(regel, 1)
	endfunction

And then together with this:

    autocmd Filetype go command! Fmt call Goformat()

Put both in your `.vimrc` and you are set. Nice formatting with 
`:Fmt` and you'll stay on the current line. The actual line
may be slightly different due to the reformatting, but this is 
a far cry from being put on the first one.