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Optimized Solarized colorschemes. Best served with true-color terminals!
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Quick Overview
Vim-colors-solarized is a popular color scheme for the Vim text editor, based on the Solarized color palette. It provides a carefully designed set of colors that aim to reduce eye strain and improve readability, especially for long coding sessions. The project offers both light and dark variants of the theme.
Pros
- Scientifically designed color palette for optimal readability and reduced eye strain
- Supports both GUI and terminal versions of Vim
- Includes light and dark variants for different environments and preferences
- Widely adopted and well-maintained
Cons
- May require terminal configuration for full color support in some environments
- Some users find the color scheme too muted or low-contrast
- Limited customization options compared to more flexible color scheme frameworks
- Can be challenging to set up correctly in certain terminal emulators
Getting Started
-
Clone the repository into your Vim runtime path:
git clone https://github.com/altercation/vim-colors-solarized.git ~/.vim/bundle/vim-colors-solarized
-
Add the following to your
.vimrc
:syntax enable set background=dark colorscheme solarized
-
For terminal Vim, ensure your terminal supports 256 colors:
set t_Co=256
-
If using iTerm2 on macOS, download and import the Solarized color preset for optimal results.
Competitor Comparisons
Optimized Solarized colorschemes. Best served with true-color terminals!
Pros of vim-solarized8
- Better support for true-color terminals (24-bit color)
- Improved performance due to optimized color calculations
- Includes additional variants (high/low contrast, flat)
Cons of vim-solarized8
- May have slight color differences compared to the original Solarized
- Requires Vim 8.0 or Neovim for full functionality
- Less widespread adoption and community support
Code Comparison
vim-colors-solarized:
let g:solarized_termcolors=256
colorscheme solarized
set background=dark
vim-solarized8:
set termguicolors
colorscheme solarized8
set background=dark
The main difference in usage is the set termguicolors
line for vim-solarized8, which enables true-color support.
Summary
vim-solarized8 offers improved performance and better support for modern terminals with true-color capabilities. It also provides additional variants for different contrast levels and a flat style. However, it requires a more recent version of Vim or Neovim and may have slight color differences compared to the original Solarized theme. The original vim-colors-solarized has wider adoption and community support but may not perform as well in true-color environments.
Choose vim-solarized8 if you have a modern setup and want optimized performance, or stick with vim-colors-solarized for broader compatibility and the classic Solarized experience.
Retro groove color scheme for Vim
Pros of Gruvbox
- More color variants and contrast options
- Better support for modern syntax highlighting
- Active development and community contributions
Cons of Gruvbox
- Larger file size and potentially slower loading times
- May require more configuration for optimal appearance
- Less widespread adoption in pre-configured setups
Code Comparison
Solarized:
let g:solarized_termcolors=256
set background=dark
colorscheme solarized
Gruvbox:
set background=dark
let g:gruvbox_contrast_dark = 'hard'
colorscheme gruvbox
Both color schemes offer high-quality, eye-friendly themes for Vim and other text editors. Solarized is known for its carefully chosen color palette based on color theory, while Gruvbox provides a warmer, retro-inspired look with more customization options.
Solarized has been around longer and has wider adoption, making it more likely to be included in default configurations. Gruvbox, on the other hand, offers more flexibility in terms of contrast levels and color variants, which can be beneficial for users with specific preferences or visual needs.
In terms of maintenance, Gruvbox has seen more recent updates and active community involvement, potentially leading to better compatibility with newer syntax highlighting plugins and language support. However, this also means that Gruvbox may require more frequent updates to maintain optimal performance.
Ultimately, the choice between Solarized and Gruvbox comes down to personal preference, desired customization options, and specific use cases.
A dark Vim/Neovim color scheme inspired by Atom's One Dark syntax theme.
Pros of onedark.vim
- More modern and vibrant color scheme, inspired by Atom's One Dark theme
- Better support for newer syntax highlighting features and plugins
- Actively maintained with regular updates and improvements
Cons of onedark.vim
- Less established and time-tested compared to Solarized
- May not be as suitable for users who prefer a more muted color palette
- Fewer pre-made color schemes for other applications and terminal emulators
Code Comparison
vim-colors-solarized:
let g:solarized_termcolors=256
set background=dark
colorscheme solarized
onedark.vim:
set termguicolors
let g:onedark_terminal_italics=1
colorscheme onedark
Both color schemes offer easy setup, but onedark.vim provides more customization options out of the box, such as terminal italics support.
Summary
vim-colors-solarized is a well-established, carefully designed color scheme with broad application support. onedark.vim offers a more modern, vibrant alternative with better support for newer Vim features and plugins. The choice between the two largely depends on personal preference and specific use cases.
Adaptation of one-light and one-dark colorschemes for Vim
Pros of vim-one
- More modern and actively maintained color scheme
- Supports both dark and light variants out of the box
- Better integration with popular plugins and language syntax highlighting
Cons of vim-one
- Less widespread adoption and community support
- May not have the same level of fine-tuning for specific use cases
- Potentially less optimized for certain terminal emulators
Code Comparison
vim-colors-solarized:
let g:solarized_termcolors=256
set background=dark
colorscheme solarized
vim-one:
set background=dark
colorscheme one
call one#highlight('Normal', '', '000000', 'none')
Summary
vim-one offers a more modern and versatile color scheme with better plugin support, while vim-colors-solarized benefits from widespread adoption and extensive community testing. vim-one provides both dark and light variants by default, whereas vim-colors-solarized requires manual configuration for different backgrounds. The code comparison shows that vim-one allows for easier customization of specific highlight groups. Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on personal preference and specific use cases.
:art: Light & Dark Vim color schemes inspired by Google's Material Design
Pros of PaperColor Theme
- More color options and flexibility, with both light and dark variants
- Active development and frequent updates
- Better support for modern syntax highlighting and plugins
Cons of PaperColor Theme
- Less widespread adoption compared to Solarized
- May require more configuration to achieve optimal results
- Not as extensively tested across different terminal emulators
Code Comparison
PaperColor Theme:
let g:PaperColor_Theme_Options = {
\ 'theme': {
\ 'default': {
\ 'transparent_background': 1
\ }
\ }
\ }
Solarized:
let g:solarized_termcolors=256
let g:solarized_termtrans=1
let g:solarized_contrast="normal"
let g:solarized_visibility="normal"
Both color schemes offer customization options, but PaperColor Theme provides more granular control over theme elements. Solarized focuses on adjusting overall appearance and compatibility with different terminal settings.
PaperColor Theme is a newer and more actively maintained project, offering a wider range of color options and better support for modern Vim features. However, Solarized has a larger user base and has been extensively tested across various environments. The choice between the two ultimately depends on personal preference and specific use cases.
🧛🏻♂️ Dark theme for Vim
Pros of Dracula
- More vibrant and modern color scheme
- Supports a wider range of programming languages and file types
- Actively maintained with frequent updates
Cons of Dracula
- May be too high-contrast for some users
- Less focus on readability in different lighting conditions
- Larger file size due to additional language support
Code Comparison
Solarized:
let g:solarized_termcolors=256
set background=dark
colorscheme solarized
Dracula:
packadd! dracula
syntax enable
colorscheme dracula
Key Differences
-
Color Philosophy: Solarized aims for a balanced, low-contrast scheme, while Dracula offers a bold, high-contrast palette.
-
Customization: Solarized provides more options for fine-tuning colors, whereas Dracula focuses on a consistent look across different environments.
-
Language Support: Dracula offers broader language support out-of-the-box, while Solarized may require additional plugins for some languages.
-
Installation: Solarized typically requires manual configuration, while Dracula often works with minimal setup.
-
Community: Both have active communities, but Dracula has seen more recent growth and adoption in various tools and platforms.
Conclusion
Choose Solarized for a subtle, scientifically-designed color scheme that prioritizes readability. Opt for Dracula if you prefer a modern, vibrant look with extensive language support and frequent updates.
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Title: Solarized Colorscheme for Vim Description: Precision colors for machines and people Author: Ethan Schoonover Colors: light yellow Created: 2011 Mar 15 Modified: 2011 Apr 16
Solarized Colorscheme for Vim
Developed by Ethan Schoonover es@ethanschoonover.com
Visit the Solarized homepage
See the Solarized homepage for screenshots, details and colorscheme versions for Vim, Mutt, popular terminal emulators and other applications.
Screenshots
Downloads
If you have come across this colorscheme via the Vim-only repository on github, or the [vim.org script] page see the link above to the Solarized homepage or visit the main Solarized repository.
The Vim-only repository is kept in sync with the main Solarized repository and is for installation convenience only (with Pathogen or Vundle, for instance). Issues, bug reports, changelogs are centralized at the main Solarized repository.
Installation
Option 1: Manual installation
-
Move
solarized.vim
to your.vim/colors
directory. After downloading the vim script or package:$ cd vim-colors-solarized/colors $ mv solarized.vim ~/.vim/colors/
Option 2: Pathogen installation (recommended)
-
Download and install Tim Pope's Pathogen.
-
Next, move or clone the
vim-colors-solarized
directory so that it is a subdirectory of the.vim/bundle
directory.a. Clone:
$ cd ~/.vim/bundle $ git clone git://github.com/altercation/vim-colors-solarized.git
b. Move:
In the parent directory of vim-colors-solarized: $ mv vim-colors-solarized ~/.vim/bundle/
Modify .vimrc
After either Option 1 or Option 2 above, put the following two lines in your .vimrc:
syntax enable
set background=dark
colorscheme solarized
or, for the light background mode of Solarized:
syntax enable
set background=light
colorscheme solarized
I like to have a different background in GUI and terminal modes, so I can use the following if-then. However, I find vim's background autodetection to be pretty good and, at least with MacVim, I can leave this background value assignment out entirely and get the same results.
if has('gui_running')
set background=light
else
set background=dark
endif
See the Solarized homepage for screenshots which will help you select either the light or dark background.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR TERMINAL USERS:
If you are going to use Solarized in Terminal mode (i.e. not in a GUI version like gvim or macvim), please please please consider setting your terminal emulator's colorscheme to used the Solarized palette. I've included palettes for some popular terminal emulator as well as Xdefaults in the official Solarized download available from Solarized homepage. If you use Solarized without these colors, Solarized will need to be told to degrade its colorscheme to a set compatible with the limited 256 terminal palette (whereas by using the terminal's 16 ansi color values, you can set the correct, specific values for the Solarized palette).
If you do use the custom terminal colors, solarized.vim should work out of the
box for you. If you are using a terminal emulator that supports 256 colors and
don't want to use the custom Solarized terminal colors, you will need to use
the degraded 256 colorscheme. To do so, simply add the following line before
the colorschem solarized
line:
let g:solarized_termcolors=256
Again, I recommend just changing your terminal colors to Solarized values either manually or via one of the many terminal schemes available for import.
Advanced Configuration
Solarized will work out of the box with just the two lines specified above but does include several other options that can be set in your .vimrc file.
Set these in your vimrc file prior to calling the colorscheme. " option name default optional ------------------------------------------------ g:solarized_termcolors= 16 | 256 g:solarized_termtrans = 0 | 1 g:solarized_degrade = 0 | 1 g:solarized_bold = 1 | 0 g:solarized_underline = 1 | 0 g:solarized_italic = 1 | 0 g:solarized_contrast = "normal"| "high" or "low" g:solarized_visibility= "normal"| "high" or "low" ------------------------------------------------
Option Details
-
g:solarized_termcolors
This is set to 16 by default, meaning that Solarized will attempt to use the standard 16 colors of your terminal emulator. You will need to set those colors to the correct Solarized values either manually or by importing one of the many colorscheme available for popular terminal emulators and Xdefaults.
-
g:solarized_termtrans
If you use a terminal emulator with a transparent background and Solarized isn't displaying the background color transparently, set this to 1 and Solarized will use the default (transparent) background of the terminal emulator. urxvt required this in my testing; iTerm2 did not.
Note that on Mac OS X Terminal.app, solarized_termtrans is set to 1 by default as this is almost always the best option. The only exception to this is if the working terminfo file supports 256 colors (xterm-256color).
-
g:solarized_degrade
For test purposes only; forces Solarized to use the 256 degraded color mode to test the approximate color values for accuracy.
-
g:solarized_bold | g:solarized_underline | g:solarized_italic
If you wish to stop Solarized from displaying bold, underlined or italicized typefaces, simply assign a zero value to the appropriate variable, for example:
let g:solarized_italic=0
-
g:solarized_contrast
Stick with normal! It's been carefully tested. Setting this option to high or low does use the same Solarized palette but simply shifts some values up or down in order to expand or compress the tonal range displayed.
-
g:solarized_visibility
Special characters such as trailing whitespace, tabs, newlines, when displayed using
:set list
can be set to one of three levels depending on your needs. Default value isnormal
withhigh
andlow
options.
Toggle Background Function
Solarized comes with a Toggle Background plugin that by default will map to
To set your own mapping in your .vimrc file, simply add the following line to
support normal, insert and visual mode usage, changing the "
call togglebg#map("<F5>")
Note that you'll want to use a single function key or equivalent if you want the plugin to work in all modes (normal, insert, visual).
Code Notes
Use folding to view the solarized.vim
script with foldmethod=marker
turned
on.
I have attempted to modularize the creation of Vim colorschemes in this script and, while it could be refactored further, it should be a good foundation for the creation of any color scheme. By simply changing the sixteen values in the GUI section and testing in gvim (or mvim) you can rapidly prototype new colorschemes without diving into the weeds of line-item editing each syntax highlight declaration.
The Values
L*a*b values are canonical (White D65, Reference D50), other values are matched in sRGB space.
SOLARIZED HEX 16/8 TERMCOL XTERM/HEX L*A*B sRGB HSB
--------- ------- ---- ------- ----------- ---------- ----------- -----------
base03 #002b36 8/4 brblack 234 #1c1c1c 15 -12 -12 0 43 54 193 100 21
base02 #073642 0/4 black 235 #262626 20 -12 -12 7 54 66 192 90 26
base01 #586e75 10/7 brgreen 240 #4e4e4e 45 -07 -07 88 110 117 194 25 46
base00 #657b83 11/7 bryellow 241 #585858 50 -07 -07 101 123 131 195 23 51
base0 #839496 12/6 brblue 244 #808080 60 -06 -03 131 148 150 186 13 59
base1 #93a1a1 14/4 brcyan 245 #8a8a8a 65 -05 -02 147 161 161 180 9 63
base2 #eee8d5 7/7 white 254 #d7d7af 92 -00 10 238 232 213 44 11 93
base3 #fdf6e3 15/7 brwhite 230 #ffffd7 97 00 10 253 246 227 44 10 99
yellow #b58900 3/3 yellow 136 #af8700 60 10 65 181 137 0 45 100 71
orange #cb4b16 9/3 brred 166 #d75f00 50 50 55 203 75 22 18 89 80
red #dc322f 1/1 red 160 #d70000 50 65 45 220 50 47 1 79 86
magenta #d33682 5/5 magenta 125 #af005f 50 65 -05 211 54 130 331 74 83
violet #6c71c4 13/5 brmagenta 61 #5f5faf 50 15 -45 108 113 196 237 45 77
blue #268bd2 4/4 blue 33 #0087ff 55 -10 -45 38 139 210 205 82 82
cyan #2aa198 6/6 cyan 37 #00afaf 60 -35 -05 42 161 152 175 74 63
green #859900 2/2 green 64 #5f8700 60 -20 65 133 153 0 68 100 60
License
Copyright (c) 2011 Ethan Schoonover
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
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:art: Light & Dark Vim color schemes inspired by Google's Material Design
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