What is the recommended way to use Vim folding for Python code

Question

I am interested in enabling code folding in Vim for Python code. I have noticed multiple ways to do so.

Does anyone have a preferred way to do Python code folding in

Answer 1

For me the ideal folding is to fold just the class and def blocks, indent folding is too much for my taste. I think one elegant solution is to use the syntax system like this one mentioned by Tomas. However, this one is meant to replace the original syntax file and it may end being older than the original (i.e. that script doesn't mention Python 3 syntax).

My solution is to place in the ~/.vim/syntax folder a file named python.vim with just the important lines (taken from the above script):

syn match   pythonDefStatement  /^\s*\%(def\|class\)/
       \ nextgroup=pythonFunction skipwhite
syn region  pythonFunctionFold  start="^\z(\s*\)\%(def\|class\)\>"
       \ end="\ze\%(\s*\n\)\+\%(\z1\s\)\@!." fold transparent

hi link pythonDefStatement Statement

Then simply activate the folding with :set foldmethod=syntax.