Configuring Vim for C++

Question

I would like to make vim my C++ editor. I have very little experience working with it and need help in configuring vim to work with C++. I need such features as

Answer 1

I'm using vim as my C++ editor, however I'm not using many 'exotic' stuff.

• Regarding completion, I'm using the non-contextual ^P and ^N.

• I have a bunch of user defined abbreviations for my C++ use, for example :

  abbreviate bptr boost::shared_ptr
  abbreviate cstr const std::string &
  

• I have several functions for "code snippets" like things, for example :

  function! IncludeGuard()
    let basename = expand("%:t:r")
    let includeGuard = '__' . basename . '_h__'
    call append(0, "#ifndef " . includeGuard)
    call append(1, "#define " . includeGuard)
    call append(line("$"), "#endif /* !" . includeGuard . " */")
  endfunction
  

• The only plugin I really couldn't live without is Command-T (which requires ruby support)

• For easy .cc to .h switching, you can try this plugin

Answer 2

• Code complete: Omni completion or Clang autocomplete or YouCompleteMe
• Real time syntax checking: Syntastic
• Switching between source and header file: A plugin
• Snippets: Snipmate or UltiSnip
• Search for reference of variables, functions, classes, etc.: Cscope
• Go to definition: Ctags or part of YouCompleteMe subcommands mentioned above
• Refactoring tools: Refactor, lh-refactor
• Useful text objects: Arg text object and Class text object
• C++ category in Vim Tips wiki
• Luc Hermitte's C/C++ plugin
• Not C++ specific but I also recommend either FuzzyFinder or Command-T or Unite for file navigation. With either of these, you don't even need tabs (which does not scale for 10+ files) to manage your project.
• Class navigation: Taglist or Tagbar

Edit: Updated as of July 2013

Answer 3

NERDTree http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=1658

Exuberant ctags (vim already supports the hotkeys natively) http://ctags.sourceforge.net/

taglist: http://vim-taglist.sourceforge.net/

snipmate: http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2540

I don't do omnicompletion just the usual ^n ^p stuff but there are plenty of resources to google for.