easytags_dynamic_files=2 doesn't work as stated (or very confusing)

[oryband]

This is my easytags-related .vimrc:

set tags=./.vimtags;
  1 let g:easytags_file = '~/.vimtags'
  2 let g:easytags_dynamic_files = 2
  3 let g:easytags_by_filetype = 1
  4 let g:easytags_updatetime_warn = 0
  5 let g:easytags_events = ['BufReadPost', 'BufWritePost']
  6
  7 let g:easytags_languages = {
  8             \   'javascript': {
  9             \       'cmd': 'jsctags',
 10             \       'args': [],
 11             \       'fileoutput_opt': '-f',
 12             \       'stdout_opt': '-f-',
 13             \       'recurse_flag': '-R'
 14             \   }
 15             \}

Whenever I open a Python file, save the buffer once, then save it the second time, I get the following error:

easytags.vim 3.6.6: Vim(let):E716: Key not present in Dictionary: tagsfile (at function xolox#easytags#autoload..xolox#easytags#update..xolox#easytags#update#with_vim, line 12)

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Easytags docs aren't clear about how to use dynamic_files=2 option.

[oryband]

I just found out this happens on every filetype, not just python. It doesn't even help if I change dynamic_files=1

[oryband]

I fixed the problem by commenting out let g:easytags_by_filetype = 1. I couldn't understand from the docs what caused this.

In addition, I changed my settings to be:

  0 set tags=.vimtags;,~/.vim/tags
  1 let g:easytags_file = '~/.vim/tags'
  2 let g:easytags_dynamic_files = 2

But even though I stated I want a working-directory (not current buffer) .vimtags file, easytags still creates a buffer-directory tags file, not even a .vimtags one. How can I make it like I want?

[rvega]

I'm also trying to set up per-project tag files but easytags keeps creating the tag files in buffer directories instead of the working directory (:pwd).
Did you get this working somehow?

[oryband]

@rvega unfortunately as you can see no comment has been made for help :
@xolox any help please?

[rvega]

This is how it's working for me:

1. The name of the project tags file is always "tags", not whatever you set for the "tags" option.
2. Setting "g:easytags_dynamic_files" to 2 creates new tags files in the directories of the open buffers (subdirectories of the project dir).
3. If I manually create the project's tag file "touch ./tags", and then do ":UpdateTags -R ./", everything works fine from there (modified and new files are indexed and jumps work as expected).

Here are the relevant lines in my .vimrc:

    " Easytags plugin. Use tag files for each project (not a global one).
    " Run tag generator in background. Do not use highlighting (too slow).
    " For a new project, go to the root directory of the project,
    " open vim and do :UpdateTags -R ./ 
    set tags=./tags;
    let g:easytags_dynamic_files = 2
    let g:easytags_async = 1
    let g:easytags_auto_highlight = 0
    let g:easytags_include_members = 1
    let g:easytags_events = ['BufWritePost']

For what it's worth, the Ctrl-P plugin does a good job of figuring out where is the root of the current project. Maybe it's possible to adapt what they are doing so the "let g:easytags_dynamic_files = 2" option works as documented ?

[Garonenur]

I have the same issue with the files being generated in the directories of the current buffer and not in the projects root. Where they should be created. It did not help to create an empty tags file in the root of my project.

[oryband]

@xolox any news on this?

[xolox]

Hi all and sorry for the lack of feedback on this issue until now.

Next to my personal life and work I try to find the time to properly maintain my 30+ open source projects, but the interest in my projects is overwhelming and even if I spend my full weekends I still won't be able to keep up with the stream of incoming questions, bug reports and feature requests. This unfortunately means that the more feedback an issue receives, the more likely it is to be resolved. And of course pull requests help more than bug reports, but don't take that as a complaint :-).

To get back to the topics of this issue:

1. I believe the error reported by @oryband in his initial message (Key not present in Dictionary: tagsfile) has since been fixed. If you still get that error please let me know and I'll look into that further.

2. That leaves the confusion about the working directory vs. the directory containing the current file. The Vim documentation of the tags option states:

   When a file name starts with "./", the '.' is replaced with the path of the current file.

   The emphasis is mine. The vim-easytags plug-in tries to follow the Vim documentation and behavior where possible so that's what it does here: The leading dot is replaced (as documented) with the directory containing the current file. So far, this issue sounds like a misunderstanding.

   However the Vim documentation continues:

   But only when the 'd' flag is not included in 'cpoptions'.

   Is this the behavior you are all expecting? And did you change the 'cpoptions' default? If so, then why not explain that in this issue? That would have saved me quite a bit of time ;-). The vim-easytags plug-in currently doesn't check whether 'cpoptions' includes 'd' or not, it unconditionally resolves ./ into the directory of the current buffer.

   I can change vim-easytags to check 'cpoptions' for the 'd' character and make it switch from buffer relative pathnames to working directory relative pathnames. I assume this will resolve the issue reported here, given that you make sure you've changed 'cpoptions' accordingly?

[xolox]

I just published a change to the vim-misc plug-in which should make vim-easytags respect 'cpoptions' when creating dynamic tags files. Can one of you update to the latest version of vim-misc and let me know whether this resolves the issue reported here? (make sure you added 'd' to 'cpoptions', without that nothing changes).

PS. I accidentally closed this issue with my commit message in the vim-misc repository :-), didn't mean to do that, I wanted to wait until I got a confirmation that the issue is resolved and I'd updated the vim-easytags documentation.

[oryband]

Well, I got it working after updating. Thanks! Here is my easytags configuration:

" i have to set tags like this. Not using autocmd only appends them to ./tags for some reason,
" and doesn't overwrite the option.
autocmd FileType * set tags=./.tags;,~/.vim/.vimtags
set cpoptions+=d  " i had to add this, it wasn't on until now.
let g:easytags_file = '~/.vim/.vimtags'
let g:easytags_events = ['BufReadPost', 'BufWritePost']
let g:easytags_dynamic_files = 2
let g:easytags_async = 1
" let g:easytags_auto_update = 0  " check the question below
" let g:easytags_auto_highlight = 0
let g:easytags_resolve_links = 1
let g:easytags_suppress_report = 1

A few issues:

1. However, I had to comment out the auto_update/highlight lines in order for easytags to create the local .tags file. I thought that these options were meant only for on_cursorhold. The documentation regarding this is quite ambiguous: If on_cursorhold is off, why does auto_update/highlight also apply to events? Events aren't auto - I set them manually.
2. In addition, the .tags file poped up in the local directory only a few seconds after writing the buffer, and not immediately. Is something still happening in the background? I don't want it to.
3. Any idea why I'm forced to autocmd FileType * set tags in order for set tags to actually set the tags? I've grepped all my plugins for set tags and setl tags and nobody is setting it.

[oryband]

I've also noticed that when opening my .vimrc, a .vimtags file is created and a .tags file. Any idea why?