Published on : 2026-02-28 15:50
       
       After writing about using fmt to format text for Gopher:
       
 (DIR)  Formatting Text for Gopher The Easy Way With FM
       
       I kept thinking about how much nicer it feels to edit plain text 
       when the editor helps you see "rhythm" in your text. One Vim 
       feature that really helps with that is: colorcolumn.
       
       On its own, Vim already highlights your text as you type. But as 
       soon as you want to format prose or long paragraphs, it's really 
       nice to have a visual guide for line length.
       
       What it does
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       colorcolumn lets you draw vertical markers in your Vim window - 
       guides that don't affect the text, but help you decide when your 
       lines are getting long.
       
       If you've ever tried to stick to 80 or 67 characters per line, 
       this is your friend.
       
       Enable colorcolumn in VIM
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        - Enabling a single column
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       To show a column at 67 characters:
       
           :set colorcolumn=67
       
       Now, Vim draws a light background at column 67. As you type toward 
       it, you can see you're approaching the "edge".
       
        - Enabling multiple columns
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       Maybe you want markers at both 67 and 80:
       
           :set colorcolumn=67,80
       
       Or even a whole range:
       
           :set colorcolumn=67-80
       
       Ranges are great for prose in GemText, Markdown or email replies - 
       you see a band where you should aim to keep lines.
       
       Add colorcolumm to your .vimrc
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           set colorcolumn=67
       
       Why it helps writers
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        - Consistency
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       GemText looks best when lines are tidy. 
       A guide gives instant feedback.
       
        - Visual rhythm
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       Without a ruler, your eye wanders. With one, your text looks and 
       feels more intentional.
       
       Flexible
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       You can toggle it on/off quickly with some keybinds:
       
           " set map leader to space
           let mapleader = " "
           "set space + g to show colorcolumn at 67
           nnoremap <leader>g :set colorcolumn=67<CR>
           " disable colorcolumn by setting it at 0
           nnoremap <leader>gh :set colorcolumn=0<CR>
       
       Wrap-ups
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       Vim is a powerful editor, but for Gopher blogs and plain-text 
       writing, small tweaks like colorcolumn make a big difference in 
       comfort and quality.
       
       Happy typing - and if you keep your text within the lines, both 
       you and your readers will thank you!
       
 (DIR)  Back to my phlog