Better syntax highlighting for Java in Vim?

It seems there simply isn't a rich syntax file out there.

But we can squeeze a little bit more out of the bundled syntax file we have:

let java_highlight_functions = 1
let java_highlight_all = 1
" If you are trying this at runtime, you need to reload the syntax file
set filetype=java

" Some more highlights, in addition to those suggested by cmcginty
highlight link javaScopeDecl Statement
highlight link javaType Type
highlight link javaDocTags PreProc

The first trick came from here.

If someone ever makes a richer Java syntax file, we should add it to vim-polyglot!

Have a look at the cSyntaxAfter plugin. It highlights operators et cetera.

Another option is to edit the syntax/java.vim script and add highlighting for the Operator group. Have a look at syntax/pascal.vim as an example.

It you want to use italics for class names, that should be possible if the java syntax file recognizes them as a group, and I think it does. It seems that class names are in the JavaTypedef group.

You would then have to define a new highlight for that group. That would mean removing the line

JavaHiLink javaTypedef                Typedef

from the syntax file, and adding a new one. Below I'm re-using the hightlight declaration for Type, which is what Typedef is linked to. I changed the term from underline to italic.

You should put the following in yout java.vim syntax file.

hi javaTypedef term=italic cterm=NONE ctermfg=LightGreen ctermbg=NONE gui=bold guifg=#60ff60 guibg=NONE