Vim YouCompleteMe configuration

I have installed with pathogen. I tried the above instructions with ./install.sh --clang-complete. After this, it did not work, and I indeed had to add the path. But it was different than in another reply here, namely

let g:ycm_global_ycm_extra_conf = '.vim/bundle/YouCompleteMe/third_party/ycmd/cpp/ycm/.ycm_extra_conf.py'

so there is an extra "third_party/ycmd" in the path.


While the suggestions here might work in the beginning, I am not sure it's the proper way to go. According to YCM developer, whenever you start a project, you need a new .ycm_extra_conf.py file

From https://valloric.github.io/YouCompleteMe/#ubuntu-linux-x64-super-quick-installation

YCM looks for a .ycm_extra_conf.py file in the directory of the opened file or in any directory above it in the hierarchy (recursively); when the file is found, it is loaded (only once!) as a Python module. YCM calls a FlagsForFile method in that module which should provide it with the information necessary to compile the current file. You can also provide a path to a global .ycm_extra_conf.py file, which will be used as a fallback. To prevent the execution of malicious code from a file you didn't write YCM will ask you once per .ycm_extra_conf.py if it is safe to load. This can be disabled and you can white-/blacklist files. See the Options section for more details.

While you might only need to modify the compile flags from the vanilla .ycm_extra_conf.py, I feel it is advisable to create a new file for every project you start.


You need to navigate to ~/.vim/bundles/YouCompleteMe and run the installation script with --clang-completer, so do ./install.sh --clang-completer. After it finishes you should have support for C like languages.

You may also need to place let g:ycm_global_ycm_extra_conf = '~/.vim/bundle/YouCompleteMe/cpp/ycm/.ycm_extra_conf.py' in your ~/.vimrc.