What is the best way to insert a snippet of code in spacemacs

Question

I have a function which basically inserts function () {}; but properly indented and the cursor positioned appropriately:

(defun insert-function-js ()
  (insert "function () {
};"))

(define-key evil-normal-state-map (kbd "SPC dg")
  (lambda ()
    (interactive)
    (call-interactively 'evil-insert)
    (insert-function-js)
    (evil-force-normal-state)
    (call-interactively 'evil-visual-char)
    (call-interactively 'evil-previous-line)
    (call-interactively 'indent-region)
    (call-interactively 'evil-open-below)))

This seems very cumbersome. I would guess there is a better way to write this functionality! One that better leverages elisp's capabilities.

Thanks for the help!

Answer 1

As an answer to your first question, you could use yasnippet and a snippet based on the function-snippet provided with Spacemacs [1] to do this for you:

# -*- mode: snippet; require-final-newline: nil -*-
# name: my-function
# key: fn 
# --
function () {
         $0
};

If you put this snippet in a new file in ~/.emacs.d/private/snippets/, you can expand it by typing fn and then pressing M-/ [2]. If yas-indent-line is set to 'auto (which it is by default in Spacemacs), then the function should be indented correctly, and the $0 in the snippet puts your cursor in that position after insertion.

The yasnippet-expansion forms a single undo-action.

---

[1] The default function-snippet can be found in ~/.emacs.d/elpa/yasnippet-<VERSION>/snippets/js-mode

[2] using the default Spacemacs bindings, this calls hippie-expand, which in turn calls yas-expand.