How to use VIM to edit tabular data (tables)? Specifically, BIND (named) DNS db files

binddomain-name-systemvim

I'm usually a purist when it comes to vimming. I don't like remapping keys, or learning to rely on a bunch of plugins. I like to feel just as powerful on foreign boxen as I do on my own dev box. I do, however, believe in syntax files. Even though the solution may not be a syntax file (bindzone.vim is what I use), I want it bad enough to do whatever.

I regularly view or edit tab (or comma, but that would be a bonus) delimited data. I hate having to set my tabstop to some ridiculous number in order to have everything line up. Example: The BIND zone files are ~40+,6,2,5,15+. So, even though I could view them on a single screen, if I set ts=40, I cannot. I have been searching for a "dynamic tab size" solution for years, but no luck.

I hate that my only good way of editing or even visualizing tabular data is to scp it to my work station and open it in Open Office. There has to be a better way.

Best Answer

How about changing to spaces instead of tabs, and just using R (instead of i) to do your edits? That way you won't re-align anything (except for at first when you re-space everything).

Related Solutions

BIND/Named: disabled recursion, client to use alternative servers

Thanks Alnitak, duffbeer703, John Gardeniers, all very good feedback.

The solution I have used for my problem is to use launchd to detect the changes in /etc/resolv.conf, and then update the forwarders list.

By creating the file:

/Library/LaunchDaemons/myname.update.plist

With the contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN"
   "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Disabled</key>
    <false/>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>myname.update</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>[PATH]/update.sh</string>
    </array>
    <key>WatchPaths</key>
    <array>
        <string>/var/run/resolv.conf</string>
    </array>
</dict>
</plist>

And loading this with:

launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/myname.update.plist
launchctl start myname.update

A script at:

[PATH]/update.sh

Can run something like:

DST="/var/named/forwarders.conf";

echo "forwarders {" > $DST

cat /etc/resolv.conf | \
    grep -v -E "(127.0.0.1|localhost)" | \
    awk '{ sub("^nameserver ", "\t"); sub("$", ";"); print }' >> $DST

echo "};" >> $DST

And then in the named config, it can use it with:

options {
    directory "[PATH]/conf/";
    listen-on { 127.0.0.1; [IP_ADDRESS_HOST]; };
    include "/var/named/forwarders.conf";
    forward only;
};

If you want to see or use the full implementation, go to my BIND setup page and use the download form... it creates a ZIP package with a single install script, so hopefully it is quite simple to setup and use.

Windows – Export Windows Reverse DNS Records into Bind files

You could use the DNSCMD utility from the Windows Support Tools to export the zones using the /ZoneExport parameter. The export is a little quirky, because it exports to the %windir%\system32\dns directory on the server hosting the zones.

I'm not certain the format is exactly BIND format, but it's close. You could get it the rest of the way with a script fairly easily.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

BIND/Named: disabled recursion, client to use alternative servers

Windows – Export Windows Reverse DNS Records into Bind files

Related Topic