First attempt.

Added functionalities to GistListing function, see README file for details.

Added pasting into current buffer capability. Also enhanced the formatting of the gist listing.

Correcting an error in the previous upload.

Enhanced visualization of gist listing and added yank and insert capabilities.

Updated README to account for changes.

Corrected errors on README.

Corrected errors on README.

Now opening a gist buffer with Enter closes the listing afterwards.

Added documentation to doc/gist-vim.txt, code is now clean for a PR.

Author: Pablo Cobelli

README.md

@@ -1,3 +1,43 @@
+### My modifications
+
+- New mappings on the gist-listing buffer:
+    - Both `o` or `Enter` open the gist file in a new buffer, and close the
+      gist-vim listing one.
+    - `b` opens the gist file in a browser; this is necessary because 
+      `Shift-Enter` (as was originally) only works for GUI vim.
+    - `y` copies the contents of the selected gist to the clipboard, and
+      closes the gist-vim buffer.
+    - `p` pastes the contents of the selected gist to the buffer from where
+      gist-vim was called, and closes the gist-vim buffer.
+    - Hitting `Escape` or `Tab` at the gist-vim buffer closes it.
+- Gist listing has fixed-length columns now, more amenable to eye inspection. 
+  Every line on the gist-listing buffer contains the gist id, name and
+  description, in that order. Columns are now padded and truncated to offer a
+  faster browsing, in the following way:
+  - The gist id string is fixed at 32 characters.
+  - The length (in characters) of the name of the gist is fixed and
+    can be set by the user using, for example:
+
+    `let g:gistvim_namelength = 20`
+
+    The default value for `gistvim_namelength` is 30. If the gist (file)name 
+    exceeds that length, it is truncated to the specified length.
+  - Finally, the gist description is truncated in length to fit the remaining 
+    of the line, avoiding wrapped lines that mess up the table layout.
+  - Note that the gist listing buffer now does not show the field 'code' 
+    (not sure what that did in the first place).
+
+- Now the listing is complete (no need to select 'more' to see the following
+  gists on the list), in this way the user can later perform a search (using vim's `/`,
+  for instance) for the sought gist by name, description, etc. 
+- The first line on the gist-listing states the number of gists listed and the
+  user whose gists are being listed.
+- The height of the gist-listing buffer is now determined in the following way.
+  If the number of gists listed equals or exceeds 10, then the height is fixed at 10. If
+  it is smaller than 10, then the height is adjusted so that there are no empty
+  lines displayed on the buffer. Note: right now this value (10) is fixed; I'm
+  going to change it to a global plugin variable that defaults to 10. 
+
 ### Gist.vim
 
 This is a vimscript for creating gists (http://gist.github.com).

autoload/gist.vim

@@ -132,12 +132,23 @@ function! s:format_gist(gist) abort
   else
     let code = ''
   endif
-  let desc = type(a:gist.description)==0 || a:gist.description ==# '' ? '' : '('.a:gist.description.')'
+  let desc = type(a:gist.description)==0 || a:gist.description ==# '' ? '' : a:gist.description
   let name = substitute(name, '[\r\n\t]', ' ', 'g')
   let name = substitute(name, '  ', ' ', 'g')
   let desc = substitute(desc, '[\r\n\t]', ' ', 'g')
   let desc = substitute(desc, '  ', ' ', 'g')
-  return printf('gist: %s %s %s%s', a:gist.id, name, desc, code)
+  " return printf('gist: %-32s %s %s%s', a:gist.id, name, desc, code)
+  " Display a nice formatted (and truncated if needed) table of gists on screen
+  " Calculate field lengths for gist-listing formatting on screen
+  redir =>a |exe "sil sign place buffer=".bufnr('')|redir end
+  let signlist = split(a, '\n')
+  let width = winwidth(0) - ((&number||&relativenumber) ? &numberwidth : 0) - &foldcolumn - (len(signlist) > 2 ? 2 : 0)
+  let s:gistlen = 33
+  if !exists("g:gist_namelength")
+      let g:gist_namelength=30
+  endif
+  let s:desclen = width-(s:gistlen+g:gist_namelength+10)
+  return printf('gist: %-*s %-*s %-*s', s:gistlen, a:gist.id, g:gist_namelength+1, strpart(name, 0, g:gist_namelength), s:desclen+1, strpart(desc, 0, s:desclen))
 endfunction
 
 " Note: A colon in the file name has side effects on Windows due to NTFS Alternate Data Streams; avoid it.
@@ -206,17 +217,38 @@ function! s:GistList(gistls, page) abort
   let lines = map(filter(content, '!empty(v:val.files)'), 's:format_gist(v:val)')
   call setline(1, split(join(lines, "\n"), "\n"))
 
-  $put='more...'
+  let numlines = line('$')
+  if numlines > 1
+      let plural='s'
+  else
+      let plural=''
+  endif
+  " $put='more...'.line('$').' gist'.plural.' shown.'
+  call append(0, '      '.a:gistls.': '.numlines.' gist'.plural) 
+  
+  if numlines+1 > 11
+      let listheight = 11
+  else
+      let listheight = numlines+1
+  endif
+  execute 'resize ' . listheight 
 
   let b:gistls = a:gistls
   let b:page = a:page
   setlocal buftype=nofile bufhidden=hide noswapfile
+  setlocal cursorline
   setlocal nomodified
   setlocal nomodifiable
-  syntax match SpecialKey /^gist:/he=e-1
+  syntax match SpecialKey /^gist:/he=e
   syntax match Title /^gist: \S\+/hs=s+5 contains=ALL
   nnoremap <silent> <buffer> <cr> :call <SID>GistListAction(0)<cr>
-  nnoremap <silent> <buffer> <s-cr> :call <SID>GistListAction(1)<cr>
+  nnoremap <silent> <buffer> o :call <SID>GistListAction(0)<cr>
+  nnoremap <silent> <buffer> b :call <SID>GistListAction(1)<cr> 
+  nnoremap <silent> <buffer> y :call <SID>GistListAction(2)<cr>
+  nnoremap <silent> <buffer> p :call <SID>GistListAction(3)<cr> 
+  nnoremap <silent> <buffer> <esc> :bw<cr>
+  " Next line (in original code) only works on GUI VIM
+  nnoremap <silent> <buffer> <s-cr> :call <SID>GistListAction(1)<cr> 
 
   cal cursor(1+len(oldlines),1)
   nohlsearch
@@ -401,6 +433,7 @@ function! s:GistGet(gistid, clipboard) abort
               endif
             else
               silent only!
+              " exec 'silent noautocmd edit'
               if get(g:, 'gist_list_vsplit', 0)
                 exec 'silent noautocmd rightbelow vnew'
               else
@@ -437,7 +470,8 @@ function! s:GistGet(gistid, clipboard) abort
         return
       endtry
       let &undolevels = old_undolevels
-      setlocal buftype=acwrite bufhidden=delete noswapfile
+      " setlocal buftype=acwrite bufhidden=delete noswapfile
+      setlocal buftype=acwrite bufhidden=hide noswapfile
       setlocal nomodified
       doau StdinReadPost,BufRead,BufReadPost
       let gist_detect_filetype = get(g:, 'gist_detect_filetype', 0)
@@ -471,10 +505,22 @@ function! s:GistListAction(shift) abort
   let mx = '^gist:\s*\zs\(\w\+\)\ze.*'
   if line =~# mx
     let gistid = matchstr(line, mx)
-    if a:shift
+    if a:shift == 1
       call s:open_browser('https://gist.github.com/' . gistid)
-    else
+    elseif a:shift == 0
       call s:GistGet(gistid, 0)
+      wincmd w
+      " bdelete
+      bw
+    elseif a:shift == 2 
+      call s:GistGet(gistid, 1)
+      bdelete
+      bdelete
+    elseif a:shift == 3
+      call s:GistGet(gistid, 1)
+      bdelete
+      bdelete
+      normal! "+p
     endif
     return
   endif

doc/gist-vim.txt

@@ -116,7 +116,21 @@ USAGE                                                 *:Gist* *gist-vim-usage*
 >
     :Gist -ls
     :Gist --liststar
-<
+
+- While the gist list is visible, the following mappings apply:
+
+  - 'o' or 'Enter' will open the selected gist file in a new buffer
+    and close the gist-vim listing split.
+  - 'b' will open the selected gist file in a browser. If you are in
+    GUI vim you can also achieve this by pressing 'Shift-Enter'.
+  - 'y' will copy the contents of the selected gist to the clipboard,
+    and close the gist-vim listing split.
+  - 'p' will (copy and) paste the contents of the selected gist to the
+    buffer from which gist-vim was called, and close the gist-vim 
+    listing split.
+  - 'Esc' will close the gist-vim listing split without performing any
+    further action.
+
 - Open the gist on browser after you post or update it.
 >
     :Gist -b
@@ -201,7 +215,19 @@ If you want to update a gist, embed >
 in your local file, then call >
 
     :Gist
->
+
+The gist-vim listing split lists gists ids, names (filenames) as well as
+their description. This is done following a table layout, with fixed space
+for each column. For offering quick browsing, gist-vim will truncate all
+output exceeding the available horizontal space, assuring that every gist
+listed only takes one line on the table. Although the gist id field width is
+fixed internally, the user can define the length of the (file)name field on
+the gist-vim listing. This can be done by the following declaration:
+
+    let g:gist_namelength = 20
+
+Note that the default value for gist_namelength is 30. Again, if the gist
+(file)name exceeds the specified number of characters, it will be truncated.
 
 If you want to update a gist when only |:w!|: >