How to set a VimScript to be executed last?

Question

Problem

A setting in my vimrc (set noshowmode) is being overridden by a plugin later in the loading process.

Goal

Have a VimScript file be executed last (or at least after plugins).

What I Know

Plugin VimScripts are executed after the vimrc (Source).
The after-directory is run close to last and holds user overrides (Source: :h after-directory).
Vim's runtimepath determines the order of what is run.

Failed Attempts

I tried appending a VimScript file (containing set noshowmode) to the end of $VIMRUNTIME with set runtimepath=$VIMRUNTIME,~/.vim/nosmd.vim, but this method ended up messing up other plugins (namely vim-airline, which did not load).
I also tried creating the ~/.vim/after directory and putting my VimScript in there, but this had no effect.

Is it really overwritten by a plugin? Or is it a ftplugin, or an autoload plugin, or something else (mapping/abbreviation/autocommand)? — Luc Hermitte, May 31 '17 at 16:30
@LucHermitte I haven't put anything in the `ftplugin` directory, and the few autoloads that I have worked nicely. — bobthetoad, May 31 '17 at 17:38

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 01 '17 at 07:28

Your attempts

set runtimepath=$VIMRUNTIME,~/.vim/nosmd.vim

That cannot work. 'runtimepath' contains a list of root configuration directories; you cannot directly place script files in there. Instead, point to a directory that contains plugin/yours.vim.

I also tried creating the ~/.vim/after directory and putting my VimScript in there, but this had no effect.

You can check with :scriptnames to see whether your script was executed (and at the end of the plugin load sequence!)

Solutions

An ounce of prevention is better than any workaround. I would first try to locate the culprit who changes the 'showmode' option; a plugin shouldn't do this (or at least have a configurable option to disable it).

:verbose set showmode?

might already tell you who changed this setting.

As @romainl already commented, ~/.vim/after/plugin/myplugin.vim should work for undoing this. If it doesn't try the following autocmd (in your ~/.vimrc) as a last resort:

autocmd VimEnter * set noshowmode