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Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +02001*autocmd.txt* For Vim version 7.3. Last change: 2012 Sep 05
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Automatic commands *autocommand*
8
9For a basic explanation, see section |40.3| in the user manual.
10
111. Introduction |autocmd-intro|
122. Defining autocommands |autocmd-define|
133. Removing autocommands |autocmd-remove|
144. Listing autocommands |autocmd-list|
155. Events |autocmd-events|
166. Patterns |autocmd-patterns|
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000177. Buffer-local autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|
188. Groups |autocmd-groups|
199. Executing autocommands |autocmd-execute|
2010. Using autocommands |autocmd-use|
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00002111. Disabling autocommands |autocmd-disable|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000022
23{Vi does not have any of these commands}
24{only when the |+autocmd| feature has not been disabled at compile time}
25
26==============================================================================
271. Introduction *autocmd-intro*
28
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +000029You can specify commands to be executed automatically when reading or writing
30a file, when entering or leaving a buffer or window, and when exiting Vim.
31For example, you can create an autocommand to set the 'cindent' option for
32files matching *.c. You can also use autocommands to implement advanced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000033features, such as editing compressed files (see |gzip-example|). The usual
34place to put autocommands is in your .vimrc or .exrc file.
35
Bram Moolenaardb7207e2012-02-22 17:30:19 +010036 *E203* *E204* *E143* *E855*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000037WARNING: Using autocommands is very powerful, and may lead to unexpected side
38effects. Be careful not to destroy your text.
39- It's a good idea to do some testing on an expendable copy of a file first.
40 For example: If you use autocommands to decompress a file when starting to
41 edit it, make sure that the autocommands for compressing when writing work
42 correctly.
43- Be prepared for an error halfway through (e.g., disk full). Vim will mostly
44 be able to undo the changes to the buffer, but you may have to clean up the
45 changes to other files by hand (e.g., compress a file that has been
46 decompressed).
47- If the BufRead* events allow you to edit a compressed file, the FileRead*
48 events should do the same (this makes recovery possible in some rare cases).
49 It's a good idea to use the same autocommands for the File* and Buf* events
50 when possible.
51
52==============================================================================
532. Defining autocommands *autocmd-define*
54
55Note: The ":autocmd" command cannot be followed by another command, since any
56'|' is considered part of the command.
57
58 *:au* *:autocmd*
59:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
60 Add {cmd} to the list of commands that Vim will
61 execute automatically on {event} for a file matching
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +010062 {pat} |autocmd-patterns|.
63 Vim always adds the {cmd} after existing autocommands,
64 so that the autocommands execute in the order in which
65 they were given. See |autocmd-nested| for [nested].
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000066
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000067The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> defines a buffer-local autocommand.
68See |autocmd-buflocal|.
69
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000070Note that special characters (e.g., "%", "<cword>") in the ":autocmd"
71arguments are not expanded when the autocommand is defined. These will be
72expanded when the Event is recognized, and the {cmd} is executed. The only
73exception is that "<sfile>" is expanded when the autocmd is defined. Example:
74>
75 :au BufNewFile,BufRead *.html so <sfile>:h/html.vim
76
77Here Vim expands <sfile> to the name of the file containing this line.
78
79When your .vimrc file is sourced twice, the autocommands will appear twice.
80To avoid this, put this command in your .vimrc file, before defining
81autocommands: >
82
83 :autocmd! " Remove ALL autocommands for the current group.
84
85If you don't want to remove all autocommands, you can instead use a variable
86to ensure that Vim includes the autocommands only once: >
87
88 :if !exists("autocommands_loaded")
89 : let autocommands_loaded = 1
90 : au ...
91 :endif
92
93When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
94with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group]. Note
95that [group] must have been defined before. You cannot define a new group
96with ":au group ..."; use ":augroup" for that.
97
98While testing autocommands, you might find the 'verbose' option to be useful: >
99 :set verbose=9
100This setting makes Vim echo the autocommands as it executes them.
101
102When defining an autocommand in a script, it will be able to call functions
103local to the script and use mappings local to the script. When the event is
104triggered and the command executed, it will run in the context of the script
105it was defined in. This matters if |<SID>| is used in a command.
106
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000107When executing the commands, the message from one command overwrites a
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000108previous message. This is different from when executing the commands
109manually. Mostly the screen will not scroll up, thus there is no hit-enter
110prompt. When one command outputs two messages this can happen anyway.
111
112==============================================================================
1133. Removing autocommands *autocmd-remove*
114
115:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
116 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
117 {pat}, and add the command {cmd}. See
118 |autocmd-nested| for [nested].
119
120:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat}
121 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
122 {pat}.
123
124:au[tocmd]! [group] * {pat}
125 Remove all autocommands associated with {pat} for all
126 events.
127
128:au[tocmd]! [group] {event}
129 Remove ALL autocommands for {event}.
130
131:au[tocmd]! [group] Remove ALL autocommands.
132
133When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
134with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group].
135
136==============================================================================
1374. Listing autocommands *autocmd-list*
138
139:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat}
140 Show the autocommands associated with {event} and
141 {pat}.
142
143:au[tocmd] [group] * {pat}
144 Show the autocommands associated with {pat} for all
145 events.
146
147:au[tocmd] [group] {event}
148 Show all autocommands for {event}.
149
150:au[tocmd] [group] Show all autocommands.
151
152If you provide the [group] argument, Vim lists only the autocommands for
153[group]; otherwise, Vim lists the autocommands for ALL groups. Note that this
154argument behavior differs from that for defining and removing autocommands.
155
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000156In order to list buffer-local autocommands, use a pattern in the form <buffer>
157or <buffer=N>. See |autocmd-buflocal|.
158
Bram Moolenaarac6e65f2005-08-29 22:25:38 +0000159 *:autocmd-verbose*
160When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing an autocommand will also display where it
161was last defined. Example: >
162
163 :verbose autocmd BufEnter
164 FileExplorer BufEnter
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000165 * call s:LocalBrowse(expand("<amatch>"))
Bram Moolenaarac6e65f2005-08-29 22:25:38 +0000166 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/plugin/NetrwPlugin.vim
167<
168See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
169
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000170==============================================================================
1715. Events *autocmd-events* *E215* *E216*
172
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000173You can specify a comma-separated list of event names. No white space can be
174used in this list. The command applies to all the events in the list.
175
176For READING FILES there are four kinds of events possible:
177 BufNewFile starting to edit a non-existent file
178 BufReadPre BufReadPost starting to edit an existing file
179 FilterReadPre FilterReadPost read the temp file with filter output
180 FileReadPre FileReadPost any other file read
181Vim uses only one of these four kinds when reading a file. The "Pre" and
182"Post" events are both triggered, before and after reading the file.
183
184Note that the autocommands for the *ReadPre events and all the Filter events
185are not allowed to change the current buffer (you will get an error message if
186this happens). This is to prevent the file to be read into the wrong buffer.
187
188Note that the 'modified' flag is reset AFTER executing the BufReadPost
189and BufNewFile autocommands. But when the 'modified' option was set by the
190autocommands, this doesn't happen.
191
192You can use the 'eventignore' option to ignore a number of events or all
193events.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000194 *autocommand-events* *{event}*
195Vim recognizes the following events. Vim ignores the case of event names
196(e.g., you can use "BUFread" or "bufread" instead of "BufRead").
197
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000198First an overview by function with a short explanation. Then the list
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +0000199alphabetically with full explanations |autocmd-events-abc|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000200
201Name triggered by ~
202
203 Reading
204|BufNewFile| starting to edit a file that doesn't exist
205|BufReadPre| starting to edit a new buffer, before reading the file
206|BufRead| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
207|BufReadPost| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
208|BufReadCmd| before starting to edit a new buffer |Cmd-event|
209
210|FileReadPre| before reading a file with a ":read" command
211|FileReadPost| after reading a file with a ":read" command
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +0000212|FileReadCmd| before reading a file with a ":read" command |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000213
214|FilterReadPre| before reading a file from a filter command
215|FilterReadPost| after reading a file from a filter command
216
217|StdinReadPre| before reading from stdin into the buffer
218|StdinReadPost| After reading from the stdin into the buffer
219
220 Writing
221|BufWrite| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
222|BufWritePre| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
223|BufWritePost| after writing the whole buffer to a file
224|BufWriteCmd| before writing the whole buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
225
226|FileWritePre| starting to write part of a buffer to a file
227|FileWritePost| after writing part of a buffer to a file
228|FileWriteCmd| before writing part of a buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
229
230|FileAppendPre| starting to append to a file
231|FileAppendPost| after appending to a file
232|FileAppendCmd| before appending to a file |Cmd-event|
233
234|FilterWritePre| starting to write a file for a filter command or diff
235|FilterWritePost| after writing a file for a filter command or diff
236
237 Buffers
238|BufAdd| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
239|BufCreate| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
240|BufDelete| before deleting a buffer from the buffer list
241|BufWipeout| before completely deleting a buffer
242
243|BufFilePre| before changing the name of the current buffer
244|BufFilePost| after changing the name of the current buffer
245
246|BufEnter| after entering a buffer
247|BufLeave| before leaving to another buffer
248|BufWinEnter| after a buffer is displayed in a window
249|BufWinLeave| before a buffer is removed from a window
250
251|BufUnload| before unloading a buffer
252|BufHidden| just after a buffer has become hidden
253|BufNew| just after creating a new buffer
254
255|SwapExists| detected an existing swap file
256
257 Options
258|FileType| when the 'filetype' option has been set
259|Syntax| when the 'syntax' option has been set
260|EncodingChanged| after the 'encoding' option has been changed
261|TermChanged| after the value of 'term' has changed
262
263 Startup and exit
264|VimEnter| after doing all the startup stuff
265|GUIEnter| after starting the GUI successfully
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +0200266|GUIFailed| after starting the GUI failed
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000267|TermResponse| after the terminal response to |t_RV| is received
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000268
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +0200269|QuitPre| when using `:quit`, before deciding whether to quit
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000270|VimLeavePre| before exiting Vim, before writing the viminfo file
271|VimLeave| before exiting Vim, after writing the viminfo file
272
273 Various
274|FileChangedShell| Vim notices that a file changed since editing started
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000275|FileChangedShellPost| After handling a file changed since editing started
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000276|FileChangedRO| before making the first change to a read-only file
277
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +0000278|ShellCmdPost| after executing a shell command
279|ShellFilterPost| after filtering with a shell command
280
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000281|FuncUndefined| a user function is used but it isn't defined
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000282|SpellFileMissing| a spell file is used but it can't be found
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +0000283|SourcePre| before sourcing a Vim script
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000284|SourceCmd| before sourcing a Vim script |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000285
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000286|VimResized| after the Vim window size changed
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000287|FocusGained| Vim got input focus
288|FocusLost| Vim lost input focus
289|CursorHold| the user doesn't press a key for a while
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000290|CursorHoldI| the user doesn't press a key for a while in Insert mode
291|CursorMoved| the cursor was moved in Normal mode
292|CursorMovedI| the cursor was moved in Insert mode
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000293
294|WinEnter| after entering another window
295|WinLeave| before leaving a window
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000296|TabEnter| after entering another tab page
297|TabLeave| before leaving a tab page
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000298|CmdwinEnter| after entering the command-line window
299|CmdwinLeave| before leaving the command-line window
300
301|InsertEnter| starting Insert mode
302|InsertChange| when typing <Insert> while in Insert or Replace mode
303|InsertLeave| when leaving Insert mode
Bram Moolenaare659c952011-05-19 17:25:41 +0200304|InsertCharPre| when a character was typed in Insert mode, before
305 inserting it
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000306
307|ColorScheme| after loading a color scheme
308
309|RemoteReply| a reply from a server Vim was received
310
311|QuickFixCmdPre| before a quickfix command is run
312|QuickFixCmdPost| after a quickfix command is run
313
314|SessionLoadPost| after loading a session file
315
316|MenuPopup| just before showing the popup menu
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +0200317|CompleteDone| after Insert mode completion is done
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000318
319|User| to be used in combination with ":doautocmd"
320
321
322The alphabetical list of autocommand events: *autocmd-events-abc*
323
324 *BufCreate* *BufAdd*
325BufAdd or BufCreate Just after creating a new buffer which is
326 added to the buffer list, or adding a buffer
327 to the buffer list.
328 Also used just after a buffer in the buffer
329 list has been renamed.
330 The BufCreate event is for historic reasons.
331 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
332 current buffer "%" may be different from the
333 buffer being created "<afile>".
334 *BufDelete*
335BufDelete Before deleting a buffer from the buffer list.
336 The BufUnload may be called first (if the
337 buffer was loaded).
338 Also used just before a buffer in the buffer
339 list is renamed.
340 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
341 current buffer "%" may be different from the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000342 buffer being deleted "<afile>" and "<abuf>".
Bram Moolenaarb849e712009-06-24 15:51:37 +0000343 Don't change to another buffer, it will cause
344 problems.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000345 *BufEnter*
346BufEnter After entering a buffer. Useful for setting
347 options for a file type. Also executed when
348 starting to edit a buffer, after the
349 BufReadPost autocommands.
350 *BufFilePost*
351BufFilePost After changing the name of the current buffer
352 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000353 *BufFilePre*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000354BufFilePre Before changing the name of the current buffer
355 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
356 *BufHidden*
357BufHidden Just after a buffer has become hidden. That
358 is, when there are no longer windows that show
359 the buffer, but the buffer is not unloaded or
360 deleted. Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when
361 exiting Vim.
362 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
363 current buffer "%" may be different from the
364 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
365 *BufLeave*
366BufLeave Before leaving to another buffer. Also when
367 leaving or closing the current window and the
368 new current window is not for the same buffer.
369 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
370 *BufNew*
371BufNew Just after creating a new buffer. Also used
372 just after a buffer has been renamed. When
373 the buffer is added to the buffer list BufAdd
374 will be triggered too.
375 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
376 current buffer "%" may be different from the
377 buffer being created "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000378 *BufNewFile*
379BufNewFile When starting to edit a file that doesn't
380 exist. Can be used to read in a skeleton
381 file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000382 *BufRead* *BufReadPost*
383BufRead or BufReadPost When starting to edit a new buffer, after
384 reading the file into the buffer, before
385 executing the modelines. See |BufWinEnter|
386 for when you need to do something after
387 processing the modelines.
388 This does NOT work for ":r file". Not used
389 when the file doesn't exist. Also used after
390 successfully recovering a file.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +0200391 Also triggered for the filetypedetect group
392 when executing ":filetype detect" and when
393 writing an unnamed buffer in a way that the
394 buffer gets a name.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000395 *BufReadCmd*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000396BufReadCmd Before starting to edit a new buffer. Should
397 read the file into the buffer. |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000398 *BufReadPre* *E200* *E201*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000399BufReadPre When starting to edit a new buffer, before
400 reading the file into the buffer. Not used
401 if the file doesn't exist.
402 *BufUnload*
403BufUnload Before unloading a buffer. This is when the
404 text in the buffer is going to be freed. This
405 may be after a BufWritePost and before a
406 BufDelete. Also used for all buffers that are
407 loaded when Vim is going to exit.
408 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
409 current buffer "%" may be different from the
410 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaarb849e712009-06-24 15:51:37 +0000411 Don't change to another buffer, it will cause
412 problems.
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +0200413 When exiting and v:dying is 2 or more this
414 event is not triggered.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000415 *BufWinEnter*
416BufWinEnter After a buffer is displayed in a window. This
417 can be when the buffer is loaded (after
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000418 processing the modelines) or when a hidden
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000419 buffer is displayed in a window (and is no
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000420 longer hidden).
421 Does not happen for |:split| without
422 arguments, since you keep editing the same
423 buffer, or ":split" with a file that's already
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +0000424 open in a window, because it re-uses an
425 existing buffer. But it does happen for a
426 ":split" with the name of the current buffer,
427 since it reloads that buffer.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000428 *BufWinLeave*
429BufWinLeave Before a buffer is removed from a window.
430 Not when it's still visible in another window.
431 Also triggered when exiting. It's triggered
432 before BufUnload or BufHidden.
433 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
434 current buffer "%" may be different from the
435 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +0200436 When exiting and v:dying is 2 or more this
437 event is not triggered.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000438 *BufWipeout*
439BufWipeout Before completely deleting a buffer. The
440 BufUnload and BufDelete events may be called
441 first (if the buffer was loaded and was in the
442 buffer list). Also used just before a buffer
443 is renamed (also when it's not in the buffer
444 list).
445 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
446 current buffer "%" may be different from the
447 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaarb849e712009-06-24 15:51:37 +0000448 Don't change to another buffer, it will cause
449 problems.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000450 *BufWrite* *BufWritePre*
451BufWrite or BufWritePre Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000452 *BufWriteCmd*
453BufWriteCmd Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
454 Should do the writing of the file and reset
Bram Moolenaar1cd871b2004-12-19 22:46:22 +0000455 'modified' if successful, unless '+' is in
456 'cpo' and writing to another file |cpo-+|.
457 The buffer contents should not be changed.
Bram Moolenaar5302d9e2011-09-14 17:55:08 +0200458 When the command resets 'modified' the undo
459 information is adjusted to mark older undo
460 states as 'modified', like |:write| does.
Bram Moolenaar1cd871b2004-12-19 22:46:22 +0000461 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000462 *BufWritePost*
463BufWritePost After writing the whole buffer to a file
464 (should undo the commands for BufWritePre).
465 *CmdwinEnter*
466CmdwinEnter After entering the command-line window.
467 Useful for setting options specifically for
468 this special type of window. This is
469 triggered _instead_ of BufEnter and WinEnter.
470 <afile> is set to a single character,
471 indicating the type of command-line.
472 |cmdwin-char|
473 *CmdwinLeave*
474CmdwinLeave Before leaving the command-line window.
475 Useful to clean up any global setting done
476 with CmdwinEnter. This is triggered _instead_
477 of BufLeave and WinLeave.
478 <afile> is set to a single character,
479 indicating the type of command-line.
480 |cmdwin-char|
481 *ColorScheme*
482ColorScheme After loading a color scheme. |:colorscheme|
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000483
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +0200484 *CompleteDone*
485CompleteDone After Insert mode completion is done. Either
486 when something was completed or abandoning
487 completion. |ins-completion|
488
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000489 *CursorHold*
490CursorHold When the user doesn't press a key for the time
491 specified with 'updatetime'. Not re-triggered
492 until the user has pressed a key (i.e. doesn't
493 fire every 'updatetime' ms if you leave Vim to
494 make some coffee. :) See |CursorHold-example|
495 for previewing tags.
496 This event is only triggered in Normal mode.
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000497 It is not triggered when waiting for a command
498 argument to be typed, or a movement after an
499 operator.
Bram Moolenaare3226be2005-12-18 22:10:00 +0000500 While recording the CursorHold event is not
501 triggered. |q|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000502 Note: Interactive commands cannot be used for
503 this event. There is no hit-enter prompt,
504 the screen is updated directly (when needed).
505 Note: In the future there will probably be
506 another option to set the time.
507 Hint: to force an update of the status lines
508 use: >
509 :let &ro = &ro
510< {only on Amiga, Unix, Win32, MSDOS and all GUI
511 versions}
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000512 *CursorHoldI*
513CursorHoldI Just like CursorHold, but in Insert mode.
514
515 *CursorMoved*
516CursorMoved After the cursor was moved in Normal mode.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +0000517 Also when the text of the cursor line has been
518 changed, e.g., with "x", "rx" or "p".
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000519 Not triggered when there is typeahead or when
520 an operator is pending.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +0000521 For an example see |match-parens|.
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000522 Careful: Don't do anything that the user does
523 not expect or that is slow.
524 *CursorMovedI*
525CursorMovedI After the cursor was moved in Insert mode.
Bram Moolenaar5302d9e2011-09-14 17:55:08 +0200526 Not triggered when the popup menu is visible.
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000527 Otherwise the same as CursorMoved.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000528 *EncodingChanged*
529EncodingChanged Fires off after the 'encoding' option has been
530 changed. Useful to set up fonts, for example.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000531 *FileAppendCmd*
532FileAppendCmd Before appending to a file. Should do the
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000533 appending to the file. Use the '[ and ']
534 marks for the range of lines.|Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000535 *FileAppendPost*
536FileAppendPost After appending to a file.
537 *FileAppendPre*
538FileAppendPre Before appending to a file. Use the '[ and ']
539 marks for the range of lines.
540 *FileChangedRO*
541FileChangedRO Before making the first change to a read-only
542 file. Can be used to check-out the file from
543 a source control system. Not triggered when
544 the change was caused by an autocommand.
545 This event is triggered when making the first
546 change in a buffer or the first change after
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000547 'readonly' was set, just before the change is
548 applied to the text.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000549 WARNING: If the autocommand moves the cursor
550 the effect of the change is undefined.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000551 *E788*
552 It is not allowed to change to another buffer
553 here. You can reload the buffer but not edit
554 another one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000555 *FileChangedShell*
556FileChangedShell When Vim notices that the modification time of
557 a file has changed since editing started.
558 Also when the file attributes of the file
559 change. |timestamp|
560 Mostly triggered after executing a shell
561 command, but also with a |:checktime| command
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000562 or when Gvim regains input focus.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000563 This autocommand is triggered for each changed
564 file. It is not used when 'autoread' is set
565 and the buffer was not changed. If a
566 FileChangedShell autocommand is present the
567 warning message and prompt is not given.
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000568 The |v:fcs_reason| variable is set to indicate
569 what happened and |v:fcs_choice| can be used
570 to tell Vim what to do next.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000571 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
572 current buffer "%" may be different from the
573 buffer that was changed "<afile>".
574 NOTE: The commands must not change the current
575 buffer, jump to another buffer or delete a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100576 buffer. *E246* *E811*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000577 NOTE: This event never nests, to avoid an
578 endless loop. This means that while executing
579 commands for the FileChangedShell event no
580 other FileChangedShell event will be
581 triggered.
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000582 *FileChangedShellPost*
583FileChangedShellPost After handling a file that was changed outside
584 of Vim. Can be used to update the statusline.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000585 *FileEncoding*
586FileEncoding Obsolete. It still works and is equivalent
587 to |EncodingChanged|.
588 *FileReadCmd*
589FileReadCmd Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
590 Should do the reading of the file. |Cmd-event|
591 *FileReadPost*
592FileReadPost After reading a file with a ":read" command.
593 Note that Vim sets the '[ and '] marks to the
594 first and last line of the read. This can be
595 used to operate on the lines just read.
596 *FileReadPre*
597FileReadPre Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
598 *FileType*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000599FileType When the 'filetype' option has been set. The
600 pattern is matched against the filetype.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000601 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
602 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
603 the new value of 'filetype'.
604 See |filetypes|.
605 *FileWriteCmd*
606FileWriteCmd Before writing to a file, when not writing the
607 whole buffer. Should do the writing to the
608 file. Should not change the buffer. Use the
609 '[ and '] marks for the range of lines.
610 |Cmd-event|
611 *FileWritePost*
612FileWritePost After writing to a file, when not writing the
613 whole buffer.
614 *FileWritePre*
615FileWritePre Before writing to a file, when not writing the
616 whole buffer. Use the '[ and '] marks for the
617 range of lines.
618 *FilterReadPost*
619FilterReadPost After reading a file from a filter command.
620 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
621 the current buffer as with FilterReadPre.
622 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
623 *FilterReadPre* *E135*
624FilterReadPre Before reading a file from a filter command.
625 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
626 the current buffer, not the name of the
627 temporary file that is the output of the
628 filter command.
629 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
630 *FilterWritePost*
631FilterWritePost After writing a file for a filter command or
632 making a diff.
633 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
634 the current buffer as with FilterWritePre.
635 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
636 *FilterWritePre*
637FilterWritePre Before writing a file for a filter command or
638 making a diff.
639 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
640 the current buffer, not the name of the
641 temporary file that is the output of the
642 filter command.
643 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000644 *FocusGained*
645FocusGained When Vim got input focus. Only for the GUI
646 version and a few console versions where this
647 can be detected.
648 *FocusLost*
649FocusLost When Vim lost input focus. Only for the GUI
650 version and a few console versions where this
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000651 can be detected. May also happen when a
652 dialog pops up.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000653 *FuncUndefined*
654FuncUndefined When a user function is used but it isn't
655 defined. Useful for defining a function only
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000656 when it's used. The pattern is matched
657 against the function name. Both <amatch> and
658 <afile> are set to the name of the function.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000659 See |autoload-functions|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000660 *GUIEnter*
661GUIEnter After starting the GUI successfully, and after
662 opening the window. It is triggered before
663 VimEnter when using gvim. Can be used to
664 position the window from a .gvimrc file: >
665 :autocmd GUIEnter * winpos 100 50
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000666< *GUIFailed*
667GUIFailed After starting the GUI failed. Vim may
668 continue to run in the terminal, if possible
669 (only on Unix and alikes, when connecting the
670 X server fails). You may want to quit Vim: >
671 :autocmd GUIFailed * qall
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000672< *InsertChange*
673InsertChange When typing <Insert> while in Insert or
674 Replace mode. The |v:insertmode| variable
675 indicates the new mode.
676 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
677 anything else that the user does not expect.
Bram Moolenaare659c952011-05-19 17:25:41 +0200678 *InsertCharPre*
679InsertCharPre When a character is typed in Insert mode,
680 before inserting the char.
681 The |v:char| variable indicates the char typed
682 and can be changed during the event to insert
683 a different character. When |v:char| is set
684 to more than one character this text is
685 inserted literally.
686 It is not allowed to change the text |textlock|.
687 The event is not triggered when 'paste' is
688 set.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000689 *InsertEnter*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000690InsertEnter Just before starting Insert mode. Also for
691 Replace mode and Virtual Replace mode. The
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000692 |v:insertmode| variable indicates the mode.
693 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
694 anything else that the user does not expect.
695 *InsertLeave*
696InsertLeave When leaving Insert mode. Also when using
697 CTRL-O |i_CTRL-O|. But not for |i_CTRL-C|.
698 *MenuPopup*
699MenuPopup Just before showing the popup menu (under the
700 right mouse button). Useful for adjusting the
701 menu for what is under the cursor or mouse
702 pointer.
703 The pattern is matched against a single
704 character representing the mode:
705 n Normal
706 v Visual
707 o Operator-pending
708 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +0000709 c Command line
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000710 *QuickFixCmdPre*
711QuickFixCmdPre Before a quickfix command is run (|:make|,
Bram Moolenaara6557602006-02-04 22:43:20 +0000712 |:lmake|, |:grep|, |:lgrep|, |:grepadd|,
713 |:lgrepadd|, |:vimgrep|, |:lvimgrep|,
Bram Moolenaar6be7f872012-01-20 21:08:56 +0100714 |:vimgrepadd|, |:lvimgrepadd|, |:cscope|,
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +0100715 |:cfile|, |:cgetfile|, |:caddfile|, |:lfile|,
716 |:lgetfile|, |:laddfile|, |:helpgrep|,
717 |:lhelpgrep|).
Bram Moolenaarf1eeae92010-05-14 23:14:42 +0200718 The pattern is matched against the command
719 being run. When |:grep| is used but 'grepprg'
720 is set to "internal" it still matches "grep".
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000721 This command cannot be used to set the
722 'makeprg' and 'grepprg' variables.
723 If this command causes an error, the quickfix
724 command is not executed.
725 *QuickFixCmdPost*
726QuickFixCmdPost Like QuickFixCmdPre, but after a quickfix
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000727 command is run, before jumping to the first
Bram Moolenaar8ec1f852012-03-07 20:13:49 +0100728 location. For |:cfile| and |:lfile| commands
729 it is run after error file is read and before
730 moving to the first error.
731 See |QuickFixCmdPost-example|.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +0200732 *QuitPre*
733QuitPre When using `:quit`, before deciding whether it
734 closes the current window or quits Vim. Can
735 be used to close any non-essential window if
736 the current window is the last ordinary
737 window.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000738 *RemoteReply*
739RemoteReply When a reply from a Vim that functions as
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000740 server was received |server2client()|. The
741 pattern is matched against the {serverid}.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000742 <amatch> is equal to the {serverid} from which
743 the reply was sent, and <afile> is the actual
744 reply string.
745 Note that even if an autocommand is defined,
746 the reply should be read with |remote_read()|
747 to consume it.
748 *SessionLoadPost*
749SessionLoadPost After loading the session file created using
750 the |:mksession| command.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +0000751 *ShellCmdPost*
752ShellCmdPost After executing a shell command with |:!cmd|,
753 |:shell|, |:make| and |:grep|. Can be used to
754 check for any changed files.
755 *ShellFilterPost*
756ShellFilterPost After executing a shell command with
757 ":{range}!cmd", ":w !cmd" or ":r !cmd".
758 Can be used to check for any changed files.
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +0000759 *SourcePre*
760SourcePre Before sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000761 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
762 *SourceCmd*
763SourceCmd When sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
764 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
765 The autocommand must source this file.
766 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000767 *SpellFileMissing*
768SpellFileMissing When trying to load a spell checking file and
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000769 it can't be found. The pattern is matched
770 against the language. <amatch> is the
771 language, 'encoding' also matters. See
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000772 |spell-SpellFileMissing|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000773 *StdinReadPost*
774StdinReadPost After reading from the stdin into the buffer,
775 before executing the modelines. Only used
776 when the "-" argument was used when Vim was
777 started |--|.
778 *StdinReadPre*
779StdinReadPre Before reading from stdin into the buffer.
780 Only used when the "-" argument was used when
781 Vim was started |--|.
782 *SwapExists*
783SwapExists Detected an existing swap file when starting
784 to edit a file. Only when it is possible to
785 select a way to handle the situation, when Vim
786 would ask the user what to do.
787 The |v:swapname| variable holds the name of
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +0000788 the swap file found, <afile> the file being
789 edited. |v:swapcommand| may contain a command
790 to be executed in the opened file.
791 The commands should set the |v:swapchoice|
792 variable to a string with one character to
793 tell Vim what should be done next:
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000794 'o' open read-only
795 'e' edit the file anyway
796 'r' recover
797 'd' delete the swap file
798 'q' quit, don't edit the file
799 'a' abort, like hitting CTRL-C
800 When set to an empty string the user will be
801 asked, as if there was no SwapExists autocmd.
Bram Moolenaarb849e712009-06-24 15:51:37 +0000802 *E812*
803 It is not allowed to change to another buffer,
804 change a buffer name or change directory
805 here.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000806 *Syntax*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000807Syntax When the 'syntax' option has been set. The
808 pattern is matched against the syntax name.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000809 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
810 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
811 the new value of 'syntax'.
812 See |:syn-on|.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000813 *TabEnter*
814TabEnter Just after entering a tab page. |tab-page|
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +0000815 After triggering the WinEnter and before
816 triggering the BufEnter event.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000817 *TabLeave*
818TabLeave Just before leaving a tab page. |tab-page|
819 A WinLeave event will have been triggered
820 first.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000821 *TermChanged*
822TermChanged After the value of 'term' has changed. Useful
823 for re-loading the syntax file to update the
824 colors, fonts and other terminal-dependent
825 settings. Executed for all loaded buffers.
826 *TermResponse*
827TermResponse After the response to |t_RV| is received from
828 the terminal. The value of |v:termresponse|
829 can be used to do things depending on the
Bram Moolenaar8e5af3e2011-04-28 19:02:44 +0200830 terminal version. Note that this event may be
831 triggered halfway executing another event,
832 especially if file I/O, a shell command or
833 anything else that takes time is involved.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000834 *User*
835User Never executed automatically. To be used for
836 autocommands that are only executed with
837 ":doautocmd".
838 *UserGettingBored*
839UserGettingBored When the user hits CTRL-C. Just kidding! :-)
840 *VimEnter*
841VimEnter After doing all the startup stuff, including
842 loading .vimrc files, executing the "-c cmd"
843 arguments, creating all windows and loading
844 the buffers in them.
845 *VimLeave*
846VimLeave Before exiting Vim, just after writing the
847 .viminfo file. Executed only once, like
848 VimLeavePre.
849 To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +0200850 When v:dying is 2 or more this event is not
851 triggered.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000852 *VimLeavePre*
853VimLeavePre Before exiting Vim, just before writing the
854 .viminfo file. This is executed only once,
855 if there is a match with the name of what
856 happens to be the current buffer when exiting.
857 Mostly useful with a "*" pattern. >
858 :autocmd VimLeavePre * call CleanupStuff()
859< To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +0200860 When v:dying is 2 or more this event is not
861 triggered.
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000862 *VimResized*
863VimResized After the Vim window was resized, thus 'lines'
864 and/or 'columns' changed. Not when starting
865 up though.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000866 *WinEnter*
867WinEnter After entering another window. Not done for
868 the first window, when Vim has just started.
869 Useful for setting the window height.
870 If the window is for another buffer, Vim
871 executes the BufEnter autocommands after the
872 WinEnter autocommands.
873 Note: When using ":split fname" the WinEnter
874 event is triggered after the split but before
875 the file "fname" is loaded.
876 *WinLeave*
877WinLeave Before leaving a window. If the window to be
878 entered next is for a different buffer, Vim
879 executes the BufLeave autocommands before the
880 WinLeave autocommands (but not for ":new").
881 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000882
883==============================================================================
8846. Patterns *autocmd-patterns* *{pat}*
885
886The file pattern {pat} is tested for a match against the file name in one of
887two ways:
8881. When there is no '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against only
889 the tail part of the file name (without its leading directory path).
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01008902. When there is a '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against both the
891 short file name (as you typed it) and the full file name (after expanding
892 it to a full path and resolving symbolic links).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000893
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000894The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> is used for buffer-local
895autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|. This pattern is not matched against the name
896of a buffer.
897
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000898Examples: >
899 :autocmd BufRead *.txt set et
900Set the 'et' option for all text files. >
901
902 :autocmd BufRead /vim/src/*.c set cindent
903Set the 'cindent' option for C files in the /vim/src directory. >
904
905 :autocmd BufRead /tmp/*.c set ts=5
906If you have a link from "/tmp/test.c" to "/home/nobody/vim/src/test.c", and
907you start editing "/tmp/test.c", this autocommand will match.
908
909Note: To match part of a path, but not from the root directory, use a '*' as
910the first character. Example: >
911 :autocmd BufRead */doc/*.txt set tw=78
912This autocommand will for example be executed for "/tmp/doc/xx.txt" and
913"/usr/home/piet/doc/yy.txt". The number of directories does not matter here.
914
915
916The file name that the pattern is matched against is after expanding
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000917wildcards. Thus if you issue this command: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000918 :e $ROOTDIR/main.$EXT
919The argument is first expanded to: >
920 /usr/root/main.py
921Before it's matched with the pattern of the autocommand. Careful with this
922when using events like FileReadCmd, the value of <amatch> may not be what you
923expect.
924
925
926Environment variables can be used in a pattern: >
927 :autocmd BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt set expandtab
928And ~ can be used for the home directory (if $HOME is defined): >
929 :autocmd BufWritePost ~/.vimrc so ~/.vimrc
930 :autocmd BufRead ~archive/* set readonly
931The environment variable is expanded when the autocommand is defined, not when
932the autocommand is executed. This is different from the command!
933
934 *file-pattern*
935The pattern is interpreted like mostly used in file names:
936 * matches any sequence of characters
937 ? matches any single character
938 \? matches a '?'
939 . matches a '.'
940 ~ matches a '~'
941 , separates patterns
942 \, matches a ','
943 { } like \( \) in a |pattern|
944 , inside { }: like \| in a |pattern|
945 \ special meaning like in a |pattern|
946 [ch] matches 'c' or 'h'
947 [^ch] match any character but 'c' and 'h'
948
949Note that for all systems the '/' character is used for path separator (even
950MS-DOS and OS/2). This was done because the backslash is difficult to use
951in a pattern and to make the autocommands portable across different systems.
952
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000953 *autocmd-changes*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000954Matching with the pattern is done when an event is triggered. Changing the
955buffer name in one of the autocommands, or even deleting the buffer, does not
956change which autocommands will be executed. Example: >
957
958 au BufEnter *.foo bdel
959 au BufEnter *.foo set modified
960
961This will delete the current buffer and then set 'modified' in what has become
962the current buffer instead. Vim doesn't take into account that "*.foo"
963doesn't match with that buffer name. It matches "*.foo" with the name of the
964buffer at the moment the event was triggered.
965
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000966However, buffer-local autocommands will not be executed for a buffer that has
967been wiped out with |:bwipe|. After deleting the buffer with |:bdel| the
968buffer actually still exists (it becomes unlisted), thus the autocommands are
969still executed.
970
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000971==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00009727. Buffer-local autocommands *autocmd-buflocal* *autocmd-buffer-local*
973 *<buffer=N>* *<buffer=abuf>* *E680*
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000974
975Buffer-local autocommands are attached to a specific buffer. They are useful
976if the buffer does not have a name and when the name does not match a specific
977pattern. But it also means they must be explicitly added to each buffer.
978
979Instead of a pattern buffer-local autocommands use one of these forms:
980 <buffer> current buffer
981 <buffer=99> buffer number 99
982 <buffer=abuf> using <abuf> (only when executing autocommands)
983 |<abuf>|
984
985Examples: >
986 :au CursorHold <buffer> echo 'hold'
987 :au CursorHold <buffer=33> echo 'hold'
988 :au CursorHold <buffer=abuf> echo 'hold'
989
990All the commands for autocommands also work with buffer-local autocommands,
991simply use the special string instead of the pattern. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000992 :au! * <buffer> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
993 " current buffer
994 :au! * <buffer=33> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
995 " buffer #33
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000996 :bufdo :au! CursorHold <buffer> " remove autocmd for given event for all
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000997 " buffers
998 :au * <buffer> " list buffer-local autocommands for
999 " current buffer
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00001000
1001Note that when an autocommand is defined for the current buffer, it is stored
1002with the buffer number. Thus it uses the form "<buffer=12>", where 12 is the
1003number of the current buffer. You will see this when listing autocommands,
1004for example.
1005
1006To test for presence of buffer-local autocommands use the |exists()| function
1007as follows: >
1008 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer=12>") | ... | endif
1009 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer>") | ... | endif " for current buffer
1010
1011When a buffer is wiped out its buffer-local autocommands are also gone, of
1012course. Note that when deleting a buffer, e.g., with ":bdel", it is only
1013unlisted, the autocommands are still present. In order to see the removal of
1014buffer-local autocommands: >
1015 :set verbose=6
1016
1017It is not possible to define buffer-local autocommands for a non-existent
1018buffer.
1019
1020==============================================================================
10218. Groups *autocmd-groups*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001022
1023Autocommands can be put together in a group. This is useful for removing or
1024executing a group of autocommands. For example, all the autocommands for
1025syntax highlighting are put in the "highlight" group, to be able to execute
1026":doautoall highlight BufRead" when the GUI starts.
1027
1028When no specific group is selected, Vim uses the default group. The default
1029group does not have a name. You cannot execute the autocommands from the
1030default group separately; you can execute them only by executing autocommands
1031for all groups.
1032
1033Normally, when executing autocommands automatically, Vim uses the autocommands
1034for all groups. The group only matters when executing autocommands with
1035":doautocmd" or ":doautoall", or when defining or deleting autocommands.
1036
1037The group name can contain any characters except white space. The group name
1038"end" is reserved (also in uppercase).
1039
1040The group name is case sensitive. Note that this is different from the event
1041name!
1042
1043 *:aug* *:augroup*
1044:aug[roup] {name} Define the autocmd group name for the
1045 following ":autocmd" commands. The name "end"
1046 or "END" selects the default group.
1047
1048 *:augroup-delete* *E367*
1049:aug[roup]! {name} Delete the autocmd group {name}. Don't use
1050 this if there is still an autocommand using
1051 this group! This is not checked.
1052
1053To enter autocommands for a specific group, use this method:
10541. Select the group with ":augroup {name}".
10552. Delete any old autocommands with ":au!".
10563. Define the autocommands.
10574. Go back to the default group with "augroup END".
1058
1059Example: >
1060 :augroup uncompress
1061 : au!
1062 : au BufEnter *.gz %!gunzip
1063 :augroup END
1064
1065This prevents having the autocommands defined twice (e.g., after sourcing the
1066.vimrc file again).
1067
1068==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000010699. Executing autocommands *autocmd-execute*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001070
1071Vim can also execute Autocommands non-automatically. This is useful if you
1072have changed autocommands, or when Vim has executed the wrong autocommands
1073(e.g., the file pattern match was wrong).
1074
1075Note that the 'eventignore' option applies here too. Events listed in this
1076option will not cause any commands to be executed.
1077
1078 *:do* *:doau* *:doautocmd* *E217*
Bram Moolenaar5dc62522012-02-13 00:05:22 +01001079:do[autocmd] [<nomodeline>] [group] {event} [fname]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001080 Apply the autocommands matching [fname] (default:
1081 current file name) for {event} to the current buffer.
1082 You can use this when the current file name does not
1083 match the right pattern, after changing settings, or
1084 to execute autocommands for a certain event.
1085 It's possible to use this inside an autocommand too,
1086 so you can base the autocommands for one extension on
1087 another extension. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01001088 :au BufEnter *.cpp so ~/.vimrc_cpp
1089 :au BufEnter *.cpp doau BufEnter x.c
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001090< Be careful to avoid endless loops. See
1091 |autocmd-nested|.
1092
1093 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim executes
1094 the autocommands for all groups. When the [group]
1095 argument is included, Vim executes only the matching
1096 autocommands for that group. Note: if you use an
1097 undefined group name, Vim gives you an error message.
Bram Moolenaar60542ac2012-02-12 20:14:01 +01001098 *<nomodeline>*
1099 After applying the autocommands the modelines are
1100 processed, so that their settings overrule the
1101 settings from autocommands, like what happens when
1102 editing a file. This is skipped when the <nomodeline>
1103 argument is present. You probably want to use
1104 <nomodeline> for events that are not used when loading
1105 a buffer, such as |User|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001106
1107 *:doautoa* *:doautoall*
Bram Moolenaara61d5fb2012-02-12 00:18:58 +01001108:doautoa[ll] [<nomodeline>] [group] {event} [fname]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001109 Like ":doautocmd", but apply the autocommands to each
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001110 loaded buffer. Note that [fname] is used to select
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001111 the autocommands, not the buffers to which they are
1112 applied.
1113 Careful: Don't use this for autocommands that delete a
1114 buffer, change to another buffer or change the
1115 contents of a buffer; the result is unpredictable.
1116 This command is intended for autocommands that set
1117 options, change highlighting, and things like that.
1118
1119==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000112010. Using autocommands *autocmd-use*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001121
1122For WRITING FILES there are four possible sets of events. Vim uses only one
1123of these sets for a write command:
1124
1125BufWriteCmd BufWritePre BufWritePost writing the whole buffer
1126 FilterWritePre FilterWritePost writing to filter temp file
1127FileAppendCmd FileAppendPre FileAppendPost appending to a file
1128FileWriteCmd FileWritePre FileWritePost any other file write
1129
1130When there is a matching "*Cmd" autocommand, it is assumed it will do the
1131writing. No further writing is done and the other events are not triggered.
1132|Cmd-event|
1133
1134Note that the *WritePost commands should undo any changes to the buffer that
1135were caused by the *WritePre commands; otherwise, writing the file will have
1136the side effect of changing the buffer.
1137
1138Before executing the autocommands, the buffer from which the lines are to be
1139written temporarily becomes the current buffer. Unless the autocommands
1140change the current buffer or delete the previously current buffer, the
1141previously current buffer is made the current buffer again.
1142
1143The *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands must not delete the buffer from
1144which the lines are to be written.
1145
1146The '[ and '] marks have a special position:
1147- Before the *ReadPre event the '[ mark is set to the line just above where
1148 the new lines will be inserted.
1149- Before the *ReadPost event the '[ mark is set to the first line that was
1150 just read, the '] mark to the last line.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001151- Before executing the *WriteCmd, *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands the '[
1152 mark is set to the first line that will be written, the '] mark to the last
1153 line.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001154Careful: '[ and '] change when using commands that change the buffer.
1155
1156In commands which expect a file name, you can use "<afile>" for the file name
1157that is being read |:<afile>| (you can also use "%" for the current file
1158name). "<abuf>" can be used for the buffer number of the currently effective
1159buffer. This also works for buffers that doesn't have a name. But it doesn't
1160work for files without a buffer (e.g., with ":r file").
1161
1162 *gzip-example*
1163Examples for reading and writing compressed files: >
1164 :augroup gzip
1165 : autocmd!
1166 : autocmd BufReadPre,FileReadPre *.gz set bin
1167 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz '[,']!gunzip
1168 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz set nobin
1169 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz execute ":doautocmd BufReadPost " . expand("%:r")
1170 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1171 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1172
1173 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !gunzip <afile>
1174 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !mv <afile>:r <afile>
1175 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1176 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1177 :augroup END
1178
1179The "gzip" group is used to be able to delete any existing autocommands with
1180":autocmd!", for when the file is sourced twice.
1181
1182("<afile>:r" is the file name without the extension, see |:_%:|)
1183
1184The commands executed for the BufNewFile, BufRead/BufReadPost, BufWritePost,
1185FileAppendPost and VimLeave events do not set or reset the changed flag of the
1186buffer. When you decompress the buffer with the BufReadPost autocommands, you
1187can still exit with ":q". When you use ":undo" in BufWritePost to undo the
1188changes made by BufWritePre commands, you can still do ":q" (this also makes
1189"ZZ" work). If you do want the buffer to be marked as modified, set the
1190'modified' option.
1191
1192To execute Normal mode commands from an autocommand, use the ":normal"
1193command. Use with care! If the Normal mode command is not finished, the user
1194needs to type characters (e.g., after ":normal m" you need to type a mark
1195name).
1196
1197If you want the buffer to be unmodified after changing it, reset the
1198'modified' option. This makes it possible to exit the buffer with ":q"
1199instead of ":q!".
1200
1201 *autocmd-nested* *E218*
1202By default, autocommands do not nest. If you use ":e" or ":w" in an
1203autocommand, Vim does not execute the BufRead and BufWrite autocommands for
1204those commands. If you do want this, use the "nested" flag for those commands
1205in which you want nesting. For example: >
1206 :autocmd FileChangedShell *.c nested e!
1207The nesting is limited to 10 levels to get out of recursive loops.
1208
1209It's possible to use the ":au" command in an autocommand. This can be a
1210self-modifying command! This can be useful for an autocommand that should
1211execute only once.
1212
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001213If you want to skip autocommands for one command, use the |:noautocmd| command
1214modifier or the 'eventignore' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001215
1216Note: When reading a file (with ":read file" or with a filter command) and the
1217last line in the file does not have an <EOL>, Vim remembers this. At the next
1218write (with ":write file" or with a filter command), if the same line is
1219written again as the last line in a file AND 'binary' is set, Vim does not
1220supply an <EOL>. This makes a filter command on the just read lines write the
1221same file as was read, and makes a write command on just filtered lines write
1222the same file as was read from the filter. For example, another way to write
1223a compressed file: >
1224
1225 :autocmd FileWritePre *.gz set bin|'[,']!gzip
1226 :autocmd FileWritePost *.gz undo|set nobin
1227<
1228 *autocommand-pattern*
1229You can specify multiple patterns, separated by commas. Here are some
1230examples: >
1231
1232 :autocmd BufRead * set tw=79 nocin ic infercase fo=2croq
1233 :autocmd BufRead .letter set tw=72 fo=2tcrq
1234 :autocmd BufEnter .letter set dict=/usr/lib/dict/words
1235 :autocmd BufLeave .letter set dict=
1236 :autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.c,*.h set tw=0 cin noic
1237 :autocmd BufEnter *.c,*.h abbr FOR for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i)<CR>{<CR>}<Esc>O
1238 :autocmd BufLeave *.c,*.h unabbr FOR
1239
1240For makefiles (makefile, Makefile, imakefile, makefile.unix, etc.): >
1241
1242 :autocmd BufEnter ?akefile* set include=^s\=include
1243 :autocmd BufLeave ?akefile* set include&
1244
1245To always start editing C files at the first function: >
1246
1247 :autocmd BufRead *.c,*.h 1;/^{
1248
1249Without the "1;" above, the search would start from wherever the file was
1250entered, rather than from the start of the file.
1251
1252 *skeleton* *template*
1253To read a skeleton (template) file when opening a new file: >
1254
1255 :autocmd BufNewFile *.c 0r ~/vim/skeleton.c
1256 :autocmd BufNewFile *.h 0r ~/vim/skeleton.h
1257 :autocmd BufNewFile *.java 0r ~/vim/skeleton.java
1258
1259To insert the current date and time in a *.html file when writing it: >
1260
1261 :autocmd BufWritePre,FileWritePre *.html ks|call LastMod()|'s
1262 :fun LastMod()
1263 : if line("$") > 20
1264 : let l = 20
1265 : else
1266 : let l = line("$")
1267 : endif
1268 : exe "1," . l . "g/Last modified: /s/Last modified: .*/Last modified: " .
1269 : \ strftime("%Y %b %d")
1270 :endfun
1271
1272You need to have a line "Last modified: <date time>" in the first 20 lines
1273of the file for this to work. Vim replaces <date time> (and anything in the
1274same line after it) with the current date and time. Explanation:
1275 ks mark current position with mark 's'
1276 call LastMod() call the LastMod() function to do the work
1277 's return the cursor to the old position
1278The LastMod() function checks if the file is shorter than 20 lines, and then
1279uses the ":g" command to find lines that contain "Last modified: ". For those
1280lines the ":s" command is executed to replace the existing date with the
1281current one. The ":execute" command is used to be able to use an expression
1282for the ":g" and ":s" commands. The date is obtained with the strftime()
1283function. You can change its argument to get another date string.
1284
1285When entering :autocmd on the command-line, completion of events and command
1286names may be done (with <Tab>, CTRL-D, etc.) where appropriate.
1287
1288Vim executes all matching autocommands in the order that you specify them.
1289It is recommended that your first autocommand be used for all files by using
1290"*" as the file pattern. This means that you can define defaults you like
1291here for any settings, and if there is another matching autocommand it will
1292override these. But if there is no other matching autocommand, then at least
1293your default settings are recovered (if entering this file from another for
1294which autocommands did match). Note that "*" will also match files starting
1295with ".", unlike Unix shells.
1296
1297 *autocmd-searchpat*
1298Autocommands do not change the current search patterns. Vim saves the current
1299search patterns before executing autocommands then restores them after the
1300autocommands finish. This means that autocommands do not affect the strings
1301highlighted with the 'hlsearch' option. Within autocommands, you can still
1302use search patterns normally, e.g., with the "n" command.
1303If you want an autocommand to set the search pattern, such that it is used
1304after the autocommand finishes, use the ":let @/ =" command.
1305The search-highlighting cannot be switched off with ":nohlsearch" in an
1306autocommand. Use the 'h' flag in the 'viminfo' option to disable search-
1307highlighting when starting Vim.
1308
1309 *Cmd-event*
1310When using one of the "*Cmd" events, the matching autocommands are expected to
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +00001311do the file reading, writing or sourcing. This can be used when working with
1312a special kind of file, for example on a remote system.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001313CAREFUL: If you use these events in a wrong way, it may have the effect of
1314making it impossible to read or write the matching files! Make sure you test
1315your autocommands properly. Best is to use a pattern that will never match a
1316normal file name, for example "ftp://*".
1317
1318When defining a BufReadCmd it will be difficult for Vim to recover a crashed
1319editing session. When recovering from the original file, Vim reads only those
1320parts of a file that are not found in the swap file. Since that is not
1321possible with a BufReadCmd, use the |:preserve| command to make sure the
1322original file isn't needed for recovery. You might want to do this only when
1323you expect the file to be modified.
1324
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +00001325For file read and write commands the |v:cmdarg| variable holds the "++enc="
1326and "++ff=" argument that are effective. These should be used for the command
1327that reads/writes the file. The |v:cmdbang| variable is one when "!" was
1328used, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001329
Bram Moolenaarc88ebf72010-07-22 22:30:23 +02001330See the $VIMRUNTIME/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim for examples.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001331
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001332==============================================================================
133311. Disabling autocommands *autocmd-disable*
1334
1335To disable autocommands for some time use the 'eventignore' option. Note that
1336this may cause unexpected behavior, make sure you restore 'eventignore'
1337afterwards, using a |:try| block with |:finally|.
1338
1339 *:noautocmd* *:noa*
1340To disable autocommands for just one command use the ":noautocmd" command
1341modifier. This will set 'eventignore' to "all" for the duration of the
1342following command. Example: >
1343
1344 :noautocmd w fname.gz
1345
1346This will write the file without triggering the autocommands defined by the
1347gzip plugin.
1348
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00001349
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001350 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: