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Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.0f. Last change: 2006 Apr 26
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000040There are five types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number.
43 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
45String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
46 Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
47
48Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
49 Example: function("strlen")
50
51List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
52 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000053
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000054Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
55 value. |Dictionary|
56 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
57
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000058The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
59are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000060
61Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
62the Number. Examples: >
63 Number 123 --> String "123"
64 Number 0 --> String "0"
65 Number -1 --> String "-1"
66
67Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
68to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
69the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
70 String "456" --> Number 456
71 String "6bar" --> Number 6
72 String "foo" --> Number 0
73 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
74 String "0100" --> Number 64
75 String "-8" --> Number -8
76 String "+8" --> Number 0
77
78To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
79 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000080< 64 ~
81
82To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
83base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000084
85For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
86
87Note that in the command >
88 :if "foo"
89"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
90use strlen(): >
91 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000092< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
93List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000094
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000095 *E706*
96You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
97to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000098equivalent though. Consider this sequence of commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000099 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000100 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000101 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000102
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000103
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001041.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000105 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000106A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000107in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
108around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000109
110 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
111 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000112< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000113A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
114cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000116A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
117Dictionary entry. Example: >
118 :function dict.init() dict
119 : let self.val = 0
120 :endfunction
121
122The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
123function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
124
125A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
126 :call Fn()
127 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000128
129The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000130 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000131
132You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
133arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000134 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000135
136
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001371.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000138 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000139A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
140can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
141position in the sequence.
142
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144List creation ~
145 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000146A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000147Examples: >
148 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
149 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000150
151An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000152List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000153 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000154
155An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
156
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000157
158List index ~
159 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000160An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000161after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
162 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000163 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000164
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000165When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000166 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000167<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000168A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
169the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000170 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
171
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000172To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000173is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000174 :echo get(mylist, idx)
175 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
176
177
178List concatenation ~
179
180Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
181 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000182 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000183
184To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
185it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
186
187
188Sublist ~
189
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000190A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
191separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000192 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000193
194Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000195similar to -1.
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000196 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
197 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
198 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000199
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000200If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
201before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
202message.
203
204If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
205length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000206 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
207 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
208
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000209NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
210using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
211mylist[s : e].
212
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000213
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000214List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000215 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000216When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
217variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
218change "bb": >
219 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
220 :let bb = aa
221 :call add(aa, 4)
222 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000223< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000224
225Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
226works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000227a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
229 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000230 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000231 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
232 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000233< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000234 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000237To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000238copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000239
240The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000241List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000242the same value. >
243 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
244 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
245 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000246< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000247 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000248< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000249
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000250Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
251same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000252exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
253different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
254variables. Example: >
255 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000256< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000257 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000258< 0
259
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000260Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
261can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a string: >
262
263 :let a = 5
264 :let b = "5"
265 echo a == b
266< 1 >
267 echo [a] == [b]
268< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000269
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000270
271List unpack ~
272
273To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
274square brackets, like list items: >
275 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
276
277When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
278this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
279and a variable name: >
280 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
281
282This works like: >
283 :let var1 = mylist[0]
284 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000285 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000286
287Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
288empty list then.
289
290
291List modification ~
292 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000293To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000294 :let list[4] = "four"
295 :let listlist[0][3] = item
296
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000297To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000298modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000299 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
300
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000301Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
302examples: >
303 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
304 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
305 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000306 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000307 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
308 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000309 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000310 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000311 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000312 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000313
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000314Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000315 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
316 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
317
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000318
319For loop ~
320
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000321The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
322to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000323 :for item in mylist
324 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325 :endfor
326
327This works like: >
328 :let index = 0
329 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000330 : let item = mylist[index]
331 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000332 : let index = index + 1
333 :endwhile
334
335Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000336results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000337the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000338
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000339If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000340function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000341
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000342Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
343requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
344 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
345 : call Doit(lnum, col)
346 :endfor
347
348This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
349must remain the same to avoid an error.
350
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000351It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000352 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
353 : call Doit(i, j)
354 : if !empty(rest)
355 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
356 : endif
357 :endfor
358
359
360List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000361 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000362Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000363 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000365 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
366 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
367 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000368 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
369 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000370 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
371 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000372 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
373 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000374 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
375 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000377Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
378example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
379 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
380
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003821.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000383 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000384A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000385entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
386ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000387
388
389Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000390 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000391A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000392braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
393only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000394 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
395 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000396< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000397A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
398String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000399entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
400Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000401
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000402A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403nested Dictionary: >
404 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
405
406An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
407
408
409Accessing entries ~
410
411The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
412 :let val = mydict["one"]
413 :let mydict["four"] = 4
414
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000415You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000416
417For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
418form can be used |expr-entry|: >
419 :let val = mydict.one
420 :let mydict.four = 4
421
422Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
423key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000424 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000425
426
427Dictionary to List conversion ~
428
429You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
430turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
431
432Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
433 :for key in keys(mydict)
434 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
435 :endfor
436
437The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
438 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
439
440To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
441 :for v in values(mydict)
442 : echo "value: " . v
443 :endfor
444
445If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000446a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000447 :for entry in items(mydict)
448 : echo entry[0] . ': ' . entry[1]
449 :endfor
450
451
452Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000453 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000454Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
455Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
456Dictionary: >
457 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
458 :let adict = onedict
459 :let adict['a'] = 11
460 :echo onedict['a']
461 11
462
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000463Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
464more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000465
466
467Dictionary modification ~
468 *dict-modification*
469To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
470use |:let| this way: >
471 :let dict[4] = "four"
472 :let dict['one'] = item
473
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000474Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
475Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
476 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
477 :unlet dict.aaa
478 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000479
480Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000481 :call extend(adict, bdict)
482This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
483in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000484Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
485expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
486adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000487
488Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +0000489 :call filter(dict 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000490This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000491
492
493Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000494 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000495When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
496special way with a dictionary. Example: >
497 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000498 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000499 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000500 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
501 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000502
503This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
504Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
505the function was invoked from.
506
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000507It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
508Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
509
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000510 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
512assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000513 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
514 :function mydict.len() dict
515 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000516 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000517 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
520that references this function. The function can only be used through a
521|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
522remaining that refers to it.
523
524It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000525
526
527Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000528 *E715*
529Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
531 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
532 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
533 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
534 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
535 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
536 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
537 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000538
539
5401.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000541 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000542If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
543function.
544
545When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
546start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
547stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
548
549When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
550start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
551stored in the session file |session-file|.
552
553variable name can be stored where ~
554my_var_6 not
555My_Var_6 session file
556MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
557
558
559It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
560|curly-braces-names|.
561
562==============================================================================
5632. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
564
565Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
566
567|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
568
569|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
570
571|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
572
573|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
574 expr5 != expr5 not equal
575 expr5 > expr5 greater than
576 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
577 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
578 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
579 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
580 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
581
582 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
583 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
584 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
585 matching case
586
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000587 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
588 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000589
590|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000591 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
592 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
593
594|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
595 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
596 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
597
598|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
599 - expr7 unary minus
600 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000601
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000602
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000603|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
604 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
605 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
606 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000607
608|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000609 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000610 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000611 [expr1, ...] |List|
612 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000613 &option option value
614 (expr1) nested expression
615 variable internal variable
616 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
617 $VAR environment variable
618 @r contents of register 'r'
619 function(expr1, ...) function call
620 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
621
622
623".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
624Example: >
625 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
626
627All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
628
629
630expr1 *expr1* *E109*
631-----
632
633expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
634
635The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
636non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
637otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
638Example: >
639 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
640
641Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
642other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
643Example: >
644 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
645
646To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
647 :echo lnum == 1
648 :\ ? "top"
649 :\ : lnum == 1000
650 :\ ? "last"
651 :\ : lnum
652
653
654expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
655---------------
656
657 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
658The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
659are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
660
661 input output ~
662n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
663zero zero zero zero
664zero non-zero non-zero zero
665non-zero zero non-zero zero
666non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
667
668The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
669
670 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
671
672Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
673
674 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
675
676Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
677arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
678
679 let a = 1
680 echo a || b
681
682This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
683so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
684
685 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
686
687This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
688only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
689
690
691expr4 *expr4*
692-----
693
694expr5 {cmp} expr5
695
696Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
697if it evaluates to true.
698
699 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
700 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
701 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
702 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
703 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
704 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000705 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000706 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
707equal == ==# ==?
708not equal != !=# !=?
709greater than > ># >?
710greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
711smaller than < <# <?
712smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
713regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
714regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000715same instance is
716different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000717
718Examples:
719"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
720"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
721"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
722
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000723 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000724A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
725"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
726Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000727
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000728 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000729A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
730equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000731recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
732
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000733 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000734A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
735equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000736
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000737When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
738referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
739the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
740using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000741different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
742is false.
743
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000744When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
745and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
746because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
747
748When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
749results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
750necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
751
752When using the operators with a trailing '#", or the short version and
753'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp().
754
755When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
756'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp().
757
758The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
759argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
760This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
761matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
762portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
763single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
764Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
765(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
766can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
767 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
768 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
769
770
771expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
772---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000773expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000774expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
775expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000776
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000777For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000778result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000779
780expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
781expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
782expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000783
784For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
785
786Note the difference between "+" and ".":
787 "123" + "456" = 579
788 "123" . "456" = "123456"
789
790When the righthand side of '/' is zero, the result is 0x7fffffff.
791When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
792
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000793None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000794
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000795
796expr7 *expr7*
797-----
798! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
799- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
800+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
801
802For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
803For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
804For '+' the number is unchanged.
805
806A String will be converted to a Number first.
807
808These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
809 !-1 == 0
810 !!8 == 1
811 --9 == 9
812
813
814expr8 *expr8*
815-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000816expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000817
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000818If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
819expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000820Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000821
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000822Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
823text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
824cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000825 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000826
827If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000828String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
829compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
830
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000831If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000832for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
833error. Example: >
834 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
835
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000836Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
837|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
838error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000839
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000840
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000841expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000842
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000843If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
844from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000845expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
846encodings.
847
848If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
849string minus one is used.
850
851A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
852the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
853
854If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
855expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
856
857Examples: >
858 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
859 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
860 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
861 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
862
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000863If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
864the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
865just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000866 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
867 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
868 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
869
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000870Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
871error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000872
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000873
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000874expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000875
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000876If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
877name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
878expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000879
880The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
881but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
882
883There must not be white space before or after the dot.
884
885Examples: >
886 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
887 :echo dict.one
888 :echo dict .2
889
890Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
891always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
892
893
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000894expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000895
896When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
897
898
899
900 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000901number
902------
903number number constant *expr-number*
904
905Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
906
907
908string *expr-string* *E114*
909------
910"string" string constant *expr-quote*
911
912Note that double quotes are used.
913
914A string constant accepts these special characters:
915\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
916\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
917\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
918\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
919\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
920\X.. same as \x..
921\X. same as \x.
922\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
923 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
924\U.... same as \u....
925\b backspace <BS>
926\e escape <Esc>
927\f formfeed <FF>
928\n newline <NL>
929\r return <CR>
930\t tab <Tab>
931\\ backslash
932\" double quote
933\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
934
935Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
936
937
938literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
939---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000940'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000941
942Note that single quotes are used.
943
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000944This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000945meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000946
947Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
948to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
949 if a =~ "\\s*"
950 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000951
952
953option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
954------
955&option option value, local value if possible
956&g:option global option value
957&l:option local option value
958
959Examples: >
960 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
961 if &insertmode
962
963Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
964and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
965anyway.
966
967
968register *expr-register*
969--------
970@r contents of register 'r'
971
972The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
973Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +0000974register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
975registers.
976
977When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
978evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000979
980
981nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
982-------
983(expr1) nested expression
984
985
986environment variable *expr-env*
987--------------------
988$VAR environment variable
989
990The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
991result is an empty string.
992 *expr-env-expand*
993Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
994expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
995are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
996the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
997fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
998does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
999 :echo $version
1000 :echo expand("$version")
1001The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1002variable (if your shell supports it).
1003
1004
1005internal variable *expr-variable*
1006-----------------
1007variable internal variable
1008See below |internal-variables|.
1009
1010
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001011function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001012-------------
1013function(expr1, ...) function call
1014See below |functions|.
1015
1016
1017==============================================================================
10183. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1019 *E461*
1020An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1021cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1022|curly-braces-names|.
1023
1024An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001025An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1026|:unlet|.
1027Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1028been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001029
1030There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1031specified by what is prepended:
1032
1033 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1034|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1035|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001036|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001037|global-variable| g: Global.
1038|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1039|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1040|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1041|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1042
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001043The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1044delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001045 :for k in keys(s:)
1046 : unlet s:[k]
1047 :endfor
1048<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001049 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1050A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1051Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1052This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1053|:bdelete|.
1054
1055One local buffer variable is predefined:
1056 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1057b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1058 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1059 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1060 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1061 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1062 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1063 : call My_Update()
1064 :endif
1065<
1066 *window-variable* *w:var*
1067A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1068is deleted when the window is closed.
1069
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001070 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1071A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1072It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1073without the +windows feature}
1074
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001075 *global-variable* *g:var*
1076Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1077access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1078place if you like.
1079
1080 *local-variable* *l:var*
1081Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1082But you can also prepend "l:" if you like.
1083
1084 *script-variable* *s:var*
1085In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1086accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1087
1088They can be used in:
1089- commands executed while the script is sourced
1090- functions defined in the script
1091- autocommands defined in the script
1092- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1093 defined in the script (recursively)
1094- user defined commands defined in the script
1095Thus not in:
1096- other scripts sourced from this one
1097- mappings
1098- etc.
1099
1100script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1101Take this example:
1102
1103 let s:counter = 0
1104 function MyCounter()
1105 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1106 echo s:counter
1107 endfunction
1108 command Tick call MyCounter()
1109
1110You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1111that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1112"Tick" was defined is used.
1113
1114Another example that does the same: >
1115
1116 let s:counter = 0
1117 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1118
1119When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001120script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001121defined.
1122
1123The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1124function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1125
1126 let s:counter = 0
1127 function StartCounting(incr)
1128 if a:incr
1129 function MyCounter()
1130 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1131 endfunction
1132 else
1133 function MyCounter()
1134 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1135 endfunction
1136 endif
1137 endfunction
1138
1139This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1140when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1141called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1142
1143When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1144They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1145maintain a counter: >
1146
1147 if !exists("s:counter")
1148 let s:counter = 1
1149 echo "script executed for the first time"
1150 else
1151 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1152 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1153 endif
1154
1155Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1156variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1157
1158
1159Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1160
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001161 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1162v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1163 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1164 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1165
1166 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1167v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1168 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1169
1170 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1171v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1172 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1173
1174 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001175v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1176 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1177 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1178 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001179 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1180 highlighted text is used.
1181 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1182
1183 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1184v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1185 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1186
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001187 *v:char* *char-variable*
1188v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr'.
1189
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001190 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1191v:charconvert_from
1192 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1193 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1194
1195 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1196v:charconvert_to
1197 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1198 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1199
1200 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1201v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1202 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1203 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1204 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1205 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1206 possible to append this variable directly after the
1207 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1208 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1209 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1210 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1211 in 'printexpr'.
1212
1213 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1214v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1215 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1216 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1217 can be used.
1218
1219 *v:count* *count-variable*
1220v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1221 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1222 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1223< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1224 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001225 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001226 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1227
1228 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1229v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1230 used.
1231
1232 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1233v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1234 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1235 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1236 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1237 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1238 command.
1239 See |multi-lang|.
1240
1241 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1242v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1243 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1244 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1245 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1246 Example: >
1247 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1248<
1249 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1250v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1251 Example: >
1252 :let v:errmsg = ""
1253 :silent! next
1254 :if v:errmsg != ""
1255 : ... handle error
1256< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1257
1258 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1259v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1260 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1261 Example: >
1262 :try
1263 : throw "oops"
1264 :catch /.*/
1265 : echo "caught" v:exception
1266 :endtry
1267< Output: "caught oops".
1268
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001269 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1270v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1271 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1272 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1273 deleted file no longer exists
1274 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1275 changed and buffer is modified
1276 changed file contents has changed
1277 mode mode of file changed
1278 time only file timestamp changed
1279
1280 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1281v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1282 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1283 do with the affected buffer:
1284 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1285 the file was deleted).
1286 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1287 was no autocommand. Except that when
1288 only the timestamp changed nothing
1289 will happen.
1290 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1291 everything that needs to be done.
1292 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1293 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1294
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001295 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001296v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001297 option used for ~
1298 'charconvert' file to be converted
1299 'diffexpr' original file
1300 'patchexpr' original file
1301 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001302 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001303
1304 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1305v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1306 evaluating:
1307 option used for ~
1308 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1309 'diffexpr' output of diff
1310 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1311 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1312 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1313 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1314 file and different from v:fname_in.
1315
1316 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1317v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1318 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1319
1320 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1321v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1322 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1323
1324 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1325v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1326 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001327 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001328
1329 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1330v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001331 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001332
1333 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1334v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001335 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001336
1337 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1338v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001339 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001340
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001341 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1342v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1343 events. Values:
1344 i Insert mode
1345 r Replace mode
1346 v Virtual Replace mode
1347
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001348 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001349v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001350 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1351 Read-only.
1352
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001353 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1354v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1355 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1356 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1357 The value is system dependent.
1358 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1359 command.
1360 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1361 in a different language than what is used for character
1362 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1363
1364 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1365v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1366 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1367 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1368 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1369 command. See |multi-lang|.
1370
1371 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001372v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar57657d82006-04-21 22:12:41 +00001373 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel' and
1374 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1375 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001376
1377 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1378v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1379 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1380 you want to cancel Visual mode and then use the count. >
1381 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1382< Read-only.
1383
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001384 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1385v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1386 See |profiling|.
1387
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001388 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1389v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1390 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1391 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1392 Read-only.
1393
1394 *v:register* *register-variable*
1395v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1396 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1397
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001398 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1399v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1400 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1401 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1402 typed command.
1403 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1404 hit-enter prompt.
1405
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001406 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1407v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1408 Read-only.
1409
1410 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1411v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1412 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1413 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1414 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1415 executed. Read-only.
1416 Example: >
1417 :!mv foo bar
1418 :if v:shell_error
1419 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1420 :endif
1421< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1422
1423 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1424v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1425
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001426 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1427v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1428 the swap file found. Read-only.
1429
1430 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1431v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1432 for handling an existing swap file:
1433 'o' Open read-only
1434 'e' Edit anyway
1435 'r' Recover
1436 'd' Delete swapfile
1437 'q' Quit
1438 'a' Abort
1439 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1440 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1441 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1442
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001443 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001444v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001445 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1446 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1447 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001448 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001449
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001450 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1451v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1452 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1453 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1454 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1455 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1456 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1457 terminal.
1458 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1459 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1460 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1461 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1462 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1463
1464 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1465v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1466 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1467 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1468 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1469
1470 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1471v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1472 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1473 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1474 Example: >
1475 :try
1476 : throw "oops"
1477 :catch /.*/
1478 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1479 :endtry
1480< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1481
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001482 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001483v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
1484 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001485 |filter()|. Read-only.
1486
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001487 *v:version* *version-variable*
1488v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1489 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1490 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1491 compatibility.
1492 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1493 if has("patch123")
1494< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1495 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1496 completely different.
1497
1498 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1499v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1500
1501==============================================================================
15024. Builtin Functions *functions*
1503
1504See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1505
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001506(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001507
1508USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1509
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001510add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001511append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001512append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001513argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001514argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001515argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001516argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001517browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1518 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001519browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001520bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001521buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1522bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001523bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1524bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1525bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1526byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001527byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001528call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1529 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001530changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001531char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001532cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001533col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00001534complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001535complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1536complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001537confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1538 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001539copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001540count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1541 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001542cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1543 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001544cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1545 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1546cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001547deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001548delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1549did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001550diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1551diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001552empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001553escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001554eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001555eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001556executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1557exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001558extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
1559 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001560expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00001561feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001562filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001563filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001564filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1565 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001566finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001567 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001568findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001569 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001570fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001571foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1572foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001573foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001574foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001575foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001576foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001577function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001578garbagecollect() none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001579get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001580get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001581getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1582 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001583getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001584getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1585getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001586getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1587getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001588getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001589getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001590getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1591getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001592getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001593getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001594getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001595getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1596getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001597getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001598getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001599getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001600getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001601getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001602gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1603 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001604getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1605getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001606getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001607glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1608globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1609has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001610has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001611hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1612 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001613histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1614histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1615histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1616histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1617hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1618hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1619hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001620iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1621indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001622index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1623 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001624input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1625 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001626inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001627inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001628inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1629inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001630inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001631insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001632isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001633islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001634items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001635join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001636keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001637len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1638libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001639libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1640line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1641line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001642lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001643localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001644map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001645maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1646 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1647mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1648 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001649match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001650 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001651matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001652matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001653 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001654matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1655 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001656matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1657 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001658max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1659min({list}) Number minumum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001660mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1661 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001662mode() String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001663nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1664nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001665pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001666prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00001667printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001668pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001669range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1670 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001671readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1672 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001673reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1674reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001675remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1676 String send expression
1677remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1678remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1679 Number check for reply string
1680remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1681remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1682 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001683remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001684remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001685rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1686repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1687resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001688reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001689search( {pattern} [, {flags}]) Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001690searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1691 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001692searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001693 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001694searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001695 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001696searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001697 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001698server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1699 Number send reply string
1700serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1701setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1702setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1703setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001704setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1705 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001706setpos( {expr}, {list}) none set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001707setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001708setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001709settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1710 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001711setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001712simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001713sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001714soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001715spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001716spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1717 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001718split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001719 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001720str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert string to number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001721strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001722stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1723 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001724string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001725strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1726strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1727 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001728strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1729 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001730strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001731submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001732substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1733 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001734synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001735synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1736 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1737synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001738system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001739tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1740tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1741tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1742 Number number of current window in tab page
1743taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00001744tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001745tempname() String name for a temporary file
1746tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1747toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001748tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1749 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001750type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001751values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001752virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1753visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1754winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1755wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1756winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1757winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001758winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001759winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001760winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1761winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001762winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001763writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1764 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001765
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001766add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001767 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1768 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001769 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1770 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001771< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001772 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001773 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001774
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001775
1776append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001777 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1778 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001779 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1780 the current buffer.
1781 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001782 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1783 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001784 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001785 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001786<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001787 *argc()*
1788argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1789 current window. See |arglist|.
1790
1791 *argidx()*
1792argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1793 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1794
1795 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001796argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001797 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1798 Example: >
1799 :let i = 0
1800 :while i < argc()
1801 : let f = escape(argv(i), '. ')
1802 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1803 : let i = i + 1
1804 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001805< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
1806 returned.
1807
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001808 *browse()*
1809browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1810 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1811 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1812 The input fields are:
1813 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1814 {title} title for the requester
1815 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1816 {default} default file name
1817 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1818 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1819
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001820 *browsedir()*
1821browsedir({title}, {initdir})
1822 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
1823 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1824 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
1825 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
1826 to be used.
1827 The input fields are:
1828 {title} title for the requester
1829 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1830 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1831 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1832
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001833bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
1834 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1835 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001836 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001837 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001838 exactly. The name can be:
1839 - Relative to the current directory.
1840 - A full path.
1841 - The name of a buffer with 'filetype' set to "nofile".
1842 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001843 Unlisted buffers will be found.
1844 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
1845 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
1846 long name to be able to find them.
1847 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
1848 file name.
1849 *buffer_exists()*
1850 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
1851
1852buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
1853 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1854 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001855 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001856
1857bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
1858 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1859 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001860 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001861
1862bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
1863 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
1864 ":ls" command.
1865 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
1866 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
1867 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
1868 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
1869 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
1870 match an empty string is returned.
1871 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
1872 alternate buffer.
1873 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
1874 or middle of the buffer name is accepted.
1875 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
1876 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
1877 buffers are searched for.
1878 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
1879 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
1880 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
1881< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
1882 string is returned. >
1883 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
1884 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
1885 bufname("%") name of current buffer
1886 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
1887< *buffer_name()*
1888 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
1889
1890 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001891bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
1892 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001893 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001894 above.
1895 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
1896 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
1897 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001898 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
1899 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
1900< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
1901 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
1902 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
1903 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
1904 *buffer_number()*
1905 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
1906 *last_buffer_nr()*
1907 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
1908
1909bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
1910 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
1911 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
1912 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
1913 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
1914
1915 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
1916
1917< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
1918 |:wincmd|.
1919
1920
1921byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
1922 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
1923 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
1924 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
1925 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
1926 one.
1927 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
1928 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
1929 feature}
1930
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00001931byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
1932 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
1933 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
1934 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
1935 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
1936 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
1937 Example : >
1938 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
1939< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
1940 same: >
1941 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
1942 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
1943< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
1944 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
1945 is returned.
1946
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001947call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001948 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001949 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001950 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001951 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
1952 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001953 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
1954 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001955
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001956changenr() *changenr()*
1957 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
1958 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
1959 with the |:undo| command.
1960 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
1961 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
1962 one less than the number of the undone change.
1963
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001964char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
1965 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
1966 char2nr(" ") returns 32
1967 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
1968< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00001969 char2nr("?") returns 225
1970 char2nr("?"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001971< nr2char() does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001972
1973cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
1974 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
1975 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
1976 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
1977 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
1978 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
1979 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00001980 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001981
1982 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001983col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001984 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
1985 . the cursor position
1986 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
1987 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
1988 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
1989 returned)
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001990 To get the line number use |col()|. To get both use
1991 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001992 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
1993 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
1994 Examples: >
1995 col(".") column of cursor
1996 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
1997 col("'t") column of mark t
1998 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
1999< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
2000 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2001 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2002 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2003 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2004 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2005 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2006 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2007<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002008
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002009complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2010 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2011 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
2012 with an expression argument |:map-<expr>| or CTRL-R =
2013 |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O.
2014 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2015 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2016 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2017 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2018 match.
2019 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2020 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2021 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2022 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2023 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2024 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2025 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2026 Example: >
2027 inoremap <expr> <F5> ListMonths()
2028
2029 func! ListMonths()
2030 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2031 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2032 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2033 return ''
2034 endfunc
2035< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2036 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2037
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002038complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2039 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2040 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2041 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2042 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2043 the list.
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002044 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
2045 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002046
2047complete_check() *complete_check()*
2048 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2049 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2050 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2051 zero otherwise.
2052 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2053 'completefunc' option.
2054
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002055 *confirm()*
2056confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2057 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2058 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2059 choice this is 1.
2060 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2061 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2062 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2063 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2064 used (and translated).
2065 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2066 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2067 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2068 by '\n', e.g. >
2069 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2070< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2071 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2072 not need to be the first letter: >
2073 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2074< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2075 the default shortcut key.
2076 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2077 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2078 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2079 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
2080 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2081 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2082 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2083 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2084 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2085 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2086 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2087
2088 An example: >
2089 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2090 :if choice == 0
2091 : echo "make up your mind!"
2092 :elseif choice == 3
2093 : echo "tasteful"
2094 :else
2095 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2096 :endif
2097< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2098 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
2099 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
2100 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2101 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2102 the horizontal layout is always used.
2103
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002104 *copy()*
2105copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2106 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002107 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2108 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002109 copy, and vise versa. But the items are identical, thus
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002110 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002111 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002112
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002113count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002114 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002115 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002116 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002117 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002118 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2119
2120
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002121 *cscope_connection()*
2122cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2123 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2124 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2125 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2126 if there are no cscope connections;
2127 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2128
2129 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2130 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2131
2132 {num} Description of existence check
2133 ----- ------------------------------
2134 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2135 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2136 {dbpath}.
2137 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2138 {dbpath}.
2139 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2140 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2141 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2142 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2143
2144 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2145
2146 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2147
2148 # pid database name prepend path
2149 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2150<
2151 Invocation Return Val ~
2152 ---------- ---------- >
2153 cscope_connection() 1
2154 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2155 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2156 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2157 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2158 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2159 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2160 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2161<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002162cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2163cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002164 Positions the cursor at the column {col} in the line {lnum}.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002165 The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002166 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002167 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2168 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002169 Does not change the jumplist.
2170 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2171 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2172 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002173 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002174 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2175 line.
2176 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002177 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2178 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
2179 position within a Tab or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002180
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002181
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002182deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002183 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2184 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002185 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2186 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
2187 copy, and vise versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002188 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002189 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2190 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2191 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2192 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2193 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2194 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002195 *E724*
2196 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002197 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2198 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002199 Also see |copy()|.
2200
2201delete({fname}) *delete()*
2202 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002203 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2204 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002205 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002206
2207 *did_filetype()*
2208did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2209 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2210 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2211 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2212 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2213 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2214 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2215 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2216 file.
2217
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002218diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2219 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2220 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2221 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2222 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2223 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2224 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2225 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2226
2227diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2228 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2229 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2230 diff change zero is returned.
2231 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2232 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2233 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2234 line.
2235 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2236 syntax information about the highlighting.
2237
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002238empty({expr}) *empty()*
2239 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002240 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
2241 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2242 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2243 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002244
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002245escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2246 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2247 backslash. Example: >
2248 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2249< results in: >
2250 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002251
2252< *eval()*
2253eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2254 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2255 This works for Numbers, Strings and composites of them.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002256 Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002257
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002258eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2259 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2260 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2261 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2262 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2263
2264executable({expr}) *executable()*
2265 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2266 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002267 arguments.
2268 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2269 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2270 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2271 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2272 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2273 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2274 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2275 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2276 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2277 extension.
2278 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2279 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002280 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2281 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2282 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002283 The result is a Number:
2284 1 exists
2285 0 does not exist
2286 -1 not implemented on this system
2287
2288 *exists()*
2289exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2290 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2291 which contains one of these:
2292 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2293 not if it really works)
2294 +option-name Vim option that works.
2295 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2296 done by comparing with an empty
2297 string)
2298 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2299 or user defined function (see
2300 |user-functions|).
2301 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002302 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002303 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2304 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
2305 that this may cause functions to be
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002306 invoked cause an error message for an
2307 invalid expression.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002308 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2309 command or command modifier |:command|.
2310 Returns:
2311 1 for match with start of a command
2312 2 full match with a command
2313 3 matches several user commands
2314 To check for a supported command
2315 always check the return value to be 2.
2316 #event autocommand defined for this event
2317 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2318 pattern (the pattern is taken
2319 literally and compared to the
2320 autocommand patterns character by
2321 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002322 #group autocommand group exists
2323 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2324 event.
2325 #group#event#pattern
2326 autocommand defined for this group,
2327 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002328 ##event autocommand for this event is
2329 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002330 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2331
2332 Examples: >
2333 exists("&shortname")
2334 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2335 exists("*strftime")
2336 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2337 exists("bufcount")
2338 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002339 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002340 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002341 exists("#filetypeindent")
2342 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2343 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002344 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002345< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2346 name.
2347 Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2348 variable itself! For example: >
2349 exists(bufcount)
2350< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
2351 but gets the contents of "bufcount", and checks if that
2352 exists.
2353
2354expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2355 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2356 The result is a String.
2357
2358 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2359 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2360 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2361
2362 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2363 for a non-existing file is not included.
2364
2365 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2366 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2367 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2368
2369 % current file name
2370 # alternate file name
2371 #n alternate file name n
2372 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2373 <afile> autocmd file name
2374 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2375 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2376 <sfile> sourced script file name
2377 <cword> word under the cursor
2378 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2379 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2380 message |server2client()|
2381 Modifiers:
2382 :p expand to full path
2383 :h head (last path component removed)
2384 :t tail (last path component only)
2385 :r root (one extension removed)
2386 :e extension only
2387
2388 Example: >
2389 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2390< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2391 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2392 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2393< Use this: >
2394 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2395< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2396 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2397 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2398 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2399 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2400<
2401 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2402 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2403 to modify normal file names.
2404
2405 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2406 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2407 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2408 '/' added.
2409
2410 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2411 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2412 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2413 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002414 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2415 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2416 files in the current directory and below: >
2417 :echo expand("**/README")
2418<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002419 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2420 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2421 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2422 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2423 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2424 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2425 "$FOOBAR".
2426
2427 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2428 getting the raw output of an external command.
2429
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002430extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002431 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2432 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002433
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002434 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002435 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2436 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2437 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2438 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002439 Examples: >
2440 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2441 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002442< Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2443 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002444 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002445<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002446 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002447 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2448 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2449 used to decide what to do:
2450 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2451 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00002452 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002453 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2454
2455 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2456 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2457 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2458 Returns {expr1}.
2459
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002460
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002461feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2462 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002463 come from a mapping or were typed by user. They are added to
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002464 the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
2465 being executed these characters come after them.
2466 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2467 {string}.
2468 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2469 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
2470 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the Enter key. But
2471 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2472 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2473 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002474 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2475 'n' Do not remap keys.
2476 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2477 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2478 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002479 Return value is always 0.
2480
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002481filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2482 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2483 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2484 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2485 expression, which is used as a String.
2486 *file_readable()*
2487 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2488
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002489
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002490filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002491 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002492 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002493 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002494 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002495 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002496 Examples: >
2497 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2498< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2499 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2500< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2501 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002502< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002503
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002504 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2505 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2506 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2507
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002508 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2509 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002510 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002511
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002512< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002513 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2514 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002515
2516
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002517finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002518 Find directory {name} in {path}. Returns the path of the
2519 first found match. When the found directory is below the
2520 current directory a relative path is returned. Otherwise a
2521 full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002522 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2523 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002524 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002525 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002526 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002527 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2528
2529findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2530 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002531 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2532 Example: >
2533 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2534< Searches from the current directory upwards until it finds
2535 the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002536
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002537filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2538 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2539 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2540 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If (file) is a
2541 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2542
2543fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2544 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2545 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2546 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2547 Example: >
2548 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2549< results in: >
2550 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2551< Note: Environment variables and "~" don't work in {fname}, use
2552 |expand()| first then.
2553
2554foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2555 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2556 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2557 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2558
2559foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2560 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2561 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2562 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2563
2564foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2565 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2566 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2567 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2568 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2569 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2570 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2571 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2572 previous line is usually available.
2573
2574 *foldtext()*
2575foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2576 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2577 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2578 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2579 The returned string looks like this: >
2580 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2581< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2582 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2583 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2584 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2585 options is removed.
2586 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2587
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002588foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2589 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2590 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2591 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2592 returned.
2593 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2594 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2595 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2596 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2597
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002598 *foreground()*
2599foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2600 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2601 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2602 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2603 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2604 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2605 Win32 console version}
2606
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002607
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002608function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002609 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002610 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2611
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002612
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002613garbagecollect() *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002614 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002615 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2616 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2617 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2618 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2619 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002620 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2621 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2622 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002623
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002624get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002625 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002626 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2627 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002628get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002629 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002630 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2631 {default} is omitted.
2632
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002633 *getbufline()*
2634getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002635 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2636 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2637 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002638
2639 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2640
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002641 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2642 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002643
2644 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002645 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002646
2647 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2648 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002649 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002650 returned.
2651
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002652 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002653 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002654
2655 Example: >
2656 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002657
2658getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2659 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2660 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2661 must be used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002662 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2663 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2664 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002665 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2666 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2667 returned, there is no error message.
2668 Examples: >
2669 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2670 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2671<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002672getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
2673 Get a single character from the user. If it is an 8-bit
2674 character, the result is a number. Otherwise a String is
2675 returned with the encoded character. For a special key it's a
2676 sequence of bytes starting with 0x80 (decimal: 128).
2677 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2678 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
2679 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
2680 not consumed. If a normal character is
2681 available, it is returned, otherwise a
2682 non-zero value is returned.
2683 If a normal character available, it is returned as a Number.
2684 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2685 The returned value is zero if no character is available.
2686 The returned value is a string of characters for special keys
2687 and when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used.
2688 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
2689 user that a character has to be typed.
2690 There is no mapping for the character.
2691 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
2692 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
2693 sequence. Examples: >
2694 getchar() == "\<Del>"
2695 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
2696< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
2697 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
2698 :function FindChar()
2699 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
2700 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
2701 : normal l
2702 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
2703 : break
2704 : endif
2705 : endwhile
2706 :endfunction
2707
2708getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
2709 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
2710 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
2711 These values are added together:
2712 2 shift
2713 4 control
2714 8 alt (meta)
2715 16 mouse double click
2716 32 mouse triple click
2717 64 mouse quadruple click
2718 128 Macintosh only: command
2719 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
2720 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
2721 with no modifier.
2722
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002723getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
2724 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
2725 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
2726 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
2727 Example: >
2728 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002729< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002730
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002731getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002732 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
2733 byte count. The first column is 1.
2734 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2735 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002736 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
2737
2738getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
2739 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
2740 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002741 : normal Ex command
2742 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
2743 / forward search command
2744 ? backward search command
2745 @ |input()| command
2746 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002747 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2748 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
2749 otherwise.
2750 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002751
2752 *getcwd()*
2753getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
2754 working directory.
2755
2756getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
2757 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
2758 given file {fname}.
2759 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
2760 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
2761
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002762getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
2763 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
2764 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
2765 |hl-Normal|.
2766 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
2767 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
2768 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
2769 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00002770 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002771 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
2772 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002773 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
2774 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002775
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002776getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
2777 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
2778 permissions of the given file {fname}.
2779 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
2780 empty string is returned.
2781 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
2782 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
2783 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
2784 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
2785 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
2786 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
2787< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
2788 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00002789
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002790getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
2791 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
2792 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
2793 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
2794 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
2795 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
2796
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002797getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
2798 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
2799 file of the given file {fname}.
2800 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
2801 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
2802 results:
2803 Normal file "file"
2804 Directory "dir"
2805 Symbolic link "link"
2806 Block device "bdev"
2807 Character device "cdev"
2808 Socket "socket"
2809 FIFO "fifo"
2810 All other "other"
2811 Example: >
2812 getftype("/home")
2813< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
2814 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
2815 "file" are returned.
2816
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002817 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002818getline({lnum} [, {end}])
2819 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
2820 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002821 getline(1)
2822< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
2823 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
2824 To get the line under the cursor: >
2825 getline(".")
2826< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2827 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
2828
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002829 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
2830 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002831 including line {end}.
2832 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
2833 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002834 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002835 Example: >
2836 :let start = line('.')
2837 :let end = search("^$") - 1
2838 :let lines = getline(start, end)
2839
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002840getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
2841 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
2842 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
2843 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002844 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
2845 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002846
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002847getqflist() *getqflist()*
2848 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
2849 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
2850 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
2851 bufname() to get the name
2852 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
2853 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00002854 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
2855 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002856 nr error number
2857 text description of the error
2858 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
2859 valid non-zero: recognized error message
2860
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00002861 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
2862 returned.
2863
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002864 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
2865 do something with them: >
2866 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
2867 :for d in getqflist()
2868 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
2869 :endfor
2870
2871
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002872getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002873 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002874 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002875 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
2876< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002877 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002878 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
2879 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
2880 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002881 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2882
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002883
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002884getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
2885 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
2886 The value will be one of:
2887 "v" for |characterwise| text
2888 "V" for |linewise| text
2889 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
2890 0 for an empty or unknown register
2891 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
2892 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2893
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00002894gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
2895 Get the value of an option or local window variable {varname}
2896 in window {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
2897 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
2898 use |getwinvar()|.
2899 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
2900 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
2901 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
2902 or buffer-local variable.
2903 Note that the name without "w:" must be used.
2904 Examples: >
2905 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
2906 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
2907
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002908 *getwinposx()*
2909getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
2910 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
2911 -1 if the information is not available.
2912
2913 *getwinposy()*
2914getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
2915 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
2916 information is not available.
2917
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00002918getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
2919 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002920 Examples: >
2921 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
2922 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
2923<
2924 *glob()*
2925glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. The result is a String.
2926 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2927 characters.
2928 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
2929 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
2930
2931 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
2932 any external command. Example: >
2933 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
2934 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
2935< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
2936 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
2937
2938 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
2939 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
2940
2941globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
2942 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
2943 the results. Example: >
2944 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
2945< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
2946 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
2947 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
2948 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
2949 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
2950 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
2951 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
2952 error message.
2953 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
2954 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
2955
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002956 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
2957 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
2958 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
2959 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
2960<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002961 *has()*
2962has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
2963 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
2964 string. See |feature-list| below.
2965 Also see |exists()|.
2966
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002967
2968has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002969 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
2970 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002971
2972
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002973hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002974 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
2975 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
2976 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
2977 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002978 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002979 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
2980 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002981 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
2982 buffer are checked for a match.
2983 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
2984 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
2985 n Normal mode
2986 v Visual mode
2987 o Operator-pending mode
2988 i Insert mode
2989 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
2990 c Command-line mode
2991 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
2992
2993 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
2994 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
2995 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
2996 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
2997 :endif
2998< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
2999 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3000
3001histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3002 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3003 one of: *hist-names*
3004 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3005 "search" or "/" search pattern history
3006 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
3007 "input" or "@" input line history
3008 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3009 shifted to become the newest entry.
3010 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3011 otherwise 0 is returned.
3012
3013 Example: >
3014 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3015 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3016< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3017
3018histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003019 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003020 for the possible values of {history}.
3021
3022 If the parameter {item} is given as String, this is seen
3023 as regular expression. All entries matching that expression
3024 will be removed from the history (if there are any).
3025 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
3026 If {item} is a Number, it will be interpreted as index, see
3027 |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will be removed
3028 if it exists.
3029
3030 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3031 otherwise 0 is returned.
3032
3033 Examples:
3034 Clear expression register history: >
3035 :call histdel("expr")
3036<
3037 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3038 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3039<
3040 The following three are equivalent: >
3041 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3042 :call histdel("search", -1)
3043 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3044<
3045 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3046 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3047 :call histdel("search", -1)
3048 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3049
3050histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3051 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3052 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3053 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3054 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3055 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3056
3057 Examples:
3058 Redo the second last search from history. >
3059 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3060
3061< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3062 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3063 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3064<
3065histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3066 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3067 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3068 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3069
3070 Example: >
3071 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3072<
3073hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3074 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3075 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3076 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3077 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3078 item.
3079 *highlight_exists()*
3080 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3081
3082 *hlID()*
3083hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3084 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3085 zero is returned.
3086 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
3087 group. For example, to get the background color of the
3088 "Comment" group: >
3089 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3090< *highlightID()*
3091 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3092
3093hostname() *hostname()*
3094 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003095 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003096 256 characters long are truncated.
3097
3098iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3099 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3100 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3101 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3102 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3103 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3104 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3105 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3106 can be done.
3107 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3108 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3109 UTF-8 and use: >
3110 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3111< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3112 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3113 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3114 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3115
3116 *indent()*
3117indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3118 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3119 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3120 |getline()|.
3121 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3122
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003123
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003124index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003125 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003126 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003127 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3128 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003129 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3130 case must match.
3131 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3132 Example: >
3133 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003134 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003135
3136
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003137input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003138 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3139 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3140 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003141 prompt to start a new line.
3142 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3143 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
3144 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
3145 for lines typed for input().
3146 Example: >
3147 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3148 : echo "Cheers!"
3149 :endif
3150<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003151 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3152 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003153 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3154
3155< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3156 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
3157 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
3158 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
3159 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
3160 more information. Example: >
3161 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3162<
3163 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3164 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003165 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3166 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3167 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3168 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3169 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3170 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3171 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3172
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003173 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003174 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3175 :function GetFoo()
3176 : call inputsave()
3177 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3178 : call inputrestore()
3179 :endfunction
3180
3181inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3182 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3183 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3184 Example: >
3185 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3186 :if n != ""
3187 : let &sw = n
3188 :endif
3189< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3190 omitted an empty string is returned.
3191 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3192 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003193 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003194
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003195inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003196 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3197 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3198 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003199 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3200 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3201 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3202 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3203 is returned.
3204 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3205 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3206 the start of the string. Example: >
3207 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3208 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3209
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003210inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3211 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3212 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3213 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3214 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3215
3216inputsave() *inputsave()*
3217 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3218 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3219 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3220 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3221 many inputrestore() calls.
3222 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3223
3224inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3225 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3226 two exceptions:
3227 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3228 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3229 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3230 |history| stack.
3231 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3232 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003233 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003234
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003235insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003236 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003237 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3238 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3239 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3240 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003241 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003242 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3243 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3244 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003245< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003246 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003247 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003248
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003249isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3250 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3251 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3252 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3253 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3254
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003255islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003256 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3257 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003258 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3259 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003260 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3261 :lockvar 1 alist
3262 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3263 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3264
3265< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003266 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003267
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003268items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003269 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3270 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3271 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3272 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003273
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003274
3275join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3276 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3277 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3278 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3279 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3280 add it there too: >
3281 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003282< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003283 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3284 The opposite function is |split()|.
3285
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003286keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003287 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003288 arbitrary order.
3289
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003290 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003291len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3292 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3293 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003294 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003295 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003296 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3297 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003298 Otherwise an error is given.
3299
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003300 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3301libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3302 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3303 with single argument {argument}.
3304 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3305 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3306 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3307 limited.
3308 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3309 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3310 to Vim.
3311 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3312 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3313 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3314 null-terminated string.
3315 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3316
3317 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3318 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3319 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3320 very probably crash.
3321
3322 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3323 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3324 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3325 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3326 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3327 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3328 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3329 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3330 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3331 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3332
3333 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3334 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3335 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3336 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3337 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3338 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3339 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3340 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3341 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3342 feature is present}
3343 Examples: >
3344 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3345 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3346<
3347 *libcallnr()*
3348libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3349 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3350 int instead of a string.
3351 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3352 feature is present}
3353 Example (not very useful...): >
3354 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3355 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3356<
3357 *line()*
3358line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3359 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3360 . the cursor position
3361 $ the last line in the current buffer
3362 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3363 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003364 w0 first line visible in current window
3365 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003366 Note that a mark in another file can be used.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003367 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3368 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003369 Examples: >
3370 line(".") line number of the cursor
3371 line("'t") line number of mark t
3372 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3373< *last-position-jump*
3374 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3375 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3376 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003377
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003378line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3379 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3380 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3381 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3382 line returns 1.
3383 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3384 below the last line: >
3385 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3386< This is the file size plus one.
3387 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3388 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3389 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3390
3391lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3392 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3393 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3394 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3395 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3396 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3397 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3398
3399localtime() *localtime()*
3400 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3401 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3402
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003403
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003404map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003405 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003406 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3407 {string}.
3408 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003409 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003410 Example: >
3411 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003412< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003413
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003414 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003415 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003416 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3417 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003418
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003419 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3420 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003421 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003422
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003423< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003424 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3425 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003426
3427
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003428maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003429 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3430 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003431 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003432 "n" Normal
3433 "v" Visual
3434 "o" Operator-pending
3435 "i" Insert
3436 "c" Cmd-line
3437 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3438 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003439 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003440 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3441 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003442 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3443 command. The returned String has special characters
3444 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3445 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3446 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003447 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3448 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3449 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3450
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003451
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003452mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003453 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3454 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3455 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003456 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3457 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003458 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3459 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3460
3461 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3462 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3463 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3464 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3465 mapcheck("b") no no no
3466
3467 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3468 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3469 mapping for {name} exactly.
3470 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3471 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3472 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3473 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3474 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3475 then the global mappings.
3476 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3477 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3478 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3479 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3480 :endif
3481< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3482 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3483
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003484match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003485 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3486 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003487 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003488 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3489 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3490 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003491 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003492 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3493 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003494 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003495 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003496< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003497 *strpbrk()*
3498 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3499 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3500< *strcasestr()*
3501 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3502 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3503 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3504<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003505 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003506 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003507 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003508 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003509 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3510< result is again "4". >
3511 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3512< result is again "4". >
3513 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3514< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003515 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003516 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3517 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3518 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3519 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003520 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3521 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003522 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
3523 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003524
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003525 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003526 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003527 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3528 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3529< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003530 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
3531 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003532
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003533 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3534 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
3535 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
3536 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3537
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003538
3539matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
3540 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
3541 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
3542 Return a |List| with two elements:
3543 The name of the highlight group used
3544 The pattern used.
3545 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
3546 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
3547 This is usef to save and restore a |:match|.
3548
3549
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003550matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003551 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3552 the match. Example: >
3553 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3554< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003555 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3556 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3557 do it with matchend(): >
3558 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3559 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3560< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3561
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003562 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3563 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3564< results in "7". >
3565 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3566< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003567 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003568
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003569matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003570 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003571 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3572 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003573 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
3574 empty string is used. Example: >
3575 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
3576< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003577 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
3578
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003579matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003580 Same as match(), but return the matched string. Example: >
3581 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
3582< results in "ing".
3583 When there is no match "" is returned.
3584 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3585 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
3586< results in "ing". >
3587 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
3588< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003589 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003590 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003591
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003592 *max()*
3593max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
3594 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3595 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003596 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003597
3598 *min()*
3599min({list}) Return the minumum value of all items in {list}.
3600 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3601 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003602 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003603
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003604 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003605mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
3606 Create directory {name}.
3607 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
3608 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
3609 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
3610 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
3611 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
3612 for others.
3613 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3614 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
3615 :if exists("*mkdir")
3616<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003617 *mode()*
3618mode() Return a string that indicates the current mode:
3619 n Normal
3620 v Visual by character
3621 V Visual by line
3622 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
3623 s Select by character
3624 S Select by line
3625 CTRL-S Select blockwise
3626 i Insert
3627 R Replace
3628 c Command-line
3629 r Hit-enter prompt
3630 This is useful in the 'statusline' option. In most other
3631 places it always returns "c" or "n".
3632
3633nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
3634 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
3635 that is not blank. Example: >
3636 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
3637< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3638 below it, zero is returned.
3639 See also |prevnonblank()|.
3640
3641nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
3642 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
3643 value {expr}. Examples: >
3644 nr2char(64) returns "@"
3645 nr2char(32) returns " "
3646< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
3647 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
3648< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
3649 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
3650 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003651 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003652
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003653 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003654getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
3655 see |line()|.
3656 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
3657 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
3658 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
3659 is the buffer number of the mark.
3660 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
3661 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003662 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
3663 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
3664 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
3665 character.
3666 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
3667 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
3668 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00003669 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003670< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003671
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003672pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
3673 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
3674 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
3675 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
3676 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
3677 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
3678< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
3679 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
3680
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003681prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
3682 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
3683 that is not blank. Example: >
3684 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
3685< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3686 above it, zero is returned.
3687 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
3688
3689
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003690printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
3691 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
3692 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003693 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003694< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003695 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003696
3697 Often used items are:
3698 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003699 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
3700 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003701 %c single byte
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003702 %d decimal number
3703 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
3704 %x hex number
3705 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
3706 %X hex number using upper case letters
3707 %o octal number
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003708 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003709
3710 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
3711 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
3712 the result.
3713
3714 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003715 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003716
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003717 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003718
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003719 flags
3720 Zero or more of the following flags:
3721
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003722 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
3723 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
3724 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
3725 of the number is increased to force the first
3726 character of the output string to a zero (except
3727 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
3728 precision of zero).
3729 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
3730 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
3731 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003732
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003733 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
3734 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
3735 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
3736 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
3737 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003738
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003739 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
3740 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
3741 The converted value is padded on the right with
3742 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
3743 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003744
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003745 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
3746 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003747
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003748 + A sign must always be placed before a number
3749 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
3750 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003751
3752 field-width
3753 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003754 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
3755 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
3756 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
3757 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003758
3759 .precision
3760 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
3761 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
3762 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
3763 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
3764 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003765 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003766
3767 type
3768 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
3769 be applied, see below.
3770
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003771 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
3772 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
3773 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
3774 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
3775 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
3776 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003777 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003778< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003779 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003780
3781 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003782
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003783 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
3784 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
3785 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
3786 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003787 conversions.
3788 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
3789 digits that must appear; if the converted value
3790 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
3791 zeros.
3792 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
3793 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
3794 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
3795 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
3796
3797 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
3798 resulting character is written.
3799
3800 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
3801 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
3802 specified are used.
3803
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003804 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
3805 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003806
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003807 Each argument can be Number or String and is converted
3808 automatically to fit the conversion specifier. Any other
3809 argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003810
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00003811 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003812 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
3813 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003814 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003815
3816
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003817pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
3818 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
3819 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00003820 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
3821 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003822
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00003823 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003824range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003825 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003826 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
3827 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
3828 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
3829 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
3830 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003831 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
3832 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
3833 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003834 Examples: >
3835 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
3836 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
3837 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
3838 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003839 range(0) " []
3840 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003841<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003842 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003843readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003844 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
3845 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003846 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
3847 NL appears somewhere).
3848 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
3849 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
3850 added.
3851 - No CR characters are removed.
3852 Otherwise:
3853 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
3854 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
3855 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003856 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
3857 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
3858 lines of a file: >
3859 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
3860 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
3861 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003862< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
3863 are returned, or as many as there are.
3864 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003865 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
3866 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
3867 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003868 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
3869 the result is an empty list.
3870 Also see |writefile()|.
3871
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003872reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
3873 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
3874 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
3875 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
3876 Without an argument it returns the current time.
3877 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
3878 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003879 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003880 and {end}.
3881 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
3882 reltime().
3883 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3884
3885reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
3886 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
3887 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
3888 microseconds. Example: >
3889 let start = reltime()
3890 call MyFunction()
3891 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
3892< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
3893 The accuracy depends on the system.
3894 Also see |profiling|.
3895 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3896
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003897 *remote_expr()* *E449*
3898remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
3899 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
3900 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003901 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
3902 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
3903 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003904 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3905 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3906 remote_read() is stored there.
3907 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3908 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3909 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3910 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
3911 and the result will be the empty string.
3912 Examples: >
3913 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
3914 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
3915<
3916
3917remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
3918 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
3919 This works like: >
3920 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
3921< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
3922 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
3923 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00003924 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
3925 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003926 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3927 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3928 Win32 console version}
3929
3930
3931remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
3932 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
3933 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
3934 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
3935 name of a variable.
3936 Returns zero if none are available.
3937 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
3938 See also |clientserver|.
3939 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3940 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3941 Examples: >
3942 :let repl = ""
3943 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
3944
3945remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
3946 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
3947 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
3948 See also |clientserver|.
3949 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3950 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3951 Example: >
3952 :echo remote_read(id)
3953<
3954 *remote_send()* *E241*
3955remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00003956 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
3957 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
3958 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003959 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
3960 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
3961 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003962 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3963 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3964 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3965 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
3966 up the display.
3967 Examples: >
3968 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
3969 \ remote_read(serverid)
3970
3971 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
3972 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
3973 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
3974 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003975<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003976remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003977 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003978 return it.
3979 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
3980 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
3981 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
3982 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
3983 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003984 Example: >
3985 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003986 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003987remove({dict}, {key})
3988 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
3989 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
3990< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
3991
3992 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003993
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003994rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
3995 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
3996 should also work to move files across file systems. The
3997 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
3998 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
3999 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4000
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004001repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4002 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4003 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004004 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004005< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004006 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004007 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004008 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4009< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004010
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004011
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004012resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4013 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4014 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4015 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4016 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4017 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4018 stopped after 100 iterations.
4019 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4020 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4021 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4022 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4023 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4024
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004025 *reverse()*
4026reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
4027 {list}.
4028 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4029 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4030
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004031search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004032 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004033 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004034
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004035 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4036 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004037 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
4038 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004039 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004040 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4041 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004042 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4043 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4044 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4045
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004046 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4047 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4048 flag.
4049
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004050 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4051 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4052 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4053 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4054 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4055< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4056 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
4057
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004058 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4059 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004060 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4061 *search()-sub-match*
4062 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4063 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4064 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004065 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004066
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004067 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4068 flag is used.
4069
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004070 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4071 :let n = 1
4072 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4073 : exe "argument " . n
4074 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4075 : " first search to find match at start of file
4076 : normal G$
4077 : let flags = "w"
4078 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
4079 : s/foo/bar/g
4080 : let flags = "W"
4081 : endwhile
4082 : update " write the file if modified
4083 : let n = n + 1
4084 :endwhile
4085<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004086 Example for using some flags: >
4087 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4088< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4089 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4090 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4091 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4092 line:
4093 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4094 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4095 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4096 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4097 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4098
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004099
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004100searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4101 Search for the declaration of {name}.
4102
4103 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4104 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4105 first match in the function.
4106
4107 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4108 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4109 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4110
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004111 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4112 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4113 Example: >
4114 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4115 echo getline('.')
4116 endif
4117<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004118 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004119searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004120 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4121 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4122 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004123 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4124 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4125 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4126 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4127 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4128 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004129
4130 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4131 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4132 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4133 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4134 typical use is: >
4135 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4136< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4137
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004138 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4139 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004140 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
4141 outer pair
4142 'm' return number of Matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004143 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004144
4145 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4146 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4147 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4148 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4149 or a string.
4150 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4151 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4152 and -1 returned.
4153
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004154 For {stopline} see |search()|.
4155
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004156 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4157 patterns are used like it's on.
4158
4159 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4160 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4161 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4162 if 1
4163 if 2
4164 endif 2
4165 endif 1
4166< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4167 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4168 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
4169 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
4170 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4171 "endif 2".
4172 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4173 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4174 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4175 the matching start.
4176
4177 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4178
4179 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4180 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4181
4182< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4183 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4184 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4185 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4186 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4187 match.
4188 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4189
4190 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4191
4192< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4193 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4194 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4195
4196 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4197 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4198<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004199 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004200searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004201 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4202 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4203 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004204 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4205 returns [0, 0].
4206>
4207 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4208<
4209 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4210
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004211searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *searchpos()*
4212 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004213 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4214 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4215 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4216 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004217 Example: >
4218 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4219
4220< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4221 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4222 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4223< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4224 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4225
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004226server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4227 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4228 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4229 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4230 Note:
4231 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004232 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004233 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4234 See also |clientserver|.
4235 Example: >
4236 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4237<
4238serverlist() *serverlist()*
4239 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4240 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4241 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4242 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4243 Example: >
4244 :echo serverlist()
4245<
4246setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4247 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4248 {val}.
4249 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4250 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4251 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4252 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4253 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4254 Examples: >
4255 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4256 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4257< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4258
4259setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4260 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
4261 {pos}. The first position is 1.
4262 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4263 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004264 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4265 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4266 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4267 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4268 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004269 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4270 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4271 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4272 line.
4273
4274setline({lnum}, {line}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004275 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {line}.
4276 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004277 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {line} will be
4278 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004279 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4280 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004281 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004282< When {line} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004283 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4284 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4285< This is equivalent to: >
4286 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4287 : call setline(n, l)
4288 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004289< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4290
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004291setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4292 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4293 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004294 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4295 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004296 Otherwise, same as setqflist().
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004297
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004298 *setpos()*
4299setpos({expr}, {list})
4300 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4301 . the cursor
4302 'x mark x
4303
4304 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4305 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4306
4307 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
4308 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
4309 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4310 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4311 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004312 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004313
4314 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4315 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4316
4317 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4318 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4319 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4320 character.
4321
4322 Also see |getpos()|
4323
4324
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004325setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004326 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4327 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4328 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4329 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004330
4331 filename name of a file
4332 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004333 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004334 col column number
4335 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
4336 when zero: "col" is byte index
4337 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004338 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004339 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004340
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004341 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4342 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4343 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004344 If the "filename" entry is not present or neither the "lnum"
4345 or "pattern" entries are present, then the item will not be
4346 handled as an error line.
4347 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4348 be used.
4349
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004350 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4351 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4352 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4353 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4354 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4355 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4356
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004357 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4358
4359 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4360 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4361 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4362
4363
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004364 *setreg()*
4365setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4366 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4367 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4368 then the value is appended.
4369 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4370 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4371 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4372 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4373 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4374 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4375 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
4376 in the longest line (counting a <TAB> as 1 character).
4377
4378 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4379 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4380 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4381 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4382
4383 Examples: >
4384 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4385 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4386 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4387
4388< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4389 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004390 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004391 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4392 ....
4393 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4394
4395< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4396 nothing: >
4397 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4398
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004399settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
4400 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
4401 {val}.
4402 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
4403 use |setwinvar()|.
4404 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004405 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4406 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4407 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4408 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004409 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
4410 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
4411 Examples: >
4412 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
4413 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
4414< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4415
4416setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4417 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004418 Examples: >
4419 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4420 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004421
4422simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4423 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4424 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4425 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4426 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4427 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4428 not removed either.
4429 Example: >
4430 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
4431< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
4432 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
4433 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
4434 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
4435 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
4436
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004437
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004438sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004439 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
4440 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4441 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
4442< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004443 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004444 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004445 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004446 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
4447 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004448 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
4449 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
4450 sorts before the second one. Example: >
4451 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
4452 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
4453 endfunc
4454 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004455<
4456
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004457 *soundfold()*
4458soundfold({word})
4459 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
4460 language in 'spellang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004461 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
4462 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004463 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
4464 the method can be quite slow.
4465
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004466 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004467spellbadword([{sentence}])
4468 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
4469 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
4470 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
4471 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
4472
4473 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
4474 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
4475 result is an empty string.
4476
4477 The return value is a list with two items:
4478 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
4479 - The type of the spelling error:
4480 "bad" spelling mistake
4481 "rare" rare word
4482 "local" word only valid in another region
4483 "caps" word should start with Capital
4484 Example: >
4485 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
4486< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
4487
4488 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
4489 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
4490 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004491
4492 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004493spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004494 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004495 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
4496 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
4497
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004498 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
4499 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
4500 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
4501
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004502 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
4503 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00004504 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
4505 replace a line.
4506
4507 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004508 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
4509 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004510
4511 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004512 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
4513 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004514
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004515
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004516split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004517 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
4518 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
4519 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004520 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004521 removing the matched characters.
4522 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
4523 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00004524 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
4525 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004526 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004527 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004528< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004529 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00004530< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
4531 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
4532< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004533 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
4534 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
4535< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004536
4537
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004538str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
4539 Convert string {expr} to a number.
4540 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
4541 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
4542 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
4543 with the default String to Number conversion.
4544 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
4545 different base the result will be zero.
4546 Text after the number is silently ignored.
4547
4548
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004549strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
4550 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
4551 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
4552 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
4553 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
4554 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
4555 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
4556 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
4557 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
4558 Examples: >
4559 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
4560 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
4561 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
4562 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
4563 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
4564 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004565< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4566 :if exists("*strftime")
4567
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004568stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
4569 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4570 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004571 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
4572 This can be used to find a second match: >
4573 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
4574 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
4575< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004576 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004577 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004578 See also |strridx()|.
4579 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004580 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
4581 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
4582 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004583< *strstr()* *strchr()*
4584 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
4585 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
4586
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004587 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004588string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
4589 String or a composition of them, then the result can be parsed
4590 back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004591 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004592 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004593 Number 123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004594 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004595 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004596 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004597 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004598
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004599 *strlen()*
4600strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004601 {expr} in bytes.
4602 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
4603 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004604
4605 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004606<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004607 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
4608 For other types an error is given.
4609 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004610
4611strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
4612 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004613 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004614 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
4615 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
4616 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
4617 end of the {src}. >
4618 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
4619 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
4620 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
4621 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
4622< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
4623 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00004624 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004625<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004626strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
4627 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4628 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
4629 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
4630 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
4631 match: >
4632 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
4633 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
4634< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004635 For pattern searches use |match()|.
4636 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004637 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004638 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004639 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004640< *strrchr()*
4641 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
4642 function strrchr().
4643
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004644strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
4645 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
4646 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
4647 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
4648 echo strtrans(@a)
4649< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
4650 starting a new line.
4651
4652submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
4653 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
4654 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
4655 the whole matched text is returned.
4656 Example: >
4657 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
4658< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
4659 A line break is included as a newline character.
4660
4661substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
4662 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
4663 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
4664 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
4665 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
4666 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
4667 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
4668 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
4669 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
4670 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
4671 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
4672 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
4673 unmodified.
4674 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
4675 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
4676 Example: >
4677 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
4678< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
4679 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
4680< results in "TESTING".
4681
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004682synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004683 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004684 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004685 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
4686 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004687
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004688 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004689 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
4690
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004691 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
4692 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
4693 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
4694 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
4695 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
4696 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
4697 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
4698
4699 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
4700 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
4701<
4702synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
4703 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
4704 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
4705 about a syntax item.
4706 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
4707 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
4708 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
4709 used (GUI, cterm or term).
4710 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
4711 {what} result
4712 "name" the name of the syntax item
4713 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
4714 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
4715 term: empty string)
4716 "bg" background color (like "fg")
4717 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
4718 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
4719 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
4720 "bold" "1" if bold
4721 "italic" "1" if italic
4722 "reverse" "1" if reverse
4723 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
4724 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004725 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004726
4727 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
4728 cursor): >
4729 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
4730<
4731synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
4732 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
4733 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
4734 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
4735 ":highlight link" are followed.
4736
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004737system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
4738 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
4739 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
4740 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
4741 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004742 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004743 Note: newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail. The
4744 characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also cause
4745 trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004746 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
4747 The result is a String. Example: >
4748
4749 :let files = system("ls")
4750
4751< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
4752 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
4753 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
4754 The command executed is constructed using several options:
4755 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
4756 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
4757 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
4758 concatenated commands.
4759
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004760 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
4761 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
4762
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004763 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
4764 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00004765
4766 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
4767 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
4768 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004769 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
4770 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
4771
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004772
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004773tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004774 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004775 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
4776 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
4777 omitted the current tab page is used.
4778 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
4779 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
4780 tablist = []
4781 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
4782 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
4783 endfor
4784< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
4785
4786
4787tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004788 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4789 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
4790 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
4791 page is returned (the tab page count).
4792 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
4793
4794
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004795tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
4796 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
4797 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
4798 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
4799 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
4800 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
4801 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
4802 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
4803 Useful examples: >
4804 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
4805 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
4806< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
4807
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00004808 *tagfiles()*
4809tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
4810 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
4811
4812
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004813taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
4814 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00004815 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
4816 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004817 name Name of the tag.
4818 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004819 defined.
4820 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
4821 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004822 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004823 entry depends on the language specific
4824 kind values generated by the ctags
4825 tool.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004826 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004827 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004828 The "kind" entry is only available when using Exuberant ctags
4829 generated tags file. More entries may be present, depending
4830 on the content of the tags file: access, implementation,
4831 inherits and signature. Refer to the ctags documentation for
4832 information about these fields. For C code the fields
4833 "struct", "class" and "enum" may appear, they give the name of
4834 the entity the tag is contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004835
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004836 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
4837 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004838
4839 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
4840
4841 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
4842 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
4843 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
4844
4845 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
4846 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
4847 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
4848
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004849tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
4850 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
4851 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
4852 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
4853 :let tmpfile = tempname()
4854 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
4855< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
4856 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
4857 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
4858 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
4859 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
4860 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
4861
4862tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
4863 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
4864 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
4865 the string).
4866
4867toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
4868 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
4869 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
4870 the string).
4871
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00004872tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
4873 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
4874 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
4875 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
4876 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
4877 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
4878 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
4879
4880 Examples: >
4881 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
4882< returns "Hello THere" >
4883 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
4884< returns "{blob}"
4885
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004886 *type()*
4887type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004888 Number: 0
4889 String: 1
4890 Funcref: 2
4891 List: 3
4892 Dictionary: 4
4893 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004894 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
4895 :if type(myvar) == type("")
4896 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
4897 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004898 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004899
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004900values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004901 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
4902 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004903
4904
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004905virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
4906 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
4907 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
4908 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
4909 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
4910 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
4911 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
4912 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004913 For the use of {expr} see |col()|. Additionally you can use
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00004914 [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line and column number. When
4915 "lnum" or "col" is out of range then virtcol() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004916 When 'virtualedit' is used it can be [lnum, col, off], where
4917 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4918 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4919 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004920 For the byte position use |col()|.
4921 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
4922 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
4923 The accepted positions are:
4924 . the cursor position
4925 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
4926 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
4927 plus one)
4928 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4929 returned)
4930 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
4931 Examples: >
4932 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
4933 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
4934 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
4935< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
4936
4937visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
4938 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
4939 used. Initially it returns an empty string, but once Visual
4940 mode has been used, it returns "v", "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a
4941 single CTRL-V character) for character-wise, line-wise, or
4942 block-wise Visual mode respectively.
4943 Example: >
4944 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
4945< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
4946 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
4947 Visual mode that was used.
4948
4949 If an expression is supplied that results in a non-zero number
4950 or a non-empty string, then the Visual mode will be cleared
4951 and the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
4952 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared.
4953
4954 *winbufnr()*
4955winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004956 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004957 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
4958 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4959 Example: >
4960 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
4961<
4962 *wincol()*
4963wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
4964 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
4965 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
4966
4967winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
4968 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
4969 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
4970 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4971 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
4972 Examples: >
4973 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
4974<
4975 *winline()*
4976winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
4977 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
4978 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004979 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
4980 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004981
4982 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004983winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4984 window. The top window has number 1.
4985 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004986 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004987 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
4988 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
4989 If there is no previous window 0 is returned.
4990 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
4991 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004992
4993 *winrestcmd()*
4994winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
4995 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004996 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
4997 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004998 Example: >
4999 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5000 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
5001 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005002<
5003 *winrestview()*
5004winrestview({dict})
5005 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
5006 the view of the current window.
5007 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
5008 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
5009
5010 *winsaveview()*
5011winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
5012 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
5013 restore the view.
5014 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
5015 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
5016 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005017 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
5018 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005019 The return value includes:
5020 lnum cursor line number
5021 col cursor column
5022 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
5023 curswant column for vertical movement
5024 topline first line in the window
5025 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
5026 leftcol first column displayed
5027 skipcol columns skipped
5028 Note that no option values are saved.
5029
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005030
5031winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
5032 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
5033 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
5034 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5035 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
5036 Examples: >
5037 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
5038 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
5039 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
5040 :endif
5041<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005042 *writefile()*
5043writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005044 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005045 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
5046 Number.
5047 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
5048 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
5049 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
5050 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
5051 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
5052 to writefile().
5053 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
5054 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
5055 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
5056 fails.
5057 Also see |readfile()|.
5058 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5059 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5060 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5061<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005062
5063 *feature-list*
5064There are three types of features:
50651. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5066 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5067 :if has("cindent")
50682. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5069 Example: >
5070 :if has("gui_running")
5071< *has-patch*
50723. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5073 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5074 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5075 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
5076
5077all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5078amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5079arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5080arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00005081autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005082balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00005083balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005084beos BeOS version of Vim.
5085browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5086 work.
5087builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5088byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5089cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5090clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5091clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5092cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5093cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5094cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5095comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5096cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5097cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5098compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5099debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5100dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5101dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5102diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5103digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5104dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5105dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5106dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5107ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5108emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5109eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5110 true, of course!
5111ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5112extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5113 |'hlsearch'|
5114farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5115file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005116filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5117 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005118find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5119 |+find_in_path|.
5120fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5121 Windows this is not present).
5122folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5123footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5124fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5125gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5126gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5127gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005128gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5129gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
5130gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5131gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5132gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5133gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5134gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5135gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5136hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5137iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5138insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5139 Insert mode.
5140jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5141keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5142langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5143libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5144linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5145 support.
5146lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5147listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5148 and the argument list |arglist|.
5149localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5150mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5151macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5152menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5153mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5154modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5155mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5156mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5157mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5158mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5159mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5160mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
5161mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
5162multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
5163multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5164multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00005165mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005166netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00005167netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005168ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5169os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5170osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5171path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5172perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5173postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5174printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005175profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005176python Compiled with Python interface.
5177qnx QNX version of Vim.
5178quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
5179rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5180ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5181scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5182showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5183signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5184smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00005185sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005186statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5187 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5188sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00005189spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5190syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005191syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5192 current buffer.
5193system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5194tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5195 |tag-binary-search|.
5196tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5197 |tag-old-static|.
5198tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
5199 files |tag-any-white|.
5200tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
5201terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
5202termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
5203textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
5204tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
5205 or terminfo file.
5206title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
5207toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
5208unix Unix version of Vim.
5209user_commands User-defined commands.
5210viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
5211vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
5212vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
5213virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
5214visual Compiled with Visual mode.
5215visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
5216 |blockwise-operators|.
5217vms VMS version of Vim.
5218vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
5219wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
5220wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
5221windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
5222winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
5223win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
5224win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
5225win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
5226win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
5227win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
5228writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
5229xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
5230xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
5231xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
5232xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
5233xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
5234xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
5235 xterm screen.
5236x11 Compiled with X11 support.
5237
5238 *string-match*
5239Matching a pattern in a String
5240
5241A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
5242the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
5243everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
5244like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
5245line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
5246with ".". Example: >
5247 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
5248 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
5249 aa
5250 xx
5251 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
5252 a
5253 x
5254
5255Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
5256"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
5257"\n".
5258
5259==============================================================================
52605. Defining functions *user-functions*
5261
5262New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
5263functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
5264commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
5265
5266The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
5267builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
5268avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
5269the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
5270
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005271It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
5272|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005273
5274 *local-function*
5275A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
5276can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
5277and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
5278function from a mappings defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
5279instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
5280
5281 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
5282:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
5283
5284:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005285 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5286 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005287 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005288
5289:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
5290 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
5291 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005292<
5293 *:function-verbose*
5294When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
5295last defined. Example: >
5296
5297 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
5298 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
5299 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
5300<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00005301See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005302
5303 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005304:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005305 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
5306 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
5307 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005308
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005309 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5310 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005311 :function dict.init(arg)
5312< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
5313 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
5314 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
5315 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
5316 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
5317 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005318 *E127* *E122*
5319 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
5320 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
5321 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
5322 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005323
5324 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
5325
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005326 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
5327 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
5328 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
5329 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
5330 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
5331 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
5332 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005333
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005334 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
5335 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005336
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005337 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005338 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005339 local variable "self" will then be set to the
5340 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005341
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00005342 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
5343 will not be changed by the function.
5344
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005345 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
5346:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
5347 by its own, without other commands.
5348
5349 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
5350:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005351 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5352 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005353 :delfunc dict.init
5354< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
5355 function is deleted if there are no more references to
5356 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005357 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
5358:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
5359 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
5360 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
5361 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
5362 the number 0 is returned.
5363 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
5364 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
5365
5366 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
5367 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
5368 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
5369 are executed first. This process applies to all
5370 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
5371 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
5372
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005373 *function-argument* *a:var*
5374An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
5375be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
5376 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740*
5377Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
5378arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
5379may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
5380as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005381can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
5382that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005383 *E742*
5384The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005385However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can changes their contents.
5386Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
5387it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
5388|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005389
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005390When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
5391to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
5392may be larger.
5393
5394It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
5395still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
5396until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
5397inside a function body.
5398
5399 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005400Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
5401will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
5402accessed with "g:".
5403
5404Example: >
5405 :function Table(title, ...)
5406 : echohl Title
5407 : echo a:title
5408 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005409 : echo a:0 . " items:"
5410 : for s in a:000
5411 : echon ' ' . s
5412 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005413 :endfunction
5414
5415This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005416 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
5417 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005418
5419To return more than one value, pass the name of a global variable: >
5420 :function Compute(n1, n2, divname)
5421 : if a:n2 == 0
5422 : return "fail"
5423 : endif
5424 : let g:{a:divname} = a:n1 / a:n2
5425 : return "ok"
5426 :endfunction
5427
5428This function can then be called with: >
5429 :let success = Compute(13, 1324, "div")
5430 :if success == "ok"
5431 : echo div
5432 :endif
5433
5434An alternative is to return a command that can be executed. This also works
5435with local variables in a calling function. Example: >
5436 :function Foo()
5437 : execute Bar()
5438 : echo "line " . lnum . " column " . col
5439 :endfunction
5440
5441 :function Bar()
5442 : return "let lnum = " . line(".") . " | let col = " . col(".")
5443 :endfunction
5444
5445The names "lnum" and "col" could also be passed as argument to Bar(), to allow
5446the caller to set the names.
5447
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00005448 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005449:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
5450 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
5451 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
5452 used.
5453 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
5454 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
5455 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
5456 function.
5457 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
5458 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
5459 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
5460 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
5461 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
5462 this works:
5463 *function-range-example* >
5464 :function Mynumber(arg)
5465 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
5466 :endfunction
5467 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
5468<
5469 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
5470 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
5471 the range.
5472
5473 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
5474
5475 :function Cont() range
5476 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
5477 :endfunction
5478 :4,8call Cont()
5479<
5480 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
5481 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
5482
5483 *E132*
5484The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
5485option.
5486
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005487
5488AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005489 *autoload-functions*
5490When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005491only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
5492the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
5493
5494
5495Using an autocommand ~
5496
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005497This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
5498
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005499The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
5500You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
5501That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
5502again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
5503
5504Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
5505function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005506
5507 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
5508
5509The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
5510"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
5511
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005512
5513Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005514 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005515This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
5516
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005517Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
5518exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
5519like this: >
5520
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005521 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005522
5523When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
5524"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
5525"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
5526then define the function like this: >
5527
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005528 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005529 echo "Done!"
5530 endfunction
5531
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00005532The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005533exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
5534called.
5535
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005536It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
5537a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005538
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005539 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005540
5541Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
5542
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005543This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
5544
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005545 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005546
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005547However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
5548for an unknown variable.
5549
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005550When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
5551be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
5552
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005553 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
5554 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005555
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00005556Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
5557defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
5558function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005559And you will get an error message every time.
5560
5561Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
5562other and vise versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
5563Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005564
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005565Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
5566|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
5567
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005568==============================================================================
55696. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
5570
5571Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
5572This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
5573{} like this: >
5574 my_{adjective}_variable
5575
5576When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
5577that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
5578name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
5579"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
5580"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
5581
5582One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
5583value. For example, the statement >
5584 echo my_{&background}_message
5585
5586would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
5587on the current value of 'background'.
5588
5589You can use multiple brace pairs: >
5590 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
5591..or even nest them: >
5592 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
5593where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
5594
5595However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005596variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005597 :let foo='a + b'
5598 :echo c{foo}d
5599.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
5600
5601 *curly-braces-function-names*
5602You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
5603Example: >
5604 :let func_end='whizz'
5605 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
5606
5607This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
5608
5609==============================================================================
56107. Commands *expression-commands*
5611
5612:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
5613 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
5614 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
5615 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
5616 is created.
5617
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005618:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
5619 Set a list item to the result of the expression
5620 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
5621 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
5622 the index can be repeated.
5623 This cannot be used to add an item to a list.
5624
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005625 *E711* *E719*
5626:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005627 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
5628 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005629 correct number of items.
5630 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
5631 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
5632 When the selected range of items is partly past the
5633 end of the list, items will be added.
5634
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005635 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005636:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
5637:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
5638:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
5639 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
5640 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
5641
5642
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005643:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
5644 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
5645 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005646:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
5647 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
5648 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
5649 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005650
5651:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
5652 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
5653 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
5654 must be the name of a writable register (see
5655 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
5656 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
5657 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
5658 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
5659 characterwise.
5660 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
5661 :let @/ = ""
5662< This is different from searching for an empty string,
5663 that would match everywhere.
5664
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005665:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
5666 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
5667 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
5668
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005669:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-star*
5670 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005671 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
5672 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005673 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
5674 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00005675 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005676 Example: >
5677 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005678
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005679:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
5680 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
5681 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
5682
5683:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
5684:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
5685 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
5686 {expr1}.
5687
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005688:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005689:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5690:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
5691:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005692 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
5693 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
5694
5695:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005696:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5697:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
5698:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005699 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
5700 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
5701
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005702:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005703 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005704 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
5705 {name2}, etc.
5706 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005707 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005708 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
5709 command as mentioned above.
5710 Example: >
5711 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005712< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
5713 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
5714 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
5715 :let x = [0, 1]
5716 :let i = 0
5717 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
5718 :echo x
5719< The result is [0, 2].
5720
5721:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
5722:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
5723:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
5724 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005725 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005726
5727:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005728 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005729 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
5730 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
5731 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005732 Example: >
5733 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
5734<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005735:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
5736:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
5737:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
5738 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005739 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005740 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005741:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005742 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
5743 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005744 g: global variables
5745 b: local buffer variables
5746 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005747 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005748 s: script-local variables
5749 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005750 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005751
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005752:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
5753 variable is indicated before the value:
5754 <nothing> String
5755 # Number
5756 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005757
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005758
5759:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108*
5760 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
5761 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005762 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005763 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
5764 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005765 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005766 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
5767 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005768< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005769 :unlet dict['two']
5770 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005771
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005772:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
5773 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
5774 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
5775 A locked variable can be deleted: >
5776 :lockvar v
5777 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
5778 :unlet v
5779< *E741*
5780 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
5781 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
5782
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005783 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
5784 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
5785 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005786 cannot add or remove items, but can
5787 still change their values.
5788 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005789 the items. If an item is a |List| or
5790 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005791 items, but can still change the
5792 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005793 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
5794 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
5795 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
5796 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
5797 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005798 *E743*
5799 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
5800 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
5801 loops.
5802
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005803 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
5804 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005805 locked when used through the other variable.
5806 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005807 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
5808 :let cl = l
5809 :lockvar l
5810 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
5811< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
5812 See |deepcopy()|.
5813
5814
5815:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
5816 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
5817 opposite of |:lockvar|.
5818
5819
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005820:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
5821:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5822 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5823
5824 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
5825 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
5826 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
5827 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
5828 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
5829 part was not executed either.
5830
5831 You can use this to remain compatible with older
5832 versions: >
5833 :if version >= 500
5834 : version-5-specific-commands
5835 :endif
5836< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
5837 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
5838 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
5839 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
5840 avoid problems: >
5841 :if version >= 600
5842 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
5843 :endif
5844<
5845 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
5846 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
5847
5848 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
5849:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5850 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
5851 executed.
5852
5853 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
5854:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
5855 is no extra ":endif".
5856
5857:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005858 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005859:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
5860 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5861 When an error is detected from a command inside the
5862 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005863 Example: >
5864 :let lnum = 1
5865 :while lnum <= line("$")
5866 :call FixLine(lnum)
5867 :let lnum = lnum + 1
5868 :endwhile
5869<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005870 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005871 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005872
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005873:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005874:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
5875 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005876 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005877 value of each item.
5878 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005879 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00005880 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
5881 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005882 :for item in copy(mylist)
5883< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
5884 next item in the list, before executing the commands
5885 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
5886 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
5887 it will not be found. Thus the following example
5888 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
5889 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005890 :call remove(mylist, 0)
5891 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005892< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
5893 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
5894 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005895 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
5896 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
5897 to allow multiple item types.
5898
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005899:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
5900:endfo[r]
5901 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
5902 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
5903 {var2}, etc. Example: >
5904 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
5905 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
5906 :endfor
5907<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005908 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005909:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
5910 to the start of the loop.
5911 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5912 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5913 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5914 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5915 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5916 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005917
5918 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005919:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
5920 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
5921 ":endfor".
5922 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5923 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5924 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5925 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5926 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5927 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005928
5929:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
5930:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
5931 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
5932 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
5933 or autocommand invocations.
5934
5935 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
5936 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
5937 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
5938 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
5939 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
5940 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
5941 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
5942 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
5943 Example: >
5944 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
5945 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
5946<
5947 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
5948 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
5949 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
5950 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
5951 processing is not terminated.
5952
5953 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
5954 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
5955 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
5956 other errors are converted to a value of the form
5957 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
5958 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
5959 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
5960 the error number.
5961 Examples: >
5962 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
5963 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
5964<
5965 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
5966:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
5967 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
5968 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
5969 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
5970 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
5971 commands are skipped.
5972 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
5973 Examples: >
5974 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
5975 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
5976 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
5977 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
5978 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
5979 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
5980 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
5981 :catch " same as /.*/
5982<
5983 Another character can be used instead of / around the
5984 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
5985 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
5986 {pattern}.
5987 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
5988 an error message because it may vary in different
5989 locales.
5990
5991 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
5992:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
5993 are executed whenever the part between the matching
5994 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
5995 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
5996 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
5997 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
5998
5999 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
6000:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
6001 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
6002 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
6003 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
6004 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
6005 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
6006 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
6007 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
6008 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
6009 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
6010 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
6011 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
6012 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
6013 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
6014 is terminated.
6015 Example: >
6016 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
6017<
6018
6019 *:ec* *:echo*
6020:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
6021 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
6022 Also see |:comment|.
6023 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
6024 cursor to the first column.
6025 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6026 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6027 Example: >
6028 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
6029< A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
6030 To avoid that a command from before the ":echo" causes
6031 a redraw afterwards (redraws are often postponed until
6032 you type something), force a redraw with the |:redraw|
6033 command. Example: >
6034 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
6035<
6036 *:echon*
6037:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
6038 |:comment|.
6039 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6040 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6041 Example: >
6042 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
6043<
6044 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
6045 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
6046 command: >
6047 :!echo % --> filename
6048< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
6049 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
6050< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
6051 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
6052 :echo % --> nothing
6053< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
6054 :echo "%" --> %
6055< This just echoes the '%' character. >
6056 :echo expand("%") --> filename
6057< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
6058
6059 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6060:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6061 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6062 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6063 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6064< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6065 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6066
6067 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6068:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6069 message in the |message-history|.
6070 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6071 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6072 displayed, not interpreted.
6073 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6074 Example: >
6075 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
6076<
6077 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6078:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6079 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6080 script or function the line number will be added.
6081 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6082 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
6083 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6084 (see |try-echoerr|).
6085 Example: >
6086 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6087< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6088 And to get a beep: >
6089 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6090<
6091 *:exe* *:execute*
6092:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6093 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
6094 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
6095 used as the processed command, command line editing
6096 keys are not recognized.
6097 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6098 Examples: >
6099 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6100 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6101<
6102 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6103 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6104 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6105
6106< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6107 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6108 command: >
6109 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6110< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6111
6112 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006113 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6114 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006115 :execute 'while i > 5'
6116 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6117<
6118 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6119 completely in the executed string: >
6120 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6121<
6122
6123 *:comment*
6124 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6125 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6126 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6127 comment. Example: >
6128 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6129
6130==============================================================================
61318. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6132
6133The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6134explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6135
6136Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6137|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6138exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6139
6140
6141TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6142
6143Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6144use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6145a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6146 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6147|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6148a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6149be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6150which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6151clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6152
6153 :try
6154 : ...
6155 : ... TRY BLOCK
6156 : ...
6157 :catch /{pattern}/
6158 : ...
6159 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6160 : ...
6161 :catch /{pattern}/
6162 : ...
6163 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6164 : ...
6165 :finally
6166 : ...
6167 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6168 : ...
6169 :endtry
6170
6171The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6172appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6173from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6174 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6175is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6176script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6177 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6178lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6179patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6180after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6181executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
6182":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
6183(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
6184continues in the following line as usual.
6185 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
6186":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
6187that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
6188finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
6189the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
6190the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
6191see |try-nesting|.
6192 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
6193remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
6194not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
6195try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
6196a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
6197execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
6198exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6199 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
6200thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
6201clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
6202catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
6203following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
6204clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6205
6206The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
6207a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
6208try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
6209from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
6210sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
6211":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
6212":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
6213from the finally clause.
6214 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
6215try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
6216clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
6217":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
6218clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
6219":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
6220this pending exception or command is discarded.
6221
6222For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
6223
6224
6225NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
6226
6227Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
6228conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
6229clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
6230catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
6231of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
6232checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
6233try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
6234otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
6235nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
6236one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
6237the inner try conditional.
6238
6239When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
6240finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
6241An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
6242thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
6243implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
6244as usual.
6245
6246For examples see |throw-catch|.
6247
6248
6249EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
6250
6251Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
6252'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
6253script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
6254finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
6255a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
6256(see |debug-scripts|).
6257
6258
6259THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
6260
6261You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
6262and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
6263 :throw 4711
6264 :throw "string"
6265< *throw-expression*
6266You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
6267first, and the result is thrown: >
6268 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
6269 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
6270
6271An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
6272command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
6273The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
6274 Example: >
6275
6276 :function! Foo(arg)
6277 : try
6278 : throw a:arg
6279 : catch /foo/
6280 : endtry
6281 : return 1
6282 :endfunction
6283 :
6284 :function! Bar()
6285 : echo "in Bar"
6286 : return 4710
6287 :endfunction
6288 :
6289 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
6290
6291This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
6292executed. >
6293 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
6294however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
6295
6296Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
6297abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
6298exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
6299 Example: >
6300
6301 :if Foo("arrgh")
6302 : echo "then"
6303 :else
6304 : echo "else"
6305 :endif
6306
6307Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
6308
6309 *catch-order*
6310Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
6311commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
6312command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
6313gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
6314 Example: >
6315
6316 :function! Foo(value)
6317 : try
6318 : throw a:value
6319 : catch /^\d\+$/
6320 : echo "Number thrown"
6321 : catch /.*/
6322 : echo "String thrown"
6323 : endtry
6324 :endfunction
6325 :
6326 :call Foo(0x1267)
6327 :call Foo('string')
6328
6329The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
6330An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
6331specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
6332specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
6333
6334 : catch /.*/
6335 : echo "String thrown"
6336 : catch /^\d\+$/
6337 : echo "Number thrown"
6338
6339The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
6340never taken.
6341
6342 *throw-variables*
6343If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
6344in the variable |v:exception|: >
6345
6346 : catch /^\d\+$/
6347 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
6348
6349You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
6350|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
6351exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
6352 Example: >
6353
6354 :function! Caught()
6355 : if v:exception != ""
6356 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
6357 : else
6358 : echo 'Nothing caught'
6359 : endif
6360 :endfunction
6361 :
6362 :function! Foo()
6363 : try
6364 : try
6365 : try
6366 : throw 4711
6367 : finally
6368 : call Caught()
6369 : endtry
6370 : catch /.*/
6371 : call Caught()
6372 : throw "oops"
6373 : endtry
6374 : catch /.*/
6375 : call Caught()
6376 : finally
6377 : call Caught()
6378 : endtry
6379 :endfunction
6380 :
6381 :call Foo()
6382
6383This displays >
6384
6385 Nothing caught
6386 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
6387 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
6388 Nothing caught
6389
6390A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
6391number in the script or function where it has been used: >
6392
6393 :function! LineNumber()
6394 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
6395 :endfunction
6396 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
6397<
6398 *try-nested*
6399An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
6400a surrounding try conditional: >
6401
6402 :try
6403 : try
6404 : throw "foo"
6405 : catch /foobar/
6406 : echo "foobar"
6407 : finally
6408 : echo "inner finally"
6409 : endtry
6410 :catch /foo/
6411 : echo "foo"
6412 :endtry
6413
6414The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
6415clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
6416conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
6417
6418 *throw-from-catch*
6419You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
6420catch clause: >
6421
6422 :function! Foo()
6423 : throw "foo"
6424 :endfunction
6425 :
6426 :function! Bar()
6427 : try
6428 : call Foo()
6429 : catch /foo/
6430 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
6431 : throw "bar"
6432 : endtry
6433 :endfunction
6434 :
6435 :try
6436 : call Bar()
6437 :catch /.*/
6438 : echo "Caught" v:exception
6439 :endtry
6440
6441This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
6442
6443 *rethrow*
6444There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
6445"v:exception" instead: >
6446
6447 :function! Bar()
6448 : try
6449 : call Foo()
6450 : catch /.*/
6451 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
6452 : throw v:exception
6453 : endtry
6454 :endfunction
6455< *try-echoerr*
6456Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
6457exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
6458Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
6459denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
6460the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
6461
6462 :try
6463 : try
6464 : asdf
6465 : catch /.*/
6466 : echoerr v:exception
6467 : endtry
6468 :catch /.*/
6469 : echo v:exception
6470 :endtry
6471
6472This code displays
6473
6474 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
6475
6476
6477CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
6478
6479Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
6480user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
6481an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
6482a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
6483catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
6484a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
6485normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
6486(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
6487to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
6488clause has been executed.)
6489Example: >
6490
6491 :try
6492 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
6493 : set ts=17
6494 :
6495 : " Do the hard work here.
6496 :
6497 :finally
6498 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
6499 : unlet s:saved_ts
6500 :endtry
6501
6502This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
6503changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
6504that function or script part.
6505
6506 *break-finally*
6507Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
6508a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
6509 Example: >
6510
6511 :let first = 1
6512 :while 1
6513 : try
6514 : if first
6515 : echo "first"
6516 : let first = 0
6517 : continue
6518 : else
6519 : throw "second"
6520 : endif
6521 : catch /.*/
6522 : echo v:exception
6523 : break
6524 : finally
6525 : echo "cleanup"
6526 : endtry
6527 : echo "still in while"
6528 :endwhile
6529 :echo "end"
6530
6531This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
6532
6533 :function! Foo()
6534 : try
6535 : return 4711
6536 : finally
6537 : echo "cleanup\n"
6538 : endtry
6539 : echo "Foo still active"
6540 :endfunction
6541 :
6542 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
6543
6544This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
6545extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
6546return value.)
6547
6548 *except-from-finally*
6549Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
6550a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
6551cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
6552exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
6553 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
6554working correctly: >
6555
6556 :try
6557 : try
6558 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
6559 : while 1
6560 : endwhile
6561 : finally
6562 : unlet novar
6563 : endtry
6564 :catch /novar/
6565 :endtry
6566 :echo "Script still running"
6567 :sleep 1
6568
6569If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
6570think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
6571|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
6572
6573
6574CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
6575
6576If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
6577watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
6578presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
6579exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
6580the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
6581the error exception is.
6582 Error exceptions have the following format: >
6583
6584 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
6585or >
6586 Vim:{errmsg}
6587
6588{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
6589the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
6590when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
6591a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
6592a space.
6593
6594Examples:
6595
6596The command >
6597 :unlet novar
6598normally produces the error message >
6599 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6600which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6601 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
6602
6603The command >
6604 :dwim
6605normally produces the error message >
6606 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6607which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6608 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6609
6610You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
6611 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
6612or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
6613 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
6614
6615Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
6616 :function nofunc
6617and >
6618 :delfunction nofunc
6619both produce the error message >
6620 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6621which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6622 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6623or >
6624 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6625respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
6626command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
6627 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
6628
6629Some commands like >
6630 :let x = novar
6631produce multiple error messages, here: >
6632 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6633 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6634Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
6635one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
6636 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
6637
6638You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
6639 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
6640
6641You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
6642 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
6643
6644You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
6645 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
6646<
6647 *catch-text*
6648NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
6649 :catch /No such variable/
6650only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
6651a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
6652cite the message text in a comment: >
6653 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
6654
6655
6656IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
6657
6658You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
6659
6660 :try
6661 : write
6662 :catch
6663 :endtry
6664
6665But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
6666catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
6667be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
6668
6669 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
6670
6671There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
6672writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
6673then hide the error from the user.
6674 It is much better to use >
6675
6676 :try
6677 : write
6678 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6679 :endtry
6680
6681which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
6682intentionally.
6683
6684For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
6685even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
6686command: >
6687 :silent! nunmap k
6688This works also when a try conditional is active.
6689
6690
6691CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
6692
6693When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
6694the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
6695script is not terminated, then.
6696 Example: >
6697
6698 :function! TASK1()
6699 : sleep 10
6700 :endfunction
6701
6702 :function! TASK2()
6703 : sleep 20
6704 :endfunction
6705
6706 :while 1
6707 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
6708 : try
6709 : if command == ""
6710 : continue
6711 : elseif command == "END"
6712 : break
6713 : elseif command == "TASK1"
6714 : call TASK1()
6715 : elseif command == "TASK2"
6716 : call TASK2()
6717 : else
6718 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
6719 : continue
6720 : endif
6721 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6722 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
6723 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
6724 : endtry
6725 :endwhile
6726
6727You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
6728a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
6729
6730For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
6731your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
6732command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
6733
6734
6735CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
6736
6737The commands >
6738
6739 :catch /.*/
6740 :catch //
6741 :catch
6742
6743catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
6744explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
6745a script in order to catch unexpected things.
6746 Example: >
6747
6748 :try
6749 :
6750 : " do the hard work here
6751 :
6752 :catch /MyException/
6753 :
6754 : " handle known problem
6755 :
6756 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6757 : echo "Script interrupted"
6758 :catch /.*/
6759 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
6760 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
6761 :endtry
6762 :" end of script
6763
6764Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
6765strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
6766specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
6767 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
6768by pressing CTRL-C: >
6769
6770 :while 1
6771 : try
6772 : sleep 1
6773 : catch
6774 : endtry
6775 :endwhile
6776
6777
6778EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
6779
6780Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
6781
6782 :autocmd User x try
6783 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
6784 :autocmd User x catch
6785 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
6786 :autocmd User x endtry
6787 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
6788 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
6789 :
6790 :try
6791 : doautocmd User x
6792 :catch
6793 : echo v:exception
6794 :endtry
6795
6796This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
6797
6798 *except-autocmd-Pre*
6799For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
6800command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
6801of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
6802abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
6803 Example: >
6804
6805 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
6806 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
6807 :
6808 :try
6809 : write
6810 :catch
6811 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
6812 :endtry
6813
6814Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
6815you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
6816autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
6817script displays: >
6818
6819 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
6820<
6821 *except-autocmd-Post*
6822For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
6823command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
6824an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
6825is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
6826 Example: >
6827
6828 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
6829 :
6830 :try
6831 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6832 :catch
6833 : echo v:exception
6834 :endtry
6835
6836This just displays: >
6837
6838 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
6839
6840If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
6841fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
6842 Example: >
6843
6844 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
6845 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
6846 :
6847 :try
6848 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6849 :catch
6850 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6851 :endtry
6852<
6853You can also use ":silent!": >
6854
6855 :let x = "ok"
6856 :let v:errmsg = ""
6857 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
6858 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
6859 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
6860 :try
6861 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6862 :catch
6863 :endtry
6864 :echo x
6865
6866This displays "after fail".
6867
6868If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
6869autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
6870
6871 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
6872 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
6873 :
6874 :try
6875 : write
6876 :catch
6877 : echo v:exception
6878 :endtry
6879<
6880 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
6881For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
6882autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
6883of the command.
6884 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
6885had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
6886some way. >
6887
6888 :if !exists("cnt")
6889 : let cnt = 0
6890 :
6891 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
6892 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
6893 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
6894 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6895 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6896 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
6897 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
6898 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6899 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6900 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
6901 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6902 :endif
6903 :
6904 :try
6905 : write
6906 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
6907 : if &modified
6908 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
6909 : else
6910 : echo "Error after writing"
6911 : endif
6912 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6913 : echo "Error on writing"
6914 :endtry
6915
6916When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
6917first >
6918 File successfully written!
6919then >
6920 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
6921then >
6922 Error after writing
6923etc.
6924
6925 *except-autocmd-ill*
6926You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
6927The following code is ill-formed: >
6928
6929 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
6930 :
6931 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
6932 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
6933 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
6934 :
6935 :write
6936
6937
6938EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
6939
6940Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
6941pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
6942similar things in Vim.
6943 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
6944class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
6945string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
6946 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
6947it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
6948for an error when writing "myfile".
6949 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
6950base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
6951parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
6952 Example: >
6953
6954 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
6955 : if a:a < 0
6956 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
6957 : endif
6958 :endfunction
6959 :
6960 :function! Add(a, b)
6961 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
6962 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
6963 : let c = a:a + a:b
6964 : if c < 0
6965 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
6966 : endif
6967 : return c
6968 :endfunction
6969 :
6970 :function! Div(a, b)
6971 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
6972 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
6973 : if (a:b == 0)
6974 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
6975 : endif
6976 : return a:a / a:b
6977 :endfunction
6978 :
6979 :function! Write(file)
6980 : try
6981 : execute "write" a:file
6982 : catch /^Vim(write):/
6983 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
6984 : endtry
6985 :endfunction
6986 :
6987 :try
6988 :
6989 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
6990 :
6991 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
6992 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6993 : echo "Range error in" function
6994 :
6995 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
6996 : echo "Math error"
6997 :
6998 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
6999 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
7000 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7001 : if file !~ '^/'
7002 : let file = dir . "/" . file
7003 : endif
7004 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
7005 :
7006 :catch /^EXCEPT/
7007 : echo "Unspecified error"
7008 :
7009 :endtry
7010
7011The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
7012a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
7013exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
7014 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
7015failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
7016
7017
7018PECULIARITIES
7019 *except-compat*
7020The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
7021exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
7022and/or a catch clause.
7023
7024In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
7025continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
7026after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
7027functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
7028or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
7029(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
7030
7031This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
7032immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
7033conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
7034be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
7035termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
7036catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
7037by specifying a finally clause.)
7038
7039When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
7040behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
7041scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
7042
7043However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
7044commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
7045conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
7046script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
7047error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
7048messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
7049|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
7050not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
7051where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
7052error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
7053scripts.
7054
7055 *except-syntax-err*
7056Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
7057the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
7058clauses, however, is executed.
7059 Example: >
7060
7061 :try
7062 : try
7063 : throw 4711
7064 : catch /\(/
7065 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7066 : catch
7067 : echo "inner catch-all"
7068 : finally
7069 : echo "inner finally"
7070 : endtry
7071 :catch
7072 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7073 : finally
7074 : echo "outer finally"
7075 :endtry
7076
7077This displays: >
7078 inner finally
7079 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7080 outer finally
7081The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7082
7083 *except-single-line*
7084The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7085a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7086"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7087 Example: >
7088 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7089raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7090argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7091error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7092displayed.
7093
7094 *except-several-errors*
7095When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7096usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7097 Example: >
7098 echo novar
7099causes >
7100 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7101 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7102The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7103 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7104< *except-syntax-error*
7105But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7106the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7107 Example: >
7108 unlet novar #
7109causes >
7110 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7111 E488: Trailing characters
7112The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7113 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7114This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7115not intended by the user. Example: >
7116 try
7117 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7118 catch /.*/
7119 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7120 endtry
7121This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7122a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7123
7124==============================================================================
71259. Examples *eval-examples*
7126
7127Printing in Hex ~
7128>
7129 :" The function Nr2Hex() returns the Hex string of a number.
7130 :func Nr2Hex(nr)
7131 : let n = a:nr
7132 : let r = ""
7133 : while n
7134 : let r = '0123456789ABCDEF'[n % 16] . r
7135 : let n = n / 16
7136 : endwhile
7137 : return r
7138 :endfunc
7139
7140 :" The function String2Hex() converts each character in a string to a two
7141 :" character Hex string.
7142 :func String2Hex(str)
7143 : let out = ''
7144 : let ix = 0
7145 : while ix < strlen(a:str)
7146 : let out = out . Nr2Hex(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7147 : let ix = ix + 1
7148 : endwhile
7149 : return out
7150 :endfunc
7151
7152Example of its use: >
7153 :echo Nr2Hex(32)
7154result: "20" >
7155 :echo String2Hex("32")
7156result: "3332"
7157
7158
7159Sorting lines (by Robert Webb) ~
7160
7161Here is a Vim script to sort lines. Highlight the lines in Vim and type
7162":Sort". This doesn't call any external programs so it'll work on any
7163platform. The function Sort() actually takes the name of a comparison
7164function as its argument, like qsort() does in C. So you could supply it
7165with different comparison functions in order to sort according to date etc.
7166>
7167 :" Function for use with Sort(), to compare two strings.
7168 :func! Strcmp(str1, str2)
7169 : if (a:str1 < a:str2)
7170 : return -1
7171 : elseif (a:str1 > a:str2)
7172 : return 1
7173 : else
7174 : return 0
7175 : endif
7176 :endfunction
7177
7178 :" Sort lines. SortR() is called recursively.
7179 :func! SortR(start, end, cmp)
7180 : if (a:start >= a:end)
7181 : return
7182 : endif
7183 : let partition = a:start - 1
7184 : let middle = partition
7185 : let partStr = getline((a:start + a:end) / 2)
7186 : let i = a:start
7187 : while (i <= a:end)
7188 : let str = getline(i)
7189 : exec "let result = " . a:cmp . "(str, partStr)"
7190 : if (result <= 0)
7191 : " Need to put it before the partition. Swap lines i and partition.
7192 : let partition = partition + 1
7193 : if (result == 0)
7194 : let middle = partition
7195 : endif
7196 : if (i != partition)
7197 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7198 : call setline(i, str2)
7199 : call setline(partition, str)
7200 : endif
7201 : endif
7202 : let i = i + 1
7203 : endwhile
7204
7205 : " Now we have a pointer to the "middle" element, as far as partitioning
7206 : " goes, which could be anywhere before the partition. Make sure it is at
7207 : " the end of the partition.
7208 : if (middle != partition)
7209 : let str = getline(middle)
7210 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7211 : call setline(middle, str2)
7212 : call setline(partition, str)
7213 : endif
7214 : call SortR(a:start, partition - 1, a:cmp)
7215 : call SortR(partition + 1, a:end, a:cmp)
7216 :endfunc
7217
7218 :" To Sort a range of lines, pass the range to Sort() along with the name of a
7219 :" function that will compare two lines.
7220 :func! Sort(cmp) range
7221 : call SortR(a:firstline, a:lastline, a:cmp)
7222 :endfunc
7223
7224 :" :Sort takes a range of lines and sorts them.
7225 :command! -nargs=0 -range Sort <line1>,<line2>call Sort("Strcmp")
7226<
7227 *sscanf*
7228There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7229line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7230how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7231"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7232 :" Set up the match bit
7233 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7234 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7235 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7236 :"get each item out of the match
7237 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
7238 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
7239 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
7240
7241The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
7242"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
7243
7244==============================================================================
724510. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
7246
7247When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
7248evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
7249to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
7250recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
7251and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
7252only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
7253recognized.
7254
7255Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
7256missing: >
7257
7258 :if 1
7259 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
7260 :else
7261 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
7262 :endif
7263
7264==============================================================================
726511. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
7266
7267The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
7268options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
7269these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
7270these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00007271a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007272The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007273
7274These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
7275 - changing the buffer text
7276 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
7277 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
7278 - executing a shell command
7279 - reading or writing a file
7280 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00007281 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007282This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
7283
7284 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00007285:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007286 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
7287 'foldexpr'.
7288
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007289 *sandbox-option*
7290A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00007291have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007292restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
7293location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00007294- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007295- while executing in the sandbox
7296- value coming from a modeline
7297
7298Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
7299option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
7300
7301==============================================================================
730212. Textlock *textlock*
7303
7304In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
7305to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
7306is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
7307actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
7308happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
7309
7310This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
7311 - changing the buffer text
7312 - jumping to another buffer or window
7313 - editing another file
7314 - closing a window or quitting Vim
7315 - etc.
7316
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007317
7318 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: