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Bram Moolenaar5c4bab02006-03-10 21:37:46 +00001*insert.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2006 Mar 10
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7 *Insert* *Insert-mode*
8Inserting and replacing text *mode-ins-repl*
9
10Most of this file is about Insert and Replace mode. At the end are a few
11commands for inserting text in other ways.
12
13An overview of the most often used commands can be found in chapter 24 of the
14user manual |usr_24.txt|.
15
161. Special keys |ins-special-keys|
172. Special special keys |ins-special-special|
183. 'textwidth' and 'wrapmargin' options |ins-textwidth|
194. 'expandtab', 'smarttab' and 'softtabstop' options |ins-expandtab|
205. Replace mode |Replace-mode|
216. Virtual Replace mode |Virtual-Replace-mode|
227. Insert mode completion |ins-completion|
238. Insert mode commands |inserting|
249. Ex insert commands |inserting-ex|
2510. Inserting a file |inserting-file|
26
27Also see 'virtualedit', for moving the cursor to positions where there is no
28character. Useful for editing a table.
29
30==============================================================================
311. Special keys *ins-special-keys*
32
33In Insert and Replace mode, the following characters have a special meaning;
34other characters are inserted directly. To insert one of these special
35characters into the buffer, precede it with CTRL-V. To insert a <Nul>
36character use "CTRL-V CTRL-@" or "CTRL-V 000". On some systems, you have to
37use "CTRL-V 003" to insert a CTRL-C. Note: When CTRL-V is mapped you can
38often use CTRL-Q instead |i_CTRL-Q|.
39
40If you are working in a special language mode when inserting text, see the
41'langmap' option, |'langmap'|, on how to avoid switching this mode on and off
42all the time.
43
44If you have 'insertmode' set, <Esc> and a few other keys get another meaning.
45See |'insertmode'|.
46
47char action ~
48-----------------------------------------------------------------------
49 *i_CTRL-[* *i_<Esc>*
50<Esc> or CTRL-[ End insert or Replace mode, go back to Normal mode. Finish
51 abbreviation.
52 Note: If your <Esc> key is hard to hit on your keyboard, train
53 yourself to use CTRL-[.
54 *i_CTRL-C*
55CTRL-C Quit insert mode, go back to Normal mode. Do not check for
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +000056 abbreviations. Does not trigger the |InsertLeave| autocommand
57 event.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000058
59 *i_CTRL-@*
60CTRL-@ Insert previously inserted text and stop insert. {Vi: only
61 when typed as first char, only up to 128 chars}
62 *i_CTRL-A*
63CTRL-A Insert previously inserted text. {not in Vi}
64
65 *i_CTRL-H* *i_<BS>* *i_BS*
66<BS> or CTRL-H Delete the character before the cursor (see |i_backspacing|
67 about joining lines).
68 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> key does not do what you want.
69 {Vi: does not delete autoindents}
70 *i_<Del>* *i_DEL*
71<Del> Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at
72 the end of the line, and the 'backspace' option includes
73 "eol", delete the <EOL>; the next line is appended after the
74 current one.
75 See |:fixdel| if your <Del> key does not do what you want.
76 {not in Vi}
77 *i_CTRL-W*
78CTRL-W Delete the word before the cursor (see |i_backspacing| about
79 joining lines). See the section "word motions",
80 |word-motions|, for the definition of a word.
81 *i_CTRL-U*
82CTRL-U Delete all entered characters in the current line (see
83 |i_backspacing| about joining lines).
84
85 *i_CTRL-I* *i_<Tab>* *i_Tab*
86<Tab> or CTRL-I Insert a tab. If the 'expandtab' option is on, the
87 equivalent number of spaces is inserted (use CTRL-V <Tab> to
88 avoid the expansion; use CTRL-Q <Tab> if CTRL-V is mapped
89 |i_CTRL-Q|). See also the 'smarttab' option and
90 |ins-expandtab|.
91 *i_CTRL-J* *i_<NL>*
92<NL> or CTRL-J Begin new line.
93 *i_CTRL-M* *i_<CR>*
94<CR> or CTRL-M Begin new line.
95 *i_CTRL-K*
96CTRL-K {char1} [char2]
97 Enter digraph (see |digraphs|). When {char1} is a special
98 key, the code for that key is inserted in <> form. For
99 example, the string "<S-Space>" can be entered by typing
100 <C-K><S-Space> (two keys). Neither char is considered for
101 mapping. {not in Vi}
102
103CTRL-N Find next keyword (see |i_CTRL-N|). {not in Vi}
104CTRL-P Find previous keyword (see |i_CTRL-P|). {not in Vi}
105
106CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#*+:.-=} *i_CTRL-R*
107 Insert the contents of a register. Between typing CTRL-R and
108 the second character, '"' will be displayed to indicate that
109 you are expected to enter the name of a register.
110 The text is inserted as if you typed it, but mappings and
111 abbreviations are not used. If you have options like
112 'textwidth', 'formatoptions', or 'autoindent' set, this will
113 influence what will be inserted. This is different from what
114 happens with the "p" command and pasting with the mouse.
115 Special registers:
116 '"' the unnamed register, containing the text of
117 the last delete or yank
118 '%' the current file name
119 '#' the alternate file name
120 '*' the clipboard contents (X11: primary selection)
121 '+' the clipboard contents
122 '/' the last search pattern
123 ':' the last command-line
124 '.' the last inserted text
125 '-' the last small (less than a line) delete
126 '=' the expression register: you are prompted to
127 enter an expression (see |expression|)
Bram Moolenaar293ee4d2004-12-09 21:34:53 +0000128 Note that 0x80 (128 decimal) is used for
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +0000129 special keys. E.g., you can use this to move
130 the cursor up:
131 CTRL-R ="\<Up>"
132 Use CTRL-R CTRL-R to insert text literally.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +0000133 When the result is a |List| the items are used
134 as lines. They can have line breaks inside
135 too.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000136 See |registers| about registers. {not in Vi}
137
138CTRL-R CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#*+/:.-=} *i_CTRL-R_CTRL-R*
139 Insert the contents of a register. Works like using a single
140 CTRL-R, but the text is inserted literally, not as if typed.
141 This differs when the register contains characters like <BS>.
142 Example, where register a contains "ab^Hc": >
143 CTRL-R a results in "ac".
144 CTRL-R CTRL-R a results in "ab^Hc".
145< Options 'textwidth', 'formatoptions', etc. still apply. If
146 you also want to avoid these, use "<C-R><C-O>r", see below.
147 The '.' register (last inserted text) is still inserted as
148 typed. {not in Vi}
149
150CTRL-R CTRL-O {0-9a-z"%#*+/:.-=} *i_CTRL-R_CTRL-O*
151 Insert the contents of a register literally and don't
152 auto-indent. Does the same as pasting with the mouse
153 |<MiddleMouse>|.
154 Does not replace characters!
155 The '.' register (last inserted text) is still inserted as
156 typed. {not in Vi}
157
158CTRL-R CTRL-P {0-9a-z"%#*+/:.-=} *i_CTRL-R_CTRL-P*
159 Insert the contents of a register literally and fix the
160 indent, like |[<MiddleMouse>|.
161 Does not replace characters!
162 The '.' register (last inserted text) is still inserted as
163 typed. {not in Vi}
164
165 *i_CTRL-T*
166CTRL-T Insert one shiftwidth of indent at the start of the current
167 line. The indent is always rounded to a 'shiftwidth' (this is
168 vi compatible). {Vi: only when in indent}
169 *i_CTRL-D*
170CTRL-D Delete one shiftwidth of indent at the start of the current
171 line. The indent is always rounded to a 'shiftwidth' (this is
172 vi compatible). {Vi: CTRL-D works only when used after
173 autoindent}
174 *i_0_CTRL-D*
1750 CTRL-D Delete all indent in the current line. {Vi: CTRL-D works
176 only when used after autoindent}
177 *i_^_CTRL-D*
178^ CTRL-D Delete all indent in the current line. The indent is
179 restored in the next line. This is useful when inserting a
180 label. {Vi: CTRL-D works only when used after autoindent}
181
182 *i_CTRL-V*
183CTRL-V Insert next non-digit literally. For special keys, the
184 terminal code is inserted. It's also possible to enter the
185 decimal, octal or hexadecimal value of a character
186 |i_CTRL-V_digit|.
187 The characters typed right after CTRL-V are not considered for
188 mapping. {Vi: no decimal byte entry}
189 Note: When CTRL-V is mapped (e.g., to paste text) you can
190 often use CTRL-Q instead |i_CTRL-Q|.
191
192 *i_CTRL-Q*
193CTRL-Q Same as CTRL-V.
194 Note: Some terminal connections may eat CTRL-Q, it doesn't
195 work then. It does work in the GUI.
196
197CTRL-X Enter CTRL-X mode. This is a sub-mode where commands can
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +0000198 be given to complete words or scroll the window. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000199 |i_CTRL-X| and |ins-completion|. {not in Vi}
200
201 *i_CTRL-E*
202CTRL-E Insert the character which is below the cursor. {not in Vi}
203 *i_CTRL-Y*
204CTRL-Y Insert the character which is above the cursor. {not in Vi}
205 Note that for CTRL-E and CTRL-Y 'textwidth' is not used, to be
206 able to copy characters from a long line.
207
208 *i_CTRL-_*
209CTRL-_ Switch between languages, as follows:
210 - When in a rightleft window, revins and nohkmap are toggled,
211 since English will likely be inserted in this case.
212 - When in a norightleft window, revins and hkmap are toggled,
213 since Hebrew will likely be inserted in this case.
214
215 CTRL-_ moves the cursor to the end of the typed text.
216
217 This command is only available when the 'allowrevins' option
218 is set.
219 Please refer to |rileft.txt| for more information about
220 right-to-left mode.
221 {not in Vi}
222 Only if compiled with the |+rightleft| feature (which is not
223 the default).
224 *i_CTRL-^*
225CTRL-^ Toggle the use of typing language characters.
226 When language |:lmap| mappings are defined:
227 - If 'iminsert' is 1 (langmap mappings used) it becomes 0 (no
228 langmap mappings used).
229 - If 'iminsert' has another value it becomes 1, thus langmap
230 mappings are enabled.
231 When no language mappings are defined:
232 - If 'iminsert' is 2 (Input Method used) it becomes 0 (no
233 Input Method used).
234 - If 'iminsert' has another value it becomes 2, thus the Input
235 Method is enabled.
236 When set to 1, the value of the "b:keymap_name" variable, the
237 'keymap' option or "<lang>" appears in the status line.
238 The language mappings are normally used to type characters
239 that are different from what the keyboard produces. The
240 'keymap' option can be used to install a whole number of them.
241 {not in Vi}
242
243 *i_CTRL-]*
244CTRL-] Trigger abbreviation, without inserting a character. {not in
245 Vi}
246
247 *i_<Insert>*
248<Insert> Toggle between Insert and Replace mode. {not in Vi}
249-----------------------------------------------------------------------
250
251 *i_backspacing*
252The effect of the <BS>, CTRL-W, and CTRL-U depend on the 'backspace' option
253(unless 'revins' is set). This is a comma separated list of items:
254
255item action ~
256indent allow backspacing over autoindent
257eol allow backspacing over end-of-line (join lines)
258start allow backspacing over the start position of insert; CTRL-W and
259 CTRL-U stop once at the start position
260
261When 'backspace' is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used. You cannot
262backspace over autoindent, before column 1 or before where insert started.
263
264For backwards compatibility the values "0", "1" and "2" are also allowed, see
265|'backspace'|.
266
267If the 'backspace' option does contain "eol" and the cursor is in column 1
268when one of the three keys is used, the current line is joined with the
269previous line. This effectively deletes the <EOL> in front of the cursor.
270{Vi: does not cross lines, does not delete past start position of insert}
271
272 *i_CTRL-V_digit*
273With CTRL-V the decimal, octal or hexadecimal value of a character can be
274entered directly. This way you can enter any character, except a line break
275(<NL>, value 10). There are five ways to enter the character value:
276
277first char mode max nr of chars max value ~
278(none) decimal 3 255
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +0000279o or O octal 3 377 (255)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000280x or X hexadecimal 2 ff (255)
281u hexadecimal 4 ffff (65535)
282U hexadecimal 8 7fffffff (2147483647)
283
284Normally you would type the maximum number of characters. Thus to enter a
285space (value 32) you would type <C-V>032. You can omit the leading zero, in
286which case the character typed after the number must be a non-digit. This
287happens for the other modes as well: As soon as you type a character that is
288invalid for the mode, the value before it will be used and the "invalid"
289character is dealt with in the normal way.
290
291If you enter a value of 10, it will end up in the file as a 0. The 10 is a
292<NL>, which is used internally to represent the <Nul> character. When writing
293the buffer to a file, the <NL> character is translated into <Nul>. The <NL>
294character is written at the end of each line. Thus if you want to insert a
295<NL> character in a file you will have to make a line break.
296
297 *i_CTRL-X* *insert_expand*
298CTRL-X enters a sub-mode where several commands can be used. Most of these
299commands do keyword completion; see |ins-completion|. These are not available
300when Vim was compiled without the |+insert_expand| feature.
301
302Two commands can be used to scroll the window up or down, without exiting
303insert mode:
304
305 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-E*
306CTRL-X CTRL-E scroll window one line up.
307
308 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-Y*
309CTRL-X CTRL-Y scroll window one line down.
310
311After CTRL-X is pressed, each CTRL-E (CTRL-Y) scrolls the window up (down) by
312one line unless that would cause the cursor to move from its current position
313in the file. As soon as another key is pressed, CTRL-X mode is exited and
314that key is interpreted as in Insert mode.
315
316
317==============================================================================
3182. Special special keys *ins-special-special*
319
320The following keys are special. They stop the current insert, do something,
321and then restart insertion. This means you can do something without getting
322out of Insert mode. This is very handy if you prefer to use the Insert mode
323all the time, just like editors that don't have a separate Normal mode. You
324may also want to set the 'backspace' option to "indent,eol,start" and set the
325'insertmode' option. You can use CTRL-O if you want to map a function key to
326a command.
327
328The changes (inserted or deleted characters) before and after these keys can
329be undone separately. Only the last change can be redone and always behaves
330like an "i" command.
331
332char action ~
333-----------------------------------------------------------------------
334<Up> cursor one line up *i_<Up>*
335<Down> cursor one line down *i_<Down>*
336CTRL-G <Up> cursor one line up, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_<Up>*
337CTRL-G k cursor one line up, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_k*
338CTRL-G CTRL-K cursor one line up, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_CTRL-K*
339CTRL-G <Down> cursor one line down, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_<Down>*
340CTRL-G j cursor one line down, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_j*
341CTRL-G CTRL-J cursor one line down, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_CTRL-J*
342<Left> cursor one character left *i_<Left>*
343<Right> cursor one character right *i_<Right>*
344<S-Left> cursor one word back (like "b" command) *i_<S-Left>*
345<C-Left> cursor one word back (like "b" command) *i_<C-Left>*
346<S-Right> cursor one word forward (like "w" command) *i_<S-Right>*
347<C-Right> cursor one word forward (like "w" command) *i_<C-Right>*
348<Home> cursor to first char in the line *i_<Home>*
349<End> cursor to after last char in the line *i_<End>*
350<C-Home> cursor to first char in the file *i_<C-Home>*
351<C-End> cursor to after last char in the file *i_<C-End>*
352<LeftMouse> cursor to position of mouse click *i_<LeftMouse>*
353<S-Up> move window one page up *i_<S-Up>*
354<PageUp> move window one page up *i_<PageUp>*
355<S-Down> move window one page down *i_<S-Down>*
356<PageDown> move window one page down *i_<PageDown>*
357<MouseDown> scroll three lines down *i_<MouseDown>*
358<S-MouseDown> scroll a full page down *i_<S-MouseDown>*
359<MouseUp> scroll three lines up *i_<MouseUp>*
360<S-MouseUp> scroll a full page up *i_<S-MouseUp>*
361CTRL-O execute one command, return to Insert mode *i_CTRL-O*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000362CTRL-\ CTRL-O like CTRL-O but don't move the cursor *i_CTRL-\_CTRL-O*
Bram Moolenaar488c6512005-08-11 20:09:58 +0000363CTRL-L when 'insertmode' is set: go to Normal mode *i_CTRL-L*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000364CTRL-G u break undo sequence, start new change *i_CTRL-G_u*
365-----------------------------------------------------------------------
366
367Note: If the cursor keys take you out of Insert mode, check the 'noesckeys'
368option.
369
370The CTRL-O command sometimes has a side effect: If the cursor was beyond the
371end of the line, it will be put on the last character in the line. In
372mappings it's often better to use <Esc> (first put an "x" in the text, <Esc>
Bram Moolenaar488c6512005-08-11 20:09:58 +0000373will then always put the cursor on it). Or use CTRL-\ CTRL-O, but then
374beware of the cursor possibly being beyond the end of the line.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000375
376The shifted cursor keys are not available on all terminals.
377
378Another side effect is that a count specified before the "i" or "a" command is
379ignored. That is because repeating the effect of the command after CTRL-O is
380too complicated.
381
382An example for using CTRL-G u: >
383
384 :inoremap <C-H> <C-G>u<C-H>
385
386This redefines the backspace key to start a new undo sequence. You can now
387undo the effect of the backspace key, without changing what you typed before
388that, with CTRL-O u.
389
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +0000390Using CTRL-O splits undo: the text typed before and after it is undone
391separately. If you want to avoid this (e.g., in a mapping) you might be able
392to use CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. E.g., to call a function: >
393 :imap <F2> <C-R>=MyFunc()<CR>
394
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000395When the 'whichwrap' option is set appropriately, the <Left> and <Right>
396keys on the first/last character in the line make the cursor wrap to the
397previous/next line.
398
399The CTRL-G j and CTRL-G k commands can be used to insert text in front of a
400column. Example: >
401 int i;
402 int j;
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +0000403Position the cursor on the first "int", type "istatic <C-G>j ". The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000404result is: >
405 static int i;
406 int j;
407When inserting the same text in front of the column in every line, use the
408Visual blockwise command "I" |v_b_I|.
409
410==============================================================================
4113. 'textwidth' and 'wrapmargin' options *ins-textwidth*
412
413The 'textwidth' option can be used to automatically break a line before it
414gets too long. Set the 'textwidth' option to the desired maximum line
415length. If you then type more characters (not spaces or tabs), the
416last word will be put on a new line (unless it is the only word on the
417line). If you set 'textwidth' to 0, this feature is disabled.
418
419The 'wrapmargin' option does almost the same. The difference is that
420'textwidth' has a fixed width while 'wrapmargin' depends on the width of the
421screen. When using 'wrapmargin' this is equal to using 'textwidth' with a
422value equal to (columns - 'wrapmargin'), where columns is the width of the
423screen.
424
425When 'textwidth' and 'wrapmargin' are both set, 'textwidth' is used.
426
427If you don't really want to break the line, but view the line wrapped at a
428convenient place, see the 'linebreak' option.
429
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +0000430The line is only broken automatically when using Insert mode, or when
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000431appending to a line. When in replace mode and the line length is not
432changed, the line will not be broken.
433
434Long lines are broken if you enter a non-white character after the margin.
435The situations where a line will be broken can be restricted by adding
436characters to the 'formatoptions' option:
437"l" Only break a line if it was not longer than 'textwidth' when the insert
438 started.
439"v" Only break at a white character that has been entered during the
440 current insert command. This is mostly Vi-compatible.
441"lv" Only break if the line was not longer than 'textwidth' when the insert
442 started and only at a white character that has been entered during the
443 current insert command. Only differs from "l" when entering non-white
444 characters while crossing the 'textwidth' boundary.
445
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +0000446Normally an internal function will be used to decide where to break the line.
447If you want to do it in a different way set the 'formatexpr' option to an
448expression that will take care of the line break.
449
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000450If you want to format a block of text, you can use the "gq" operator. Type
451"gq" and a movement command to move the cursor to the end of the block. In
452many cases, the command "gq}" will do what you want (format until the end of
453paragraph). Alternatively, you can use "gqap", which will format the whole
454paragraph, no matter where the cursor currently is. Or you can use Visual
455mode: hit "v", move to the end of the block, and type "gq". See also |gq|.
456
457==============================================================================
4584. 'expandtab', 'smarttab' and 'softtabstop' options *ins-expandtab*
459
460If the 'expandtab' option is on, spaces will be used to fill the amount of
461whitespace of the tab. If you want to enter a real <Tab>, type CTRL-V first
462(use CTRL-Q when CTRL-V is mapped |i_CTRL-Q|).
463The 'expandtab' option is off by default. Note that in Replace mode, a single
464character is replaced with several spaces. The result of this is that the
465number of characters in the line increases. Backspacing will delete one
466space at a time. The original character will be put back for only one space
467that you backspace over (the last one). {Vi does not have the 'expandtab'
468option}
469
470 *ins-smarttab*
471When the 'smarttab' option is on, a <Tab> inserts 'shiftwidth' positions at
472the beginning of a line and 'tabstop' positions in other places. This means
473that often spaces instead of a <Tab> character are inserted. When 'smarttab
474is off, a <Tab> always inserts 'tabstop' positions, and 'shiftwidth' is only
475used for ">>" and the like. {not in Vi}
476
477 *ins-softtabstop*
478When the 'softtabstop' option is non-zero, a <Tab> inserts 'softtabstop'
479positions, and a <BS> used to delete white space, will delete 'softtabstop'
480positions. This feels like 'tabstop' was set to 'softtabstop', but a real
481<Tab> character still takes 'tabstop' positions, so your file will still look
482correct when used by other applications.
483
484If 'softtabstop' is non-zero, a <BS> will try to delete as much white space to
485move to the previous 'softtabstop' position, except when the previously
486inserted character is a space, then it will only delete the character before
487the cursor. Otherwise you cannot always delete a single character before the
488cursor. You will have to delete 'softtabstop' characters first, and then type
489extra spaces to get where you want to be.
490
491==============================================================================
4925. Replace mode *Replace* *Replace-mode* *mode-replace*
493
494Enter Replace mode with the "R" command in normal mode.
495
496In Replace mode, one character in the line is deleted for every character you
497type. If there is no character to delete (at the end of the line), the
498typed character is appended (as in Insert mode). Thus the number of
499characters in a line stays the same until you get to the end of the line.
500If a <NL> is typed, a line break is inserted and no character is deleted.
501
502Be careful with <Tab> characters. If you type a normal printing character in
503its place, the number of characters is still the same, but the number of
504columns will become smaller.
505
506If you delete characters in Replace mode (with <BS>, CTRL-W, or CTRL-U), what
507happens is that you delete the changes. The characters that were replaced
508are restored. If you had typed past the existing text, the characters you
509added are deleted. This is effectively a character-at-a-time undo.
510
511If the 'expandtab' option is on, a <Tab> will replace one character with
512several spaces. The result of this is that the number of characters in the
513line increases. Backspacing will delete one space at a time. The original
514character will be put back for only one space that you backspace over (the
515last one). {Vi does not have the 'expandtab' option}
516
517==============================================================================
5186. Virtual Replace mode *vreplace-mode* *Virtual-Replace-mode*
519
520Enter Virtual Replace mode with the "gR" command in normal mode.
521{not available when compiled without the +vreplace feature}
522{Vi does not have Virtual Replace mode}
523
524Virtual Replace mode is similar to Replace mode, but instead of replacing
525actual characters in the file, you are replacing screen real estate, so that
526characters further on in the file never appear to move.
527
528So if you type a <Tab> it may replace several normal characters, and if you
529type a letter on top of a <Tab> it may not replace anything at all, since the
530<Tab> will still line up to the same place as before.
531
532Typing a <NL> still doesn't cause characters later in the file to appear to
533move. The rest of the current line will be replaced by the <NL> (that is,
534they are deleted), and replacing continues on the next line. A new line is
535NOT inserted unless you go past the end of the file.
536
537Interesting effects are seen when using CTRL-T and CTRL-D. The characters
538before the cursor are shifted sideways as normal, but characters later in the
539line still remain still. CTRL-T will hide some of the old line under the
540shifted characters, but CTRL-D will reveal them again.
541
542As with Replace mode, using <BS> etc will bring back the characters that were
543replaced. This still works in conjunction with 'smartindent', CTRL-T and
544CTRL-D, 'expandtab', 'smarttab', 'softtabstop', etc.
545
546In 'list' mode, Virtual Replace mode acts as if it was not in 'list' mode,
547unless "L" is in 'cpoptions'.
548
549Note that the only times characters beyond the cursor should appear to move
550are in 'list' mode, and occasionally when 'wrap' is set (and the line changes
551length to become shorter or wider than the width of the screen), or
552momentarily when typing over a CTRL character. A CTRL character takes up two
553screen spaces. When replacing it with two normal characters, the first will
554be inserted and the second will replace the CTRL character.
555
556This mode is very useful for editing <Tab> separated columns in tables, for
557entering new data while keeping all the columns aligned.
558
559==============================================================================
5607. Insert mode completion *ins-completion*
561
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +0000562In Insert and Replace mode, there are several commands to complete part of a
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000563keyword or line that has been typed. This is useful if you are using
564complicated keywords (e.g., function names with capitals and underscores).
565
566These commands are not available when the |+insert_expand| feature was
567disabled at compile time.
568
569Completion can be done for:
570
5711. Whole lines |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|
5722. keywords in the current file |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-N|
5733. keywords in 'dictionary' |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|
5744. keywords in 'thesaurus', thesaurus-style |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|
5755. keywords in the current and included files |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|
5766. tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]|
5777. file names |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-F|
5788. definitions or macros |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
5799. Vim command-line |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-V|
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +000058010. User defined completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +000058111. omni completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
Bram Moolenaar488c6512005-08-11 20:09:58 +000058212. Spelling suggestions |i_CTRL-X_s|
58313. keywords in 'complete' |i_CTRL-N|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000584
585All these (except 2) are done in CTRL-X mode. This is a sub-mode of Insert
586and Replace modes. You enter CTRL-X mode by typing CTRL-X and one of the
587CTRL-X commands. You exit CTRL-X mode by typing a key that is not a valid
588CTRL-X mode command. Valid keys are the CTRL-X command itself, CTRL-N (next),
589and CTRL-P (previous).
590
591Also see the 'infercase' option if you want to adjust the case of the match.
592
593Note: The keys that are valid in CTRL-X mode are not mapped. This allows for
594":map ^F ^X^F" to work (where ^F is CTRL-F and ^X is CTRL-X). The key that
595ends CTRL-X mode (any key that is not a valid CTRL-X mode command) is mapped.
596Also, when doing completion with 'complete' mappings apply as usual.
597
598The following mappings are suggested to make typing the completion commands
599a bit easier (although they will hide other commands): >
600 :inoremap ^] ^X^]
601 :inoremap ^F ^X^F
602 :inoremap ^D ^X^D
603 :inoremap ^L ^X^L
604
605As a special case, typing CTRL-R to perform register insertion (see
606|i_CTRL-R|) will not exit CTRL-X mode. This is primarily to allow the use of
607the '=' register to call some function to determine the next operation. If
608the contents of the register (or result of the '=' register evaluation) are
609not valid CTRL-X mode keys, then CTRL-X mode will be exited as if those keys
610had been typed.
611
612For example, the following will map <Tab> to either actually insert a <Tab> if
613the current line is currently only whitespace, or start/continue a CTRL-N
614completion operation: >
615
616 function! CleverTab()
617 if strpart( getline('.'), 0, col('.')-1 ) =~ '^\s*$'
618 return "\<Tab>"
619 else
620 return "\<C-N>"
621 endfunction
622 inoremap <Tab> <C-R>=CleverTab()<CR>
623
624
625
626Completing whole lines *compl-whole-line*
627
628 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L*
629CTRL-X CTRL-L Search backwards for a line that starts with the
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +0000630 same characters as those in the current line before
631 the cursor. Indent is ignored. The matching line is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000632 inserted in front of the cursor.
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +0000633 The 'complete' option is used to decide which buffers
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +0000634 are searched for a match. Both loaded and unloaded
635 buffers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000636 CTRL-L or
637 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching line. This line
638 replaces the previous matching line.
639
640 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching line. This line
641 replaces the previous matching line.
642
643 CTRL-X CTRL-L After expanding a line you can additionally get the
644 line next to it by typing CTRL-X CTRL-L again, unless
645 a double CTRL-X is used.
646
647Completing keywords in current file *compl-current*
648
649 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-P*
650 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-N*
651CTRL-X CTRL-N Search forwards for words that start with the keyword
652 in front of the cursor. The found keyword is inserted
653 in front of the cursor.
654
655CTRL-X CTRL-P Search backwards for words that start with the keyword
656 in front of the cursor. The found keyword is inserted
657 in front of the cursor.
658
659 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
660 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
661
662 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
663 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
664
665 CTRL-X CTRL-N or
666 CTRL-X CTRL-P Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-N or CTRL-X CTRL-P will
667 copy the words following the previous expansion in
668 other contexts unless a double CTRL-X is used.
669
670If there is a keyword in front of the cursor (a name made out of alphabetic
671characters and characters in 'iskeyword'), it is used as the search pattern,
672with "\<" prepended (meaning: start of a word). Otherwise "\<\k\k" is used
673as search pattern (start of any keyword of at least two characters).
674
675In Replace mode, the number of characters that are replaced depends on the
676length of the matched string. This works like typing the characters of the
677matched string in Replace mode.
678
679If there is not a valid keyword character before the cursor, any keyword of
680at least two characters is matched.
681 e.g., to get:
682 printf("(%g, %g, %g)", vector[0], vector[1], vector[2]);
683 just type:
684 printf("(%g, %g, %g)", vector[0], ^P[1], ^P[2]);
685
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +0000686The search wraps around the end of the file, the value of 'wrapscan' is not
687used here.
688
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000689Multiple repeats of the same completion are skipped; thus a different match
690will be inserted at each CTRL-N and CTRL-P (unless there is only one
691matching keyword).
692
693Single character matches are never included, as they usually just get in
694the way of what you were really after.
695 e.g., to get:
696 printf("name = %s\n", name);
697 just type:
698 printf("name = %s\n", n^P);
699 or even:
700 printf("name = %s\n", ^P);
701The 'n' in '\n' is skipped.
702
703After expanding a word, you can use CTRL-X CTRL-P or CTRL-X CTRL-N to get the
704word following the expansion in other contexts. These sequences search for
705the text just expanded and further expand by getting an extra word. This is
706useful if you need to repeat a sequence of complicated words. Although CTRL-P
707and CTRL-N look just for strings of at least two characters, CTRL-X CTRL-P and
708CTRL-X CTRL-N can be used to expand words of just one character.
709 e.g., to get:
710 M&eacute;xico
711 you can type:
712 M^N^P^X^P^X^P
713CTRL-N starts the expansion and then CTRL-P takes back the single character
714"M", the next two CTRL-X CTRL-P's get the words "&eacute" and ";xico".
715
716If the previous expansion was split, because it got longer than 'textwidth',
717then just the text in the current line will be used.
718
719If the match found is at the end of a line, then the first word in the next
720line will be inserted and the message "word from next line" displayed, if
721this word is accepted the next CTRL-X CTRL-P or CTRL-X CTRL-N will search
722for those lines starting with this word.
723
724
725Completing keywords in 'dictionary' *compl-dictionary*
726
727 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K*
728CTRL-X CTRL-K Search the files given with the 'dictionary' option
729 for words that start with the keyword in front of the
730 cursor. This is like CTRL-N, but only the dictionary
731 files are searched, not the current file. The found
732 keyword is inserted in front of the cursor. This
733 could potentially be pretty slow, since all matches
734 are found before the first match is used. By default,
735 the 'dictionary' option is empty.
736 For suggestions where to find a list of words, see the
737 'dictionary' option.
738
739 CTRL-K or
740 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
741 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
742
743 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
744 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
745
746 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +0000747CTRL-X CTRL-T Works as CTRL-X CTRL-K, but in a special way. It uses
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000748 the 'thesaurus' option instead of 'dictionary'. If a
749 match is found in the thesaurus file, all the
750 remaining words on the same line are included as
751 matches, even though they don't complete the word.
752 Thus a word can be completely replaced.
753
754 For an example, imagine the 'thesaurus' file has a
755 line like this: >
756 angry furious mad enraged
757< Placing the cursor after the letters "ang" and typing
758 CTRL-X CTRL-T would complete the word "angry";
759 subsequent presses would change the word to "furious",
760 "mad" etc.
761 Other uses include translation between two languages,
762 or grouping API functions by keyword.
763
764 CTRL-T or
765 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
766 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
767
768 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
769 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
770
771
772Completing keywords in the current and included files *compl-keyword*
773
774The 'include' option is used to specify a line that contains an include file
775name. The 'path' option is used to search for include files.
776
777 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I*
778CTRL-X CTRL-I Search for the first keyword in the current and
779 included files that starts with the same characters
780 as those before the cursor. The matched keyword is
781 inserted in front of the cursor.
782
783 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching keyword. This
784 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
785 Note: CTRL-I is the same as <Tab>, which is likely to
786 be typed after a successful completion, therefore
787 CTRL-I is not used for searching for the next match.
788
789 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching keyword. This
790 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
791
792 CTRL-X CTRL-I Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-I will copy the words
793 following the previous expansion in other contexts
794 unless a double CTRL-X is used.
795
796Completing tags *compl-tag*
797 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]*
798CTRL-X CTRL-] Search for the first tag that starts with the same
799 characters as before the cursor. The matching tag is
800 inserted in front of the cursor. Alphabetic
801 characters and characters in 'iskeyword' are used
802 to decide which characters are included in the tag
803 name (same as for a keyword). See also |CTRL-]|.
804 The 'showfulltag' option can be used to add context
805 from around the tag definition.
806 CTRL-] or
807 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching tag. This tag
808 replaces the previous matching tag.
809
810 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching tag. This tag
811 replaces the previous matching tag.
812
813
814Completing file names *compl-filename*
815 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-F*
816CTRL-X CTRL-F Search for the first file name that starts with the
817 same characters as before the cursor. The matching
818 file name is inserted in front of the cursor.
819 Alphabetic characters and characters in 'isfname'
820 are used to decide which characters are included in
821 the file name. Note: the 'path' option is not used
822 here (yet).
823 CTRL-F or
824 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching file name. This
825 file name replaces the previous matching file name.
826
827 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching file name.
828 This file name replaces the previous matching file
829 name.
830
831
832Completing definitions or macros *compl-define*
833
834The 'define' option is used to specify a line that contains a definition.
835The 'include' option is used to specify a line that contains an include file
836name. The 'path' option is used to search for include files.
837
838 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D*
839CTRL-X CTRL-D Search in the current and included files for the
840 first definition (or macro) name that starts with
841 the same characters as before the cursor. The found
842 definition name is inserted in front of the cursor.
843 CTRL-D or
844 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching macro name. This
845 macro name replaces the previous matching macro
846 name.
847
848 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching macro name.
849 This macro name replaces the previous matching macro
850 name.
851
852 CTRL-X CTRL-D Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-D will copy the words
853 following the previous expansion in other contexts
854 unless a double CTRL-X is used.
855
856
857Completing Vim commands *compl-vim*
858
859Completion is context-sensitive. It works like on the Command-line. It
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +0000860completes an Ex command as well as its arguments. This is useful when writing
861a Vim script.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000862
863 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-V*
864CTRL-X CTRL-V Guess what kind of item is in front of the cursor and
865 find the first match for it.
866 Note: When CTRL-V is mapped you can often use CTRL-Q
867 instead |i_CTRL-Q|.
868 CTRL-V or
869 CTRL-N Search forwards for next match. This match replaces
870 the previous one.
871
872 CTRL-P Search backward for previous match. This match
873 replaces the previous one.
874
875 CTRL-X CTRL-V Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-V will do the same as
876 CTRL-V. This allows mapping a key to do Vim command
877 completion, for example: >
878 :imap <Tab> <C-X><C-V>
879
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +0000880User defined completion *compl-function*
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +0000881
882Completion is done by a function that can be defined by the user with the
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +0000883'completefunc' option. See below for how the function is called and an
884example |complete-functions|.
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +0000885
886 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U*
887CTRL-X CTRL-U Guess what kind of item is in front of the cursor and
888 find the first match for it.
889 CTRL-U or
890 CTRL-N Use the next match. This match replaces the previous
891 one.
892
893 CTRL-P Use the previous match. This match replaces the
894 previous one.
895
896
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +0000897Omni completion *compl-omni*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +0000898
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +0000899Completion is done by a function that can be defined by the user with the
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +0000900'omnifunc' option. This is to be used for filetype-specific completion.
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +0000901
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +0000902See below for how the function is called and an example |complete-functions|.
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +0000903For remarks about specific filetypes see |compl-omni-filetypes|.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +0000904
905 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O*
906CTRL-X CTRL-O Guess what kind of item is in front of the cursor and
907 find the first match for it.
908 CTRL-O or
909 CTRL-N Use the next match. This match replaces the previous
910 one.
911
912 CTRL-P Use the previous match. This match replaces the
913 previous one.
914
915
Bram Moolenaar488c6512005-08-11 20:09:58 +0000916Spelling suggestions *compl-spelling*
917
Bram Moolenaar5195e452005-08-19 20:32:47 +0000918A word before or at the cursor is located and correctly spelled words are
919suggested to replace it. If there is a badly spelled word in the line, before
920or under the cursor, the cursor is moved to after it. Otherwise the word just
921before the cursor is used for suggestions, even though it isn't badly spelled.
922
Bram Moolenaar488c6512005-08-11 20:09:58 +0000923NOTE: CTRL-S suspends display in many Unix terminals. Use 's' instead. Type
924CTRL-Q to resume displaying.
925
926 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-S* *i_CTRL-X_s*
927CTRL-X CTRL-S or
928CTRL-X s Locate the word in front of the cursor and find the
929 first spell suggestion for it.
930 CTRL-S or
931 CTRL-N Use the next suggestion. This replaces the previous
932 one. Note that you can't use 's' here.
933
934 CTRL-P Use the previous suggestion. This replaces the
935 previous one.
936
937
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000938Completing keywords from different sources *compl-generic*
939
940 *i_CTRL-N*
941CTRL-N Find next match for words that start with the
942 keyword in front of the cursor, looking in places
943 specified with the 'complete' option. The found
944 keyword is inserted in front of the cursor.
945
946 *i_CTRL-P*
947CTRL-P Find previous match for words that start with the
948 keyword in front of the cursor, looking in places
949 specified with the 'complete' option. The found
950 keyword is inserted in front of the cursor.
951
952 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
953 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
954
955 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
956 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
957
958 CTRL-X CTRL-N or
959 CTRL-X CTRL-P Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-N or CTRL-X CTRL-P will
960 copy the words following the previous expansion in
961 other contexts unless a double CTRL-X is used.
962
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +0000963
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +0000964FUNCTIONS FOR FINDING COMPLETIONS *complete-functions*
965
966This applies to 'completefunc' and 'omnifunc'.
967
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +0000968The function is called in two different ways:
969- First the function is called to find the start of the text to be completed.
970- Later the function is called to actually find the matches.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +0000971
972On the first invocation the arguments are:
973 a:findstart 1
974 a:base empty
975
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +0000976The function must return the column where the completion starts. It must be a
977number between zero and the cursor column "col('.')". This involves looking
978at the characters just before the cursor and including those characters that
979could be part of the completed item. The text between this column and the
980cursor column will be replaced with the matches. Return -1 if no completion
981can be done.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +0000982
983On the second invocation the arguments are:
984 a:findstart 0
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +0000985 a:base the text with which matches should match; the text that was
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +0000986 located in the first call (can be empty)
987
988The function must return a List with the matching words. These matches
989usually include the "a:base" text. When there are no matches return an empty
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +0000990List.
Bram Moolenaar5c4bab02006-03-10 21:37:46 +0000991 *complete-items*
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +0000992Each list item can either be a string or a Dictionary. When it is a string it
993is used as the completion. When it is a Dictionary it can contain these
994items:
995 word the completion, mandatory
996 menu extra text for the popup menu
997 info more information about the item
998 kind single letter indicating the type of completion
Bram Moolenaard1f56e62006-02-22 21:25:37 +0000999 icase when not zero case is to be ignored; when omitted
1000 the 'ignorecase' option is used
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001001
Bram Moolenaard1f56e62006-02-22 21:25:37 +00001002All of these except 'icase' must be a string. If an item does not meet these
1003requirements then an error message is given and further items in the list are
1004not used. You can mix string and Dictionary items in the returned list.
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001005
1006The "menu" item is used in the popup menu and may be truncated, thus it should
1007be relatively short. The "info" item can be longer, it may be displayed in a
1008balloon.
1009
1010The "kind" item uses a single letter to indicate the kind of completion. This
1011may be used to show the completion differently (different color or icon).
1012Currently these types can be used:
1013 v variable
1014 f function or method
1015 c composite (struct, object)
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00001016
1017When searching for matches takes some time call |complete_add()| to add each
1018match to the total list. These matches should then not appear in the returned
1019list! Call |complete_check()| now and then to allow the user to press a key
1020while still searching for matches. Stop searching when it returns non-zero.
1021
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001022The function is allowed to move the cursor, it is restored afterwards. This
1023option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for security
1024reasons.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00001025
1026An example that completes the names of the months: >
1027 fun! CompleteMonths(findstart, base)
1028 if a:findstart
1029 " locate the start of the word
1030 let line = getline('.')
1031 let start = col('.') - 1
1032 while start > 0 && line[start - 1] =~ '\a'
1033 let start -= 1
1034 endwhile
1035 return start
1036 else
1037 " find months matching with "a:base"
1038 let res = []
1039 for m in split("Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec")
1040 if m =~ '^' . a:base
1041 call add(res, m)
1042 endif
1043 endfor
1044 return res
1045 endif
1046 endfun
1047 set completefunc=CompleteMonths
1048<
1049The same, but now pretending searching for matches is slow: >
1050 fun! CompleteMonths(findstart, base)
1051 if a:findstart
1052 " locate the start of the word
1053 let line = getline('.')
1054 let start = col('.') - 1
1055 while start > 0 && line[start - 1] =~ '\a'
1056 let start -= 1
1057 endwhile
1058 return start
1059 else
1060 " find months matching with "a:base"
1061 for m in split("Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec")
1062 if m =~ '^' . a:base
1063 call complete_add(m)
1064 endif
1065 sleep 300m " simulate searching for next match
1066 if complete_check()
1067 break
1068 endif
1069 endfor
1070 return []
1071 endif
1072 endfun
1073 set completefunc=CompleteMonths
1074<
1075
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001076INSERT COMPLETION POPUP MENU *ins-completion-menu*
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00001077 *popupmenu-completion*
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001078Vim can display the matches in a simplistic popup menu.
1079
1080The menu is used when:
Bram Moolenaara2031822006-03-07 22:29:51 +00001081- The 'completeopt' option contains "menu" or "menuone".
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001082- The terminal supports at least 8 colors.
1083- There are at least two matches.
1084
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001085There are two states:
10861. A complete match has been inserted.
10872. Only part of a match has been inserted.
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00001088
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001089You normally start in the first state, with the first match being inserted.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001090When "longest" is in 'completeopt' and there is more than one match you start
1091in the second state.
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00001092
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001093If you select another match, e.g., with CTRL-N or CTRL-P, you go from the
1094second to the first state. This doesn't change the list of matches.
1095
Bram Moolenaara2031822006-03-07 22:29:51 +00001096When you are back at the original text then you are in the second state. To
1097get there right away you can use a mapping that uses CTRL-P right after
1098starting the completion: >
1099 :imap <F7> <C-N><C-P>
1100
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001101
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001102In the first state these keys have a special meaning:
1103<BS> and CTRL-H Delete one character, find the matches for the word before
1104 the cursor. This reduces the list of matches, often to one
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001105 entry, and switches to the second state.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001106
1107In the second state these keys have a special meaning:
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001108<BS> and CTRL-H Delete one character, find the matches for the shorter word
1109 before the cursor. This may find more matches.
1110CTRL-L Add one character from the current match, may reduce the
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001111 number of matches.
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001112any printable, non-white character:
1113 Add this character and reduce the number of matches.
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00001114
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001115In both states these can be used:
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001116<CR> and <Enter> Accept the currently selected match and stop completion.
1117<PageUp> Select a match several entries back, but don't insert it.
1118<PageDown> Select a match several entries further, but don't insert it.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001119<Up> Select the previous match, as if CTRL-P was used, but don't
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001120 insert it.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001121<Down> Select the next match, as if CTRL-N was used, but don't
Bram Moolenaar80a94a52006-02-23 21:26:58 +00001122 insert it.
1123Any other character:
1124 Stop completion without changing the match and insert the
1125 typed character. Note that typing a space or <Tab> will
1126 work in both states.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001127
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001128
1129The colors of the menu can be changed with these highlight groups:
1130Pmenu normal item |hl-Pmenu|
1131PmenuSel selected item |hl-PmenuSel|
1132PmenuSbar scrollbar |hl-PmenuSbar|
1133PmenuThumb thumb of the scrollbar |hl-PmenuThumb|
1134
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001135There are no special mappings for when the popup menu is visible. However,
1136you can use an Insert mode mapping that checks the |pumvisible()| function to
1137do something different. Example: >
1138 :inoremap <Down> <C-R>=pumvisible() ? "\<lt>C-N>" : "\<lt>Down>"<CR>
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001139
Bram Moolenaar5c4bab02006-03-10 21:37:46 +00001140You can use of <expr> in mapping to have the popup menu used when typing a
1141character and some condition is met. For example, for typing a dot: >
1142 inoremap <expr> . MayComplete()
1143 func MayComplete()
1144 if (can complete)
1145 return ".\<C-X>\<C-O>"
1146 endif
1147 return '.'
1148 endfunc
1149
1150See |:map-<expr>| for more info.
1151
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001152
1153FILETYPE-SPECIFIC REMARKS FOR OMNI COMPLETION *compl-omni-filetypes*
1154
1155The file used for {filetype} should be autoload/{filetype}complete.vim
1156in 'runtimepath'. Thus for "java" it is autoload/javacomplete.vim.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00001157
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001158
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001159C *ft-c-omni*
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00001160
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001161Completion of C code requires a tags file. You should use Exuberant ctags,
1162because it adds extra information that is needed for completion. You can find
1163it here: http://ctags.sourceforge.net/
1164For version 5.5.4 you should add a patch that adds the "typename:" field:
Bram Moolenaar36fc5352006-03-04 21:49:37 +00001165 ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/unstable/patches/ctags-5.5.4.patch
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001166A compiled .exe for MS-Windows can be found at:
Bram Moolenaar36fc5352006-03-04 21:49:37 +00001167 http://georgevreilly.com/vim/ctags.html
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00001168
1169If you want to complete system functions you can do something like this. Use
1170ctags to generate a tags file for all the system header files: >
1171 % ctags -R -f ~/.vim/systags /usr/include /usr/local/include
1172In your vimrc file add this tags file to the 'tags' option: >
1173 set tags+=~/.vim/systags
1174
1175When using CTRL-X CTRL-O after a name without any "." or "->" it is completed
1176from the tags file directly. This works for any identifier, also function
1177names. If you want to complete a local variable name, which does not appear
1178in the tags file, use CTRL-P instead.
1179
1180When using CTRL-X CTRL-O after something that has "." or "->" Vim will attempt
1181to recognize the type of the variable and figure out what members it has.
1182This means only members valid for the variable will be listed.
1183
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001184When a member name already was complete, CTRL-X CTRL-O will add a "." or
1185"->" for composite types.
1186
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00001187Vim doesn't include a C compiler, only the most obviously formatted
1188declarations are recognized. Preprocessor stuff may cause confusion.
1189When the same structure name appears in multiple places all possible members
1190are included.
1191
Bram Moolenaar6b730e12005-09-16 21:47:57 +00001192
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001193CSS *ft-css-omni*
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001194
1195Complete properties and their appropriate values according to CSS 2.1
1196specification.
1197
1198
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001199HTML and XHTML *ft-html-omni*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001200 *ft-xhtml-omni*
Bram Moolenaar6b730e12005-09-16 21:47:57 +00001201
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001202CTRL-X CTRL-O provides completion of various elements of (X)HTML files. It is
1203designed to support writing of XHTML 1.0 Strict files but will also works for
1204other versions of HTML. Features:
Bram Moolenaar6b730e12005-09-16 21:47:57 +00001205
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001206- after "<" complete tag name depending on context (no div suggestion inside
1207 of an a tag); '/>' indicates empty tags
1208- inside of tag complete proper attributes (no width attribute for an a tag);
1209 show also type of attribute; '*' indicates required attributes
1210- when attribute has limited number of possible values help to complete them
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001211- complete names of entities
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00001212- complete values of "class" and "id" attributes with data obtained from
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001213 <style> tag and included CSS files
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001214- when completing value of "style" attribute or working inside of "style" tag
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00001215 switch to |ft-css-omni| completion
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001216- when completing values of events attributes or working inside of "script"
1217 tag switch to |ft-javascript-omni| completion
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00001218- when used after "</" CTRL-X CTRL-O will close the last opened tag
Bram Moolenaar6b730e12005-09-16 21:47:57 +00001219
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001220Note: When used first time completion menu will be shown with little delay
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001221- this is time needed for loading of data file.
1222Note: Completion may fail in badly formatted documents. In such case try to
1223run |:make| command to detect formatting problems.
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001224
1225
Bram Moolenaarb8a7b562006-02-01 21:47:16 +00001226JAVASCRIPT *ft-javascript-omni*
1227
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001228Completion of most elements of JavaScript language and DOM elements.
Bram Moolenaarb8a7b562006-02-01 21:47:16 +00001229
1230Complete:
1231
1232- variables
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001233- function name; show function arguments
Bram Moolenaarb8a7b562006-02-01 21:47:16 +00001234- function arguments
1235- properties of variables trying to detect type of variable
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001236- complete DOM objects and properties depending on context
Bram Moolenaarb8a7b562006-02-01 21:47:16 +00001237- keywords of language
1238
Bram Moolenaar8b6144b2006-02-08 09:20:24 +00001239Completion works in separate JavaScript files (&ft==javascript), inside of
1240<script> tag of (X)HTML and in values of event attributes (including scanning
1241of external files.
1242
Bram Moolenaarb8a7b562006-02-01 21:47:16 +00001243DOM compatibility
1244
1245At the moment (beginning of 2006) there are two main browsers - MS Internet
1246Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. These two applications are covering over 90% of
1247market. Theoretically standards are created by W3C organisation
1248(http://www.w3c.org) but they are not always followed/implemented.
1249
1250 IE FF W3C Omni completion ~
1251 +/- +/- + + ~
1252 + + - + ~
1253 + - - - ~
1254 - + - - ~
1255
1256Regardless from state of implementation in browsers but if element is defined
1257in standards, completion plugin will place element in suggestion list. When
1258both major engines implemented element, even if this is not in standards it
1259will be suggested. All other elements are not placed in suggestion list.
1260
1261
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00001262PHP *ft-php-omni*
1263
1264Completion of PHP code requires tags file for completion of data from external
1265files. You should use Exuberant ctags version 5.5.4 or newer. You can find it
1266here: http://ctags.sourceforge.net/
1267
1268Script completes:
1269
1270- after $ variables name
1271- function names with additonal info:
1272- in case of built-in functions list of possible arguments and after | type
1273 data returned by function
1274- in case of user function arguments and name of file were function was
1275 defined (if it is not current file)
1276
1277Note: when doing completion first time Vim will load all necessary data into
1278memory. It may take several seconds. After next use of completion delay
1279shouldn't be noticeable.
1280
1281Script detects if cursor is inside <?php ?> tags. If it is outside it will
1282automatically switch to HTML/CSS/JavaScript completion. Note: contrary to
1283original HTML files completion of tags (and only tags) isn't context aware.
1284
1285
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001286SYNTAX *ft-syntax-omni*
1287
1288This uses the current syntax highlighting for completion. It can be used for
1289any filetype and provides a minimal language-sensitive completion.
1290
Bram Moolenaarc06ac342006-03-02 22:43:39 +00001291To enable syntax code completion you can run: >
1292 setlocal omnifunc=syntaxcomplete#Complete
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001293
Bram Moolenaarc06ac342006-03-02 22:43:39 +00001294You can automate this by placing the following in your vimrc (after any
1295":filetype" command): >
1296 if has("autocmd") && exists("+omnifunc")
1297 autocmd Filetype *
1298 \ if &omnifunc == "" |
1299 \ setlocal omnifunc=syntaxcomplete#Complete |
1300 \ endif
1301 endif
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001302
Bram Moolenaarc06ac342006-03-02 22:43:39 +00001303The above will set completion to this script only if a specific plugin does
1304not already exist for that filetype.
1305
1306Each filetype can have a wide range of syntax items. The plugin allows you to
1307customize which syntax groups to include or exclude from the list. Let's have
1308a look at the PHP filetype to see how this works.
1309
1310If you edit a file called, index.php, run the following command: >
1311 :syntax list
1312
1313First thing you will notice is there are many different syntax groups. The
1314PHP language can include elements from different languages like HTML,
1315JavaScript and many more. The syntax plugin will only include syntax groups
1316that begin with the filetype, "php", in this case. For example these syntax
1317groups are included by default with the PHP: phpEnvVar, phpIntVar,
1318phpFunctions.
1319
1320The PHP language has an enormous number of items which it knows how to syntax
1321highlight. This means these items will be available within the omni
1322completion list. Some people may find this list unwieldy or are only
1323interested in certain items.
1324
1325There are two ways to prune this list (if necessary). If you find certain
1326syntax groups you do not wish displayed you can add the following to your
1327vimrc: >
1328 let g:omni_syntax_group_exclude_php = 'phpCoreConstant,phpConstant'
1329
1330Add as many syntax groups to this list by comma separating them. The basic
1331form of this variable is: >
1332 let g:omni_syntax_group_exclude_{filetype} = 'comma,separated,list'
1333
1334For completeness the opposite is also true. Creating this variable in your
1335vimrc will only include the items in the phpFunctions and phpMethods syntax
1336groups: >
1337 let g:omni_syntax_group_include_php = 'phpFunctions,phpMethods'
1338
1339You can create as many of these variables as you need, varying only the
1340filetype at the end of the variable name.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001341
1342
1343XML *ft-xml-omni*
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001344
Bram Moolenaar5b962cf2005-12-12 21:58:40 +00001345Vim 7 provides mechanism to context aware completion of XML files. It depends
1346on special |xml-omni-datafile| and two commands: |:XMLns| and |:XMLent|.
1347Features are:
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001348
1349- after "<" complete tag name depending on context (no div suggest
1350 inside of an a tag)
1351- inside of tag complete proper attributes (no width attribute for an
1352 a tag)
1353- when attribute has limited number of possible values help to complete
1354 them
Bram Moolenaar5b962cf2005-12-12 21:58:40 +00001355- complete names of entities (defined in |xml-omni-datafile| and in current file
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001356 with "<!ENTITY" declarations
1357- when used after "</" CTRL-X CTRL-O will close the last opened tag
1358
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001359Format of XML data file *xml-omni-datafile*
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001360
1361Vim distribution provides two data files as examples (xhtml10s.vim, xsl.vim)
1362
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001363XML data files are stored in "autoload/xml" directory in 'runtimepath'. They
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001364have meaningful name which will be used in commands. It should be unique name
1365which will not create conflicts in future. For example name xhtml10s.vim means
1366it is data file for XHTML 1.0 Strict.
1367
1368File contains one variable with fixed name: g:xmldata_xhtml10s . It is
1369compound from two parts:
1370
13711. "g:xmldata_" general prefix
13722. "xhtml10s" name of file and name of described XML dialect
1373
1374Part two must be exactly the same as name of file.
1375
1376Variable is data structure in form of |Dictionary|. Keys are tag names and
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001377values are two element |List|. First element of List is also List with names
1378of possible children, second element is |Dictionary| with names of attributes
1379as keys and possible values of attributes as values. Example: >
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001380
1381 let g:xmldata_crippledhtml = {
1382 \ "html":
1383 \ [ ["body", "head"], {"id": [], "xmlns": ["http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"],
1384 \ "lang": [], "xml:lang": [], "dir": ["ltr", "rtl"]}],
1385 \ "script":
1386 \ [ [], {"id": [], "charset": [], "type": ["text/javascript"], "src": [],
1387 \ "defer": ["BOOL"], "xml:space": ["preserve"]}],
1388 \ "meta":
1389 \ [ [], {"id": [], "http-equiv": [], "name": [], "content": [], "scheme":
1390 \ [], "lang": [], "xml:lang": [], "dir": ["ltr", "rtl"]}]
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001391 \ "vimxmlentities": ["amp", "lt", "gt", "apos", "quot"]},
1392 \ "vimxmltaginfo": {
1393 \ 'meta': ['/>', '']},
1394 \ "vimxmlattrinfo": {
1395 \ 'http-equiv': ['ContentType', '']}
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001396
1397This example should be put in "autoload/xml/crippledhtml.vim" file.
1398
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001399In example are visible four special elements:
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001400
14011. "vimxmlentities" - special key with List containing entities of this XML
1402 dialect.
14032. "BOOL" - value of attribute key showing if attribute should be inserted
1404 bare ("defer" vs. 'defer="'). It can be the only element of List of
1405 attribute values.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +000014063. "vimxmltaginfo" - special key with dictionary containing as key tag names,
1407 as value two element List for additional menu info and long description.
14084. "vimxmlattrinfo" - special key with dictionary containing as key attribute
1409 names, as value two element List for additional menu info and long
1410 description.
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001411
1412Note: Tag names in data file MUST not contain namespace description. Check
1413xsl.vim for example.
1414
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001415
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001416Commands
1417
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001418:XMLns {name} [{namespace}] *:XMLns*
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001419
1420Vim has to know which data file should be used and with which namespace. For
1421loading of data file and connecting data with prope namespace use |:XMLns|
1422command. First (obligatory) argument is name of data (xhtml10s, xsl). Second
1423argument is code of namespace (h, xsl). When used without second argument
1424dialect will be used as default - without namespace declaration. For example
1425to use XML completion in .xsl files: >
1426
1427 :XMLns xhtml10s
1428 :XMLns xsl xsl
1429
1430
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001431:XMLent {name} *:XMLent*
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001432
1433By default entities will be completed from data file of default
1434namespace. XMLent command should be used in case when there is no
1435default namespace: >
1436
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001437 :XMLent xhtml10s
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001438
1439Usage
1440
1441While used in situation (after declarations from previous part, | is
1442cursor position): >
1443
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001444 <|
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001445
1446Will complete to appropriate XHTML tag, and in this situation: >
1447
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001448 <xsl:|
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001449
1450Will complete to appropriate XSL tag.
1451
1452File xmlcomplete.vim provides through |autoload| mechanism
Bram Moolenaar6b730e12005-09-16 21:47:57 +00001453GetLastOpenTag function which can be used in XML files to get name of
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00001454last open tag with (b:unaryTagsStack has to be defined): >
Bram Moolenaar6b730e12005-09-16 21:47:57 +00001455
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001456 :echo xmlcomplete#GetLastOpenTag("b:unaryTagsStack")
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001457
Bram Moolenaar6b730e12005-09-16 21:47:57 +00001458
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00001459
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00001460
1461
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001462==============================================================================
14638. Insert mode commands *inserting*
1464
1465The following commands can be used to insert new text into the buffer. They
1466can all be undone and repeated with the "." command.
1467
1468 *a*
1469a Append text after the cursor [count] times. If the
1470 cursor is in the first column of an empty line Insert
1471 starts there. But not when 'virtualedit' is set!
1472
1473 *A*
1474A Append text at the end of the line [count] times.
1475
1476<insert> or *i* *insert* *<Insert>*
1477i Insert text before the cursor [count] times.
1478 When using CTRL-O in Insert mode |i_CTRL-O| the count
1479 is not supported.
1480
1481 *I*
1482I Insert text before the first non-blank in the line
1483 [count] times.
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00001484 When the 'H' flag is present in 'cpoptions' and the
1485 line only contains blanks, insert start just before
1486 the last blank.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001487
1488 *gI*
1489gI Insert text in column 1 [count] times. {not in Vi}
1490
1491 *gi*
1492gi Insert text in the same position as where Insert mode
1493 was stopped last time in the current buffer.
1494 This uses the |'^| mark. It's different from "`^i"
1495 when the mark is past the end of the line.
1496 The position is corrected for inserted/deleted lines,
1497 but NOT for inserted/deleted characters.
1498 When the |:keepjumps| command modifier is used the |'^|
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001499 mark won't be changed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001500 {not in Vi}
1501
1502 *o*
1503o Begin a new line below the cursor and insert text,
1504 repeat [count] times. {Vi: blank [count] screen
1505 lines}
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00001506 When the '#' flag is in 'cpoptions' the count is
1507 ignored.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001508
1509 *O*
1510O Begin a new line above the cursor and insert text,
1511 repeat [count] times. {Vi: blank [count] screen
1512 lines}
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00001513 When the '#' flag is in 'cpoptions' the count is
1514 ignored.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001515
1516These commands are used to start inserting text. You can end insert mode with
1517<Esc>. See |mode-ins-repl| for the other special characters in Insert mode.
1518The effect of [count] takes place after Insert mode is exited.
1519
1520When 'autoindent' is on, the indent for a new line is obtained from the
1521previous line. When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on, the indent for a line
1522is automatically adjusted for C programs.
1523
1524'textwidth' can be set to the maximum width for a line. When a line becomes
1525too long when appending characters a line break is automatically inserted.
1526
1527
1528==============================================================================
15299. Ex insert commands *inserting-ex*
1530
1531 *:a* *:append*
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +00001532:{range}a[ppend][!] Insert several lines of text below the specified
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001533 line. If the {range} is missing, the text will be
1534 inserted after the current line.
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +00001535 Adding [!] toggles 'autoindent' for the time this
1536 command is executed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001537
1538 *:i* *:in* *:insert*
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +00001539:{range}i[nsert][!] Insert several lines of text above the specified
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001540 line. If the {range} is missing, the text will be
1541 inserted before the current line.
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +00001542 Adding [!] toggles 'autoindent' for the time this
1543 command is executed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001544
1545These two commands will keep on asking for lines, until you type a line
1546containing only a ".". Watch out for lines starting with a backslash, see
1547|line-continuation|.
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +00001548When these commands are used with |:global| or |:vglobal| then the lines are
1549obtained from the text following the command. Separate lines with a NL
1550escaped with a backslash: >
1551 :global/abc/insert\
1552 one line\
1553 another line
1554The final "." is not needed then.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001555NOTE: ":append" and ":insert" don't work properly in between ":if" and
Bram Moolenaar06fb4352005-01-05 22:10:30 +00001556":endif", ":for" and ":endfor", ":while" and ":endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001557
1558 *:start* *:startinsert*
1559:star[tinsert][!] Start Insert mode just after executing this command.
1560 Works like typing "i" in Normal mode. When the ! is
1561 included it works like "A", append to the line.
1562 Otherwise insertion starts at the cursor position.
1563 Note that when using this command in a function or
1564 script, the insertion only starts after the function
1565 or script is finished.
Bram Moolenaar87e25fd2005-07-27 21:13:01 +00001566 This command does not work from |:normal|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001567 {not in Vi}
1568 {not available when compiled without the +ex_extra
1569 feature}
1570
1571 *:stopi* *:stopinsert*
1572:stopi[nsert] Stop Insert mode as soon as possible. Works like
1573 typing <Esc> in Insert mode.
1574 Can be used in an autocommand, example: >
1575 :au BufEnter scratch stopinsert
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00001576<
1577 *replacing-ex* *:startreplace*
1578:startr[eplace][!] Start Replace mode just after executing this command.
1579 Works just like typing "R" in Normal mode. When the
1580 ! is included it acts just like "$R" had been typed
1581 (ie. begin replace mode at the end-of-line). Other-
1582 wise replacement begins at the cursor position.
1583 Note that when using this command in a function or
1584 script that the replacement will only start after
1585 the function or script is finished.
1586 {not in Vi}
1587 {not available when compiled without the +ex_extra
1588 feature}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001589
Bram Moolenaar61da4982005-12-14 22:02:18 +00001590 *:startgreplace*
1591:startg[replace][!] Just like |:startreplace|, but use Virtual Replace
1592 mode, like with |gR|.
1593 {not in Vi}
1594 {not available when compiled without the +ex_extra
1595 feature}
1596
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001597==============================================================================
159810. Inserting a file *inserting-file*
1599
1600 *:r* *:re* *:read*
1601:r[ead] [name] Insert the file [name] (default: current file) below
1602 the cursor.
1603
1604:{range}r[ead] [name] Insert the file [name] (default: current file) below
1605 the specified line.
1606
1607 *:r!* *:read!*
1608:r[ead] !{cmd} Execute {cmd} and insert its standard output below
1609 the cursor. A temporary file is used to store the
1610 output of the command which is then read into the
1611 buffer. 'shellredir' is used to save the output of
1612 the command, which can be set to include stderr or
1613 not. {cmd} is executed like with ":!{cmd}", any '!'
1614 is replaced with the previous command |:!|.
1615
1616These commands insert the contents of a file, or the output of a command,
1617into the buffer. They can be undone. They cannot be repeated with the "."
1618command. They work on a line basis, insertion starts below the line in which
1619the cursor is, or below the specified line. To insert text above the first
1620line use the command ":0r {name}".
1621
1622After the ":read" command, the cursor is left on the first non-blank in the
1623first new line. Unless in Ex mode, then the cursor is left on the last new
1624line (sorry, this is Vi compatible).
1625
1626If a file name is given with ":r", it becomes the alternate file. This can be
1627used, for example, when you want to edit that file instead: ":e! #". This can
1628be switched off by removing the 'a' flag from the 'cpoptions' option.
1629
1630 *file-read*
1631The 'fileformat' option sets the <EOL> style for a file:
1632'fileformat' characters name ~
1633 "dos" <CR><NL> or <NL> DOS format
1634 "unix" <NL> Unix format
1635 "mac" <CR> Mac format
1636Previously 'textmode' was used. It is obsolete now.
1637
1638If 'fileformat' is "dos", a <CR> in front of an <NL> is ignored and a CTRL-Z
1639at the end of the file is ignored.
1640
1641If 'fileformat' is "mac", a <NL> in the file is internally represented by a
1642<CR>. This is to avoid confusion with a <NL> which is used to represent a
1643<NUL>. See |CR-used-for-NL|.
1644
1645If the 'fileformats' option is not empty Vim tries to recognize the type of
1646<EOL> (see |file-formats|). However, the 'fileformat' option will not be
1647changed, the detected format is only used while reading the file.
1648A similar thing happens with 'fileencodings'.
1649
1650On non-MS-DOS, Win32, and OS/2 systems the message "[dos format]" is shown if
1651a file is read in DOS format, to remind you that something unusual is done.
1652On Macintosh, MS-DOS, Win32, and OS/2 the message "[unix format]" is shown if
1653a file is read in Unix format.
1654On non-Macintosh systems, the message "[Mac format]" is shown if a file is
1655read in Mac format.
1656
1657An example on how to use ":r !": >
1658 :r !uuencode binfile binfile
1659This command reads "binfile", uuencodes it and reads it into the current
1660buffer. Useful when you are editing e-mail and want to include a binary
1661file.
1662
1663 *read-messages*
1664When reading a file Vim will display a message with information about the read
1665file. In the table is an explanation for some of the items. The others are
1666self explanatory. Using the long or the short version depends on the
1667'shortmess' option.
1668
1669 long short meaning ~
1670 [readonly] {RO} the file is write protected
1671 [fifo/socket] using a stream
1672 [fifo] using a fifo stream
1673 [socket] using a socket stream
1674 [CR missing] reading with "dos" 'fileformat' and a
1675 NL without a preceding CR was found.
1676 [NL found] reading with "mac" 'fileformat' and a
1677 NL was found (could be "unix" format)
1678 [long lines split] at least one line was split in two
1679 [NOT converted] conversion from 'fileencoding' to
1680 'encoding' was desired but not
1681 possible
1682 [converted] conversion from 'fileencoding' to
1683 'encoding' done
1684 [crypted] file was decrypted
1685 [READ ERRORS] not all of the file could be read
1686
1687
1688 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: