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Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2006 Jan 24
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
80
81For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
82
83Note that in the command >
84 :if "foo"
85"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
86use strlen(): >
87 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000088< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
89List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000090
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000091 *E706*
92You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
93to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000094equivalent though. Consider this sequence of commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000095 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000096 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000097 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000099
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001001.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000101 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000102A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000103in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
104around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000105
106 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
107 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000108< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:" or "b:". You cannot
110have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000111
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000112A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
113Dictionary entry. Example: >
114 :function dict.init() dict
115 : let self.val = 0
116 :endfunction
117
118The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
119function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
120
121A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
122 :call Fn()
123 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000124
125The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000126 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000127
128You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
129arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000130 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000131
132
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001331.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000134 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000135A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
136can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
137position in the sequence.
138
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000139
140List creation ~
141 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000142A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143Examples: >
144 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
145 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000146
147An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000148nested List: >
149 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000150
151An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
152
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000153
154List index ~
155 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000156An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000157after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
158 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000159 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000160
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000161When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000162 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000163<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000164A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
165the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
167
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000168To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000169is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000170 :echo get(mylist, idx)
171 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
172
173
174List concatenation ~
175
176Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
177 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000178 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000179
180To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
181it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
182
183
184Sublist ~
185
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000186A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
187separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000188 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000189
190Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
191similar to -1. The difference is that there is no error if the items are not
192available. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000193 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
194 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
195 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000196
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000197The second index can be just before the first index. In that case the result
198is an empty list. If the second index is lower, this results in an error. >
199 :echo mylist[2:1] " result: []
200 :echo mylist[2:0] " error!
201
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000202NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
203using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
204mylist[s : e].
205
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000206
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000207List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000208 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000209When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
210variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
211change "bb": >
212 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
213 :let bb = aa
214 :call add(aa, 4)
215 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000216< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000217
218Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
219works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000220a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000221 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
222 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000223 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000224 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
225 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000226< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000227 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000228< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000229
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000230To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000231copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000232
233The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000234List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000235the same value. >
236 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
237 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
238 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000239< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000240 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000241< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000242
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000243Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
244same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000245exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
246different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
247variables. Example: >
248 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000249< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000250 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000251< 0
252
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000253Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
254can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a string: >
255
256 :let a = 5
257 :let b = "5"
258 echo a == b
259< 1 >
260 echo [a] == [b]
261< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000263
264List unpack ~
265
266To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
267square brackets, like list items: >
268 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
269
270When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
271this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
272and a variable name: >
273 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
274
275This works like: >
276 :let var1 = mylist[0]
277 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000278 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000279
280Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
281empty list then.
282
283
284List modification ~
285 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000286To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000287 :let list[4] = "four"
288 :let listlist[0][3] = item
289
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000290To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000291modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000292 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
293
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000294Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
295examples: >
296 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
297 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
298 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000299 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000300 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
301 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000302 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000303 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000304 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000305 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000307Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000308 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
309 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
310
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000311
312For loop ~
313
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000314The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
315to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000316 :for item in mylist
317 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000318 :endfor
319
320This works like: >
321 :let index = 0
322 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000323 : let item = mylist[index]
324 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325 : let index = index + 1
326 :endwhile
327
328Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000329results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000330the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000331
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000332If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000333function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000334
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000335Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
336requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
337 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
338 : call Doit(lnum, col)
339 :endfor
340
341This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
342must remain the same to avoid an error.
343
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000344It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000345 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
346 : call Doit(i, j)
347 : if !empty(rest)
348 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
349 : endif
350 :endfor
351
352
353List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000354 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000356 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000357 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000358 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
359 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
360 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000361 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
362 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000363 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
364 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000365 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
366 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000367 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
368 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000369
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000370Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
371example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
372 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
373
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003751.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000376 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000377A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000378entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
379ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000380
381
382Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000383 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000384A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000385braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
386only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000387 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
388 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000389< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000390A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
391String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000392entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
393Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000394
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396nested Dictionary: >
397 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
398
399An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
400
401
402Accessing entries ~
403
404The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
405 :let val = mydict["one"]
406 :let mydict["four"] = 4
407
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409
410For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
411form can be used |expr-entry|: >
412 :let val = mydict.one
413 :let mydict.four = 4
414
415Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
416key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000417 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000418
419
420Dictionary to List conversion ~
421
422You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
423turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
424
425Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
426 :for key in keys(mydict)
427 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
428 :endfor
429
430The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
431 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
432
433To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
434 :for v in values(mydict)
435 : echo "value: " . v
436 :endfor
437
438If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000439a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000440 :for entry in items(mydict)
441 : echo entry[0] . ': ' . entry[1]
442 :endfor
443
444
445Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000446 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000447Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
448Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
449Dictionary: >
450 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
451 :let adict = onedict
452 :let adict['a'] = 11
453 :echo onedict['a']
454 11
455
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000456Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
457more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000458
459
460Dictionary modification ~
461 *dict-modification*
462To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
463use |:let| this way: >
464 :let dict[4] = "four"
465 :let dict['one'] = item
466
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000467Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
468Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
469 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
470 :unlet dict.aaa
471 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000472
473Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000474 :call extend(adict, bdict)
475This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
476in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000477Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
478expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
479adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000480
481Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +0000482 :call filter(dict 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000483This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000484
485
486Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000487 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000488When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
489special way with a dictionary. Example: >
490 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000491 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000492 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
494 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000495
496This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
497Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
498the function was invoked from.
499
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000500It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
501Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
502
503 *numbered-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000504To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
505assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
507 :function mydict.len() dict
508 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
513that references this function. The function can only be used through a
514|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
515remaining that refers to it.
516
517It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000518
519
520Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000521 *E715*
522Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
524 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
525 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
526 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
527 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
528 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
529 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
530 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000531
532
5331.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000534 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000535If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
536function.
537
538When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
539start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
540stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
541
542When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
543start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
544stored in the session file |session-file|.
545
546variable name can be stored where ~
547my_var_6 not
548My_Var_6 session file
549MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
550
551
552It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
553|curly-braces-names|.
554
555==============================================================================
5562. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
557
558Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
559
560|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
561
562|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
563
564|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
565
566|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
567 expr5 != expr5 not equal
568 expr5 > expr5 greater than
569 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
570 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
571 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
572 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
573 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
574
575 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
576 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
577 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
578 matching case
579
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000580 expr5 is expr5 same List instance
581 expr5 isnot expr5 different List instance
582
583|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000584 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
585 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
586
587|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
588 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
589 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
590
591|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
592 - expr7 unary minus
593 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000594
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000595
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000596|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a List
597 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a List
598 expr8.name entry in a Dictionary
599 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with Funcref variable
600
601|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000602 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000603 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000604 [expr1, ...] List
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000605 {expr1: expr1, ...} Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000606 &option option value
607 (expr1) nested expression
608 variable internal variable
609 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
610 $VAR environment variable
611 @r contents of register 'r'
612 function(expr1, ...) function call
613 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
614
615
616".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
617Example: >
618 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
619
620All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
621
622
623expr1 *expr1* *E109*
624-----
625
626expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
627
628The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
629non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
630otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
631Example: >
632 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
633
634Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
635other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
636Example: >
637 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
638
639To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
640 :echo lnum == 1
641 :\ ? "top"
642 :\ : lnum == 1000
643 :\ ? "last"
644 :\ : lnum
645
646
647expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
648---------------
649
650 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
651The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
652are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
653
654 input output ~
655n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
656zero zero zero zero
657zero non-zero non-zero zero
658non-zero zero non-zero zero
659non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
660
661The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
662
663 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
664
665Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
666
667 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
668
669Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
670arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
671
672 let a = 1
673 echo a || b
674
675This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
676so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
677
678 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
679
680This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
681only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
682
683
684expr4 *expr4*
685-----
686
687expr5 {cmp} expr5
688
689Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
690if it evaluates to true.
691
692 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
693 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
694 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
695 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
696 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
697 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000698 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000699 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
700equal == ==# ==?
701not equal != !=# !=?
702greater than > ># >?
703greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
704smaller than < <# <?
705smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
706regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
707regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000708same instance is
709different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000710
711Examples:
712"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
713"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
714"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
715
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000716 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000717A List can only be compared with a List and only "equal", "not equal" and "is"
718can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively. Ignoring
719case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
720
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000721 *E735* *E736*
722A Dictionary can only be compared with a Dictionary and only "equal", "not
723equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the Dictionary,
724recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
725
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000726 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000727A Funcref can only be compared with a Funcref and only "equal" and "not equal"
728can be used. Case is never ignored.
729
730When using "is" or "isnot" with a List this checks if the expressions are
731referring to the same List instance. A copy of a List is different from the
732original List. When using "is" without a List it is equivalent to using
733"equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
734different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
735is false.
736
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000737When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
738and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
739because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
740
741When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
742results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
743necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
744
745When using the operators with a trailing '#", or the short version and
746'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp().
747
748When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
749'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp().
750
751The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
752argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
753This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
754matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
755portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
756single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
757Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
758(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
759can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
760 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
761 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
762
763
764expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
765---------------
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000766expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or List concatenation *expr-+*
767expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
768expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000769
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000770For Lists only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The result
771is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
772
773expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
774expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
775expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000776
777For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
778
779Note the difference between "+" and ".":
780 "123" + "456" = 579
781 "123" . "456" = "123456"
782
783When the righthand side of '/' is zero, the result is 0x7fffffff.
784When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
785
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000786None of these work for Funcrefs.
787
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000788
789expr7 *expr7*
790-----
791! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
792- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
793+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
794
795For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
796For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
797For '+' the number is unchanged.
798
799A String will be converted to a Number first.
800
801These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
802 !-1 == 0
803 !!8 == 1
804 --9 == 9
805
806
807expr8 *expr8*
808-----
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000809expr8[expr1] item of String or List *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000810
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000811If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
812expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000813Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000814
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000815Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
816text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
817cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000818 :let c = getline(line("."))[col(".") - 1]
819
820If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000821String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
822compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
823
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000824If expr8 is a List then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000825for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
826error. Example: >
827 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
828
829Generally, if a List index is equal to or higher than the length of the List,
830or more negative than the length of the List, this results in an error.
831
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000832
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000833expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000834
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000835If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
836from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000837expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
838encodings.
839
840If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
841string minus one is used.
842
843A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
844the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
845
846If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
847expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
848
849Examples: >
850 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
851 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
852 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
853 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
854
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000855If expr8 is a List this results in a new List with the items indicated by the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000856indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained just
857above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
858 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
859 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
860 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
861
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000862Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a Funcref results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000863
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000864
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000865expr8.name entry in a Dictionary *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000866
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000867If expr8 is a Dictionary and it is followed by a dot, then the following name
868will be used as a key in the Dictionary. This is just like: expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000869
870The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
871but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
872
873There must not be white space before or after the dot.
874
875Examples: >
876 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
877 :echo dict.one
878 :echo dict .2
879
880Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
881always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
882
883
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000884expr8(expr1, ...) Funcref function call
885
886When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
887
888
889
890 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000891number
892------
893number number constant *expr-number*
894
895Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
896
897
898string *expr-string* *E114*
899------
900"string" string constant *expr-quote*
901
902Note that double quotes are used.
903
904A string constant accepts these special characters:
905\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
906\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
907\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
908\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
909\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
910\X.. same as \x..
911\X. same as \x.
912\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
913 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
914\U.... same as \u....
915\b backspace <BS>
916\e escape <Esc>
917\f formfeed <FF>
918\n newline <NL>
919\r return <CR>
920\t tab <Tab>
921\\ backslash
922\" double quote
923\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
924
925Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
926
927
928literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
929---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000930'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000931
932Note that single quotes are used.
933
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000934This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000935meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000936
937Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
938to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
939 if a =~ "\\s*"
940 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000941
942
943option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
944------
945&option option value, local value if possible
946&g:option global option value
947&l:option local option value
948
949Examples: >
950 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
951 if &insertmode
952
953Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
954and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
955anyway.
956
957
958register *expr-register*
959--------
960@r contents of register 'r'
961
962The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
963Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +0000964register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
965registers.
966
967When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
968evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000969
970
971nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
972-------
973(expr1) nested expression
974
975
976environment variable *expr-env*
977--------------------
978$VAR environment variable
979
980The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
981result is an empty string.
982 *expr-env-expand*
983Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
984expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
985are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
986the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
987fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
988does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
989 :echo $version
990 :echo expand("$version")
991The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
992variable (if your shell supports it).
993
994
995internal variable *expr-variable*
996-----------------
997variable internal variable
998See below |internal-variables|.
999
1000
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001001function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001002-------------
1003function(expr1, ...) function call
1004See below |functions|.
1005
1006
1007==============================================================================
10083. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1009 *E461*
1010An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1011cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1012|curly-braces-names|.
1013
1014An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001015An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1016|:unlet|.
1017Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1018been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001019
1020There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1021specified by what is prepended:
1022
1023 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1024|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1025|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
1026|global-variable| g: Global.
1027|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1028|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1029|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1030|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1031
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001032The scope name by itself can be used as a Dictionary. For example, to delete
1033all script-local variables: >
1034 :for k in keys(s:)
1035 : unlet s:[k]
1036 :endfor
1037<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001038 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1039A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1040Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1041This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1042|:bdelete|.
1043
1044One local buffer variable is predefined:
1045 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1046b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1047 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1048 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1049 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1050 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1051 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1052 : call My_Update()
1053 :endif
1054<
1055 *window-variable* *w:var*
1056A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1057is deleted when the window is closed.
1058
1059 *global-variable* *g:var*
1060Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1061access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1062place if you like.
1063
1064 *local-variable* *l:var*
1065Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1066But you can also prepend "l:" if you like.
1067
1068 *script-variable* *s:var*
1069In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1070accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1071
1072They can be used in:
1073- commands executed while the script is sourced
1074- functions defined in the script
1075- autocommands defined in the script
1076- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1077 defined in the script (recursively)
1078- user defined commands defined in the script
1079Thus not in:
1080- other scripts sourced from this one
1081- mappings
1082- etc.
1083
1084script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1085Take this example:
1086
1087 let s:counter = 0
1088 function MyCounter()
1089 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1090 echo s:counter
1091 endfunction
1092 command Tick call MyCounter()
1093
1094You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1095that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1096"Tick" was defined is used.
1097
1098Another example that does the same: >
1099
1100 let s:counter = 0
1101 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1102
1103When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001104script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001105defined.
1106
1107The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1108function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1109
1110 let s:counter = 0
1111 function StartCounting(incr)
1112 if a:incr
1113 function MyCounter()
1114 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1115 endfunction
1116 else
1117 function MyCounter()
1118 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1119 endfunction
1120 endif
1121 endfunction
1122
1123This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1124when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1125called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1126
1127When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1128They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1129maintain a counter: >
1130
1131 if !exists("s:counter")
1132 let s:counter = 1
1133 echo "script executed for the first time"
1134 else
1135 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1136 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1137 endif
1138
1139Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1140variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1141
1142
1143Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1144
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001145 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1146v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1147 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1148 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1149
1150 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1151v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1152 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1153
1154 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1155v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1156 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1157
1158 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001159v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1160 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1161 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1162 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001163 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1164 highlighted text is used.
1165 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1166
1167 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1168v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1169 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1170
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001171 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1172v:charconvert_from
1173 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1174 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1175
1176 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1177v:charconvert_to
1178 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1179 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1180
1181 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1182v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1183 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1184 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1185 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1186 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1187 possible to append this variable directly after the
1188 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1189 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1190 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1191 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1192 in 'printexpr'.
1193
1194 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1195v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1196 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1197 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1198 can be used.
1199
1200 *v:count* *count-variable*
1201v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1202 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1203 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1204< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1205 get when typing ':' after a count.
1206 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1207
1208 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1209v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1210 used.
1211
1212 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1213v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1214 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1215 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1216 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1217 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1218 command.
1219 See |multi-lang|.
1220
1221 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1222v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1223 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1224 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1225 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1226 Example: >
1227 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1228<
1229 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1230v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1231 Example: >
1232 :let v:errmsg = ""
1233 :silent! next
1234 :if v:errmsg != ""
1235 : ... handle error
1236< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1237
1238 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1239v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1240 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1241 Example: >
1242 :try
1243 : throw "oops"
1244 :catch /.*/
1245 : echo "caught" v:exception
1246 :endtry
1247< Output: "caught oops".
1248
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001249 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1250v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1251 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1252 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1253 deleted file no longer exists
1254 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1255 changed and buffer is modified
1256 changed file contents has changed
1257 mode mode of file changed
1258 time only file timestamp changed
1259
1260 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1261v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1262 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1263 do with the affected buffer:
1264 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1265 the file was deleted).
1266 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1267 was no autocommand. Except that when
1268 only the timestamp changed nothing
1269 will happen.
1270 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1271 everything that needs to be done.
1272 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1273 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1274
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001275 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001276v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001277 option used for ~
1278 'charconvert' file to be converted
1279 'diffexpr' original file
1280 'patchexpr' original file
1281 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001282 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001283
1284 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1285v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1286 evaluating:
1287 option used for ~
1288 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1289 'diffexpr' output of diff
1290 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1291 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1292 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1293 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1294 file and different from v:fname_in.
1295
1296 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1297v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1298 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1299
1300 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1301v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1302 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1303
1304 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1305v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1306 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001307 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001308
1309 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1310v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001311 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001312
1313 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1314v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001315 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001316
1317 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1318v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001319 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001320
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001321 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1322v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1323 events. Values:
1324 i Insert mode
1325 r Replace mode
1326 v Virtual Replace mode
1327
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001328 *v:key* *key-variable*
1329v:key Key of the current item of a Dictionary. Only valid while
1330 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1331 Read-only.
1332
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001333 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1334v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1335 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1336 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1337 The value is system dependent.
1338 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1339 command.
1340 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1341 in a different language than what is used for character
1342 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1343
1344 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1345v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1346 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1347 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1348 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1349 command. See |multi-lang|.
1350
1351 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001352v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
1353 expressions. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1354 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001355
1356 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1357v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1358 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1359 you want to cancel Visual mode and then use the count. >
1360 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1361< Read-only.
1362
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001363 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1364v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1365 See |profiling|.
1366
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001367 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1368v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1369 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1370 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1371 Read-only.
1372
1373 *v:register* *register-variable*
1374v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1375 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1376
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001377 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1378v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1379 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1380 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1381 typed command.
1382 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1383 hit-enter prompt.
1384
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001385 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1386v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1387 Read-only.
1388
1389 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1390v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1391 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1392 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1393 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1394 executed. Read-only.
1395 Example: >
1396 :!mv foo bar
1397 :if v:shell_error
1398 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1399 :endif
1400< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1401
1402 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1403v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1404
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001405 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1406v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1407 the swap file found. Read-only.
1408
1409 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1410v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1411 for handling an existing swap file:
1412 'o' Open read-only
1413 'e' Edit anyway
1414 'r' Recover
1415 'd' Delete swapfile
1416 'q' Quit
1417 'a' Abort
1418 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1419 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1420 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1421
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001422 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001423v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001424 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1425 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1426 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
1427
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001428 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1429v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1430 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1431 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1432 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1433 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1434 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1435 terminal.
1436 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1437 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1438 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1439 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1440 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1441
1442 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1443v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1444 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1445 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1446 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1447
1448 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1449v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1450 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1451 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1452 Example: >
1453 :try
1454 : throw "oops"
1455 :catch /.*/
1456 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1457 :endtry
1458< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1459
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001460 *v:val* *val-variable*
1461v:val Value of the current item of a List or Dictionary. Only valid
1462 while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
1463 |filter()|. Read-only.
1464
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001465 *v:version* *version-variable*
1466v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1467 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1468 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1469 compatibility.
1470 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1471 if has("patch123")
1472< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1473 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1474 completely different.
1475
1476 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1477v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1478
1479==============================================================================
14804. Builtin Functions *functions*
1481
1482See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1483
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001484(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001485
1486USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1487
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001488add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to List {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001489append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001490append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001491argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001492argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001493argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
1494browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1495 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001496browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001497bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001498buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1499bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001500bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1501bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1502bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1503byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001504byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001505call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1506 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001507char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001508cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001509col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001510complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1511complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001512confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1513 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001514copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001515count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1516 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001517cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1518 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001519cursor( {lnum}, {col}) Number position cursor at {lnum}, {col}
1520deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001521delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1522did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001523diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1524diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001525empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001526escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001527eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001528eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001529executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1530exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
1531expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
1532filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001533filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1534 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001535finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
1536 String Find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001537findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001538 String Find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001539filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
1540fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001541foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1542foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001543foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001544foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001545foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001546function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001547get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001548get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001549getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1550 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001551getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1552getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001553getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
1554getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1555getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001556getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001557getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001558getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1559getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001560getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001561getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001562getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001563getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1564getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001565getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001566getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001567getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001568getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1569getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1570getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in window {nr}
1571glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1572globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1573has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001574has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001575hasmapto( {what} [, {mode}]) Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
1576histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1577histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1578histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1579histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1580hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1581hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1582hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001583iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1584indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001585index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1586 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001587input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1588 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001589inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001590inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1591inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001592inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001593insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001594isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001595islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001596items( {dict}) List List of key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001597join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001598keys( {dict}) List List of keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001599len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1600libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001601libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1602line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1603line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001604lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001605localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001606map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001607maparg( {name}[, {mode}]) String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1608mapcheck( {name}[, {mode}]) String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001609match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001610 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001611matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001612 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001613matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1614 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001615matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1616 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001617max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1618min({list}) Number minumum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001619mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1620 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001621mode() String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001622nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1623nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
1624prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00001625printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001626range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1627 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001628readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1629 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001630remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1631 String send expression
1632remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1633remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1634 Number check for reply string
1635remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1636remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1637 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001638remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001639remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001640rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1641repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1642resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001643reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001644search( {pattern} [, {flags}]) Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001645searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1646 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001647searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001648 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001649server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1650 Number send reply string
1651serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1652setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1653setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1654setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00001655setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number set list of quickfix items using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001656setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001657setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001658simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001659sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001660soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001661spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001662spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1663 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001664split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
1665 List make List from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001666strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001667stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1668 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001669string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001670strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1671strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1672 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001673strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1674 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001675strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001676submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001677substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1678 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001679synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001680synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1681 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1682synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001683system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00001684taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
1685tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001686tempname() String name for a temporary file
1687tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1688toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001689tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1690 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001691type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001692values( {dict}) List List of values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001693virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1694visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1695winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1696wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1697winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1698winline() Number window line of the cursor
1699winnr() Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001700winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001701winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001702writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1703 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001704
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001705add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
1706 Append the item {expr} to List {list}. Returns the resulting
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001707 List. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001708 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1709 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
1710< Note that when {expr} is a List it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001711 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate Lists.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001712 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001713
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001714
1715append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001716 When {expr} is a List: Append each item of the List as a text
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001717 line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001718 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1719 the current buffer.
1720 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001721 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1722 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001723 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001724 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001725<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001726 *argc()*
1727argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1728 current window. See |arglist|.
1729
1730 *argidx()*
1731argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1732 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1733
1734 *argv()*
1735argv({nr}) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
1736 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1737 Example: >
1738 :let i = 0
1739 :while i < argc()
1740 : let f = escape(argv(i), '. ')
1741 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1742 : let i = i + 1
1743 :endwhile
1744<
1745 *browse()*
1746browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1747 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1748 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1749 The input fields are:
1750 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1751 {title} title for the requester
1752 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1753 {default} default file name
1754 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1755 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1756
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001757 *browsedir()*
1758browsedir({title}, {initdir})
1759 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
1760 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1761 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
1762 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
1763 to be used.
1764 The input fields are:
1765 {title} title for the requester
1766 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1767 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1768 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1769
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001770bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
1771 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1772 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001773 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001774 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001775 exactly. The name can be:
1776 - Relative to the current directory.
1777 - A full path.
1778 - The name of a buffer with 'filetype' set to "nofile".
1779 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001780 Unlisted buffers will be found.
1781 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
1782 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
1783 long name to be able to find them.
1784 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
1785 file name.
1786 *buffer_exists()*
1787 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
1788
1789buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
1790 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1791 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001792 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001793
1794bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
1795 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1796 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001797 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001798
1799bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
1800 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
1801 ":ls" command.
1802 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
1803 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
1804 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
1805 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
1806 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
1807 match an empty string is returned.
1808 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
1809 alternate buffer.
1810 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
1811 or middle of the buffer name is accepted.
1812 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
1813 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
1814 buffers are searched for.
1815 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
1816 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
1817 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
1818< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
1819 string is returned. >
1820 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
1821 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
1822 bufname("%") name of current buffer
1823 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
1824< *buffer_name()*
1825 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
1826
1827 *bufnr()*
1828bufnr({expr}) The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
1829 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
1830 above. If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
1831 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
1832 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
1833< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
1834 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
1835 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
1836 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
1837 *buffer_number()*
1838 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
1839 *last_buffer_nr()*
1840 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
1841
1842bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
1843 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
1844 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
1845 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
1846 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
1847
1848 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
1849
1850< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
1851 |:wincmd|.
1852
1853
1854byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
1855 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
1856 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
1857 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
1858 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
1859 one.
1860 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
1861 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
1862 feature}
1863
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00001864byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
1865 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
1866 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
1867 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
1868 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
1869 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
1870 Example : >
1871 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
1872< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
1873 same: >
1874 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
1875 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
1876< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
1877 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
1878 is returned.
1879
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001880call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001881 Call function {func} with the items in List {arglist} as
1882 arguments.
1883 {func} can either be a Funcref or the name of a function.
1884 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
1885 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001886 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
1887 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001888
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001889char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
1890 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
1891 char2nr(" ") returns 32
1892 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
1893< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
1894 char2nr("á") returns 225
1895 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001896< nr2char() does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001897
1898cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
1899 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
1900 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
1901 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
1902 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
1903 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
1904 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00001905 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001906
1907 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001908col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001909 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
1910 . the cursor position
1911 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
1912 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
1913 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
1914 returned)
1915 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
1916 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
1917 Examples: >
1918 col(".") column of cursor
1919 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
1920 col("'t") column of mark t
1921 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
1922< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
1923 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
1924 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
1925 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
1926 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
1927 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
1928 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
1929 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
1930<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001931
1932complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
1933 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
1934 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
1935 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
1936 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
1937 the list.
1938
1939complete_check() *complete_check()*
1940 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
1941 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
1942 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
1943 zero otherwise.
1944 Only to be used by the function specified with the
1945 'completefunc' option.
1946
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001947 *confirm()*
1948confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1949 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
1950 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
1951 choice this is 1.
1952 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
1953 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
1954 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
1955 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
1956 used (and translated).
1957 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
1958 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
1959 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
1960 by '\n', e.g. >
1961 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
1962< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
1963 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
1964 not need to be the first letter: >
1965 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
1966< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
1967 the default shortcut key.
1968 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
1969 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
1970 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
1971 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
1972 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
1973 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
1974 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
1975 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
1976 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
1977 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
1978 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
1979
1980 An example: >
1981 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
1982 :if choice == 0
1983 : echo "make up your mind!"
1984 :elseif choice == 3
1985 : echo "tasteful"
1986 :else
1987 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
1988 :endif
1989< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
1990 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
1991 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
1992 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
1993 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
1994 the horizontal layout is always used.
1995
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001996 *copy()*
1997copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
1998 different from using {expr} directly.
1999 When {expr} is a List a shallow copy is created. This means
2000 that the original List can be changed without changing the
2001 copy, and vise versa. But the items are identical, thus
2002 changing an item changes the contents of both Lists. Also see
2003 |deepcopy()|.
2004
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002005count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002006 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002007 in List or Dictionary {comp}.
2008 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
2009 {start} can only be used with a List.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002010 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2011
2012
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002013 *cscope_connection()*
2014cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2015 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2016 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2017 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2018 if there are no cscope connections;
2019 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2020
2021 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2022 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2023
2024 {num} Description of existence check
2025 ----- ------------------------------
2026 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2027 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2028 {dbpath}.
2029 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2030 {dbpath}.
2031 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2032 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2033 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2034 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2035
2036 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2037
2038 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2039
2040 # pid database name prepend path
2041 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2042<
2043 Invocation Return Val ~
2044 ---------- ---------- >
2045 cscope_connection() 1
2046 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2047 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2048 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2049 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2050 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2051 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2052 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2053<
2054cursor({lnum}, {col}) *cursor()*
2055 Positions the cursor at the column {col} in the line {lnum}.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002056 The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002057 Does not change the jumplist.
2058 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2059 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2060 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002061 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002062 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2063 line.
2064 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
2065
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002066
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002067deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002068 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2069 different from using {expr} directly.
2070 When {expr} is a List a full copy is created. This means
2071 that the original List can be changed without changing the
2072 copy, and vise versa. When an item is a List, a copy for it
2073 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
2074 not change the contents of the original List.
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002075 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained List or Dictionary
2076 is only copied once. All references point to this single
2077 copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a List or
2078 Dictionary results in a new copy. This also means that a
2079 cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002080 *E724*
2081 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002082 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2083 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002084 Also see |copy()|.
2085
2086delete({fname}) *delete()*
2087 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002088 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2089 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002090 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a List.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002091
2092 *did_filetype()*
2093did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2094 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2095 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2096 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2097 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2098 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2099 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2100 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2101 file.
2102
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002103diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2104 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2105 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2106 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2107 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2108 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2109 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2110 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2111
2112diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2113 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2114 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2115 diff change zero is returned.
2116 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2117 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2118 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2119 line.
2120 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2121 syntax information about the highlighting.
2122
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002123empty({expr}) *empty()*
2124 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002125 A List or Dictionary is empty when it does not have any items.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002126 A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2127 For a long List this is much faster then comparing the length
2128 with zero.
2129
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002130escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2131 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2132 backslash. Example: >
2133 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2134< results in: >
2135 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002136
2137< *eval()*
2138eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2139 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2140 This works for Numbers, Strings and composites of them.
2141 Also works for Funcrefs that refer to existing functions.
2142
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002143eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2144 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2145 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2146 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2147 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2148
2149executable({expr}) *executable()*
2150 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2151 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002152 arguments.
2153 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2154 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2155 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2156 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2157 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2158 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2159 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2160 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2161 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2162 extension.
2163 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2164 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002165 The result is a Number:
2166 1 exists
2167 0 does not exist
2168 -1 not implemented on this system
2169
2170 *exists()*
2171exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2172 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2173 which contains one of these:
2174 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2175 not if it really works)
2176 +option-name Vim option that works.
2177 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2178 done by comparing with an empty
2179 string)
2180 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2181 or user defined function (see
2182 |user-functions|).
2183 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002184 |internal-variables|). Also works
2185 for |curly-braces-names|, Dictionary
2186 entries, List items, etc. Beware that
2187 this may cause functions to be
2188 invoked cause an error message for an
2189 invalid expression.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002190 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2191 command or command modifier |:command|.
2192 Returns:
2193 1 for match with start of a command
2194 2 full match with a command
2195 3 matches several user commands
2196 To check for a supported command
2197 always check the return value to be 2.
2198 #event autocommand defined for this event
2199 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2200 pattern (the pattern is taken
2201 literally and compared to the
2202 autocommand patterns character by
2203 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002204 #group autocommand group exists
2205 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2206 event.
2207 #group#event#pattern
2208 autocommand defined for this group,
2209 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002210 ##event autocommand for this event is
2211 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002212 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2213
2214 Examples: >
2215 exists("&shortname")
2216 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2217 exists("*strftime")
2218 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2219 exists("bufcount")
2220 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002221 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002222 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002223 exists("#filetypeindent")
2224 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2225 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002226 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002227< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2228 name.
2229 Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2230 variable itself! For example: >
2231 exists(bufcount)
2232< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
2233 but gets the contents of "bufcount", and checks if that
2234 exists.
2235
2236expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2237 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2238 The result is a String.
2239
2240 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2241 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2242 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2243
2244 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2245 for a non-existing file is not included.
2246
2247 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2248 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2249 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2250
2251 % current file name
2252 # alternate file name
2253 #n alternate file name n
2254 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2255 <afile> autocmd file name
2256 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2257 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2258 <sfile> sourced script file name
2259 <cword> word under the cursor
2260 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2261 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2262 message |server2client()|
2263 Modifiers:
2264 :p expand to full path
2265 :h head (last path component removed)
2266 :t tail (last path component only)
2267 :r root (one extension removed)
2268 :e extension only
2269
2270 Example: >
2271 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2272< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2273 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2274 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2275< Use this: >
2276 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2277< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2278 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2279 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2280 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2281 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2282<
2283 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2284 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2285 to modify normal file names.
2286
2287 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2288 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2289 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2290 '/' added.
2291
2292 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2293 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2294 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2295 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002296 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2297 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2298 files in the current directory and below: >
2299 :echo expand("**/README")
2300<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002301 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2302 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2303 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2304 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2305 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2306 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2307 "$FOOBAR".
2308
2309 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2310 getting the raw output of an external command.
2311
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002312extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
2313 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both Lists or both Dictionaries.
2314
2315 If they are Lists: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
2316 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2317 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2318 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2319 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002320 Examples: >
2321 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2322 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002323< Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2324 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002325 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002326<
2327 If they are Dictionaries:
2328 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2329 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2330 used to decide what to do:
2331 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2332 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00002333 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002334 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2335
2336 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2337 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2338 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2339 Returns {expr1}.
2340
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002341
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002342filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2343 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2344 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2345 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2346 expression, which is used as a String.
2347 *file_readable()*
2348 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2349
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002350
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002351filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
2352 {expr} must be a List or a Dictionary.
2353 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
2354 is zero remove the item from the List or Dictionary.
2355 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
2356 For a Dictionary |v:key| has the key of the current item.
2357 Examples: >
2358 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2359< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2360 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2361< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2362 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002363< Removes all the items, thus clears the List or Dictionary.
2364
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002365 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2366 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2367 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2368
2369 The operation is done in-place. If you want a List or
2370 Dictionary to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002371 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), '& =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002372
2373< Returns {expr}, the List or Dictionary that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002374
2375
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002376finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
2377 Find directory {name} in {path}.
2378 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2379 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
2380 {name} in {path}.
2381 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
2382 When the found directory is below the current directory a
2383 relative path is returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
2384 Example: >
2385 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2386< Searches from the current directory upwards until it finds
2387 the file "tags.vim".
2388 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2389
2390findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2391 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
2392
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002393filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2394 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2395 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2396 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If (file) is a
2397 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2398
2399fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2400 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2401 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2402 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2403 Example: >
2404 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2405< results in: >
2406 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2407< Note: Environment variables and "~" don't work in {fname}, use
2408 |expand()| first then.
2409
2410foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2411 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2412 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2413 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2414
2415foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2416 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2417 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2418 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2419
2420foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2421 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2422 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2423 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2424 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2425 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2426 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2427 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2428 previous line is usually available.
2429
2430 *foldtext()*
2431foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2432 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2433 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2434 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2435 The returned string looks like this: >
2436 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2437< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2438 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2439 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2440 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2441 options is removed.
2442 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2443
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002444foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2445 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2446 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2447 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2448 returned.
2449 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2450 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2451 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2452 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2453
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002454 *foreground()*
2455foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2456 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2457 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2458 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2459 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2460 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2461 Win32 console version}
2462
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002463
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002464function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002465 Return a Funcref variable that refers to function {name}.
2466 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2467
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002468
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002469garbagecollect() *garbagecollect()*
2470 Cleanup unused Lists and Dictionaries that have circular
2471 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2472 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2473 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2474 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2475 freed when they become unused.
2476 This is useful if you have deleted a very big List and/or
2477 Dictionary with circular references in a script that runs for
2478 a long time.
2479
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002480get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002481 Get item {idx} from List {list}. When this item is not
2482 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2483 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002484get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
2485 Get item with key {key} from Dictionary {dict}. When this
2486 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2487 {default} is omitted.
2488
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002489 *getbufline()*
2490getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002491 Return a List with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2492 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a List
2493 with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002494
2495 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2496
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002497 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2498 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002499
2500 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2501 lines in the buffer, an empty List is returned.
2502
2503 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2504 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002505 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty List is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002506 returned.
2507
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002508 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002509 non-existing buffers, an empty List is returned.
2510
2511 Example: >
2512 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002513
2514getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2515 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2516 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2517 must be used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002518 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2519 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2520 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002521 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2522 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2523 returned, there is no error message.
2524 Examples: >
2525 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2526 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2527<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002528getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
2529 Get a single character from the user. If it is an 8-bit
2530 character, the result is a number. Otherwise a String is
2531 returned with the encoded character. For a special key it's a
2532 sequence of bytes starting with 0x80 (decimal: 128).
2533 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2534 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
2535 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
2536 not consumed. If a normal character is
2537 available, it is returned, otherwise a
2538 non-zero value is returned.
2539 If a normal character available, it is returned as a Number.
2540 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2541 The returned value is zero if no character is available.
2542 The returned value is a string of characters for special keys
2543 and when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used.
2544 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
2545 user that a character has to be typed.
2546 There is no mapping for the character.
2547 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
2548 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
2549 sequence. Examples: >
2550 getchar() == "\<Del>"
2551 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
2552< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
2553 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
2554 :function FindChar()
2555 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
2556 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
2557 : normal l
2558 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
2559 : break
2560 : endif
2561 : endwhile
2562 :endfunction
2563
2564getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
2565 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
2566 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
2567 These values are added together:
2568 2 shift
2569 4 control
2570 8 alt (meta)
2571 16 mouse double click
2572 32 mouse triple click
2573 64 mouse quadruple click
2574 128 Macintosh only: command
2575 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
2576 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
2577 with no modifier.
2578
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002579getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
2580 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
2581 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
2582 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
2583 Example: >
2584 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002585< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002586
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002587getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002588 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
2589 byte count. The first column is 1.
2590 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2591 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002592 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
2593
2594getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
2595 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
2596 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002597 : normal Ex command
2598 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
2599 / forward search command
2600 ? backward search command
2601 @ |input()| command
2602 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002603 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2604 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
2605 otherwise.
2606 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002607
2608 *getcwd()*
2609getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
2610 working directory.
2611
2612getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
2613 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
2614 given file {fname}.
2615 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
2616 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
2617
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002618getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
2619 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
2620 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
2621 |hl-Normal|.
2622 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
2623 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
2624 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
2625 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
2626 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not you your vimrc or
2627 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
2628 for a valid name does not work.
2629 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
2630 function just after the GUI has started.
2631
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002632getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
2633 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
2634 permissions of the given file {fname}.
2635 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
2636 empty string is returned.
2637 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
2638 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
2639 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
2640 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
2641 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
2642 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
2643< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
2644 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00002645
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002646getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
2647 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
2648 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
2649 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
2650 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
2651 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
2652
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002653getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
2654 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
2655 file of the given file {fname}.
2656 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
2657 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
2658 results:
2659 Normal file "file"
2660 Directory "dir"
2661 Symbolic link "link"
2662 Block device "bdev"
2663 Character device "cdev"
2664 Socket "socket"
2665 FIFO "fifo"
2666 All other "other"
2667 Example: >
2668 getftype("/home")
2669< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
2670 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
2671 "file" are returned.
2672
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002673 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002674getline({lnum} [, {end}])
2675 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
2676 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002677 getline(1)
2678< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
2679 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
2680 To get the line under the cursor: >
2681 getline(".")
2682< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2683 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
2684
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002685 When {end} is given the result is a List where each item is a
2686 line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
2687 including line {end}.
2688 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
2689 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002690 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty List is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002691 Example: >
2692 :let start = line('.')
2693 :let end = search("^$") - 1
2694 :let lines = getline(start, end)
2695
2696
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002697getqflist() *getqflist()*
2698 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
2699 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
2700 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
2701 bufname() to get the name
2702 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
2703 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00002704 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
2705 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002706 nr error number
2707 text description of the error
2708 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
2709 valid non-zero: recognized error message
2710
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00002711 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
2712 returned.
2713
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002714 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
2715 do something with them: >
2716 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
2717 :for d in getqflist()
2718 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
2719 :endfor
2720
2721
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002722getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002723 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002724 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002725 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
2726< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002727 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002728 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
2729 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
2730 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002731 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2732
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002733
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002734getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
2735 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
2736 The value will be one of:
2737 "v" for |characterwise| text
2738 "V" for |linewise| text
2739 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
2740 0 for an empty or unknown register
2741 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
2742 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2743
2744 *getwinposx()*
2745getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
2746 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
2747 -1 if the information is not available.
2748
2749 *getwinposy()*
2750getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
2751 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
2752 information is not available.
2753
2754getwinvar({nr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
2755 The result is the value of option or local window variable
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00002756 {varname} in window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current
2757 window is used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002758 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
2759 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
2760 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002761 Note that the name without "w:" must be used.
2762 Examples: >
2763 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
2764 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
2765<
2766 *glob()*
2767glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. The result is a String.
2768 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2769 characters.
2770 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
2771 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
2772
2773 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
2774 any external command. Example: >
2775 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
2776 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
2777< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
2778 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
2779
2780 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
2781 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
2782
2783globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
2784 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
2785 the results. Example: >
2786 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
2787< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
2788 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
2789 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
2790 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
2791 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
2792 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
2793 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
2794 error message.
2795 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
2796 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
2797
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002798 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
2799 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
2800 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
2801 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
2802<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002803 *has()*
2804has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
2805 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
2806 string. See |feature-list| below.
2807 Also see |exists()|.
2808
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002809
2810has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
2811 The result is a Number, which is 1 if Dictionary {dict} has an
2812 entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
2813
2814
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002815hasmapto({what} [, {mode}]) *hasmapto()*
2816 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
2817 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
2818 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
2819 {mode}.
2820 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
2821 buffer are checked for a match.
2822 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
2823 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
2824 n Normal mode
2825 v Visual mode
2826 o Operator-pending mode
2827 i Insert mode
2828 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
2829 c Command-line mode
2830 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
2831
2832 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
2833 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
2834 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
2835 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
2836 :endif
2837< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
2838 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
2839
2840histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
2841 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
2842 one of: *hist-names*
2843 "cmd" or ":" command line history
2844 "search" or "/" search pattern history
2845 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
2846 "input" or "@" input line history
2847 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
2848 shifted to become the newest entry.
2849 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
2850 otherwise 0 is returned.
2851
2852 Example: >
2853 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
2854 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
2855< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
2856
2857histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002858 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002859 for the possible values of {history}.
2860
2861 If the parameter {item} is given as String, this is seen
2862 as regular expression. All entries matching that expression
2863 will be removed from the history (if there are any).
2864 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
2865 If {item} is a Number, it will be interpreted as index, see
2866 |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will be removed
2867 if it exists.
2868
2869 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
2870 otherwise 0 is returned.
2871
2872 Examples:
2873 Clear expression register history: >
2874 :call histdel("expr")
2875<
2876 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
2877 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
2878<
2879 The following three are equivalent: >
2880 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
2881 :call histdel("search", -1)
2882 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
2883<
2884 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
2885 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
2886 :call histdel("search", -1)
2887 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
2888
2889histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
2890 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
2891 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
2892 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
2893 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
2894 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
2895
2896 Examples:
2897 Redo the second last search from history. >
2898 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
2899
2900< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
2901 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
2902 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
2903<
2904histnr({history}) *histnr()*
2905 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
2906 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
2907 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
2908
2909 Example: >
2910 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
2911<
2912hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
2913 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
2914 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
2915 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
2916 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
2917 item.
2918 *highlight_exists()*
2919 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
2920
2921 *hlID()*
2922hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
2923 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
2924 zero is returned.
2925 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
2926 group. For example, to get the background color of the
2927 "Comment" group: >
2928 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
2929< *highlightID()*
2930 Obsolete name: highlightID().
2931
2932hostname() *hostname()*
2933 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002934 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002935 256 characters long are truncated.
2936
2937iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
2938 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
2939 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
2940 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
2941 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
2942 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
2943 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
2944 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
2945 can be done.
2946 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
2947 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
2948 UTF-8 and use: >
2949 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
2950< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
2951 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
2952 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
2953 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
2954
2955 *indent()*
2956indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
2957 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
2958 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
2959 |getline()|.
2960 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
2961
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002962
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002963index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002964 Return the lowest index in List {list} where the item has a
2965 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002966 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
2967 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002968 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
2969 case must match.
2970 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
2971 Example: >
2972 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00002973 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002974
2975
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002976input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002977 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
2978 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
2979 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002980 prompt to start a new line.
2981 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
2982 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
2983 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
2984 for lines typed for input().
2985 Example: >
2986 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
2987 : echo "Cheers!"
2988 :endif
2989<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002990 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
2991 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002992 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
2993
2994< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
2995 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
2996 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
2997 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
2998 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
2999 more information. Example: >
3000 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3001<
3002 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3003 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003004 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3005 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3006 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3007 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3008 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3009 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3010 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3011
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003012 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003013 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3014 :function GetFoo()
3015 : call inputsave()
3016 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3017 : call inputrestore()
3018 :endfunction
3019
3020inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3021 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3022 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3023 Example: >
3024 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3025 :if n != ""
3026 : let &sw = n
3027 :endif
3028< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3029 omitted an empty string is returned.
3030 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3031 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003032 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003033
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003034inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
3035 {textlist} must be a list of strings. This list is displayed,
3036 one string per line. The user will be prompted to enter a
3037 number, which is returned.
3038 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3039 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3040 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3041 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3042 is returned.
3043 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3044 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3045 the start of the string. Example: >
3046 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3047 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3048
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003049inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3050 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3051 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3052 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3053 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3054
3055inputsave() *inputsave()*
3056 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3057 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3058 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3059 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3060 many inputrestore() calls.
3061 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3062
3063inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3064 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3065 two exceptions:
3066 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3067 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3068 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3069 |history| stack.
3070 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3071 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003072 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003073
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003074insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
3075 Insert {item} at the start of List {list}.
3076 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3077 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3078 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3079 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003080 Returns the resulting List. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003081 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3082 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3083 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003084< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003085 Note that when {item} is a List it is inserted as a single
3086 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate Lists.
3087
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003088isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3089 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3090 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3091 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3092 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3093
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003094islocked({expr}) *islocked()*
3095 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3096 name of a locked variable.
3097 {expr} must be the name of a variable, List item or Dictionary
3098 entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
3099 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3100 :lockvar 1 alist
3101 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3102 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3103
3104< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
3105 message. Use |exists()| to check for existance.
3106
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003107items({dict}) *items()*
3108 Return a List with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3109 List item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict} entry
3110 and the value of this entry. The List is in arbitrary order.
3111
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003112
3113join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3114 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3115 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3116 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3117 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3118 add it there too: >
3119 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
3120< String items are used as-is. Lists and Dictionaries are
3121 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3122 The opposite function is |split()|.
3123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003124keys({dict}) *keys()*
3125 Return a List with all the keys of {dict}. The List is in
3126 arbitrary order.
3127
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003128 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003129len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3130 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3131 used, as with |strlen()|.
3132 When {expr} is a List the number of items in the List is
3133 returned.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003134 When {expr} is a Dictionary the number of entries in the
3135 Dictionary is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003136 Otherwise an error is given.
3137
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003138 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3139libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3140 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3141 with single argument {argument}.
3142 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3143 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3144 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3145 limited.
3146 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3147 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3148 to Vim.
3149 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3150 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3151 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3152 null-terminated string.
3153 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3154
3155 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3156 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3157 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3158 very probably crash.
3159
3160 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3161 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3162 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3163 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3164 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3165 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3166 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3167 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3168 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3169 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3170
3171 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3172 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3173 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3174 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3175 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3176 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3177 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3178 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3179 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3180 feature is present}
3181 Examples: >
3182 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3183 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3184<
3185 *libcallnr()*
3186libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3187 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3188 int instead of a string.
3189 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3190 feature is present}
3191 Example (not very useful...): >
3192 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3193 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3194<
3195 *line()*
3196line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3197 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3198 . the cursor position
3199 $ the last line in the current buffer
3200 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3201 returned)
3202 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
3203 Examples: >
3204 line(".") line number of the cursor
3205 line("'t") line number of mark t
3206 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3207< *last-position-jump*
3208 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3209 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3210 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003211
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003212line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3213 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3214 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3215 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3216 line returns 1.
3217 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3218 below the last line: >
3219 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3220< This is the file size plus one.
3221 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3222 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3223 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3224
3225lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3226 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3227 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3228 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3229 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3230 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3231 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3232
3233localtime() *localtime()*
3234 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3235 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3236
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003237
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003238map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
3239 {expr} must be a List or a Dictionary.
3240 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3241 {string}.
3242 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
3243 For a Dictionary |v:key| has the key of the current item.
3244 Example: >
3245 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003246< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003247
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003248 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003249 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003250 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3251 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003252
3253 The operation is done in-place. If you want a List or
3254 Dictionary to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003255 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003256
3257< Returns {expr}, the List or Dictionary that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003258
3259
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003260maparg({name}[, {mode}]) *maparg()*
3261 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3262 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003263 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003264 "n" Normal
3265 "v" Visual
3266 "o" Operator-pending
3267 "i" Insert
3268 "c" Cmd-line
3269 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3270 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003271 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003272 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3273 command. The returned String has special characters
3274 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3275 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3276 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003277 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3278 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3279 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3280
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003281
3282mapcheck({name}[, {mode}]) *mapcheck()*
3283 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3284 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3285 {name}.
3286 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3287 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3288
3289 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3290 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3291 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3292 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3293 mapcheck("b") no no no
3294
3295 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3296 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3297 mapping for {name} exactly.
3298 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3299 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3300 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3301 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3302 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3303 then the global mappings.
3304 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3305 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3306 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3307 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3308 :endif
3309< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3310 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3311
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003312match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003313 When {expr} is a List then this returns the index of the first
3314 item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a String,
3315 Lists and Dictionaries are used as echoed.
3316 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3317 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3318 {pat} matches.
3319 A match at the first character or List item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003320 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3321 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003322 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
3323 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 2
3324< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003325 *strpbrk()*
3326 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3327 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3328< *strcasestr()*
3329 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3330 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3331 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3332<
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003333 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003334 is found in a String the search for the next one starts on
3335 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003336 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003337< In a List the search continues in the next item.
3338
3339 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
3340 {start} in a String or item {start} in a List.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003341 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003342 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003343 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3344< result is again "4". >
3345 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3346< result is again "4". >
3347 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3348< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003349 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3350 the index is counted from the end.
3351 If {start} is out of range (> strlen({expr} for a String or
3352 > len({expr} for a List) -1 is returned.
3353
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003354 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3355 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
3356 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
3357 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3358
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003359matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003360 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3361 the match. Example: >
3362 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3363< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003364 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3365 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3366 do it with matchend(): >
3367 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3368 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3369< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3370
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003371 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3372 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3373< results in "7". >
3374 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3375< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003376 When {expr} is a List the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003377
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003378matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
3379 Same as match(), but return a List. The first item in the
3380 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3381 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
3382 in |:substitute|.
3383 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
3384
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003385matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003386 Same as match(), but return the matched string. Example: >
3387 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
3388< results in "ing".
3389 When there is no match "" is returned.
3390 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3391 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
3392< results in "ing". >
3393 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
3394< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003395 When {expr} is a List then the matching item is returned.
3396 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003397
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003398 *max()*
3399max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
3400 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3401 be used as a Number this results in an error.
3402 An empty List results in zero.
3403
3404 *min()*
3405min({list}) Return the minumum value of all items in {list}.
3406 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3407 be used as a Number this results in an error.
3408 An empty List results in zero.
3409
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003410 *mkdir()* *E749*
3411mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
3412 Create directory {name}.
3413 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
3414 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
3415 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
3416 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
3417 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
3418 for others.
3419 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3420 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
3421 :if exists("*mkdir")
3422<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003423 *mode()*
3424mode() Return a string that indicates the current mode:
3425 n Normal
3426 v Visual by character
3427 V Visual by line
3428 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
3429 s Select by character
3430 S Select by line
3431 CTRL-S Select blockwise
3432 i Insert
3433 R Replace
3434 c Command-line
3435 r Hit-enter prompt
3436 This is useful in the 'statusline' option. In most other
3437 places it always returns "c" or "n".
3438
3439nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
3440 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
3441 that is not blank. Example: >
3442 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
3443< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3444 below it, zero is returned.
3445 See also |prevnonblank()|.
3446
3447nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
3448 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
3449 value {expr}. Examples: >
3450 nr2char(64) returns "@"
3451 nr2char(32) returns " "
3452< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
3453 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
3454< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
3455 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
3456 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003457 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003458
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003459printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
3460 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
3461 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003462 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003463< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003464 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003465
3466 Often used items are:
3467 %s string
3468 %6s string right-aligned in 6 characters
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003469 %c single byte
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003470 %d decimal number
3471 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
3472 %x hex number
3473 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
3474 %X hex number using upper case letters
3475 %o octal number
3476 %% the % character
3477
3478 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
3479 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
3480 the result.
3481
3482 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003483 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003484
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003485 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003486
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003487 flags
3488 Zero or more of the following flags:
3489
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003490 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
3491 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
3492 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
3493 of the number is increased to force the first
3494 character of the output string to a zero (except
3495 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
3496 precision of zero).
3497 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
3498 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
3499 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003500
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003501 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
3502 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
3503 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
3504 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
3505 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003506
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003507 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
3508 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
3509 The converted value is padded on the right with
3510 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
3511 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003512
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003513 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
3514 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003515
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003516 + A sign must always be placed before a number
3517 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
3518 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003519
3520 field-width
3521 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
3522 field width. If the converted value has fewer
3523 characters than the field width, it will be padded
3524 with spaces on the left (or right, if the
3525 left-adjustment flag has been given) to fill out the
3526 field width.
3527
3528 .precision
3529 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
3530 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
3531 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
3532 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
3533 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
3534 characters to be printed from a string for s
3535 conversions.
3536
3537 type
3538 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
3539 be applied, see below.
3540
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003541 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
3542 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
3543 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
3544 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
3545 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
3546 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003547 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003548< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003549 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003550
3551 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003552
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003553 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
3554 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
3555 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
3556 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003557 conversions.
3558 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
3559 digits that must appear; if the converted value
3560 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
3561 zeros.
3562 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
3563 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
3564 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
3565 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
3566
3567 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
3568 resulting character is written.
3569
3570 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
3571 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
3572 specified are used.
3573
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003574 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
3575 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003576
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003577 Each argument can be Number or String and is converted
3578 automatically to fit the conversion specifier. Any other
3579 argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003580
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00003581 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003582 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
3583 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003584 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003585
3586
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003587prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
3588 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
3589 that is not blank. Example: >
3590 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
3591< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3592 above it, zero is returned.
3593 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
3594
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00003595 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003596range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
3597 Returns a List with Numbers:
3598 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
3599 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
3600 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
3601 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
3602 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003603 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
3604 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
3605 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003606 Examples: >
3607 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
3608 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
3609 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
3610 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003611 range(0) " []
3612 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003613<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003614 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003615readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003616 Read file {fname} and return a List, each line of the file as
3617 an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
3618 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
3619 NL appears somewhere).
3620 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
3621 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
3622 added.
3623 - No CR characters are removed.
3624 Otherwise:
3625 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
3626 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
3627 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003628 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
3629 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
3630 lines of a file: >
3631 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
3632 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
3633 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003634< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
3635 are returned, or as many as there are.
3636 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003637 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
3638 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
3639 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003640 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
3641 the result is an empty list.
3642 Also see |writefile()|.
3643
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003644 *remote_expr()* *E449*
3645remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
3646 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
3647 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
3648 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3649 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3650 remote_read() is stored there.
3651 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3652 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3653 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3654 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
3655 and the result will be the empty string.
3656 Examples: >
3657 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
3658 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
3659<
3660
3661remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
3662 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
3663 This works like: >
3664 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
3665< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
3666 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
3667 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00003668 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
3669 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003670 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3671 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3672 Win32 console version}
3673
3674
3675remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
3676 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
3677 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
3678 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
3679 name of a variable.
3680 Returns zero if none are available.
3681 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
3682 See also |clientserver|.
3683 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3684 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3685 Examples: >
3686 :let repl = ""
3687 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
3688
3689remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
3690 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
3691 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
3692 See also |clientserver|.
3693 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3694 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3695 Example: >
3696 :echo remote_read(id)
3697<
3698 *remote_send()* *E241*
3699remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00003700 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
3701 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
3702 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003703 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3704 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3705 remote_read() is stored there.
3706 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3707 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3708 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3709 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
3710 up the display.
3711 Examples: >
3712 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
3713 \ remote_read(serverid)
3714
3715 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
3716 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
3717 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
3718 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003719<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003720remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
3721 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from List {list} and
3722 return it.
3723 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
3724 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
3725 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
3726 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
3727 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003728 Example: >
3729 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003730 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003731remove({dict}, {key})
3732 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
3733 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
3734< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
3735
3736 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003737
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003738rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
3739 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
3740 should also work to move files across file systems. The
3741 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
3742 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
3743 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3744
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003745repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
3746 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
3747 result. Example: >
3748 :let seperator = repeat('-', 80)
3749< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003750 When {expr} is a List the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003751 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003752 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
3753< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003754
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003755
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003756resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
3757 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
3758 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
3759 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
3760 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
3761 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
3762 stopped after 100 iterations.
3763 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
3764 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
3765 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
3766 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
3767 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
3768
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003769 *reverse()*
3770reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
3771 {list}.
3772 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
3773 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
3774
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003775search({pattern} [, {flags}]) *search()*
3776 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003777 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003778 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
3779 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003780 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003781 'w' wrap around the end of the file
3782 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003783 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the
3784 cursor.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003785 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
3786
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003787 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
3788 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
3789 flag.
3790
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003791 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
3792 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
3793 flag is used).
3794 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
3795 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003796
3797 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
3798 :let n = 1
3799 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
3800 : exe "argument " . n
3801 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
3802 : " first search to find match at start of file
3803 : normal G$
3804 : let flags = "w"
3805 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
3806 : s/foo/bar/g
3807 : let flags = "W"
3808 : endwhile
3809 : update " write the file if modified
3810 : let n = n + 1
3811 :endwhile
3812<
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00003813
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00003814searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
3815 Search for the declaration of {name}.
3816
3817 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
3818 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
3819 first match in the function.
3820
3821 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
3822 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
3823 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
3824
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00003825 Moves the cursor to the found match.
3826 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
3827 Example: >
3828 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
3829 echo getline('.')
3830 endif
3831<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003832 *searchpair()*
3833searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}]])
3834 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
3835 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
3836 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
3837 The search starts at the cursor. If a match is found, the
3838 cursor is positioned at it and the line number is returned.
3839 If no match is found 0 or -1 is returned and the cursor
3840 doesn't move. No error message is given.
3841
3842 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
3843 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
3844 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
3845 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
3846 typical use is: >
3847 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
3848< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
3849
3850 {flags} are used like with |search()|. Additionally:
3851 'n' do Not move the cursor
3852 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
3853 outer pair
3854 'm' return number of Matches instead of line number with
3855 the match; will only be > 1 when 'r' is used.
3856
3857 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
3858 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
3859 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
3860 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
3861 or a string.
3862 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
3863 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
3864 and -1 returned.
3865
3866 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
3867 patterns are used like it's on.
3868
3869 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
3870 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
3871 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
3872 if 1
3873 if 2
3874 endif 2
3875 endif 1
3876< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
3877 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
3878 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
3879 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
3880 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
3881 "endif 2".
3882 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
3883 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
3884 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
3885 the matching start.
3886
3887 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
3888
3889 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
3890 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
3891
3892< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
3893 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
3894 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
3895 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
3896 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
3897 match.
3898 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
3899
3900 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
3901
3902< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
3903 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
3904 highlighting recognized as strings: >
3905
3906 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
3907 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
3908<
3909server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
3910 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
3911 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
3912 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3913 Note:
3914 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003915 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003916 before calling any commands that waits for input.
3917 See also |clientserver|.
3918 Example: >
3919 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
3920<
3921serverlist() *serverlist()*
3922 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
3923 When there are no servers or the information is not available
3924 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
3925 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3926 Example: >
3927 :echo serverlist()
3928<
3929setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
3930 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
3931 {val}.
3932 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
3933 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
3934 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
3935 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3936 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
3937 Examples: >
3938 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
3939 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
3940< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3941
3942setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
3943 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
3944 {pos}. The first position is 1.
3945 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
3946 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003947 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
3948 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
3949 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
3950 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
3951 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003952 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
3953 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
3954 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
3955 line.
3956
3957setline({lnum}, {line}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003958 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {line}.
3959 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003960 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {line} will be
3961 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003962 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
3963 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003964 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003965< When {line} is a List then line {lnum} and following lines
3966 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
3967 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
3968< This is equivalent to: >
3969 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
3970 : call setline(n, l)
3971 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003972< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
3973
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003974
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00003975setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003976 Creates a quickfix list using the items in {list}. Each item
3977 in {list} is a dictionary. Non-dictionary items in {list} are
3978 ignored. Each dictionary item can contain the following
3979 entries:
3980
3981 filename name of a file
3982 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003983 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003984 col column number
3985 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
3986 when zero: "col" is byte index
3987 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003988 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003989 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003990
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003991 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
3992 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
3993 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003994 If the "filename" entry is not present or neither the "lnum"
3995 or "pattern" entries are present, then the item will not be
3996 handled as an error line.
3997 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
3998 be used.
3999
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004000 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4001 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4002 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4003 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4004 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4005 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4006
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004007 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4008
4009 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4010 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4011 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4012
4013
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004014 *setreg()*
4015setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4016 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4017 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4018 then the value is appended.
4019 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4020 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4021 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4022 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4023 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4024 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4025 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
4026 in the longest line (counting a <TAB> as 1 character).
4027
4028 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4029 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4030 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4031 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4032
4033 Examples: >
4034 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4035 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4036 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4037
4038< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4039 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004040 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004041 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4042 ....
4043 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4044
4045< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4046 nothing: >
4047 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4048
4049setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4050 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {nr} to
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004051 {val}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004052 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4053 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4054 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4055 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
4056 Examples: >
4057 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4058 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
4059< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4060
4061simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4062 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4063 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4064 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4065 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4066 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4067 not removed either.
4068 Example: >
4069 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
4070< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
4071 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
4072 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
4073 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
4074 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
4075
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004076
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004077sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004078 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
4079 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4080 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
4081< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004082 Numbers sort after Strings, Lists after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004083 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004084 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
4085 When {func} is a Funcref or a function name, this function is
4086 called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
4087 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
4088 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
4089 sorts before the second one. Example: >
4090 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
4091 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
4092 endfunc
4093 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004094<
4095
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004096 *soundfold()*
4097soundfold({word})
4098 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
4099 language in 'spellang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004100 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
4101 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004102 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
4103 the method can be quite slow.
4104
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004105 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004106spellbadword([{sentence}])
4107 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
4108 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
4109 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
4110 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
4111
4112 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
4113 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
4114 result is an empty string.
4115
4116 The return value is a list with two items:
4117 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
4118 - The type of the spelling error:
4119 "bad" spelling mistake
4120 "rare" rare word
4121 "local" word only valid in another region
4122 "caps" word should start with Capital
4123 Example: >
4124 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
4125< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
4126
4127 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
4128 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
4129 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004130
4131 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004132spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004133 Return a List with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
4134 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
4135 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
4136
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004137 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
4138 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
4139 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
4140
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004141 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
4142 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00004143 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
4144 replace a line.
4145
4146 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004147 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
4148 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004149
4150 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004151 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
4152 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004153
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004154
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004155split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
4156 Make a List out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or empty
4157 each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004158 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004159 removing the matched characters.
4160 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
4161 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00004162 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
4163 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004164 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004165 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004166< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004167 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00004168< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
4169 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
4170< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004171 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
4172 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
4173< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004174
4175
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004176strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
4177 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
4178 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
4179 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
4180 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
4181 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
4182 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
4183 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
4184 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
4185 Examples: >
4186 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
4187 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
4188 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
4189 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
4190 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
4191 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004192< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4193 :if exists("*strftime")
4194
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004195stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
4196 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4197 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004198 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
4199 This can be used to find a second match: >
4200 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
4201 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
4202< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004203 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004204 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004205 See also |strridx()|.
4206 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004207 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
4208 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
4209 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004210< *strstr()* *strchr()*
4211 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
4212 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
4213
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004214 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004215string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
4216 String or a composition of them, then the result can be parsed
4217 back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004218 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004219 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004220 Number 123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004221 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004222 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004223 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004224 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004225
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004226 *strlen()*
4227strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004228 {expr} in bytes.
4229 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
4230 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004231
4232 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004233<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004234 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
4235 For other types an error is given.
4236 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004237
4238strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
4239 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004240 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004241 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
4242 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
4243 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
4244 end of the {src}. >
4245 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
4246 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
4247 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
4248 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
4249< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
4250 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
4251 strpart(getline(line(".")), col(".") - 1, 3)
4252<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004253strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
4254 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4255 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
4256 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
4257 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
4258 match: >
4259 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
4260 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
4261< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004262 For pattern searches use |match()|.
4263 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004264 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004265 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004266 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004267< *strrchr()*
4268 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
4269 function strrchr().
4270
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004271strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
4272 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
4273 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
4274 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
4275 echo strtrans(@a)
4276< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
4277 starting a new line.
4278
4279submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
4280 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
4281 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
4282 the whole matched text is returned.
4283 Example: >
4284 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
4285< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
4286 A line break is included as a newline character.
4287
4288substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
4289 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
4290 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
4291 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
4292 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
4293 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
4294 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
4295 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
4296 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
4297 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
4298 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
4299 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
4300 unmodified.
4301 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
4302 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
4303 Example: >
4304 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
4305< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
4306 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
4307< results in "TESTING".
4308
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004309synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004310 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004311 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004312 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
4313 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004314
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004315 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004316 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
4317
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004318 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
4319 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
4320 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
4321 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
4322 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
4323 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
4324 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
4325
4326 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
4327 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
4328<
4329synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
4330 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
4331 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
4332 about a syntax item.
4333 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
4334 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
4335 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
4336 used (GUI, cterm or term).
4337 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
4338 {what} result
4339 "name" the name of the syntax item
4340 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
4341 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
4342 term: empty string)
4343 "bg" background color (like "fg")
4344 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
4345 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
4346 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
4347 "bold" "1" if bold
4348 "italic" "1" if italic
4349 "reverse" "1" if reverse
4350 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
4351 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004352 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004353
4354 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
4355 cursor): >
4356 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
4357<
4358synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
4359 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
4360 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
4361 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
4362 ":highlight link" are followed.
4363
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004364system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
4365 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
4366 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
4367 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
4368 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004369 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004370 Note: newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail. The
4371 characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also cause
4372 trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004373 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
4374 The result is a String. Example: >
4375
4376 :let files = system("ls")
4377
4378< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
4379 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
4380 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
4381 The command executed is constructed using several options:
4382 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
4383 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
4384 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
4385 concatenated commands.
4386
4387 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
4388 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00004389
4390 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
4391 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
4392 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004393 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
4394 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
4395
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004396
4397taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
4398 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00004399 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
4400 entries:
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004401 name name of the tag.
4402 filename name of the file where the tag is
4403 defined.
4404 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
4405 the file.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004406 kind type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004407 entry depends on the language specific
4408 kind values generated by the ctags
4409 tool.
4410 static a file specific tag. Refer to
4411 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004412 The "kind" entry is only available when using Exuberant ctags
4413 generated tags file. More entries may be present, depending
4414 on the content of the tags file: access, implementation,
4415 inherits and signature. Refer to the ctags documentation for
4416 information about these fields. For C code the fields
4417 "struct", "class" and "enum" may appear, they give the name of
4418 the entity the tag is contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004419
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004420 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
4421 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004422
4423 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
4424
4425 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
4426 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
4427 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
4428
4429 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
4430 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
4431 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
4432
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004433 *tagfiles()*
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00004434tagfiles() Returns a List with the file names used to search for tags for
4435 the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
4436
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004437
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004438tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
4439 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
4440 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
4441 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
4442 :let tmpfile = tempname()
4443 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
4444< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
4445 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
4446 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
4447 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
4448 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
4449 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
4450
4451tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
4452 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
4453 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
4454 the string).
4455
4456toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
4457 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
4458 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
4459 the string).
4460
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00004461tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
4462 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
4463 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
4464 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
4465 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
4466 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
4467 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
4468
4469 Examples: >
4470 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
4471< returns "Hello THere" >
4472 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
4473< returns "{blob}"
4474
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004475 *type()*
4476type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004477 Number: 0
4478 String: 1
4479 Funcref: 2
4480 List: 3
4481 Dictionary: 4
4482 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004483 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
4484 :if type(myvar) == type("")
4485 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
4486 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004487 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004488
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004489values({dict}) *values()*
4490 Return a List with all the values of {dict}. The List is in
4491 arbitrary order.
4492
4493
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004494virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
4495 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
4496 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
4497 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
4498 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
4499 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
4500 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
4501 set to 8, it returns 8.
4502 For the byte position use |col()|.
4503 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
4504 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
4505 The accepted positions are:
4506 . the cursor position
4507 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
4508 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
4509 plus one)
4510 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4511 returned)
4512 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
4513 Examples: >
4514 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
4515 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
4516 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
4517< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
4518
4519visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
4520 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
4521 used. Initially it returns an empty string, but once Visual
4522 mode has been used, it returns "v", "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a
4523 single CTRL-V character) for character-wise, line-wise, or
4524 block-wise Visual mode respectively.
4525 Example: >
4526 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
4527< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
4528 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
4529 Visual mode that was used.
4530
4531 If an expression is supplied that results in a non-zero number
4532 or a non-empty string, then the Visual mode will be cleared
4533 and the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
4534 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared.
4535
4536 *winbufnr()*
4537winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004538 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004539 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
4540 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4541 Example: >
4542 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
4543<
4544 *wincol()*
4545wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
4546 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
4547 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
4548
4549winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
4550 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
4551 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
4552 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4553 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
4554 Examples: >
4555 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
4556<
4557 *winline()*
4558winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
4559 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
4560 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004561 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
4562 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004563
4564 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004565winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4566 window. The top window has number 1.
4567 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
4568 last window is returnd (the window count).
4569 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
4570 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
4571 If there is no previous window 0 is returned.
4572 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
4573 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004574
4575 *winrestcmd()*
4576winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
4577 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
4578 are opened or closed and the current window is unchanged.
4579 Example: >
4580 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
4581 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
4582 :exe cmd
4583
4584winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
4585 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
4586 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
4587 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4588 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
4589 Examples: >
4590 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
4591 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
4592 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
4593 :endif
4594<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004595 *writefile()*
4596writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
4597 Write List {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
4598 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
4599 Number.
4600 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
4601 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
4602 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
4603 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
4604 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
4605 to writefile().
4606 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
4607 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
4608 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
4609 fails.
4610 Also see |readfile()|.
4611 To copy a file byte for byte: >
4612 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
4613 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
4614<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004615
4616 *feature-list*
4617There are three types of features:
46181. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
4619 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
4620 :if has("cindent")
46212. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
4622 Example: >
4623 :if has("gui_running")
4624< *has-patch*
46253. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
4626 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
4627 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
4628 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
4629
4630all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
4631amiga Amiga version of Vim.
4632arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
4633arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00004634autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004635balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00004636balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004637beos BeOS version of Vim.
4638browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
4639 work.
4640builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
4641byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
4642cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
4643clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
4644clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
4645cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
4646cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
4647cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
4648comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
4649cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
4650cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
4651compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
4652debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
4653dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
4654dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
4655diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
4656digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
4657dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
4658dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
4659dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
4660ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
4661emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
4662eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
4663 true, of course!
4664ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
4665extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
4666 |'hlsearch'|
4667farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
4668file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004669filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
4670 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004671find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
4672 |+find_in_path|.
4673fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
4674 Windows this is not present).
4675folding Compiled with |folding| support.
4676footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
4677fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
4678gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
4679gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
4680gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004681gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
4682gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00004683gui_kde Compiled with KDE GUI |KVim|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004684gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
4685gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
4686gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
4687gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
4688gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
4689gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
4690hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
4691iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
4692insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
4693 Insert mode.
4694jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
4695keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
4696langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
4697libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
4698linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
4699 support.
4700lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
4701listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
4702 and the argument list |arglist|.
4703localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
4704mac Macintosh version of Vim.
4705macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
4706menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
4707mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
4708modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
4709mouse Compiled with support mouse.
4710mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
4711mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
4712mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
4713mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
4714mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
4715mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
4716multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
4717multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
4718multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00004719mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004720netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00004721netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004722ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
4723os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
4724osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
4725path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
4726perl Compiled with Perl interface.
4727postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
4728printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004729profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004730python Compiled with Python interface.
4731qnx QNX version of Vim.
4732quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
4733rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
4734ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
4735scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
4736showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
4737signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
4738smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00004739sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004740statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
4741 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
4742sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00004743spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
4744syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004745syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
4746 current buffer.
4747system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
4748tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
4749 |tag-binary-search|.
4750tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
4751 |tag-old-static|.
4752tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
4753 files |tag-any-white|.
4754tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
4755terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
4756termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
4757textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
4758tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
4759 or terminfo file.
4760title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
4761toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
4762unix Unix version of Vim.
4763user_commands User-defined commands.
4764viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
4765vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
4766vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
4767virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
4768visual Compiled with Visual mode.
4769visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
4770 |blockwise-operators|.
4771vms VMS version of Vim.
4772vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
4773wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
4774wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
4775windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
4776winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
4777win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
4778win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
4779win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
4780win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
4781win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
4782writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
4783xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
4784xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
4785xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
4786xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
4787xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
4788xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
4789 xterm screen.
4790x11 Compiled with X11 support.
4791
4792 *string-match*
4793Matching a pattern in a String
4794
4795A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
4796the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
4797everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
4798like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
4799line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
4800with ".". Example: >
4801 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
4802 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
4803 aa
4804 xx
4805 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
4806 a
4807 x
4808
4809Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
4810"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
4811"\n".
4812
4813==============================================================================
48145. Defining functions *user-functions*
4815
4816New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
4817functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
4818commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
4819
4820The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
4821builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
4822avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
4823the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
4824
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004825It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
4826|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004827
4828 *local-function*
4829A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
4830can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
4831and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
4832function from a mappings defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
4833instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
4834
4835 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
4836:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
4837
4838:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004839 {name} can also be a Dictionary entry that is a
4840 Funcref: >
4841 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004842
4843:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
4844 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
4845 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00004846<
4847 *:function-verbose*
4848When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
4849last defined. Example: >
4850
4851 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
4852 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
4853 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
4854<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00004855See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00004856
4857 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004858:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004859 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
4860 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
4861 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004862
4863 {name} can also be a Dictionary entry that is a
4864 Funcref: >
4865 :function dict.init(arg)
4866< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
4867 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
4868 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
4869 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
4870 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
4871 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004872 *E127* *E122*
4873 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
4874 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
4875 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
4876 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004877
4878 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
4879
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004880 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
4881 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
4882 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
4883 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
4884 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
4885 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
4886 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004887
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004888 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
4889 abort as soon as an error is detected.
4890 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
4891 will not be changed by the function.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004892
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004893 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
4894 be invoked through an entry in a Dictionary. The
4895 local variable "self" will then be set to the
4896 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004897
4898 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
4899:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
4900 by its own, without other commands.
4901
4902 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
4903:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004904 {name} can also be a Dictionary entry that is a
4905 Funcref: >
4906 :delfunc dict.init
4907< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
4908 function is deleted if there are no more references to
4909 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004910 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
4911:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
4912 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
4913 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
4914 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
4915 the number 0 is returned.
4916 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
4917 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
4918
4919 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
4920 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
4921 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
4922 are executed first. This process applies to all
4923 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
4924 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
4925
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004926 *function-argument* *a:var*
4927An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
4928be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
4929 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740*
4930Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
4931arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
4932may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
4933as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004934can be 0). "a:000" is set to a List that contains these arguments. Note that
4935"a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
4936 *E742*
4937The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
4938However, if a List or Dictionary is used, you can changes their contents.
4939Thus you can pass a List to a function and have the function add an item to
4940it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a List or Dictionary
4941use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004942
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004943When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
4944to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
4945may be larger.
4946
4947It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
4948still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
4949until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
4950inside a function body.
4951
4952 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004953Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
4954will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
4955accessed with "g:".
4956
4957Example: >
4958 :function Table(title, ...)
4959 : echohl Title
4960 : echo a:title
4961 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004962 : echo a:0 . " items:"
4963 : for s in a:000
4964 : echon ' ' . s
4965 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004966 :endfunction
4967
4968This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004969 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
4970 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004971
4972To return more than one value, pass the name of a global variable: >
4973 :function Compute(n1, n2, divname)
4974 : if a:n2 == 0
4975 : return "fail"
4976 : endif
4977 : let g:{a:divname} = a:n1 / a:n2
4978 : return "ok"
4979 :endfunction
4980
4981This function can then be called with: >
4982 :let success = Compute(13, 1324, "div")
4983 :if success == "ok"
4984 : echo div
4985 :endif
4986
4987An alternative is to return a command that can be executed. This also works
4988with local variables in a calling function. Example: >
4989 :function Foo()
4990 : execute Bar()
4991 : echo "line " . lnum . " column " . col
4992 :endfunction
4993
4994 :function Bar()
4995 : return "let lnum = " . line(".") . " | let col = " . col(".")
4996 :endfunction
4997
4998The names "lnum" and "col" could also be passed as argument to Bar(), to allow
4999the caller to set the names.
5000
5001 *:cal* *:call* *E107*
5002:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
5003 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
5004 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
5005 used.
5006 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
5007 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
5008 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
5009 function.
5010 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
5011 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
5012 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
5013 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
5014 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
5015 this works:
5016 *function-range-example* >
5017 :function Mynumber(arg)
5018 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
5019 :endfunction
5020 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
5021<
5022 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
5023 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
5024 the range.
5025
5026 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
5027
5028 :function Cont() range
5029 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
5030 :endfunction
5031 :4,8call Cont()
5032<
5033 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
5034 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
5035
5036 *E132*
5037The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
5038option.
5039
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005040
5041AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005042 *autoload-functions*
5043When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005044only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
5045the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
5046
5047
5048Using an autocommand ~
5049
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005050This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
5051
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005052The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
5053You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
5054That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
5055again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
5056
5057Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
5058function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005059
5060 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
5061
5062The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
5063"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
5064
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005065
5066Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005067 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005068This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
5069
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005070Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
5071exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
5072like this: >
5073
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005074 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005075
5076When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
5077"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
5078"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
5079then define the function like this: >
5080
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005081 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005082 echo "Done!"
5083 endfunction
5084
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00005085The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005086exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
5087called.
5088
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005089It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
5090a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005091
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005092 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005093
5094Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
5095
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005096This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
5097
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005098 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005099
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005100However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
5101for an unknown variable.
5102
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005103When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
5104be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
5105
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005106 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
5107 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005108
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00005109Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
5110defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
5111function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005112And you will get an error message every time.
5113
5114Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
5115other and vise versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
5116Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005117
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005118==============================================================================
51196. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
5120
5121Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
5122This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
5123{} like this: >
5124 my_{adjective}_variable
5125
5126When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
5127that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
5128name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
5129"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
5130"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
5131
5132One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
5133value. For example, the statement >
5134 echo my_{&background}_message
5135
5136would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
5137on the current value of 'background'.
5138
5139You can use multiple brace pairs: >
5140 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
5141..or even nest them: >
5142 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
5143where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
5144
5145However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005146variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005147 :let foo='a + b'
5148 :echo c{foo}d
5149.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
5150
5151 *curly-braces-function-names*
5152You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
5153Example: >
5154 :let func_end='whizz'
5155 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
5156
5157This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
5158
5159==============================================================================
51607. Commands *expression-commands*
5161
5162:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
5163 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
5164 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
5165 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
5166 is created.
5167
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005168:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
5169 Set a list item to the result of the expression
5170 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
5171 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
5172 the index can be repeated.
5173 This cannot be used to add an item to a list.
5174
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005175 *E711* *E719*
5176:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005177 Set a sequence of items in a List to the result of the
5178 expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
5179 correct number of items.
5180 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
5181 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
5182 When the selected range of items is partly past the
5183 end of the list, items will be added.
5184
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005185 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005186:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
5187:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
5188:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
5189 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
5190 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
5191
5192
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005193:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
5194 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
5195 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005196:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
5197 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
5198 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
5199 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005200
5201:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
5202 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
5203 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
5204 must be the name of a writable register (see
5205 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
5206 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
5207 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
5208 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
5209 characterwise.
5210 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
5211 :let @/ = ""
5212< This is different from searching for an empty string,
5213 that would match everywhere.
5214
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005215:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
5216 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
5217 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
5218
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005219:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-star*
5220 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005221 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
5222 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005223 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
5224 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00005225 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005226 Example: >
5227 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005228
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005229:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
5230 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
5231 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
5232
5233:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
5234:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
5235 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
5236 {expr1}.
5237
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005238:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005239:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5240:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
5241:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005242 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
5243 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
5244
5245:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005246:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5247:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
5248:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005249 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
5250 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
5251
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005252:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005253 {expr1} must evaluate to a List. The first item in
5254 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
5255 {name2}, etc.
5256 The number of names must match the number of items in
5257 the List.
5258 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
5259 command as mentioned above.
5260 Example: >
5261 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005262< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
5263 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
5264 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
5265 :let x = [0, 1]
5266 :let i = 0
5267 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
5268 :echo x
5269< The result is [0, 2].
5270
5271:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
5272:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
5273:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
5274 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
5275 List item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005276
5277:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005278 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the List may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005279 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
5280 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
5281 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005282 Example: >
5283 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
5284<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005285:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
5286:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
5287:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
5288 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
5289 List item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005290 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005291:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005292 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
5293 here: *E738*
5294 g: global variables.
5295 b: local buffer variables.
5296 w: local window variables.
5297 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005298
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005299:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
5300 variable is indicated before the value:
5301 <nothing> String
5302 # Number
5303 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005304
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005305
5306:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108*
5307 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
5308 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
5309 may also be a List or Dictionary item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005310 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
5311 variables.
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005312 One or more items from a List can be removed: >
5313 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
5314 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
5315< One item from a Dictionary can be removed at a time: >
5316 :unlet dict['two']
5317 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005318
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005319:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
5320 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
5321 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
5322 A locked variable can be deleted: >
5323 :lockvar v
5324 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
5325 :unlet v
5326< *E741*
5327 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
5328 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
5329
5330 [depth] is relevant when locking a List or Dictionary.
5331 It specifies how deep the locking goes:
5332 1 Lock the List or Dictionary itself,
5333 cannot add or remove items, but can
5334 still change their values.
5335 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
5336 the items. If an item is a List or
5337 Dictionary, cannot add or remove
5338 items, but can still change the
5339 values.
5340 3 Like 2 but for the List/Dictionary in
5341 the List/Dictionary, one level deeper.
5342 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a List
5343 or Dictionary the values cannot be changed.
5344 *E743*
5345 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
5346 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
5347 loops.
5348
5349 Note that when two variables refer to the same List
5350 and you lock one of them, the List will also be locked
5351 when used through the other variable. Example: >
5352 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
5353 :let cl = l
5354 :lockvar l
5355 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
5356< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
5357 See |deepcopy()|.
5358
5359
5360:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
5361 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
5362 opposite of |:lockvar|.
5363
5364
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005365:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
5366:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5367 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5368
5369 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
5370 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
5371 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
5372 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
5373 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
5374 part was not executed either.
5375
5376 You can use this to remain compatible with older
5377 versions: >
5378 :if version >= 500
5379 : version-5-specific-commands
5380 :endif
5381< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
5382 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
5383 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
5384 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
5385 avoid problems: >
5386 :if version >= 600
5387 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
5388 :endif
5389<
5390 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
5391 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
5392
5393 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
5394:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5395 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
5396 executed.
5397
5398 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
5399:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
5400 is no extra ":endif".
5401
5402:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005403 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005404:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
5405 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5406 When an error is detected from a command inside the
5407 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005408 Example: >
5409 :let lnum = 1
5410 :while lnum <= line("$")
5411 :call FixLine(lnum)
5412 :let lnum = lnum + 1
5413 :endwhile
5414<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005415 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005416 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005417
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005418:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005419:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
5420 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005421 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005422 value of each item.
5423 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005424 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00005425 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
5426 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005427 :for item in copy(mylist)
5428< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
5429 next item in the list, before executing the commands
5430 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
5431 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
5432 it will not be found. Thus the following example
5433 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
5434 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005435 :call remove(mylist, 0)
5436 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005437< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
5438 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
5439 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005440 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
5441 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
5442 to allow multiple item types.
5443
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005444:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
5445:endfo[r]
5446 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
5447 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
5448 {var2}, etc. Example: >
5449 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
5450 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
5451 :endfor
5452<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005453 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005454:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
5455 to the start of the loop.
5456 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5457 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5458 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5459 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5460 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5461 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005462
5463 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005464:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
5465 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
5466 ":endfor".
5467 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5468 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5469 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5470 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5471 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5472 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005473
5474:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
5475:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
5476 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
5477 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
5478 or autocommand invocations.
5479
5480 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
5481 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
5482 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
5483 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
5484 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
5485 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
5486 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
5487 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
5488 Example: >
5489 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
5490 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
5491<
5492 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
5493 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
5494 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
5495 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
5496 processing is not terminated.
5497
5498 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
5499 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
5500 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
5501 other errors are converted to a value of the form
5502 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
5503 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
5504 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
5505 the error number.
5506 Examples: >
5507 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
5508 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
5509<
5510 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
5511:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
5512 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
5513 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
5514 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
5515 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
5516 commands are skipped.
5517 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
5518 Examples: >
5519 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
5520 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
5521 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
5522 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
5523 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
5524 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
5525 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
5526 :catch " same as /.*/
5527<
5528 Another character can be used instead of / around the
5529 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
5530 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
5531 {pattern}.
5532 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
5533 an error message because it may vary in different
5534 locales.
5535
5536 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
5537:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
5538 are executed whenever the part between the matching
5539 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
5540 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
5541 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
5542 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
5543
5544 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
5545:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
5546 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
5547 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
5548 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
5549 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
5550 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
5551 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
5552 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
5553 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
5554 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
5555 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
5556 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
5557 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
5558 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
5559 is terminated.
5560 Example: >
5561 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
5562<
5563
5564 *:ec* *:echo*
5565:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
5566 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
5567 Also see |:comment|.
5568 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
5569 cursor to the first column.
5570 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5571 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5572 Example: >
5573 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
5574< A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
5575 To avoid that a command from before the ":echo" causes
5576 a redraw afterwards (redraws are often postponed until
5577 you type something), force a redraw with the |:redraw|
5578 command. Example: >
5579 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
5580<
5581 *:echon*
5582:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
5583 |:comment|.
5584 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5585 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5586 Example: >
5587 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
5588<
5589 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
5590 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
5591 command: >
5592 :!echo % --> filename
5593< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
5594 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
5595< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
5596 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
5597 :echo % --> nothing
5598< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
5599 :echo "%" --> %
5600< This just echoes the '%' character. >
5601 :echo expand("%") --> filename
5602< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
5603
5604 *:echoh* *:echohl*
5605:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
5606 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
5607 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
5608 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
5609< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
5610 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
5611
5612 *:echom* *:echomsg*
5613:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
5614 message in the |message-history|.
5615 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
5616 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
5617 displayed, not interpreted.
5618 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5619 Example: >
5620 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
5621<
5622 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
5623:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
5624 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
5625 script or function the line number will be added.
5626 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
5627 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
5628 the message is raised as an error exception instead
5629 (see |try-echoerr|).
5630 Example: >
5631 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
5632< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
5633 And to get a beep: >
5634 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
5635<
5636 *:exe* *:execute*
5637:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
5638 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
5639 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
5640 used as the processed command, command line editing
5641 keys are not recognized.
5642 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5643 Examples: >
5644 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
5645 :execute "normal " count . "w"
5646<
5647 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
5648 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
5649 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
5650
5651< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
5652 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
5653 command: >
5654 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
5655< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
5656
5657 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005658 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
5659 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005660 :execute 'while i > 5'
5661 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
5662<
5663 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
5664 completely in the executed string: >
5665 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
5666<
5667
5668 *:comment*
5669 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
5670 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
5671 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
5672 comment. Example: >
5673 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
5674
5675==============================================================================
56768. Exception handling *exception-handling*
5677
5678The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
5679explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
5680
5681Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
5682|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
5683exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
5684
5685
5686TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
5687
5688Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
5689use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
5690a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
5691 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
5692|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
5693a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
5694be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
5695which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
5696clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
5697
5698 :try
5699 : ...
5700 : ... TRY BLOCK
5701 : ...
5702 :catch /{pattern}/
5703 : ...
5704 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
5705 : ...
5706 :catch /{pattern}/
5707 : ...
5708 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
5709 : ...
5710 :finally
5711 : ...
5712 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
5713 : ...
5714 :endtry
5715
5716The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
5717appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
5718from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
5719 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
5720is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
5721script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
5722 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
5723lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
5724patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
5725after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
5726executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
5727":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
5728(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
5729continues in the following line as usual.
5730 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
5731":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
5732that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
5733finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
5734the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
5735the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
5736see |try-nesting|.
5737 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
5738remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
5739not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
5740try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
5741a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
5742execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
5743exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
5744 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
5745thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
5746clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
5747catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
5748following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
5749clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
5750
5751The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
5752a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
5753try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
5754from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
5755sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
5756":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
5757":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
5758from the finally clause.
5759 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
5760try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
5761clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
5762":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
5763clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
5764":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
5765this pending exception or command is discarded.
5766
5767For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
5768
5769
5770NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
5771
5772Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
5773conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
5774clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
5775catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
5776of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
5777checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
5778try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
5779otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
5780nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
5781one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
5782the inner try conditional.
5783
5784When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
5785finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
5786An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
5787thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
5788implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
5789as usual.
5790
5791For examples see |throw-catch|.
5792
5793
5794EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
5795
5796Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
5797'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
5798script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
5799finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
5800a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
5801(see |debug-scripts|).
5802
5803
5804THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
5805
5806You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
5807and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
5808 :throw 4711
5809 :throw "string"
5810< *throw-expression*
5811You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
5812first, and the result is thrown: >
5813 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
5814 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
5815
5816An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
5817command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
5818The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
5819 Example: >
5820
5821 :function! Foo(arg)
5822 : try
5823 : throw a:arg
5824 : catch /foo/
5825 : endtry
5826 : return 1
5827 :endfunction
5828 :
5829 :function! Bar()
5830 : echo "in Bar"
5831 : return 4710
5832 :endfunction
5833 :
5834 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
5835
5836This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
5837executed. >
5838 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
5839however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
5840
5841Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
5842abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
5843exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
5844 Example: >
5845
5846 :if Foo("arrgh")
5847 : echo "then"
5848 :else
5849 : echo "else"
5850 :endif
5851
5852Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
5853
5854 *catch-order*
5855Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
5856commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
5857command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
5858gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
5859 Example: >
5860
5861 :function! Foo(value)
5862 : try
5863 : throw a:value
5864 : catch /^\d\+$/
5865 : echo "Number thrown"
5866 : catch /.*/
5867 : echo "String thrown"
5868 : endtry
5869 :endfunction
5870 :
5871 :call Foo(0x1267)
5872 :call Foo('string')
5873
5874The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
5875An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
5876specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
5877specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
5878
5879 : catch /.*/
5880 : echo "String thrown"
5881 : catch /^\d\+$/
5882 : echo "Number thrown"
5883
5884The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
5885never taken.
5886
5887 *throw-variables*
5888If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
5889in the variable |v:exception|: >
5890
5891 : catch /^\d\+$/
5892 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
5893
5894You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
5895|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
5896exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
5897 Example: >
5898
5899 :function! Caught()
5900 : if v:exception != ""
5901 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
5902 : else
5903 : echo 'Nothing caught'
5904 : endif
5905 :endfunction
5906 :
5907 :function! Foo()
5908 : try
5909 : try
5910 : try
5911 : throw 4711
5912 : finally
5913 : call Caught()
5914 : endtry
5915 : catch /.*/
5916 : call Caught()
5917 : throw "oops"
5918 : endtry
5919 : catch /.*/
5920 : call Caught()
5921 : finally
5922 : call Caught()
5923 : endtry
5924 :endfunction
5925 :
5926 :call Foo()
5927
5928This displays >
5929
5930 Nothing caught
5931 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
5932 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
5933 Nothing caught
5934
5935A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
5936number in the script or function where it has been used: >
5937
5938 :function! LineNumber()
5939 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
5940 :endfunction
5941 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
5942<
5943 *try-nested*
5944An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
5945a surrounding try conditional: >
5946
5947 :try
5948 : try
5949 : throw "foo"
5950 : catch /foobar/
5951 : echo "foobar"
5952 : finally
5953 : echo "inner finally"
5954 : endtry
5955 :catch /foo/
5956 : echo "foo"
5957 :endtry
5958
5959The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
5960clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
5961conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
5962
5963 *throw-from-catch*
5964You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
5965catch clause: >
5966
5967 :function! Foo()
5968 : throw "foo"
5969 :endfunction
5970 :
5971 :function! Bar()
5972 : try
5973 : call Foo()
5974 : catch /foo/
5975 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
5976 : throw "bar"
5977 : endtry
5978 :endfunction
5979 :
5980 :try
5981 : call Bar()
5982 :catch /.*/
5983 : echo "Caught" v:exception
5984 :endtry
5985
5986This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
5987
5988 *rethrow*
5989There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
5990"v:exception" instead: >
5991
5992 :function! Bar()
5993 : try
5994 : call Foo()
5995 : catch /.*/
5996 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
5997 : throw v:exception
5998 : endtry
5999 :endfunction
6000< *try-echoerr*
6001Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
6002exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
6003Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
6004denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
6005the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
6006
6007 :try
6008 : try
6009 : asdf
6010 : catch /.*/
6011 : echoerr v:exception
6012 : endtry
6013 :catch /.*/
6014 : echo v:exception
6015 :endtry
6016
6017This code displays
6018
6019 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
6020
6021
6022CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
6023
6024Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
6025user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
6026an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
6027a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
6028catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
6029a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
6030normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
6031(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
6032to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
6033clause has been executed.)
6034Example: >
6035
6036 :try
6037 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
6038 : set ts=17
6039 :
6040 : " Do the hard work here.
6041 :
6042 :finally
6043 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
6044 : unlet s:saved_ts
6045 :endtry
6046
6047This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
6048changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
6049that function or script part.
6050
6051 *break-finally*
6052Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
6053a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
6054 Example: >
6055
6056 :let first = 1
6057 :while 1
6058 : try
6059 : if first
6060 : echo "first"
6061 : let first = 0
6062 : continue
6063 : else
6064 : throw "second"
6065 : endif
6066 : catch /.*/
6067 : echo v:exception
6068 : break
6069 : finally
6070 : echo "cleanup"
6071 : endtry
6072 : echo "still in while"
6073 :endwhile
6074 :echo "end"
6075
6076This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
6077
6078 :function! Foo()
6079 : try
6080 : return 4711
6081 : finally
6082 : echo "cleanup\n"
6083 : endtry
6084 : echo "Foo still active"
6085 :endfunction
6086 :
6087 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
6088
6089This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
6090extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
6091return value.)
6092
6093 *except-from-finally*
6094Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
6095a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
6096cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
6097exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
6098 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
6099working correctly: >
6100
6101 :try
6102 : try
6103 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
6104 : while 1
6105 : endwhile
6106 : finally
6107 : unlet novar
6108 : endtry
6109 :catch /novar/
6110 :endtry
6111 :echo "Script still running"
6112 :sleep 1
6113
6114If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
6115think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
6116|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
6117
6118
6119CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
6120
6121If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
6122watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
6123presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
6124exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
6125the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
6126the error exception is.
6127 Error exceptions have the following format: >
6128
6129 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
6130or >
6131 Vim:{errmsg}
6132
6133{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
6134the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
6135when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
6136a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
6137a space.
6138
6139Examples:
6140
6141The command >
6142 :unlet novar
6143normally produces the error message >
6144 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6145which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6146 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
6147
6148The command >
6149 :dwim
6150normally produces the error message >
6151 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6152which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6153 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6154
6155You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
6156 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
6157or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
6158 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
6159
6160Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
6161 :function nofunc
6162and >
6163 :delfunction nofunc
6164both produce the error message >
6165 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6166which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6167 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6168or >
6169 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6170respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
6171command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
6172 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
6173
6174Some commands like >
6175 :let x = novar
6176produce multiple error messages, here: >
6177 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6178 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6179Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
6180one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
6181 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
6182
6183You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
6184 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
6185
6186You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
6187 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
6188
6189You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
6190 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
6191<
6192 *catch-text*
6193NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
6194 :catch /No such variable/
6195only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
6196a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
6197cite the message text in a comment: >
6198 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
6199
6200
6201IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
6202
6203You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
6204
6205 :try
6206 : write
6207 :catch
6208 :endtry
6209
6210But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
6211catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
6212be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
6213
6214 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
6215
6216There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
6217writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
6218then hide the error from the user.
6219 It is much better to use >
6220
6221 :try
6222 : write
6223 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6224 :endtry
6225
6226which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
6227intentionally.
6228
6229For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
6230even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
6231command: >
6232 :silent! nunmap k
6233This works also when a try conditional is active.
6234
6235
6236CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
6237
6238When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
6239the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
6240script is not terminated, then.
6241 Example: >
6242
6243 :function! TASK1()
6244 : sleep 10
6245 :endfunction
6246
6247 :function! TASK2()
6248 : sleep 20
6249 :endfunction
6250
6251 :while 1
6252 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
6253 : try
6254 : if command == ""
6255 : continue
6256 : elseif command == "END"
6257 : break
6258 : elseif command == "TASK1"
6259 : call TASK1()
6260 : elseif command == "TASK2"
6261 : call TASK2()
6262 : else
6263 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
6264 : continue
6265 : endif
6266 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6267 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
6268 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
6269 : endtry
6270 :endwhile
6271
6272You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
6273a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
6274
6275For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
6276your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
6277command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
6278
6279
6280CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
6281
6282The commands >
6283
6284 :catch /.*/
6285 :catch //
6286 :catch
6287
6288catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
6289explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
6290a script in order to catch unexpected things.
6291 Example: >
6292
6293 :try
6294 :
6295 : " do the hard work here
6296 :
6297 :catch /MyException/
6298 :
6299 : " handle known problem
6300 :
6301 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6302 : echo "Script interrupted"
6303 :catch /.*/
6304 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
6305 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
6306 :endtry
6307 :" end of script
6308
6309Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
6310strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
6311specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
6312 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
6313by pressing CTRL-C: >
6314
6315 :while 1
6316 : try
6317 : sleep 1
6318 : catch
6319 : endtry
6320 :endwhile
6321
6322
6323EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
6324
6325Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
6326
6327 :autocmd User x try
6328 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
6329 :autocmd User x catch
6330 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
6331 :autocmd User x endtry
6332 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
6333 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
6334 :
6335 :try
6336 : doautocmd User x
6337 :catch
6338 : echo v:exception
6339 :endtry
6340
6341This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
6342
6343 *except-autocmd-Pre*
6344For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
6345command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
6346of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
6347abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
6348 Example: >
6349
6350 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
6351 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
6352 :
6353 :try
6354 : write
6355 :catch
6356 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
6357 :endtry
6358
6359Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
6360you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
6361autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
6362script displays: >
6363
6364 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
6365<
6366 *except-autocmd-Post*
6367For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
6368command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
6369an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
6370is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
6371 Example: >
6372
6373 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
6374 :
6375 :try
6376 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6377 :catch
6378 : echo v:exception
6379 :endtry
6380
6381This just displays: >
6382
6383 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
6384
6385If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
6386fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
6387 Example: >
6388
6389 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
6390 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
6391 :
6392 :try
6393 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6394 :catch
6395 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6396 :endtry
6397<
6398You can also use ":silent!": >
6399
6400 :let x = "ok"
6401 :let v:errmsg = ""
6402 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
6403 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
6404 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
6405 :try
6406 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6407 :catch
6408 :endtry
6409 :echo x
6410
6411This displays "after fail".
6412
6413If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
6414autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
6415
6416 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
6417 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
6418 :
6419 :try
6420 : write
6421 :catch
6422 : echo v:exception
6423 :endtry
6424<
6425 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
6426For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
6427autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
6428of the command.
6429 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
6430had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
6431some way. >
6432
6433 :if !exists("cnt")
6434 : let cnt = 0
6435 :
6436 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
6437 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
6438 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
6439 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6440 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6441 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
6442 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
6443 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6444 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6445 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
6446 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6447 :endif
6448 :
6449 :try
6450 : write
6451 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
6452 : if &modified
6453 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
6454 : else
6455 : echo "Error after writing"
6456 : endif
6457 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6458 : echo "Error on writing"
6459 :endtry
6460
6461When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
6462first >
6463 File successfully written!
6464then >
6465 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
6466then >
6467 Error after writing
6468etc.
6469
6470 *except-autocmd-ill*
6471You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
6472The following code is ill-formed: >
6473
6474 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
6475 :
6476 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
6477 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
6478 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
6479 :
6480 :write
6481
6482
6483EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
6484
6485Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
6486pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
6487similar things in Vim.
6488 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
6489class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
6490string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
6491 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
6492it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
6493for an error when writing "myfile".
6494 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
6495base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
6496parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
6497 Example: >
6498
6499 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
6500 : if a:a < 0
6501 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
6502 : endif
6503 :endfunction
6504 :
6505 :function! Add(a, b)
6506 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
6507 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
6508 : let c = a:a + a:b
6509 : if c < 0
6510 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
6511 : endif
6512 : return c
6513 :endfunction
6514 :
6515 :function! Div(a, b)
6516 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
6517 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
6518 : if (a:b == 0)
6519 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
6520 : endif
6521 : return a:a / a:b
6522 :endfunction
6523 :
6524 :function! Write(file)
6525 : try
6526 : execute "write" a:file
6527 : catch /^Vim(write):/
6528 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
6529 : endtry
6530 :endfunction
6531 :
6532 :try
6533 :
6534 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
6535 :
6536 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
6537 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6538 : echo "Range error in" function
6539 :
6540 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
6541 : echo "Math error"
6542 :
6543 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
6544 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
6545 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6546 : if file !~ '^/'
6547 : let file = dir . "/" . file
6548 : endif
6549 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
6550 :
6551 :catch /^EXCEPT/
6552 : echo "Unspecified error"
6553 :
6554 :endtry
6555
6556The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
6557a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
6558exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
6559 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
6560failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
6561
6562
6563PECULIARITIES
6564 *except-compat*
6565The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
6566exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
6567and/or a catch clause.
6568
6569In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
6570continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
6571after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
6572functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
6573or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
6574(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
6575
6576This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
6577immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
6578conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
6579be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
6580termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
6581catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
6582by specifying a finally clause.)
6583
6584When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
6585behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
6586scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
6587
6588However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
6589commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
6590conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
6591script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
6592error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
6593messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
6594|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
6595not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
6596where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
6597error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
6598scripts.
6599
6600 *except-syntax-err*
6601Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
6602the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
6603clauses, however, is executed.
6604 Example: >
6605
6606 :try
6607 : try
6608 : throw 4711
6609 : catch /\(/
6610 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
6611 : catch
6612 : echo "inner catch-all"
6613 : finally
6614 : echo "inner finally"
6615 : endtry
6616 :catch
6617 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
6618 : finally
6619 : echo "outer finally"
6620 :endtry
6621
6622This displays: >
6623 inner finally
6624 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
6625 outer finally
6626The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
6627
6628 *except-single-line*
6629The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
6630a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
6631"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
6632 Example: >
6633 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
6634raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
6635argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
6636error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
6637displayed.
6638
6639 *except-several-errors*
6640When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
6641usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
6642 Example: >
6643 echo novar
6644causes >
6645 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6646 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6647The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
6648 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
6649< *except-syntax-error*
6650But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
6651the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
6652 Example: >
6653 unlet novar #
6654causes >
6655 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6656 E488: Trailing characters
6657The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
6658 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
6659This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
6660not intended by the user. Example: >
6661 try
6662 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
6663 catch /.*/
6664 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
6665 endtry
6666This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
6667a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
6668
6669==============================================================================
66709. Examples *eval-examples*
6671
6672Printing in Hex ~
6673>
6674 :" The function Nr2Hex() returns the Hex string of a number.
6675 :func Nr2Hex(nr)
6676 : let n = a:nr
6677 : let r = ""
6678 : while n
6679 : let r = '0123456789ABCDEF'[n % 16] . r
6680 : let n = n / 16
6681 : endwhile
6682 : return r
6683 :endfunc
6684
6685 :" The function String2Hex() converts each character in a string to a two
6686 :" character Hex string.
6687 :func String2Hex(str)
6688 : let out = ''
6689 : let ix = 0
6690 : while ix < strlen(a:str)
6691 : let out = out . Nr2Hex(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
6692 : let ix = ix + 1
6693 : endwhile
6694 : return out
6695 :endfunc
6696
6697Example of its use: >
6698 :echo Nr2Hex(32)
6699result: "20" >
6700 :echo String2Hex("32")
6701result: "3332"
6702
6703
6704Sorting lines (by Robert Webb) ~
6705
6706Here is a Vim script to sort lines. Highlight the lines in Vim and type
6707":Sort". This doesn't call any external programs so it'll work on any
6708platform. The function Sort() actually takes the name of a comparison
6709function as its argument, like qsort() does in C. So you could supply it
6710with different comparison functions in order to sort according to date etc.
6711>
6712 :" Function for use with Sort(), to compare two strings.
6713 :func! Strcmp(str1, str2)
6714 : if (a:str1 < a:str2)
6715 : return -1
6716 : elseif (a:str1 > a:str2)
6717 : return 1
6718 : else
6719 : return 0
6720 : endif
6721 :endfunction
6722
6723 :" Sort lines. SortR() is called recursively.
6724 :func! SortR(start, end, cmp)
6725 : if (a:start >= a:end)
6726 : return
6727 : endif
6728 : let partition = a:start - 1
6729 : let middle = partition
6730 : let partStr = getline((a:start + a:end) / 2)
6731 : let i = a:start
6732 : while (i <= a:end)
6733 : let str = getline(i)
6734 : exec "let result = " . a:cmp . "(str, partStr)"
6735 : if (result <= 0)
6736 : " Need to put it before the partition. Swap lines i and partition.
6737 : let partition = partition + 1
6738 : if (result == 0)
6739 : let middle = partition
6740 : endif
6741 : if (i != partition)
6742 : let str2 = getline(partition)
6743 : call setline(i, str2)
6744 : call setline(partition, str)
6745 : endif
6746 : endif
6747 : let i = i + 1
6748 : endwhile
6749
6750 : " Now we have a pointer to the "middle" element, as far as partitioning
6751 : " goes, which could be anywhere before the partition. Make sure it is at
6752 : " the end of the partition.
6753 : if (middle != partition)
6754 : let str = getline(middle)
6755 : let str2 = getline(partition)
6756 : call setline(middle, str2)
6757 : call setline(partition, str)
6758 : endif
6759 : call SortR(a:start, partition - 1, a:cmp)
6760 : call SortR(partition + 1, a:end, a:cmp)
6761 :endfunc
6762
6763 :" To Sort a range of lines, pass the range to Sort() along with the name of a
6764 :" function that will compare two lines.
6765 :func! Sort(cmp) range
6766 : call SortR(a:firstline, a:lastline, a:cmp)
6767 :endfunc
6768
6769 :" :Sort takes a range of lines and sorts them.
6770 :command! -nargs=0 -range Sort <line1>,<line2>call Sort("Strcmp")
6771<
6772 *sscanf*
6773There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
6774line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
6775how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
6776"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
6777 :" Set up the match bit
6778 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
6779 :"get the part matching the whole expression
6780 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
6781 :"get each item out of the match
6782 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
6783 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
6784 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
6785
6786The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
6787"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
6788
6789==============================================================================
679010. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
6791
6792When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
6793evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
6794to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
6795recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
6796and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
6797only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
6798recognized.
6799
6800Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
6801missing: >
6802
6803 :if 1
6804 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
6805 :else
6806 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
6807 :endif
6808
6809==============================================================================
681011. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
6811
6812The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
6813options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
6814these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
6815these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00006816a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006817The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006818
6819These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
6820 - changing the buffer text
6821 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
6822 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
6823 - executing a shell command
6824 - reading or writing a file
6825 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00006826 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006827This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
6828
6829 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00006830:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006831 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
6832 'foldexpr'.
6833
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00006834 *sandbox-option*
6835A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
6836have to be done in the sandbox to avoid trouble. But the sandbox is
6837restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
6838location. Insecure in this context are:
6839- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directlry
6840- while executing in the sandbox
6841- value coming from a modeline
6842
6843Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
6844option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
6845
6846==============================================================================
684712. Textlock *textlock*
6848
6849In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
6850to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
6851is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
6852actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
6853happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
6854
6855This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
6856 - changing the buffer text
6857 - jumping to another buffer or window
6858 - editing another file
6859 - closing a window or quitting Vim
6860 - etc.
6861
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006862
6863 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: