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Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.2c. Last change: 2008 Jul 16
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005
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 Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +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 Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000040There are six types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number. |expr-number| *Number*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000043 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000045Float A floating point number. |floating-point-format| *Float*
46 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
47 Examples: 123.456 1.15e-6 -1.1e3
48
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000049String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000050 |expr-string| Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000051
52Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
53 Example: function("strlen")
54
55List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
56 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000057
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000058Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
59 value. |Dictionary|
60 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
61
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000062The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
63are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000064
65Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
66the Number. Examples: >
67 Number 123 --> String "123"
68 Number 0 --> String "0"
69 Number -1 --> String "-1"
70
71Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
72to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
73the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
74 String "456" --> Number 456
75 String "6bar" --> Number 6
76 String "foo" --> Number 0
77 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
78 String "0100" --> Number 64
79 String "-8" --> Number -8
80 String "+8" --> Number 0
81
82To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
83 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000084< 64 ~
85
86To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
87base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000088
89For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
90
91Note that in the command >
92 :if "foo"
93"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
94use strlen(): >
95 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000096< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
97List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000099 *E805* *E806* *E808*
100When mixing Number and Float the Number is converted to Float. Otherwise
101there is no automatic conversion of Float. You can use str2float() for String
102to Float, printf() for Float to String and float2nr() for Float to Number.
103
104 *E706* *sticky-type-checking*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000105You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
106to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000107equivalent though, as well are Float and Number. Consider this sequence of
108commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000110 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000111 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error! l is still a Number
112 :let l = 4.4 " changes type from Number to Float
113 :let l = "string" " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000114
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001161.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000117 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000118A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000119in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
120around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000121
122 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
123 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000124< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000125A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
126cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000127
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000128A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
129Dictionary entry. Example: >
130 :function dict.init() dict
131 : let self.val = 0
132 :endfunction
133
134The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
135function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
136
137A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
138 :call Fn()
139 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000140
141The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000142 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
145arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000146 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000147
148
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001491.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000150 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000151A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000152can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000153position in the sequence.
154
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000155
156List creation ~
157 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000158A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000159Examples: >
160 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
161 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000162
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000163An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000164List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000165 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166
167An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
168
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000169
170List index ~
171 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000172An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000173after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
174 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000175 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000176
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000177When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000178 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000179<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000180A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
181the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000182 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
183
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000184To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000185is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000186 :echo get(mylist, idx)
187 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
188
189
190List concatenation ~
191
192Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
193 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000194 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000195
196To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
197it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
198
199
200Sublist ~
201
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000202A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
203separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000204 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000205
206Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000207similar to -1. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000208 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
209 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
210 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000211
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000212If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
213before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
214message.
215
216If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
217length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000218 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
219 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
220
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000221NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000222using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000223mylist[s : e].
224
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000225
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000226List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000227 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
229variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
230change "bb": >
231 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
232 :let bb = aa
233 :call add(aa, 4)
234 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
237Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
238works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000239a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000240 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
241 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000242 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000243 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
244 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000245< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000246 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000247< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000248
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000249To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000250copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000251
252The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000253List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000254the same value. >
255 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
256 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
257 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000258< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000259 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000260< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000261
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
263same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000264exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
265different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
266variables. Example: >
267 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000268< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000269 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000270< 0
271
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000272Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000273can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000274
275 :let a = 5
276 :let b = "5"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000277 :echo a == b
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000278< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000279 :echo [a] == [b]
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000280< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000281
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000282
283List unpack ~
284
285To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
286square brackets, like list items: >
287 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
288
289When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
290this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
291and a variable name: >
292 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
293
294This works like: >
295 :let var1 = mylist[0]
296 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000297 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000298
299Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
300empty list then.
301
302
303List modification ~
304 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000305To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306 :let list[4] = "four"
307 :let listlist[0][3] = item
308
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000309To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000310modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000311 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
312
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000313Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
314examples: >
315 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
316 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
317 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000318 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000319 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
320 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000321 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000322 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000323 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000324 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000326Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000327 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
328 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
329
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000330
331For loop ~
332
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000333The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
334to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000335 :for item in mylist
336 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000337 :endfor
338
339This works like: >
340 :let index = 0
341 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000342 : let item = mylist[index]
343 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000344 : let index = index + 1
345 :endwhile
346
347Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000348results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000349the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000350
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000351If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000352function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000353
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000354Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
356 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
357 : call Doit(lnum, col)
358 :endfor
359
360This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
361must remain the same to avoid an error.
362
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000363It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
365 : call Doit(i, j)
366 : if !empty(rest)
367 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
368 : endif
369 :endfor
370
371
372List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000373 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000375 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000377 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
378 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
379 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000380 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
381 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000382 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
383 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000384 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
385 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000386 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
387 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000388
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000389Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
390example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
391 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
392
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000393
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003941.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000397entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
398ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000399
400
401Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000402 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
405only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000406 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
407 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
410String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000411entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000412Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000413
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000414A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000415nested Dictionary: >
416 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
417
418An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
419
420
421Accessing entries ~
422
423The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
424 :let val = mydict["one"]
425 :let mydict["four"] = 4
426
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000427You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000428
429For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
430form can be used |expr-entry|: >
431 :let val = mydict.one
432 :let mydict.four = 4
433
434Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
435key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000436 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000437
438
439Dictionary to List conversion ~
440
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000441You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000442turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
443
444Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
445 :for key in keys(mydict)
446 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
447 :endfor
448
449The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
450 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
451
452To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
453 :for v in values(mydict)
454 : echo "value: " . v
455 :endfor
456
457If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000458a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000459 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
460 : echo key . ': ' . value
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000461 :endfor
462
463
464Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000465 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000466Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
467Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
468Dictionary: >
469 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
470 :let adict = onedict
471 :let adict['a'] = 11
472 :echo onedict['a']
473 11
474
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000475Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
476more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000477
478
479Dictionary modification ~
480 *dict-modification*
481To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
482use |:let| this way: >
483 :let dict[4] = "four"
484 :let dict['one'] = item
485
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000486Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
487Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
488 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
489 :unlet dict.aaa
490 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000491
492Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :call extend(adict, bdict)
494This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
495in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000496Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
497expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
498adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000499
500Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000501 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000502This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000503
504
505Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000507When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000508special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
513 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000514
515This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
516Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
517the function was invoked from.
518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
520Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
521
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000522 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
524assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000525 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
526 :function mydict.len() dict
527 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000528 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000529 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000531The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000532that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000533|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
534remaining that refers to it.
535
536It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000537
538
539Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000540 *E715*
541Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000542 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
543 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
544 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
545 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
546 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
547 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
548 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
549 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000550
551
5521.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000553 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000554If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
555function.
556
557When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
558start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
559stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
560
561When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
562start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
563stored in the session file |session-file|.
564
565variable name can be stored where ~
566my_var_6 not
567My_Var_6 session file
568MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
569
570
571It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
572|curly-braces-names|.
573
574==============================================================================
5752. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
576
577Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
578
579|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
580
581|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
582
583|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
584
585|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
586 expr5 != expr5 not equal
587 expr5 > expr5 greater than
588 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
589 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
590 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
591 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
592 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
593
594 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
595 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
596 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
597 matching case
598
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000599 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
600 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000601
602|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000603 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
604 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
605
606|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
607 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
608 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
609
610|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
611 - expr7 unary minus
612 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000613
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000614
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000615|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
616 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
617 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
618 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000619
620|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000621 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000622 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000623 [expr1, ...] |List|
624 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000625 &option option value
626 (expr1) nested expression
627 variable internal variable
628 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
629 $VAR environment variable
630 @r contents of register 'r'
631 function(expr1, ...) function call
632 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
633
634
635".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
636Example: >
637 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
638
639All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
640
641
642expr1 *expr1* *E109*
643-----
644
645expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
646
647The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
648non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
649otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
650Example: >
651 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
652
653Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
654other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
655Example: >
656 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
657
658To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
659 :echo lnum == 1
660 :\ ? "top"
661 :\ : lnum == 1000
662 :\ ? "last"
663 :\ : lnum
664
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000665You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
666use in a variable such as "a:1".
667
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000668
669expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
670---------------
671
672 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
673The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
674are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
675
676 input output ~
677n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
678zero zero zero zero
679zero non-zero non-zero zero
680non-zero zero non-zero zero
681non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
682
683The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
684
685 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
686
687Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
688
689 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
690
691Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
692arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
693
694 let a = 1
695 echo a || b
696
697This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
698so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
699
700 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
701
702This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
703only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
704
705
706expr4 *expr4*
707-----
708
709expr5 {cmp} expr5
710
711Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
712if it evaluates to true.
713
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000714 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000715 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
716 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
717 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
718 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
719 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000720 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000721 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
722equal == ==# ==?
723not equal != !=# !=?
724greater than > ># >?
725greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
726smaller than < <# <?
727smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
728regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
729regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000730same instance is
731different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000732
733Examples:
734"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
735"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
736"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
737
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000738 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000739A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
740"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
741Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000742
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000743 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000744A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
745equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000746recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
747
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000748 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000749A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
750equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000751
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000752When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000753referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000754the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
755using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000756different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000757is false.
758
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000759When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000760and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000761because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
762
763When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
764results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
765necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
766
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000767When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000768'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000769
770When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000771'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
772
773'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000774
775The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
776argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
777This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
778matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
779portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
780single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
781Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
782(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
783can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
784 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
785 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
786
787
788expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
789---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000790expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000791expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
792expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000793
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000794For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000795result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000796
797expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
798expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
799expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000800
801For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
802
803Note the difference between "+" and ".":
804 "123" + "456" = 579
805 "123" . "456" = "123456"
806
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000807Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
808 1 . 90 + 90.0
809As: >
810 (1 . 90) + 90.0
811That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
812190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
813 1 . 90 * 90.0
814Should be read as: >
815 1 . (90 * 90.0)
816Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
817attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
818
819When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
820 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
821 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
822 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
823 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
824
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000825When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
826
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000827None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000828
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000829. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
830
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000831
832expr7 *expr7*
833-----
834! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
835- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
836+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
837
838For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
839For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
840For '+' the number is unchanged.
841
842A String will be converted to a Number first.
843
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000844These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000845 !-1 == 0
846 !!8 == 1
847 --9 == 9
848
849
850expr8 *expr8*
851-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000852expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000853
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000854If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
855expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000856Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000857
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000858Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
859text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
860cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000861 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000862
863If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000864String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
865compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
866
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000867If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000868for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000869error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000870 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
871
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000872Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
873|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
874error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000875
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000876
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000877expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000878
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000879If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
880from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000881expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
882encodings.
883
884If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
885string minus one is used.
886
887A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
888the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
889
890If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
891expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
892
893Examples: >
894 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
895 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
896 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
897 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
898
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000899If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000900the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000901just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000902 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
903 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
904 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
905
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000906Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
907error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000908
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000909
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000910expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000911
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000912If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
913name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
914expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000915
916The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
917but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
918
919There must not be white space before or after the dot.
920
921Examples: >
922 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
923 :echo dict.one
924 :echo dict .2
925
926Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
927always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
928
929
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000930expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000931
932When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
933
934
935
936 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000937number
938------
939number number constant *expr-number*
940
941Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
942
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000943 *floating-point-format*
944Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
945
946 [-+]{N}.{M}
947 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
948
949{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
950contain digits.
951[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
952{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
953Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
954locale is.
955{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
956
957Examples:
958 123.456
959 +0.0001
960 55.0
961 -0.123
962 1.234e03
963 1.0E-6
964 -3.1416e+88
965
966These are INVALID:
967 3. empty {M}
968 1e40 missing .{M}
969
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000970 *float-pi* *float-e*
971A few useful values to copy&paste: >
972 :let pi = 3.14159265359
973 :let e = 2.71828182846
974
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000975Rationale:
976Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
977the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
978resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000979could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000980incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
981for floating point numbers.
982
983 *floating-point-precision*
984The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
985means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
986runtime.
987
988The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
989printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
990function. Example: >
991 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
992< 7.853981633974483e-01
993
994
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000995
996string *expr-string* *E114*
997------
998"string" string constant *expr-quote*
999
1000Note that double quotes are used.
1001
1002A string constant accepts these special characters:
1003\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1004\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1005\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1006\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1007\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1008\X.. same as \x..
1009\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001010\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001011 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1012\U.... same as \u....
1013\b backspace <BS>
1014\e escape <Esc>
1015\f formfeed <FF>
1016\n newline <NL>
1017\r return <CR>
1018\t tab <Tab>
1019\\ backslash
1020\" double quote
1021\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
1022
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001023Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1024encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1025of 'encoding'.
1026
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001027Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1028
1029
1030literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1031---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001032'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001033
1034Note that single quotes are used.
1035
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001036This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001037meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001038
1039Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001040to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001041 if a =~ "\\s*"
1042 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001043
1044
1045option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1046------
1047&option option value, local value if possible
1048&g:option global option value
1049&l:option local option value
1050
1051Examples: >
1052 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1053 if &insertmode
1054
1055Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1056and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1057anyway.
1058
1059
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001060register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001061--------
1062@r contents of register 'r'
1063
1064The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1065Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001066register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001067registers.
1068
1069When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1070evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001071
1072
1073nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1074-------
1075(expr1) nested expression
1076
1077
1078environment variable *expr-env*
1079--------------------
1080$VAR environment variable
1081
1082The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1083result is an empty string.
1084 *expr-env-expand*
1085Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1086expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1087are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1088the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1089fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1090does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1091 :echo $version
1092 :echo expand("$version")
1093The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1094variable (if your shell supports it).
1095
1096
1097internal variable *expr-variable*
1098-----------------
1099variable internal variable
1100See below |internal-variables|.
1101
1102
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001103function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001104-------------
1105function(expr1, ...) function call
1106See below |functions|.
1107
1108
1109==============================================================================
11103. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1111 *E461*
1112An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1113cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1114|curly-braces-names|.
1115
1116An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001117An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1118|:unlet|.
1119Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1120been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001121
1122There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1123specified by what is prepended:
1124
1125 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1126|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1127|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001128|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001129|global-variable| g: Global.
1130|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1131|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1132|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001133|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001134
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001135The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1136delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001137 :for k in keys(s:)
1138 : unlet s:[k]
1139 :endfor
1140<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001141 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1142A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1143Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1144This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1145|:bdelete|.
1146
1147One local buffer variable is predefined:
1148 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1149b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1150 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1151 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1152 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1153 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001154 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1155 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001156 :endif
1157<
1158 *window-variable* *w:var*
1159A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1160is deleted when the window is closed.
1161
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001162 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1163A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1164It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1165without the +windows feature}
1166
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001167 *global-variable* *g:var*
1168Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001169access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001170place if you like.
1171
1172 *local-variable* *l:var*
1173Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001174But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1175you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1176refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1177same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001178
1179 *script-variable* *s:var*
1180In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1181accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1182
1183They can be used in:
1184- commands executed while the script is sourced
1185- functions defined in the script
1186- autocommands defined in the script
1187- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1188 defined in the script (recursively)
1189- user defined commands defined in the script
1190Thus not in:
1191- other scripts sourced from this one
1192- mappings
1193- etc.
1194
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001195Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1196Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001197
1198 let s:counter = 0
1199 function MyCounter()
1200 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1201 echo s:counter
1202 endfunction
1203 command Tick call MyCounter()
1204
1205You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1206that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1207"Tick" was defined is used.
1208
1209Another example that does the same: >
1210
1211 let s:counter = 0
1212 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1213
1214When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001215script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001216defined.
1217
1218The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1219function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1220
1221 let s:counter = 0
1222 function StartCounting(incr)
1223 if a:incr
1224 function MyCounter()
1225 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1226 endfunction
1227 else
1228 function MyCounter()
1229 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1230 endfunction
1231 endif
1232 endfunction
1233
1234This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1235when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1236called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1237
1238When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1239They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1240maintain a counter: >
1241
1242 if !exists("s:counter")
1243 let s:counter = 1
1244 echo "script executed for the first time"
1245 else
1246 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1247 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1248 endif
1249
1250Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1251variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1252
1253
1254Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1255
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001256 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1257v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1258 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1259 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1260
1261 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1262v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1263 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1264
1265 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1266v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1267 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1268
1269 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001270v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1271 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1272 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1273 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001274 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1275 highlighted text is used.
1276 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1277
1278 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1279v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1280 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1281
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001282 *v:char* *char-variable*
1283v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr'.
1284
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001285 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1286v:charconvert_from
1287 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1288 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1289
1290 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1291v:charconvert_to
1292 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1293 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1294
1295 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1296v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1297 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1298 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1299 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1300 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1301 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001302 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001303 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1304 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1305 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1306 in 'printexpr'.
1307
1308 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1309v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1310 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1311 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1312 can be used.
1313
1314 *v:count* *count-variable*
1315v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001316 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001317 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1318< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1319 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001320 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001321 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1322
1323 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1324v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1325 used.
1326
1327 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1328v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1329 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1330 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1331 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1332 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1333 command.
1334 See |multi-lang|.
1335
1336 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001337v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001338 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1339 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1340 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1341 Example: >
1342 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1343<
1344 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1345v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1346 Example: >
1347 :let v:errmsg = ""
1348 :silent! next
1349 :if v:errmsg != ""
1350 : ... handle error
1351< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1352
1353 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1354v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1355 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1356 Example: >
1357 :try
1358 : throw "oops"
1359 :catch /.*/
1360 : echo "caught" v:exception
1361 :endtry
1362< Output: "caught oops".
1363
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001364 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1365v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1366 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1367 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1368 deleted file no longer exists
1369 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1370 changed and buffer is modified
1371 changed file contents has changed
1372 mode mode of file changed
1373 time only file timestamp changed
1374
1375 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1376v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1377 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1378 do with the affected buffer:
1379 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1380 the file was deleted).
1381 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1382 was no autocommand. Except that when
1383 only the timestamp changed nothing
1384 will happen.
1385 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1386 everything that needs to be done.
1387 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1388 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1389
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001390 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001391v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001392 option used for ~
1393 'charconvert' file to be converted
1394 'diffexpr' original file
1395 'patchexpr' original file
1396 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001397 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001398
1399 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1400v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1401 evaluating:
1402 option used for ~
1403 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1404 'diffexpr' output of diff
1405 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1406 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001407 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001408 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1409 file and different from v:fname_in.
1410
1411 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1412v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1413 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1414
1415 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1416v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1417 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1418
1419 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1420v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1421 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001422 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001423
1424 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1425v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001426 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001427
1428 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1429v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001430 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001431
1432 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1433v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001434 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001435
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001436 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1437v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1438 events. Values:
1439 i Insert mode
1440 r Replace mode
1441 v Virtual Replace mode
1442
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001443 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001444v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001445 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1446 Read-only.
1447
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001448 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1449v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1450 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1451 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1452 The value is system dependent.
1453 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1454 command.
1455 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1456 in a different language than what is used for character
1457 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1458
1459 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1460v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1461 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1462 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1463 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1464 command. See |multi-lang|.
1465
1466 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001467v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar57657d82006-04-21 22:12:41 +00001468 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel' and
1469 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1470 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001471
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001472 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1473v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1474 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1475 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1476
1477 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1478v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1479 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1480 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1481
1482 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1483v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1484 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1485 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1486
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001487 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1488v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1489 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1490 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1491 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1492 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1493 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1494< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1495 don't expect it to be empty.
1496 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1497 commands.
1498 Read-only.
1499
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001500 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1501v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1502 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001503 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1504 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001505 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1506< Read-only.
1507
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001508 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001509v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001510 See |profiling|.
1511
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001512 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1513v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1514 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1515 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1516 Read-only.
1517
1518 *v:register* *register-variable*
1519v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1520 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1521
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001522 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1523v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1524 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1525 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1526 typed command.
1527 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1528 hit-enter prompt.
1529
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001530 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1531v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1532 Read-only.
1533
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001534
1535v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1536 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1537 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1538 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1539 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1540 function. |function-search-undo|.
1541 Read-write.
1542
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001543 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1544v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1545 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1546 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1547 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1548 executed. Read-only.
1549 Example: >
1550 :!mv foo bar
1551 :if v:shell_error
1552 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1553 :endif
1554< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1555
1556 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1557v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1558
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001559 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1560v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1561 the swap file found. Read-only.
1562
1563 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1564v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1565 for handling an existing swap file:
1566 'o' Open read-only
1567 'e' Edit anyway
1568 'r' Recover
1569 'd' Delete swapfile
1570 'q' Quit
1571 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001572 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001573 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1574 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1575
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001576 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001577v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001578 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001579 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001580 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001581 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001582
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001583 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1584v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001585 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001586 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1587 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1588 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1589 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1590 terminal.
1591 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1592 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1593 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1594 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1595 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1596
1597 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1598v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1599 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1600 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1601 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1602
1603 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1604v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001605 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001606 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1607 Example: >
1608 :try
1609 : throw "oops"
1610 :catch /.*/
1611 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1612 :endtry
1613< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1614
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001615 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001616v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001617 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001618 |filter()|. Read-only.
1619
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001620 *v:version* *version-variable*
1621v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1622 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1623 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1624 compatibility.
1625 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1626 if has("patch123")
1627< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1628 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1629 completely different.
1630
1631 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1632v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1633
1634==============================================================================
16354. Builtin Functions *functions*
1636
1637See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1638
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001639(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001640
1641USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1642
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001643abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001644add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001645append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001646append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001647argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001648argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001649argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001650argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001651atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001652browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1653 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001654browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001655bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001656buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1657bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001658bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1659bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1660bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1661byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001662byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001663call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1664 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001665ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1666changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001667char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001668cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001669clearmatches() None clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001670col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001671complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001672complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001673complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001674confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1675 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001676copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001677cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001678count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1679 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001680cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1681 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001682cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1683 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1684cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001685deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001686delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1687did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001688diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1689diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001690empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001691escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001692eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001693eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001694executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1695exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001696extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
1697 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001698expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001699feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001700filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001701filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001702filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1703 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001704finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001705 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001706findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001707 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001708float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1709floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001710fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001711fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001712foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1713foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001714foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001715foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001716foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001717foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001718function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00001719garbagecollect( [at_exit]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001720get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001721get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001722getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1723 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001724getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001725getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1726getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001727getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1728getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001729getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001730getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001731getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1732getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001733getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001734getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001735getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001736getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1737getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001738getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001739getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001740getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001741getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001742getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001743getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001744getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001745gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1746 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001747getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1748getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001749getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001750glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1751globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1752has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001753has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001754haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001755hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1756 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001757histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1758histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1759histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1760histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1761hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1762hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1763hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001764iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1765indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001766index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1767 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001768input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1769 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001770inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001771inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001772inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1773inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001774inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001775insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001776isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001777islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001778items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001779join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001780keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001781len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1782libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001783libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1784line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1785line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001786lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001787localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001788log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001789map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001790maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1791 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1792mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1793 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001794match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001795 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001796matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1797 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001798matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001799matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001800matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001801 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001802matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1803 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001804matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1805 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001806max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00001807min({list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001808mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1809 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001810mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001811nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1812nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001813pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001814pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001815prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001816printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1817pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001818range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1819 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001820readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1821 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001822reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1823reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001824remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1825 String send expression
1826remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1827remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1828 Number check for reply string
1829remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1830remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1831 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001832remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001833remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001834rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1835repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1836resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001837reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001838round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001839search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1840 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001841searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001842 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001843searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001844 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001845searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001846 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001847searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001848 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001849server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1850 Number send reply string
1851serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1852setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1853setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1854setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001855setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1856 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001857setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001858setpos( {expr}, {list}) none set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001859setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001860setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001861settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1862 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001863setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001864shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1865 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001866 command argument
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001867simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001868sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001869sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001870soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001871spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001872spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1873 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001874split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001875 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001876sqrt( {expr} Float squar root of {expr}
1877str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1878str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001879strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001880stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1881 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001882string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001883strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1884strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1885 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001886strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1887 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001888strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001889submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001890substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1891 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001892synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001893synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1894 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1895synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001896synstack({lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001897system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001898tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1899tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1900tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1901 Number number of current window in tab page
1902taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001903tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001904tempname() String name for a temporary file
1905tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1906toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001907tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1908 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001909trunc( {expr} Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001910type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001911values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001912virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1913visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1914winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1915wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1916winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1917winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001918winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001919winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001920winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1921winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001922winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001923writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1924 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001925
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001926abs({expr}) *abs()*
1927 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
1928 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
1929 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
1930 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
1931 Examples: >
1932 echo abs(1.456)
1933< 1.456 >
1934 echo abs(-5.456)
1935< 5.456 >
1936 echo abs(-4)
1937< 4
1938 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1939
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001940add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001941 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1942 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001943 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1944 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001945< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001946 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001947 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001948
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001949
1950append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001951 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1952 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001953 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1954 the current buffer.
1955 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001956 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001957 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001958 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001959 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001960<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001961 *argc()*
1962argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1963 current window. See |arglist|.
1964
1965 *argidx()*
1966argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1967 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1968
1969 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001970argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001971 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1972 Example: >
1973 :let i = 0
1974 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001975 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001976 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1977 : let i = i + 1
1978 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001979< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
1980 returned.
1981
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001982atan({expr}) *atan()*
1983 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
1984 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
1985 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
1986 Examples: >
1987 :echo atan(100)
1988< 1.560797 >
1989 :echo atan(-4.01)
1990< -1.326405
1991 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1992
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001993 *browse()*
1994browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1995 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1996 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1997 The input fields are:
1998 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1999 {title} title for the requester
2000 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2001 {default} default file name
2002 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2003 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2004
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002005 *browsedir()*
2006browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2007 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2008 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2009 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2010 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2011 to be used.
2012 The input fields are:
2013 {title} title for the requester
2014 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2015 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2016 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2017
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002018bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2019 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2020 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002021 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002022 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002023 exactly. The name can be:
2024 - Relative to the current directory.
2025 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002026 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002027 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002028 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2029 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2030 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2031 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002032 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2033 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2034 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002035 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2036 file name.
2037 *buffer_exists()*
2038 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2039
2040buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2041 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2042 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002043 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002044
2045bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2046 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2047 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002048 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002049
2050bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2051 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2052 ":ls" command.
2053 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2054 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2055 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002056 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002057 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2058 match an empty string is returned.
2059 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2060 alternate buffer.
2061 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002062 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2063 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2064 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002065 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2066 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2067 buffers are searched for.
2068 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2069 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2070 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2071< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2072 string is returned. >
2073 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2074 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2075 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2076 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2077< *buffer_name()*
2078 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2079
2080 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002081bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2082 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002083 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002084 above.
2085 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2086 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2087 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002088 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2089 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2090< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2091 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2092 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2093 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2094 *buffer_number()*
2095 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2096 *last_buffer_nr()*
2097 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2098
2099bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2100 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2101 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002102 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002103 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2104
2105 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2106
2107< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2108 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002109 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002110
2111
2112byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2113 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2114 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2115 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2116 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2117 one.
2118 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2119 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2120 feature}
2121
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002122byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2123 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2124 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2125 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2126 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2127 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2128 Example : >
2129 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2130< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2131 same: >
2132 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2133 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2134< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2135 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2136 is returned.
2137
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002138call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002139 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002140 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002141 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002142 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2143 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002144 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2145 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002146
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002147ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2148 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2149 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2150 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2151 Examples: >
2152 echo ceil(1.456)
2153< 2.0 >
2154 echo ceil(-5.456)
2155< -5.0 >
2156 echo ceil(4.0)
2157< 4.0
2158 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2159
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002160changenr() *changenr()*
2161 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2162 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2163 with the |:undo| command.
2164 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2165 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2166 one less than the number of the undone change.
2167
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002168char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
2169 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2170 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2171 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
2172< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002173 char2nr("á") returns 225
2174 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002175< |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002176
2177cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2178 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2179 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2180 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2181 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2182 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2183 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002184 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002185
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002186clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2187 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2188 |:match| commands.
2189
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002190 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002191col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002192 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2193 . the cursor position
2194 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
2195 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
2196 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2197 returned)
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002198 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2199 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002200 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002201 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002202 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002203 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002204 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2205 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2206 Examples: >
2207 col(".") column of cursor
2208 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2209 col("'t") column of mark t
2210 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002211< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002212 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2213 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002214 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2215 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2216 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2217 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2218 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2219 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2220 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2221<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002222
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002223complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2224 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2225 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002226 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2227 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002228 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2229 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2230 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2231 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2232 match.
2233 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2234 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2235 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2236 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2237 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2238 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2239 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2240 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002241 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002242
2243 func! ListMonths()
2244 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2245 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2246 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2247 return ''
2248 endfunc
2249< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2250 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2251
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002252complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2253 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2254 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2255 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2256 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2257 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002258 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002259 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002260
2261complete_check() *complete_check()*
2262 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2263 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2264 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2265 zero otherwise.
2266 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2267 'completefunc' option.
2268
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002269 *confirm()*
2270confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2271 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2272 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2273 choice this is 1.
2274 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2275 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2276 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2277 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2278 used (and translated).
2279 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2280 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2281 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2282 by '\n', e.g. >
2283 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2284< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2285 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2286 not need to be the first letter: >
2287 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2288< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2289 the default shortcut key.
2290 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2291 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2292 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2293 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002294 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002295 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2296 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2297 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2298 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2299 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2300 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2301
2302 An example: >
2303 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2304 :if choice == 0
2305 : echo "make up your mind!"
2306 :elseif choice == 3
2307 : echo "tasteful"
2308 :else
2309 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2310 :endif
2311< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2312 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002313 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002314 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2315 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2316 the horizontal layout is always used.
2317
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002318 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002319copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002320 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002321 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2322 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002323 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2324 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002325 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002326
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002327cos({expr}) *cos()*
2328 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2329 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2330 Examples: >
2331 :echo cos(100)
2332< 0.862319 >
2333 :echo cos(-4.01)
2334< -0.646043
2335 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2336
2337
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002338count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002339 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002340 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002341 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002342 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002343 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2344
2345
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002346 *cscope_connection()*
2347cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2348 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2349 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2350 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2351 if there are no cscope connections;
2352 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2353
2354 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2355 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2356
2357 {num} Description of existence check
2358 ----- ------------------------------
2359 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2360 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2361 {dbpath}.
2362 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2363 {dbpath}.
2364 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2365 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2366 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2367 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2368
2369 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2370
2371 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2372
2373 # pid database name prepend path
2374 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2375<
2376 Invocation Return Val ~
2377 ---------- ---------- >
2378 cscope_connection() 1
2379 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2380 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2381 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2382 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2383 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2384 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2385 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2386<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002387cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2388cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002389 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2390 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002391 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002392 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2393 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002394 Does not change the jumplist.
2395 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2396 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2397 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002398 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002399 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2400 line.
2401 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002402 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2403 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002404 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002405
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002406
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002407deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002408 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002409 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002410 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2411 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002412 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002413 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002414 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2415 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2416 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2417 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2418 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2419 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002420 *E724*
2421 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002422 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2423 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002424 Also see |copy()|.
2425
2426delete({fname}) *delete()*
2427 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002428 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2429 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002430 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002431
2432 *did_filetype()*
2433did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2434 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2435 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2436 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2437 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2438 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2439 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2440 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2441 file.
2442
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002443diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2444 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2445 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2446 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2447 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2448 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2449 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2450 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2451
2452diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2453 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2454 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2455 diff change zero is returned.
2456 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2457 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2458 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2459 line.
2460 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2461 syntax information about the highlighting.
2462
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002463empty({expr}) *empty()*
2464 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002465 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002466 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002467 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2468 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002469
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002470escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2471 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2472 backslash. Example: >
2473 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2474< results in: >
2475 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002476< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002477
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002478 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002479eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2480 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002481 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2482 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2483 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002484
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002485eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2486 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2487 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2488 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2489 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2490
2491executable({expr}) *executable()*
2492 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2493 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002494 arguments.
2495 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2496 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2497 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2498 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002499 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2500 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002501 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002502 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002503 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2504 extension.
2505 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2506 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002507 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2508 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2509 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002510 The result is a Number:
2511 1 exists
2512 0 does not exist
2513 -1 not implemented on this system
2514
2515 *exists()*
2516exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2517 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2518 which contains one of these:
2519 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2520 not if it really works)
2521 +option-name Vim option that works.
2522 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2523 done by comparing with an empty
2524 string)
2525 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2526 or user defined function (see
2527 |user-functions|).
2528 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002529 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002530 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2531 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002532 that evaluating an index may cause an
2533 error message for an invalid
2534 expression. E.g.: >
2535 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2536 :echo exists("l[5]")
2537< 0 >
2538 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2539< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2540 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002541 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2542 command or command modifier |:command|.
2543 Returns:
2544 1 for match with start of a command
2545 2 full match with a command
2546 3 matches several user commands
2547 To check for a supported command
2548 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002549 :2match The |:2match| command.
2550 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002551 #event autocommand defined for this event
2552 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2553 pattern (the pattern is taken
2554 literally and compared to the
2555 autocommand patterns character by
2556 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002557 #group autocommand group exists
2558 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2559 event.
2560 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002561 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002562 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002563 ##event autocommand for this event is
2564 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002565 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2566
2567 Examples: >
2568 exists("&shortname")
2569 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2570 exists("*strftime")
2571 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2572 exists("bufcount")
2573 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002574 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002575 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002576 exists("#filetypeindent")
2577 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2578 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002579 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002580< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2581 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002582 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2583 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2584 the future, thus don't count on it!
2585 Working example: >
2586 exists(":make")
2587< NOT working example: >
2588 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002589
2590< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2591 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002592 exists(bufcount)
2593< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002594 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002595
2596expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2597 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2598 The result is a String.
2599
2600 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2601 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2602 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2603
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002604 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002605 for a non-existing file is not included.
2606
2607 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2608 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2609 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2610
2611 % current file name
2612 # alternate file name
2613 #n alternate file name n
2614 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2615 <afile> autocmd file name
2616 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2617 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2618 <sfile> sourced script file name
2619 <cword> word under the cursor
2620 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2621 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2622 message |server2client()|
2623 Modifiers:
2624 :p expand to full path
2625 :h head (last path component removed)
2626 :t tail (last path component only)
2627 :r root (one extension removed)
2628 :e extension only
2629
2630 Example: >
2631 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2632< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2633 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2634 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2635< Use this: >
2636 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2637< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2638 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2639 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2640 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2641 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2642<
2643 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2644 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2645 to modify normal file names.
2646
2647 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2648 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2649 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2650 '/' added.
2651
2652 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2653 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2654 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2655 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002656 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2657 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2658 files in the current directory and below: >
2659 :echo expand("**/README")
2660<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002661 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2662 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002663 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002664 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002665 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002666 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2667 "$FOOBAR".
2668
2669 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2670 getting the raw output of an external command.
2671
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002672extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002673 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2674 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002675
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002676 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002677 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2678 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2679 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2680 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002681 Examples: >
2682 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2683 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002684< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2685 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2686 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2687 (where N is the original length of the List).
2688 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002689 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002690 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002691<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002692 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002693 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2694 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2695 used to decide what to do:
2696 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2697 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002698 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002699 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2700
2701 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2702 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2703 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2704 Returns {expr1}.
2705
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002706
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002707feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2708 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002709 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002710 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002711 being executed these characters come after them.
2712 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2713 {string}.
2714 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2715 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002716 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002717 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2718 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2719 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002720 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2721 'n' Do not remap keys.
2722 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2723 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2724 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002725 Return value is always 0.
2726
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002727filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2728 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2729 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2730 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2731 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002732 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2733 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002734 *file_readable()*
2735 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2736
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002737
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002738filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2739 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2740 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002741 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002742 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2743
2744
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002745filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002746 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002747 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002748 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002749 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002750 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002751 Examples: >
2752 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2753< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2754 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2755< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2756 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002757< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002758
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002759 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2760 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2761 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2762
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002763 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2764 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002765 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002766
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002767< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002768 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2769 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002770
2771
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002772finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00002773 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2774 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2775 for the syntax of {path}.
2776 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2777 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2778 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002779 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2780 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002781 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002782 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002783 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002784 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2785
2786findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2787 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002788 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2789 Example: >
2790 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002791< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2792 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002793
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002794float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2795 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2796 decimal point.
2797 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2798 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2799 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2800 in -0x80000000.
2801 Examples: >
2802 echo float2nr(3.95)
2803< 3 >
2804 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2805< -23 >
2806 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2807< 2147483647 >
2808 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2809< -2147483647 >
2810 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2811< 0
2812 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2813
2814
2815floor({expr}) *floor()*
2816 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2817 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2818 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2819 Examples: >
2820 echo floor(1.856)
2821< 1.0 >
2822 echo floor(-5.456)
2823< -6.0 >
2824 echo floor(4.0)
2825< 4.0
2826 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2827
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002828fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002829 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002830 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
2831 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002832 For most systems the characters escaped are
2833 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
2834 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002835 Example: >
2836 :let fname = 'some str%nge|name'
2837 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
2838< results in executing: >
2839 edit some\ str\%nge\|name
2840
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002841fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2842 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2843 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2844 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2845 Example: >
2846 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2847< results in: >
2848 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002849< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002850 |expand()| first then.
2851
2852foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2853 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2854 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2855 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2856
2857foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2858 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2859 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2860 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2861
2862foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2863 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002864 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002865 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2866 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2867 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2868 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2869 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2870 previous line is usually available.
2871
2872 *foldtext()*
2873foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2874 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2875 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2876 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2877 The returned string looks like this: >
2878 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002879< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002880 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2881 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2882 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2883 options is removed.
2884 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2885
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002886foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2887 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2888 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2889 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2890 returned.
2891 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2892 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2893 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2894 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2895
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002896 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002897foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002898 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2899 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2900 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2901 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2902 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2903 Win32 console version}
2904
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002905
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002906function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002907 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002908 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2909
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002910
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00002911garbagecollect([at_exit]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002912 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002913 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2914 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2915 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2916 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2917 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002918 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2919 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2920 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00002921 When the optional "at_exit" argument is one, garbage
2922 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
2923 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002924
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002925get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002926 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002927 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2928 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002929get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002930 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002931 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2932 {default} is omitted.
2933
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002934 *getbufline()*
2935getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002936 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2937 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2938 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002939
2940 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2941
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002942 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2943 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002944
2945 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002946 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002947
2948 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2949 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002950 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002951 returned.
2952
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002953 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002954 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002955
2956 Example: >
2957 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002958
2959getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2960 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2961 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2962 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002963 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
2964 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002965 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2966 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2967 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002968 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2969 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2970 returned, there is no error message.
2971 Examples: >
2972 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2973 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2974<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002975getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002976 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002977 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2978 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002979 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002980 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002981 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
2982
2983 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
2984 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
2985 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2986 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
2987 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00002988 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
2989 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
2990 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
2991 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002992
2993 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00002994 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
2995 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002996
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00002997 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
2998 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
2999 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3000 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3001 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003002 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003003 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3004 exe v:mouse_lnum
3005 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3006 endif
3007<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003008 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3009 user that a character has to be typed.
3010 There is no mapping for the character.
3011 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3012 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3013 sequence. Examples: >
3014 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3015 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3016< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3017 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3018 :function FindChar()
3019 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3020 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3021 : normal l
3022 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3023 : break
3024 : endif
3025 : endwhile
3026 :endfunction
3027
3028getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3029 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3030 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3031 These values are added together:
3032 2 shift
3033 4 control
3034 8 alt (meta)
3035 16 mouse double click
3036 32 mouse triple click
3037 64 mouse quadruple click
3038 128 Macintosh only: command
3039 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003040 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003041 with no modifier.
3042
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003043getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3044 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3045 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3046 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3047 Example: >
3048 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003049< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003050
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003051getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003052 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3053 byte count. The first column is 1.
3054 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3055 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003056 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3057
3058getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3059 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3060 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003061 : normal Ex command
3062 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3063 / forward search command
3064 ? backward search command
3065 @ |input()| command
3066 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003067 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3068 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
3069 otherwise.
3070 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003071
3072 *getcwd()*
3073getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3074 working directory.
3075
3076getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3077 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3078 given file {fname}.
3079 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3080 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003081 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3082 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003083
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003084getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3085 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3086 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3087 |hl-Normal|.
3088 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3089 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3090 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3091 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003092 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003093 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3094 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003095 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3096 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003097
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003098getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3099 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3100 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3101 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3102 empty string is returned.
3103 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3104 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3105 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3106 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
3107 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
3108 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
3109< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3110 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003111
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003112getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3113 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3114 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3115 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3116 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3117 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3118
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003119getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3120 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3121 file of the given file {fname}.
3122 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3123 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3124 results:
3125 Normal file "file"
3126 Directory "dir"
3127 Symbolic link "link"
3128 Block device "bdev"
3129 Character device "cdev"
3130 Socket "socket"
3131 FIFO "fifo"
3132 All other "other"
3133 Example: >
3134 getftype("/home")
3135< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3136 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3137 "file" are returned.
3138
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003139 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003140getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3141 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3142 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003143 getline(1)
3144< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3145 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3146 To get the line under the cursor: >
3147 getline(".")
3148< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3149 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3150
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003151 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3152 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003153 including line {end}.
3154 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3155 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003156 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003157 Example: >
3158 :let start = line('.')
3159 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3160 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3161
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003162< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3163
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003164getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3165 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3166 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3167 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003168 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
3169 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003170
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003171getmatches() *getmatches()*
3172 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3173 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3174 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3175 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3176 Example: >
3177 :echo getmatches()
3178< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3179 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3180 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3181 :let m = getmatches()
3182 :call clearmatches()
3183 :echo getmatches()
3184< [] >
3185 :call setmatches(m)
3186 :echo getmatches()
3187< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3188 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3189 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3190 :unlet m
3191<
3192
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003193getqflist() *getqflist()*
3194 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3195 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3196 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3197 bufname() to get the name
3198 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3199 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003200 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3201 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003202 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003203 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003204 text description of the error
3205 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3206 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3207
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003208 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003209 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3210 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003211
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003212 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3213 do something with them: >
3214 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3215 :for d in getqflist()
3216 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3217 :endfor
3218
3219
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003220getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003221 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003222 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003223 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3224< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003225 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003226 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3227 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3228 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003229 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3230
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003231
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003232getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3233 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3234 The value will be one of:
3235 "v" for |characterwise| text
3236 "V" for |linewise| text
3237 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3238 0 for an empty or unknown register
3239 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3240 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3241
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003242gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003243 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3244 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3245 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3246 option.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003247 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3248 use |getwinvar()|.
3249 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3250 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3251 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3252 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003253 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3254 variables is returned.
3255 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003256 Examples: >
3257 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3258 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003259<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003260 *getwinposx()*
3261getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3262 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3263 -1 if the information is not available.
3264
3265 *getwinposy()*
3266getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003267 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003268 information is not available.
3269
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003270getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
3271 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003272 Examples: >
3273 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3274 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3275<
3276 *glob()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003277glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
3278 use of special characters.
3279 The result is a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003280 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
3281 characters.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003282 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
3283 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003284 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
3285 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
3286
3287 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3288 any external command. Example: >
3289 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3290 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3291< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003292 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003293
3294 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3295 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3296
3297globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
3298 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3299 the results. Example: >
3300 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3301< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3302 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
3303 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
3304 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3305 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3306 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3307 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3308 error message.
3309 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
3310 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
3311
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003312 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3313 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3314 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3315 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003316< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3317 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3318
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003319 *has()*
3320has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3321 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3322 string. See |feature-list| below.
3323 Also see |exists()|.
3324
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003325
3326has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003327 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3328 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003329
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003330haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3331 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003332 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003333
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003334hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003335 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3336 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3337 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3338 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003339 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003340 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3341 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003342 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3343 buffer are checked for a match.
3344 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3345 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3346 n Normal mode
3347 v Visual mode
3348 o Operator-pending mode
3349 i Insert mode
3350 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3351 c Command-line mode
3352 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3353
3354 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003355 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003356 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3357 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3358 :endif
3359< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3360 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3361
3362histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3363 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3364 one of: *hist-names*
3365 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3366 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003367 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003368 "input" or "@" input line history
3369 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3370 shifted to become the newest entry.
3371 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3372 otherwise 0 is returned.
3373
3374 Example: >
3375 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3376 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3377< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3378
3379histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003380 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003381 for the possible values of {history}.
3382
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003383 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3384 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3385 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003386 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003387 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3388 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3389 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003390
3391 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3392 otherwise 0 is returned.
3393
3394 Examples:
3395 Clear expression register history: >
3396 :call histdel("expr")
3397<
3398 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3399 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3400<
3401 The following three are equivalent: >
3402 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3403 :call histdel("search", -1)
3404 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3405<
3406 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3407 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3408 :call histdel("search", -1)
3409 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3410
3411histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3412 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3413 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3414 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3415 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3416 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3417
3418 Examples:
3419 Redo the second last search from history. >
3420 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3421
3422< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3423 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3424 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3425<
3426histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3427 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3428 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3429 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3430
3431 Example: >
3432 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3433<
3434hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3435 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3436 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3437 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3438 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3439 item.
3440 *highlight_exists()*
3441 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3442
3443 *hlID()*
3444hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3445 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3446 zero is returned.
3447 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003448 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003449 "Comment" group: >
3450 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3451< *highlightID()*
3452 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3453
3454hostname() *hostname()*
3455 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003456 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003457 256 characters long are truncated.
3458
3459iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3460 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3461 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3462 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3463 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3464 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3465 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3466 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3467 can be done.
3468 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3469 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3470 UTF-8 and use: >
3471 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3472< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3473 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3474 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3475 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3476
3477 *indent()*
3478indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3479 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3480 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3481 |getline()|.
3482 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3483
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003484
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003485index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003486 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003487 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003488 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3489 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003490 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3491 case must match.
3492 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3493 Example: >
3494 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003495 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003496
3497
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003498input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003499 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3500 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3501 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003502 prompt to start a new line.
3503 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3504 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003505 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003506 for lines typed for input().
3507 Example: >
3508 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3509 : echo "Cheers!"
3510 :endif
3511<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003512 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3513 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003514 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3515
3516< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3517 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003518 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003519 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003520 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003521 more information. Example: >
3522 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3523<
3524 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3525 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003526 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3527 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3528 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3529 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3530 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3531 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3532 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3533
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003534 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003535 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3536 :function GetFoo()
3537 : call inputsave()
3538 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3539 : call inputrestore()
3540 :endfunction
3541
3542inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3543 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3544 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3545 Example: >
3546 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3547 :if n != ""
3548 : let &sw = n
3549 :endif
3550< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3551 omitted an empty string is returned.
3552 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3553 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003554 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003555
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003556inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003557 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3558 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3559 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003560 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003561 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003562 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3563 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3564 is returned.
3565 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003566 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003567 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3568 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003569 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3570 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3571
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003572inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3573 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3574 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3575 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3576 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3577
3578inputsave() *inputsave()*
3579 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3580 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3581 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3582 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3583 many inputrestore() calls.
3584 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3585
3586inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3587 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3588 two exceptions:
3589 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3590 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3591 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3592 |history| stack.
3593 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3594 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003595 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003596
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003597insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003598 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003599 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003600 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003601 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3602 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003603 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003604 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3605 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3606 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003607< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003608 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003609 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003610
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003611isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3612 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3613 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3614 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3615 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3616
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003617islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003618 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3619 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003620 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3621 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003622 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3623 :lockvar 1 alist
3624 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3625 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3626
3627< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003628 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003629
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003630items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003631 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3632 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3633 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3634 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003635
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003636
3637join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3638 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3639 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3640 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3641 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3642 add it there too: >
3643 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003644< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003645 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3646 The opposite function is |split()|.
3647
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003648keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003649 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003650 arbitrary order.
3651
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003652 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003653len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3654 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3655 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003656 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003657 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003658 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3659 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003660 Otherwise an error is given.
3661
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003662 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3663libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3664 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3665 with single argument {argument}.
3666 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3667 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3668 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3669 limited.
3670 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3671 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3672 to Vim.
3673 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3674 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3675 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3676 null-terminated string.
3677 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3678
3679 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3680 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3681 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3682 very probably crash.
3683
3684 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3685 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3686 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3687 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3688 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3689 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3690 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3691 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3692 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3693 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3694
3695 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003696 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003697 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3698 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3699 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3700 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3701 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3702 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3703 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3704 feature is present}
3705 Examples: >
3706 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003707<
3708 *libcallnr()*
3709libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3710 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3711 int instead of a string.
3712 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3713 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003714 Examples: >
3715 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003716 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3717 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3718<
3719 *line()*
3720line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3721 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3722 . the cursor position
3723 $ the last line in the current buffer
3724 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3725 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003726 w0 first line visible in current window
3727 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00003728 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3729 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3730 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3731 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003732 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3733 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003734 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3735 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003736 Examples: >
3737 line(".") line number of the cursor
3738 line("'t") line number of mark t
3739 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3740< *last-position-jump*
3741 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3742 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003743 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003744
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003745line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3746 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3747 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3748 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3749 line returns 1.
3750 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3751 below the last line: >
3752 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3753< This is the file size plus one.
3754 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3755 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3756 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3757
3758lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3759 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3760 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3761 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3762 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3763 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3764 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3765
3766localtime() *localtime()*
3767 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3768 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3769
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003770
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003771log10({expr}) *log10()*
3772 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
3773 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3774 Examples: >
3775 :echo log10(1000)
3776< 3.0 >
3777 :echo log10(0.01)
3778< -2.0
3779 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3780
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003781map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003782 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003783 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3784 {string}.
3785 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003786 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003787 Example: >
3788 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003789< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003790
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003791 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003792 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003793 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3794 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003795
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003796 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3797 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003798 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003799
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003800< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003801 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3802 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003803
3804
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003805maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003806 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3807 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003808 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003809 "n" Normal
3810 "v" Visual
3811 "o" Operator-pending
3812 "i" Insert
3813 "c" Cmd-line
3814 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3815 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003816 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003817 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3818 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003819 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3820 command. The returned String has special characters
3821 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3822 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3823 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003824 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3825 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3826 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3827
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003828
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003829mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003830 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3831 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3832 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003833 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3834 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003835 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3836 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3837
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003838 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003839 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3840 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3841 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3842 mapcheck("b") no no no
3843
3844 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3845 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3846 mapping for {name} exactly.
3847 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3848 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3849 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3850 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3851 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3852 then the global mappings.
3853 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3854 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3855 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3856 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3857 :endif
3858< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3859 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3860
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003861match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003862 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3863 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003864 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003865 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003866 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3867 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003868 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003869 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3870 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003871 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003872 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003873< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003874 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003875 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003876 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3877< *strcasestr()*
3878 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3879 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3880 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3881<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003882 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003883 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003884 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003885 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003886 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3887< result is again "4". >
3888 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3889< result is again "4". >
3890 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3891< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003892 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003893 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3894 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3895 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3896 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003897 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3898 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003899 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
3900 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003901
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003902 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003903 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003904 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3905 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3906< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003907 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
3908 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003909
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003910 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3911 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003912 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003913 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3914
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003915 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
3916matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
3917 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
3918 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
3919 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
3920 match using |matchdelete()|.
3921
3922 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003923 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003924 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
3925 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
3926 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
3927 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
3928 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
3929 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
3930 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
3931 always overrule syntax highlighting.
3932
3933 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
3934 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
3935 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
3936 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
3937 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
3938 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
3939 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
3940
3941 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
3942 the |:match| commands.
3943
3944 Example: >
3945 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
3946 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
3947< Deletion of the pattern: >
3948 :call matchdelete(m)
3949
3950< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003951 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003952 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003953
3954matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003955 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003956 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
3957 Return a |List| with two elements:
3958 The name of the highlight group used
3959 The pattern used.
3960 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
3961 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003962 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
3963 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
3964 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003965
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003966matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
3967 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003968 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003969 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
3970 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003971
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003972matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003973 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3974 the match. Example: >
3975 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3976< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003977 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3978 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3979 do it with matchend(): >
3980 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3981 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3982< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3983
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003984 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3985 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3986< results in "7". >
3987 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3988< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003989 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003990
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003991matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003992 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003993 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3994 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003995 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
3996 empty string is used. Example: >
3997 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
3998< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003999 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4000
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004001matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004002 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004003 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4004< results in "ing".
4005 When there is no match "" is returned.
4006 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
4007 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4008< results in "ing". >
4009 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4010< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004011 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004012 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004013
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004014 *max()*
4015max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4016 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4017 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004018 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004019
4020 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004021min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004022 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4023 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004024 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004025
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004026 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004027mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4028 Create directory {name}.
4029 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4030 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4031 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4032 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004033 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004034 for others.
4035 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4036 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4037 :if exists("*mkdir")
4038<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004039 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004040mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004041 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4042 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4043 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4044 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004045
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004046 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004047 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004048 v Visual by character
4049 V Visual by line
4050 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4051 s Select by character
4052 S Select by line
4053 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4054 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004055 R Replace |R|
4056 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004057 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004058 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4059 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004060 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004061 rm The -- more -- prompt
4062 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4063 ! Shell or external command is executing
4064 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4065 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4066 "c" or "n".
4067 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004068
4069nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4070 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4071 that is not blank. Example: >
4072 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4073< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4074 below it, zero is returned.
4075 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4076
4077nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
4078 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4079 value {expr}. Examples: >
4080 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4081 nr2char(32) returns " "
4082< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
4083 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
4084< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
4085 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4086 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004087 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004088
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004089 *getpid()*
4090getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004091 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4092 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004093
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004094 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004095getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4096 see |line()|.
4097 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4098 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4099 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4100 is the buffer number of the mark.
4101 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4102 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004103 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4104 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004105 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004106 character.
4107 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4108 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4109 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004110 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004111< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004112
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004113pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4114 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4115 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4116 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4117 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4118 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4119< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4120 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4121
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004122pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4123 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4124 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4125 Examples: >
4126 :echo pow(3, 3)
4127< 27.0 >
4128 :echo pow(2, 16)
4129< 65536.0 >
4130 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4131< 2.0
4132 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4133
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004134prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4135 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4136 that is not blank. Example: >
4137 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4138< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4139 above it, zero is returned.
4140 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4141
4142
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004143printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4144 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4145 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004146 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004147< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004148 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004149
4150 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004151 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004152 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004153 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4154 %c single byte
4155 %d decimal number
4156 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4157 %x hex number
4158 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4159 %X hex number using upper case letters
4160 %o octal number
4161 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4162 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4163 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4164 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4165 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4166 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004167
4168 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4169 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4170 the result.
4171
4172 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004173 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004174
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004175 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004176
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004177 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004178 Zero or more of the following flags:
4179
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004180 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4181 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4182 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4183 of the number is increased to force the first
4184 character of the output string to a zero (except
4185 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4186 precision of zero).
4187 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4188 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4189 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004190
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004191 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4192 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4193 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4194 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4195 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004196
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004197 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4198 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4199 The converted value is padded on the right with
4200 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4201 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004202
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004203 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4204 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004205
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004206 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004207 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004208 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004209
4210 field-width
4211 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004212 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4213 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4214 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4215 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004216
4217 .precision
4218 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4219 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4220 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4221 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4222 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004223 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004224 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4225 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004226
4227 type
4228 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4229 be applied, see below.
4230
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004231 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4232 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004233 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004234 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4235 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4236 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004237 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004238< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004239 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004240
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004241 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004242
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004243 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4244 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004245 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4246 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4247 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004248 conversions.
4249 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4250 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4251 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4252 zeros.
4253 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4254 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4255 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4256 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4257
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004258 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004259 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4260 resulting character is written.
4261
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004262 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004263 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4264 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4265 specified are used.
4266
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004267 *printf-f* *E807*
4268 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4269 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4270 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4271 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4272 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4273 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4274 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4275 Example: >
4276 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4277< 12.12
4278 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4279 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4280
4281 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4282 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4283 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4284 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4285 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4286
4287 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4288 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4289 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4290 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4291 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4292 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4293 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4294 results in 1.0e7.
4295
4296 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004297 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4298 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004299
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004300 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4301 accepted and automatically converted.
4302 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4303 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4304 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004305
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004306 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004307 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4308 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004309 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004310
4311
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004312pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4313 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4314 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004315 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4316 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004317
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004318 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004319range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004320 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004321 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4322 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4323 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4324 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4325 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004326 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4327 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4328 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004329 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004330 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004331 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4332 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004333 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004334 range(0) " []
4335 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004336<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004337 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004338readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004339 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4340 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004341 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4342 NL appears somewhere).
4343 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4344 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4345 added.
4346 - No CR characters are removed.
4347 Otherwise:
4348 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4349 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
4350 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004351 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4352 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4353 lines of a file: >
4354 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4355 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4356 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004357< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4358 are returned, or as many as there are.
4359 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004360 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4361 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4362 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004363 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4364 the result is an empty list.
4365 Also see |writefile()|.
4366
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004367reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4368 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4369 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4370 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4371 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4372 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4373 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004374 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004375 and {end}.
4376 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4377 reltime().
4378 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4379
4380reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4381 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4382 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4383 microseconds. Example: >
4384 let start = reltime()
4385 call MyFunction()
4386 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4387< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4388 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004389 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4390 can use split() to remove it. >
4391 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4392< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004393 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4394
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004395 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4396remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004397 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004398 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004399 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4400 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4401 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004402 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4403 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4404 remote_read() is stored there.
4405 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4406 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4407 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4408 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4409 and the result will be the empty string.
4410 Examples: >
4411 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4412 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4413<
4414
4415remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4416 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4417 This works like: >
4418 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4419< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4420 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4421 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004422 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4423 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004424 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4425 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4426 Win32 console version}
4427
4428
4429remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4430 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4431 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004432 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004433 name of a variable.
4434 Returns zero if none are available.
4435 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4436 See also |clientserver|.
4437 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4438 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4439 Examples: >
4440 :let repl = ""
4441 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4442
4443remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4444 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4445 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4446 See also |clientserver|.
4447 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4448 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4449 Example: >
4450 :echo remote_read(id)
4451<
4452 *remote_send()* *E241*
4453remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004454 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004455 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4456 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004457 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4458 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4459 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004460 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4461 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4462 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4463 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4464 up the display.
4465 Examples: >
4466 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4467 \ remote_read(serverid)
4468
4469 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4470 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4471 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4472 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004473<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004474remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004475 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004476 return it.
4477 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
4478 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
4479 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4480 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4481 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004482 Example: >
4483 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004484 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004485remove({dict}, {key})
4486 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4487 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4488< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4489
4490 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004491
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004492rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4493 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4494 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4495 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4496 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
4497 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4498
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004499repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4500 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4501 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004502 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004503< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004504 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004505 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004506 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4507< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004508
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004509
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004510resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4511 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4512 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4513 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4514 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4515 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4516 stopped after 100 iterations.
4517 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4518 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4519 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4520 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4521 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4522
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004523 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004524reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004525 {list}.
4526 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4527 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4528
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004529round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004530 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004531 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4532 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4533 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4534 Examples: >
4535 echo round(0.456)
4536< 0.0 >
4537 echo round(4.5)
4538< 5.0 >
4539 echo round(-4.5)
4540< -5.0
4541 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4542
4543
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004544search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004545 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004546 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004547
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004548 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4549 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004550 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004551 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004552 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004553 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4554 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004555 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4556 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4557 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4558
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004559 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4560 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4561 flag.
4562
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004563 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4564
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004565 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4566 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4567 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4568 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4569 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4570< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4571 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004572 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4573
4574 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004575 more than this many milli seconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004576 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4577 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4578 giving the argument.
4579 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004580
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004581 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4582 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004583 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4584 *search()-sub-match*
4585 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4586 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4587 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004588 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004589
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004590 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4591 flag is used.
4592
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004593 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4594 :let n = 1
4595 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4596 : exe "argument " . n
4597 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4598 : " first search to find match at start of file
4599 : normal G$
4600 : let flags = "w"
4601 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004602 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004603 : let flags = "W"
4604 : endwhile
4605 : update " write the file if modified
4606 : let n = n + 1
4607 :endwhile
4608<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004609 Example for using some flags: >
4610 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4611< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4612 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4613 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4614 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4615 line:
4616 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4617 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4618 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4619 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4620 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4621
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004622
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004623searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4624 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004625
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004626 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4627 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4628 first match in the function.
4629
4630 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4631 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4632 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4633
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004634 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4635 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4636 Example: >
4637 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4638 echo getline('.')
4639 endif
4640<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004641 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004642searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4643 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004644 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4645 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4646 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004647 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4648 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4649 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4650 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4651 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4652 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004653
4654 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4655 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4656 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4657 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4658 typical use is: >
4659 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4660< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4661
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004662 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4663 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004664 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004665 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
4666 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004667 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004668 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
4669 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004670
4671 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4672 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4673 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4674 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4675 or a string.
4676 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4677 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4678 and -1 returned.
4679
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004680 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004681
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004682 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4683 patterns are used like it's on.
4684
4685 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4686 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4687 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4688 if 1
4689 if 2
4690 endif 2
4691 endif 1
4692< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4693 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4694 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004695 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004696 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4697 "endif 2".
4698 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4699 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4700 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4701 the matching start.
4702
4703 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4704
4705 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4706 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4707
4708< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4709 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4710 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4711 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4712 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4713 match.
4714 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4715
4716 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4717
4718< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4719 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4720 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4721
4722 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4723 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4724<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004725 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004726searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4727 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004728 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4729 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4730 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004731 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4732 returns [0, 0].
4733>
4734 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4735<
4736 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4737
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004738searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004739 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004740 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4741 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4742 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4743 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004744 Example: >
4745 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4746
4747< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4748 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4749 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4750< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4751 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4752
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004753server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4754 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4755 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4756 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4757 Note:
4758 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004759 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004760 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4761 See also |clientserver|.
4762 Example: >
4763 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4764<
4765serverlist() *serverlist()*
4766 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4767 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4768 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4769 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4770 Example: >
4771 :echo serverlist()
4772<
4773setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4774 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4775 {val}.
4776 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4777 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4778 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4779 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4780 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4781 Examples: >
4782 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4783 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4784< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4785
4786setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4787 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004788 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004789 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4790 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004791 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4792 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4793 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4794 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4795 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004796 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4797 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4798 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4799 line.
4800
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004801setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
4802 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004803 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004804 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004805 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004806 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4807 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004808 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004809< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004810 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4811 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4812< This is equivalent to: >
4813 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4814 : call setline(n, l)
4815 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004816< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4817
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004818setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4819 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4820 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004821 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4822 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004823 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
4824 Also see |location-list|.
4825
4826setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
4827 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004828 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004829 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004830
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004831 *setpos()*
4832setpos({expr}, {list})
4833 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4834 . the cursor
4835 'x mark x
4836
4837 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4838 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4839
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004840 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004841 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004842 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4843 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4844 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004845 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004846
4847 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4848 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4849
4850 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4851 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004852 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004853 character.
4854
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00004855 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
4856 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
4857
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004858 Also see |getpos()|
4859
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004860 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
4861 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
4862
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004863
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004864setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004865 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4866 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4867 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4868 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004869
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004870 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004871 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004872 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004873 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004874 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004875 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004876 col column number
4877 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004878 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004879 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004880 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004881 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004882
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004883 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4884 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4885 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004886 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
4887 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
4888 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004889 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4890 be used.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004891 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
4892 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004893
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004894 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4895 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4896 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4897 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4898 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4899 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4900
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004901 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4902
4903 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4904 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4905 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4906
4907
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004908 *setreg()*
4909setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4910 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4911 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4912 then the value is appended.
4913 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4914 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4915 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4916 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4917 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4918 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4919 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004920 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004921
4922 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4923 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4924 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4925 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4926
4927 Examples: >
4928 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4929 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4930 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4931
4932< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4933 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004934 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004935 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4936 ....
4937 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4938
4939< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4940 nothing: >
4941 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4942
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004943settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
4944 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
4945 {val}.
4946 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
4947 use |setwinvar()|.
4948 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004949 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4950 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4951 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4952 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004953 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
4954 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
4955 Examples: >
4956 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
4957 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
4958< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4959
4960setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4961 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004962 Examples: >
4963 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4964 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004965
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004966shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004967 Escape {string} for use as shell command argument.
4968 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004969 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004970 quotes within {string}.
4971 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
4972 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004973 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
4974 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00004975 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
4976 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004977 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00004978 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
4979 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
4980 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
4981 even when inside single quotes.
4982 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
4983 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
4984 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004985 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
4986 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
4987< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
4988 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
4989 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004990
4991
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004992simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4993 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4994 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4995 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4996 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4997 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4998 not removed either.
4999 Example: >
5000 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5001< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5002 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5003 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5004 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5005 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5006
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005007
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005008sin({expr}) *sin()*
5009 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5010 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5011 Examples: >
5012 :echo sin(100)
5013< -0.506366 >
5014 :echo sin(-4.01)
5015< 0.763301
5016 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5017
5018
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005019sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005020 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5021 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5022 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5023< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005024 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005025 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005026 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005027 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5028 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005029 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
5030 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
5031 sorts before the second one. Example: >
5032 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5033 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5034 endfunc
5035 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005036<
5037
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005038 *soundfold()*
5039soundfold({word})
5040 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005041 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005042 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5043 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005044 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5045 the method can be quite slow.
5046
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005047 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005048spellbadword([{sentence}])
5049 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5050 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5051 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5052 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5053
5054 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5055 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5056 result is an empty string.
5057
5058 The return value is a list with two items:
5059 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5060 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005061 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005062 "rare" rare word
5063 "local" word only valid in another region
5064 "caps" word should start with Capital
5065 Example: >
5066 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5067< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5068
5069 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5070 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5071 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005072
5073 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005074spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005075 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005076 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5077 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5078
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005079 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5080 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5081 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5082
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005083 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5084 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005085 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5086 replace a line.
5087
5088 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005089 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5090 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005091
5092 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005093 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5094 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005095
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005096
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005097split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005098 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5099 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5100 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005101 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005102 removing the matched characters.
5103 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5104 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005105 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5106 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005107 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005108 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005109< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005110 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005111< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5112 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5113< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005114 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5115 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5116< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005117
5118
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005119sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5120 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5121 |Float|.
5122 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5123 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5124 Examples: >
5125 :echo sqrt(100)
5126< 10.0 >
5127 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5128< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005129 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005130 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5131
5132
5133str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5134 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5135 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5136 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5137 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5138 write "1.0e40".
5139 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5140 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5141 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5142 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5143 |substitute()|: >
5144 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5145< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5146
5147
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005148str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5149 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5150 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5151 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5152 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5153 with the default String to Number conversion.
5154 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5155 different base the result will be zero.
5156 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005157
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005158
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005159strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5160 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5161 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5162 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5163 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5164 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5165 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5166 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5167 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5168 Examples: >
5169 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5170 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5171 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5172 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5173 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5174 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005175< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5176 :if exists("*strftime")
5177
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005178stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5179 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5180 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005181 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5182 This can be used to find a second match: >
5183 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
5184 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
5185< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005186 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005187 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005188 See also |strridx()|.
5189 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005190 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5191 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5192 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005193< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005194 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5195 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5196
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005197 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005198string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005199 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5200 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005201 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005202 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005203 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005204 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005205 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005206 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005207 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005208 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005209 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005210
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005211 *strlen()*
5212strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005213 {expr} in bytes.
5214 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5215 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005216
5217 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005218<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005219 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5220 For other types an error is given.
5221 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005222
5223strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5224 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005225 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005226 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5227 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5228 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5229 end of the {src}. >
5230 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5231 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5232 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005233 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005234< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5235 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00005236 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005237<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005238strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5239 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5240 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5241 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5242 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5243 match: >
5244 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5245 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5246< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005247 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5248 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005249 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005250 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005251 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005252< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005253 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5254 function strrchr().
5255
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005256strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5257 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5258 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5259 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5260 echo strtrans(@a)
5261< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5262 starting a new line.
5263
5264submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
5265 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
5266 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
5267 the whole matched text is returned.
5268 Example: >
5269 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5270< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5271 A line break is included as a newline character.
5272
5273substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5274 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
5275 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
5276 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
5277 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
5278 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005279 'ignorecase' is still relevant. 'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005280 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
5281 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
5282 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005283 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005284 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
5285 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5286 unmodified.
5287 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5288 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5289 Example: >
5290 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5291< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5292 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5293< results in "TESTING".
5294
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005295synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005296 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005297 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005298 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5299 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005300
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005301 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005302 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5303
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005304 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005305 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005306 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5307 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5308 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5309 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5310 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5311
5312 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5313 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5314<
5315synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5316 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5317 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5318 about a syntax item.
5319 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005320 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005321 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5322 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5323 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5324 {what} result
5325 "name" the name of the syntax item
5326 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5327 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5328 term: empty string)
5329 "bg" background color (like "fg")
5330 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5331 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5332 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
5333 "bold" "1" if bold
5334 "italic" "1" if italic
5335 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5336 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
5337 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005338 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005339
5340 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5341 cursor): >
5342 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5343<
5344synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5345 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5346 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5347 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5348 ":highlight link" are followed.
5349
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005350synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5351 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5352 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5353 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005354 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5355 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5356 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5357 transparent item.
5358 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5359 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5360 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5361 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5362 endfor
5363
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00005364system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5365 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5366 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5367 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5368 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005369 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005370 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5371 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5372 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5373 also cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005374 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005375
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005376 The result is a String. Example: >
5377 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005378
5379< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5380 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5381 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5382 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5383 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5384 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5385 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5386 concatenated commands.
5387
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005388 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5389 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5390
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005391 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5392 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00005393
5394 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5395 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5396 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005397 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5398 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5399
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005400
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005401tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005402 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005403 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5404 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5405 omitted the current tab page is used.
5406 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5407 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
5408 tablist = []
5409 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
5410 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
5411 endfor
5412< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5413
5414
5415tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005416 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5417 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5418 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5419 page is returned (the tab page count).
5420 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5421
5422
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005423tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
5424 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
5425 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5426 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5427 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5428 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5429 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5430 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5431 Useful examples: >
5432 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5433 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5434< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5435
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00005436 *tagfiles()*
5437tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5438 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5439
5440
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005441taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5442 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00005443 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5444 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005445 name Name of the tag.
5446 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005447 defined. It is either relative to the
5448 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005449 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5450 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005451 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005452 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005453 kind values. Only available when
5454 using a tags file generated by
5455 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005456 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005457 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005458 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5459 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5460 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5461 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5462 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5463 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005464
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00005465 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5466 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005467
5468 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5469
5470 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
5471 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
5472 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
5473
5474 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5475 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5476 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5477
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005478tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5479 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005480 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005481 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5482 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5483 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
5484< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
5485 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
5486 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
5487 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
5488 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5489 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5490
5491tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
5492 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
5493 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
5494 the string).
5495
5496toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
5497 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
5498 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
5499 the string).
5500
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00005501tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
5502 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
5503 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
5504 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
5505 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
5506 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
5507 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
5508
5509 Examples: >
5510 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
5511< returns "Hello THere" >
5512 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
5513< returns "{blob}"
5514
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005515trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005516 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005517 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
5518 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5519 Examples: >
5520 echo trunc(1.456)
5521< 1.0 >
5522 echo trunc(-5.456)
5523< -5.0 >
5524 echo trunc(4.0)
5525< 4.0
5526 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5527
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005528 *type()*
5529type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005530 Number: 0
5531 String: 1
5532 Funcref: 2
5533 List: 3
5534 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005535 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005536 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005537 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
5538 :if type(myvar) == type("")
5539 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
5540 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005541 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005542 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005543
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005544values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005545 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005546 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005547
5548
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005549virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
5550 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
5551 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
5552 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
5553 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
5554 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
5555 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
5556 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00005557 For the byte position use |col()|.
5558 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
5559 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005560 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005561 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005562 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005563 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
5564 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
5565 The accepted positions are:
5566 . the cursor position
5567 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
5568 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
5569 plus one)
5570 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
5571 returned)
5572 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
5573 Examples: >
5574 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
5575 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005576 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
5577< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005578 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
5579 all lines: >
5580 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
5581
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005582
5583visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
5584 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005585 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
5586 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
5587 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
5588 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
5589 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005590 Example: >
5591 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
5592< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
5593 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
5594 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005595 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
5596 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005597 *non-zero-arg*
5598 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
5599 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005600 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005601 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
5602 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
5603 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005604
5605 *winbufnr()*
5606winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005607 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005608 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
5609 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5610 Example: >
5611 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
5612<
5613 *wincol()*
5614wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
5615 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
5616 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
5617
5618winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
5619 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
5620 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
5621 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5622 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
5623 Examples: >
5624 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
5625<
5626 *winline()*
5627winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005628 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005629 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00005630 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
5631 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005632
5633 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005634winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5635 window. The top window has number 1.
5636 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005637 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005638 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
5639 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005640 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
5641 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005642 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
5643 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005644 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005645
5646 *winrestcmd()*
5647winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
5648 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005649 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
5650 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005651 Example: >
5652 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5653 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
5654 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005655<
5656 *winrestview()*
5657winrestview({dict})
5658 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
5659 the view of the current window.
5660 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
5661 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
5662
5663 *winsaveview()*
5664winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
5665 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
5666 restore the view.
5667 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
5668 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
5669 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005670 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
5671 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005672 The return value includes:
5673 lnum cursor line number
5674 col cursor column
5675 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
5676 curswant column for vertical movement
5677 topline first line in the window
5678 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
5679 leftcol first column displayed
5680 skipcol columns skipped
5681 Note that no option values are saved.
5682
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005683
5684winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
5685 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
5686 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
5687 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5688 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
5689 Examples: >
5690 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
5691 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
5692 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
5693 :endif
5694<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005695 *writefile()*
5696writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005697 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005698 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
5699 Number.
5700 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
5701 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
5702 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
5703 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
5704 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
5705 to writefile().
5706 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
5707 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
5708 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
5709 fails.
5710 Also see |readfile()|.
5711 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5712 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5713 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5714<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005715
5716 *feature-list*
5717There are three types of features:
57181. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5719 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5720 :if has("cindent")
57212. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5722 Example: >
5723 :if has("gui_running")
5724< *has-patch*
57253. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5726 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5727 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5728 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005729< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
5730 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005731
5732all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5733amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5734arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5735arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00005736autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005737balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00005738balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005739beos BeOS version of Vim.
5740browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5741 work.
5742builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5743byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5744cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5745clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5746clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5747cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5748cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5749cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5750comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5751cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5752cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5753compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5754debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5755dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5756dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5757diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5758digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5759dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5760dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5761dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5762ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5763emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5764eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5765 true, of course!
5766ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5767extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5768 |'hlsearch'|
5769farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5770file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005771filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5772 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005773find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5774 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005775float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005776fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5777 Windows this is not present).
5778folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5779footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5780fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5781gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5782gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5783gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005784gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5785gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005786gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005787gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5788gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5789gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5790gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5791gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5792gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5793hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5794iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5795insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5796 Insert mode.
5797jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5798keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5799langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5800libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5801linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5802 support.
5803lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5804listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5805 and the argument list |arglist|.
5806localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5807mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5808macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5809menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5810mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5811modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5812mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5813mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5814mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5815mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5816mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5817mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005818mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005819mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
5820multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
5821multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5822multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00005823mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005824netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00005825netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005826ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5827os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5828osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5829path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5830perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5831postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5832printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005833profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005834python Compiled with Python interface.
5835qnx QNX version of Vim.
5836quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00005837reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005838rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5839ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5840scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5841showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5842signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5843smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00005844sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005845statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5846 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5847sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00005848spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5849syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005850syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5851 current buffer.
5852system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5853tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5854 |tag-binary-search|.
5855tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5856 |tag-old-static|.
5857tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
5858 files |tag-any-white|.
5859tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
5860terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
5861termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
5862textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
5863tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
5864 or terminfo file.
5865title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
5866toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
5867unix Unix version of Vim.
5868user_commands User-defined commands.
5869viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
5870vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
5871vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
5872virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
5873visual Compiled with Visual mode.
5874visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
5875 |blockwise-operators|.
5876vms VMS version of Vim.
5877vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
5878wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
5879wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
5880windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
5881winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
5882win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
5883win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
5884win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
5885win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
5886win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
5887writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
5888xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
5889xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
5890xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
5891xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
5892xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
5893xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
5894 xterm screen.
5895x11 Compiled with X11 support.
5896
5897 *string-match*
5898Matching a pattern in a String
5899
5900A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
5901the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
5902everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
5903like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
5904line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
5905with ".". Example: >
5906 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
5907 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
5908 aa
5909 xx
5910 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
5911 a
5912 x
5913
5914Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
5915"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
5916"\n".
5917
5918==============================================================================
59195. Defining functions *user-functions*
5920
5921New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
5922functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
5923commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
5924
5925The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
5926builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
5927avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
5928the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
5929
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005930It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
5931|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005932
5933 *local-function*
5934A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
5935can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
5936and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005937function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005938instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
5939
5940 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
5941:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
5942
5943:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005944 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5945 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005946 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005947
5948:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
5949 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
5950 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005951<
5952 *:function-verbose*
5953When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
5954last defined. Example: >
5955
5956 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
5957 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
5958 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
5959<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00005960See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005961
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005962 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005963:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005964 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
5965 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
5966 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005967
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005968 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5969 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005970 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005971< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005972 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005973 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005974 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
5975 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
5976 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005977 *E127* *E122*
5978 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
5979 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
5980 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
5981 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005982
5983 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
5984
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005985 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
5986 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
5987 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
5988 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
5989 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
5990 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
5991 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005992
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005993 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
5994 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005995
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005996 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005997 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005998 local variable "self" will then be set to the
5999 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006000
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006001 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006002 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006003 will not be changed by the function. This also
6004 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6005 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006006
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006007 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6008:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6009 by its own, without other commands.
6010
6011 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6012:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006013 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6014 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006015 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006016< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006017 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6018 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006019 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6020:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6021 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6022 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6023 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6024 the number 0 is returned.
6025 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6026 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6027
6028 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6029 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6030 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6031 are executed first. This process applies to all
6032 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6033 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6034
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006035 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006036An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006037be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006038 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006039Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6040arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6041may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6042as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006043can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6044that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006045 *E742*
6046The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006047However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006048Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6049it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6050|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006051
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006052When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6053to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6054may be larger.
6055
6056It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6057still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6058until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6059inside a function body.
6060
6061 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006062Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6063will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6064accessed with "g:".
6065
6066Example: >
6067 :function Table(title, ...)
6068 : echohl Title
6069 : echo a:title
6070 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006071 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6072 : for s in a:000
6073 : echon ' ' . s
6074 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006075 :endfunction
6076
6077This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006078 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6079 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006080
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006081To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6082 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006083 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006084 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006085 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006086 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006087 :endfunction
6088
6089This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006090 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006091 :if success == "ok"
6092 : echo div
6093 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006094<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00006095 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006096:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6097 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6098 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006099 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006100 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6101 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6102 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6103 function.
6104 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6105 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6106 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6107 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006108 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006109 this works:
6110 *function-range-example* >
6111 :function Mynumber(arg)
6112 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6113 :endfunction
6114 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6115<
6116 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6117 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6118 the range.
6119
6120 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6121
6122 :function Cont() range
6123 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6124 :endfunction
6125 :4,8call Cont()
6126<
6127 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6128 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6129
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006130 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6131 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6132 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6133< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6134
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006135 *E132*
6136The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6137option.
6138
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006139
6140AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006141 *autoload-functions*
6142When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006143only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6144the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6145
6146
6147Using an autocommand ~
6148
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006149This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6150
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006151The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6152You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006153That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006154again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6155
6156Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6157function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006158
6159 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6160
6161The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6162"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6163
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006164
6165Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006166 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006167This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6168
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006169Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6170exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6171like this: >
6172
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006173 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006174
6175When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6176"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6177"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6178then define the function like this: >
6179
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006180 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006181 echo "Done!"
6182 endfunction
6183
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00006184The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006185exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6186called.
6187
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006188It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6189a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006190
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006191 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006192
6193Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6194
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006195This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6196
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006197 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006198
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00006199However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6200for an unknown variable.
6201
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006202When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6203be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6204
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006205 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6206 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006207
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00006208Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6209defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6210function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006211And you will get an error message every time.
6212
6213Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006214other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006215Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006216
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006217Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6218|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6219
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006220==============================================================================
62216. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6222
6223Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
6224This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
6225{} like this: >
6226 my_{adjective}_variable
6227
6228When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6229that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6230name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6231"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6232"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6233
6234One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006235value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006236 echo my_{&background}_message
6237
6238would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6239on the current value of 'background'.
6240
6241You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6242 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6243..or even nest them: >
6244 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6245where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6246
6247However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006248variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006249 :let foo='a + b'
6250 :echo c{foo}d
6251.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6252
6253 *curly-braces-function-names*
6254You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6255Example: >
6256 :let func_end='whizz'
6257 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6258
6259This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6260
6261==============================================================================
62627. Commands *expression-commands*
6263
6264:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6265 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6266 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6267 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6268 is created.
6269
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006270:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6271 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6272 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6273 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6274 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006275 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6276 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6277 can do that like this: >
6278 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6279<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006280 *E711* *E719*
6281:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006282 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6283 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006284 correct number of items.
6285 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6286 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6287 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6288 end of the list, items will be added.
6289
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006290 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006291:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6292:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6293:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6294 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6295 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6296
6297
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006298:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6299 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6300 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006301:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6302 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6303 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6304 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006305
6306:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6307 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6308 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6309 must be the name of a writable register (see
6310 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6311 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6312 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6313 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6314 characterwise.
6315 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6316 :let @/ = ""
6317< This is different from searching for an empty string,
6318 that would match everywhere.
6319
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006320:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006321 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006322 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6323
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006324:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006325 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006326 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6327 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006328 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6329 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00006330 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006331 Example: >
6332 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006333
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006334:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6335 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6336 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6337
6338:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6339:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6340 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6341 {expr1}.
6342
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006343:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006344:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6345:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6346:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006347 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6348 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6349
6350:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006351:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6352:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6353:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006354 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6355 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6356
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006357:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006358 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006359 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6360 {name2}, etc.
6361 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006362 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006363 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6364 command as mentioned above.
6365 Example: >
6366 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006367< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6368 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6369 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6370 :let x = [0, 1]
6371 :let i = 0
6372 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6373 :echo x
6374< The result is [0, 2].
6375
6376:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6377:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6378:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
6379 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006380 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006381
6382:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006383 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006384 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
6385 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
6386 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006387 Example: >
6388 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
6389<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006390:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
6391:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
6392:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
6393 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006394 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006395 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006396:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006397 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
6398 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006399 g: global variables
6400 b: local buffer variables
6401 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006402 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006403 s: script-local variables
6404 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006405 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006406
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006407:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
6408 variable is indicated before the value:
6409 <nothing> String
6410 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006411 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006412
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006413
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006414:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006415 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
6416 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006417 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006418 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
6419 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006420 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006421 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
6422 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006423< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006424 :unlet dict['two']
6425 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006426< This is especially useful to clean up used global
6427 variables and script-local variables (these are not
6428 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
6429 variables are automatically deleted when the function
6430 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006431
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006432:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
6433 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
6434 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
6435 A locked variable can be deleted: >
6436 :lockvar v
6437 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
6438 :unlet v
6439< *E741*
6440 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
6441 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
6442
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006443 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
6444 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
6445 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006446 cannot add or remove items, but can
6447 still change their values.
6448 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006449 the items. If an item is a |List| or
6450 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006451 items, but can still change the
6452 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006453 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
6454 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
6455 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
6456 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
6457 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006458 *E743*
6459 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
6460 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
6461 loops.
6462
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006463 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
6464 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006465 locked when used through the other variable.
6466 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006467 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
6468 :let cl = l
6469 :lockvar l
6470 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
6471< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
6472 See |deepcopy()|.
6473
6474
6475:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
6476 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
6477 opposite of |:lockvar|.
6478
6479
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006480:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
6481:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6482 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6483
6484 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
6485 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
6486 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
6487 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
6488 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
6489 part was not executed either.
6490
6491 You can use this to remain compatible with older
6492 versions: >
6493 :if version >= 500
6494 : version-5-specific-commands
6495 :endif
6496< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
6497 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
6498 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
6499 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
6500 avoid problems: >
6501 :if version >= 600
6502 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
6503 :endif
6504<
6505 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6506 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
6507
6508 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
6509:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6510 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
6511 executed.
6512
6513 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
6514:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
6515 is no extra ":endif".
6516
6517:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006518 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006519:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
6520 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6521 When an error is detected from a command inside the
6522 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006523 Example: >
6524 :let lnum = 1
6525 :while lnum <= line("$")
6526 :call FixLine(lnum)
6527 :let lnum = lnum + 1
6528 :endwhile
6529<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006530 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006531 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006532
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006533:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006534:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
6535 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006536 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006537 value of each item.
6538 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006539 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00006540 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
6541 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006542 :for item in copy(mylist)
6543< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
6544 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006545 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006546 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
6547 it will not be found. Thus the following example
6548 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
6549 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006550 :call remove(mylist, 0)
6551 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006552< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
6553 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
6554 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006555 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
6556 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
6557 to allow multiple item types.
6558
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006559:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
6560:endfo[r]
6561 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
6562 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
6563 {var2}, etc. Example: >
6564 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
6565 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
6566 :endfor
6567<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006568 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006569:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
6570 to the start of the loop.
6571 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6572 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6573 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6574 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6575 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6576 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006577
6578 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006579:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
6580 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
6581 ":endfor".
6582 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6583 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6584 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6585 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6586 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6587 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006588
6589:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
6590:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
6591 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
6592 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
6593 or autocommand invocations.
6594
6595 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
6596 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
6597 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
6598 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
6599 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
6600 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
6601 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
6602 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
6603 Example: >
6604 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
6605 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
6606<
6607 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
6608 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
6609 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
6610 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
6611 processing is not terminated.
6612
6613 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
6614 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
6615 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
6616 other errors are converted to a value of the form
6617 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
6618 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
6619 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
6620 the error number.
6621 Examples: >
6622 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
6623 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
6624<
6625 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
6626:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
6627 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
6628 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
6629 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
6630 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
6631 commands are skipped.
6632 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
6633 Examples: >
6634 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
6635 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
6636 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
6637 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
6638 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
6639 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
6640 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
6641 :catch " same as /.*/
6642<
6643 Another character can be used instead of / around the
6644 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
6645 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
6646 {pattern}.
6647 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
6648 an error message because it may vary in different
6649 locales.
6650
6651 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
6652:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
6653 are executed whenever the part between the matching
6654 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
6655 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
6656 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
6657 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
6658
6659 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
6660:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
6661 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
6662 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
6663 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
6664 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
6665 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
6666 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
6667 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
6668 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
6669 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
6670 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
6671 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
6672 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
6673 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
6674 is terminated.
6675 Example: >
6676 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
6677<
6678
6679 *:ec* *:echo*
6680:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
6681 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
6682 Also see |:comment|.
6683 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
6684 cursor to the first column.
6685 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6686 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6687 Example: >
6688 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006689< *:echo-redraw*
6690 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
6691 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
6692 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
6693 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
6694 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
6695 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
6696 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006697 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
6698<
6699 *:echon*
6700:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
6701 |:comment|.
6702 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6703 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6704 Example: >
6705 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
6706<
6707 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
6708 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
6709 command: >
6710 :!echo % --> filename
6711< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
6712 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
6713< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
6714 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
6715 :echo % --> nothing
6716< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
6717 :echo "%" --> %
6718< This just echoes the '%' character. >
6719 :echo expand("%") --> filename
6720< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
6721
6722 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6723:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6724 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6725 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6726 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6727< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6728 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6729
6730 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6731:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6732 message in the |message-history|.
6733 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6734 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6735 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006736 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
6737 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
6738 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
6739 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
6740 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006741 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6742 Example: >
6743 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006744< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
6745 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006746 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6747:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6748 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6749 script or function the line number will be added.
6750 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006751 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006752 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6753 (see |try-echoerr|).
6754 Example: >
6755 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6756< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6757 And to get a beep: >
6758 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6759<
6760 *:exe* *:execute*
6761:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6762 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006763 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006764 used as the processed command, command line editing
6765 keys are not recognized.
6766 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6767 Examples: >
6768 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6769 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6770<
6771 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6772 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6773 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6774
6775< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6776 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6777 command: >
6778 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6779< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6780
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006781 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
6782 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006783 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
6784 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006785 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006786 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006787<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006788 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006789 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6790 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006791 :execute 'while i > 5'
6792 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6793<
6794 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6795 completely in the executed string: >
6796 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6797<
6798
6799 *:comment*
6800 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6801 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6802 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6803 comment. Example: >
6804 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6805
6806==============================================================================
68078. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6808
6809The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6810explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6811
6812Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6813|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6814exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6815
6816
6817TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6818
6819Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6820use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6821a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6822 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6823|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6824a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6825be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6826which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6827clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6828
6829 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006830 : ...
6831 : ... TRY BLOCK
6832 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006833 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006834 : ...
6835 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6836 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006837 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006838 : ...
6839 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6840 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006841 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006842 : ...
6843 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6844 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006845 :endtry
6846
6847The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6848appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6849from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6850 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6851is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6852script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6853 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6854lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6855patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6856after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6857executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
6858":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
6859(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
6860continues in the following line as usual.
6861 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
6862":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
6863that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
6864finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
6865the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
6866the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
6867see |try-nesting|.
6868 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006869remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006870not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
6871try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
6872a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
6873execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
6874exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6875 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006876thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006877clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
6878catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
6879following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
6880clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6881
6882The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
6883a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
6884try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
6885from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
6886sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
6887":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
6888":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
6889from the finally clause.
6890 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
6891try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
6892clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
6893":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
6894clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
6895":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
6896this pending exception or command is discarded.
6897
6898For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
6899
6900
6901NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
6902
6903Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
6904conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
6905clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
6906catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
6907of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
6908checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
6909try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006910otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006911nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
6912one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
6913the inner try conditional.
6914
6915When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
6916finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
6917An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
6918thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
6919implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
6920as usual.
6921
6922For examples see |throw-catch|.
6923
6924
6925EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
6926
6927Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
6928'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
6929script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
6930finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
6931a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
6932(see |debug-scripts|).
6933
6934
6935THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
6936
6937You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
6938and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
6939 :throw 4711
6940 :throw "string"
6941< *throw-expression*
6942You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
6943first, and the result is thrown: >
6944 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
6945 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
6946
6947An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
6948command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
6949The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
6950 Example: >
6951
6952 :function! Foo(arg)
6953 : try
6954 : throw a:arg
6955 : catch /foo/
6956 : endtry
6957 : return 1
6958 :endfunction
6959 :
6960 :function! Bar()
6961 : echo "in Bar"
6962 : return 4710
6963 :endfunction
6964 :
6965 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
6966
6967This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
6968executed. >
6969 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
6970however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
6971
6972Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006973abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006974exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
6975 Example: >
6976
6977 :if Foo("arrgh")
6978 : echo "then"
6979 :else
6980 : echo "else"
6981 :endif
6982
6983Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
6984
6985 *catch-order*
6986Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
6987commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
6988command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
6989gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
6990 Example: >
6991
6992 :function! Foo(value)
6993 : try
6994 : throw a:value
6995 : catch /^\d\+$/
6996 : echo "Number thrown"
6997 : catch /.*/
6998 : echo "String thrown"
6999 : endtry
7000 :endfunction
7001 :
7002 :call Foo(0x1267)
7003 :call Foo('string')
7004
7005The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7006An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7007specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7008specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7009
7010 : catch /.*/
7011 : echo "String thrown"
7012 : catch /^\d\+$/
7013 : echo "Number thrown"
7014
7015The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7016never taken.
7017
7018 *throw-variables*
7019If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7020in the variable |v:exception|: >
7021
7022 : catch /^\d\+$/
7023 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7024
7025You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7026|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7027exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7028 Example: >
7029
7030 :function! Caught()
7031 : if v:exception != ""
7032 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7033 : else
7034 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7035 : endif
7036 :endfunction
7037 :
7038 :function! Foo()
7039 : try
7040 : try
7041 : try
7042 : throw 4711
7043 : finally
7044 : call Caught()
7045 : endtry
7046 : catch /.*/
7047 : call Caught()
7048 : throw "oops"
7049 : endtry
7050 : catch /.*/
7051 : call Caught()
7052 : finally
7053 : call Caught()
7054 : endtry
7055 :endfunction
7056 :
7057 :call Foo()
7058
7059This displays >
7060
7061 Nothing caught
7062 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7063 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7064 Nothing caught
7065
7066A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7067number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7068
7069 :function! LineNumber()
7070 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7071 :endfunction
7072 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7073<
7074 *try-nested*
7075An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7076a surrounding try conditional: >
7077
7078 :try
7079 : try
7080 : throw "foo"
7081 : catch /foobar/
7082 : echo "foobar"
7083 : finally
7084 : echo "inner finally"
7085 : endtry
7086 :catch /foo/
7087 : echo "foo"
7088 :endtry
7089
7090The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7091clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7092conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7093
7094 *throw-from-catch*
7095You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7096catch clause: >
7097
7098 :function! Foo()
7099 : throw "foo"
7100 :endfunction
7101 :
7102 :function! Bar()
7103 : try
7104 : call Foo()
7105 : catch /foo/
7106 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7107 : throw "bar"
7108 : endtry
7109 :endfunction
7110 :
7111 :try
7112 : call Bar()
7113 :catch /.*/
7114 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7115 :endtry
7116
7117This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7118
7119 *rethrow*
7120There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7121"v:exception" instead: >
7122
7123 :function! Bar()
7124 : try
7125 : call Foo()
7126 : catch /.*/
7127 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7128 : throw v:exception
7129 : endtry
7130 :endfunction
7131< *try-echoerr*
7132Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7133exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7134Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7135denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7136the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7137
7138 :try
7139 : try
7140 : asdf
7141 : catch /.*/
7142 : echoerr v:exception
7143 : endtry
7144 :catch /.*/
7145 : echo v:exception
7146 :endtry
7147
7148This code displays
7149
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007150 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007151
7152
7153CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7154
7155Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7156user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007157an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007158a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7159catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7160a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7161normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7162(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007163to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007164clause has been executed.)
7165Example: >
7166
7167 :try
7168 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7169 : set ts=17
7170 :
7171 : " Do the hard work here.
7172 :
7173 :finally
7174 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7175 : unlet s:saved_ts
7176 :endtry
7177
7178This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7179changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7180that function or script part.
7181
7182 *break-finally*
7183Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7184a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7185 Example: >
7186
7187 :let first = 1
7188 :while 1
7189 : try
7190 : if first
7191 : echo "first"
7192 : let first = 0
7193 : continue
7194 : else
7195 : throw "second"
7196 : endif
7197 : catch /.*/
7198 : echo v:exception
7199 : break
7200 : finally
7201 : echo "cleanup"
7202 : endtry
7203 : echo "still in while"
7204 :endwhile
7205 :echo "end"
7206
7207This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7208
7209 :function! Foo()
7210 : try
7211 : return 4711
7212 : finally
7213 : echo "cleanup\n"
7214 : endtry
7215 : echo "Foo still active"
7216 :endfunction
7217 :
7218 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7219
7220This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007221extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007222return value.)
7223
7224 *except-from-finally*
7225Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7226a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7227cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7228exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7229 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7230working correctly: >
7231
7232 :try
7233 : try
7234 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7235 : while 1
7236 : endwhile
7237 : finally
7238 : unlet novar
7239 : endtry
7240 :catch /novar/
7241 :endtry
7242 :echo "Script still running"
7243 :sleep 1
7244
7245If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7246think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7247|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7248
7249
7250CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7251
7252If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7253watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7254presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7255exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7256the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7257the error exception is.
7258 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7259
7260 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7261or >
7262 Vim:{errmsg}
7263
7264{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007265the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007266when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7267a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7268a space.
7269
7270Examples:
7271
7272The command >
7273 :unlet novar
7274normally produces the error message >
7275 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7276which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7277 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7278
7279The command >
7280 :dwim
7281normally produces the error message >
7282 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7283which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7284 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7285
7286You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7287 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7288or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7289 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7290
7291Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7292 :function nofunc
7293and >
7294 :delfunction nofunc
7295both produce the error message >
7296 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7297which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7298 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7299or >
7300 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7301respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7302command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7303 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7304
7305Some commands like >
7306 :let x = novar
7307produce multiple error messages, here: >
7308 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7309 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7310Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7311one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7312 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7313
7314You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7315 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7316
7317You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7318 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7319
7320You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7321 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7322<
7323 *catch-text*
7324NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7325 :catch /No such variable/
7326only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7327a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7328cite the message text in a comment: >
7329 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7330
7331
7332IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7333
7334You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7335
7336 :try
7337 : write
7338 :catch
7339 :endtry
7340
7341But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7342catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7343be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7344
7345 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7346
7347There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7348writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7349then hide the error from the user.
7350 It is much better to use >
7351
7352 :try
7353 : write
7354 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7355 :endtry
7356
7357which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7358intentionally.
7359
7360For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7361even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7362command: >
7363 :silent! nunmap k
7364This works also when a try conditional is active.
7365
7366
7367CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7368
7369When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007370the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007371script is not terminated, then.
7372 Example: >
7373
7374 :function! TASK1()
7375 : sleep 10
7376 :endfunction
7377
7378 :function! TASK2()
7379 : sleep 20
7380 :endfunction
7381
7382 :while 1
7383 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
7384 : try
7385 : if command == ""
7386 : continue
7387 : elseif command == "END"
7388 : break
7389 : elseif command == "TASK1"
7390 : call TASK1()
7391 : elseif command == "TASK2"
7392 : call TASK2()
7393 : else
7394 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
7395 : continue
7396 : endif
7397 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7398 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
7399 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
7400 : endtry
7401 :endwhile
7402
7403You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007404a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007405
7406For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
7407your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
7408command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
7409
7410
7411CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
7412
7413The commands >
7414
7415 :catch /.*/
7416 :catch //
7417 :catch
7418
7419catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
7420explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
7421a script in order to catch unexpected things.
7422 Example: >
7423
7424 :try
7425 :
7426 : " do the hard work here
7427 :
7428 :catch /MyException/
7429 :
7430 : " handle known problem
7431 :
7432 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7433 : echo "Script interrupted"
7434 :catch /.*/
7435 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
7436 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
7437 :endtry
7438 :" end of script
7439
7440Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
7441strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
7442specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
7443 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
7444by pressing CTRL-C: >
7445
7446 :while 1
7447 : try
7448 : sleep 1
7449 : catch
7450 : endtry
7451 :endwhile
7452
7453
7454EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
7455
7456Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
7457
7458 :autocmd User x try
7459 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
7460 :autocmd User x catch
7461 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
7462 :autocmd User x endtry
7463 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
7464 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
7465 :
7466 :try
7467 : doautocmd User x
7468 :catch
7469 : echo v:exception
7470 :endtry
7471
7472This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
7473
7474 *except-autocmd-Pre*
7475For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
7476command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
7477of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
7478abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
7479 Example: >
7480
7481 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
7482 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
7483 :
7484 :try
7485 : write
7486 :catch
7487 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
7488 :endtry
7489
7490Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
7491you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
7492autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
7493script displays: >
7494
7495 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
7496<
7497 *except-autocmd-Post*
7498For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
7499command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
7500an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
7501is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
7502 Example: >
7503
7504 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
7505 :
7506 :try
7507 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7508 :catch
7509 : echo v:exception
7510 :endtry
7511
7512This just displays: >
7513
7514 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
7515
7516If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
7517fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
7518 Example: >
7519
7520 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
7521 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
7522 :
7523 :try
7524 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7525 :catch
7526 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7527 :endtry
7528<
7529You can also use ":silent!": >
7530
7531 :let x = "ok"
7532 :let v:errmsg = ""
7533 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
7534 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
7535 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
7536 :try
7537 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7538 :catch
7539 :endtry
7540 :echo x
7541
7542This displays "after fail".
7543
7544If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
7545autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
7546
7547 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
7548 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
7549 :
7550 :try
7551 : write
7552 :catch
7553 : echo v:exception
7554 :endtry
7555<
7556 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
7557For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
7558autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
7559of the command.
7560 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007561had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007562some way. >
7563
7564 :if !exists("cnt")
7565 : let cnt = 0
7566 :
7567 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
7568 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
7569 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
7570 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7571 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7572 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
7573 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
7574 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7575 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7576 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
7577 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7578 :endif
7579 :
7580 :try
7581 : write
7582 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
7583 : if &modified
7584 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
7585 : else
7586 : echo "Error after writing"
7587 : endif
7588 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7589 : echo "Error on writing"
7590 :endtry
7591
7592When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
7593first >
7594 File successfully written!
7595then >
7596 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
7597then >
7598 Error after writing
7599etc.
7600
7601 *except-autocmd-ill*
7602You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
7603The following code is ill-formed: >
7604
7605 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
7606 :
7607 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
7608 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
7609 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
7610 :
7611 :write
7612
7613
7614EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
7615
7616Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
7617pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
7618similar things in Vim.
7619 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
7620class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
7621string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
7622 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
7623it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
7624for an error when writing "myfile".
7625 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
7626base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
7627parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
7628 Example: >
7629
7630 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
7631 : if a:a < 0
7632 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
7633 : endif
7634 :endfunction
7635 :
7636 :function! Add(a, b)
7637 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
7638 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
7639 : let c = a:a + a:b
7640 : if c < 0
7641 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
7642 : endif
7643 : return c
7644 :endfunction
7645 :
7646 :function! Div(a, b)
7647 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
7648 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
7649 : if (a:b == 0)
7650 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
7651 : endif
7652 : return a:a / a:b
7653 :endfunction
7654 :
7655 :function! Write(file)
7656 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007657 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007658 : catch /^Vim(write):/
7659 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
7660 : endtry
7661 :endfunction
7662 :
7663 :try
7664 :
7665 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
7666 :
7667 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
7668 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7669 : echo "Range error in" function
7670 :
7671 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
7672 : echo "Math error"
7673 :
7674 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
7675 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
7676 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7677 : if file !~ '^/'
7678 : let file = dir . "/" . file
7679 : endif
7680 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
7681 :
7682 :catch /^EXCEPT/
7683 : echo "Unspecified error"
7684 :
7685 :endtry
7686
7687The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
7688a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
7689exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
7690 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
7691failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
7692
7693
7694PECULIARITIES
7695 *except-compat*
7696The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
7697exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
7698and/or a catch clause.
7699
7700In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
7701continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
7702after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
7703functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
7704or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
7705(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
7706
7707This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
7708immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007709conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
7710be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007711termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
7712catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
7713by specifying a finally clause.)
7714
7715When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
7716behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
7717scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
7718
7719However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
7720commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
7721conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
7722script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
7723error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
7724messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007725|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
7726not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007727where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
7728error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
7729scripts.
7730
7731 *except-syntax-err*
7732Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
7733the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
7734clauses, however, is executed.
7735 Example: >
7736
7737 :try
7738 : try
7739 : throw 4711
7740 : catch /\(/
7741 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7742 : catch
7743 : echo "inner catch-all"
7744 : finally
7745 : echo "inner finally"
7746 : endtry
7747 :catch
7748 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7749 : finally
7750 : echo "outer finally"
7751 :endtry
7752
7753This displays: >
7754 inner finally
7755 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7756 outer finally
7757The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7758
7759 *except-single-line*
7760The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7761a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7762"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7763 Example: >
7764 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7765raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7766argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7767error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7768displayed.
7769
7770 *except-several-errors*
7771When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7772usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7773 Example: >
7774 echo novar
7775causes >
7776 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7777 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7778The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7779 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7780< *except-syntax-error*
7781But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7782the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7783 Example: >
7784 unlet novar #
7785causes >
7786 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7787 E488: Trailing characters
7788The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7789 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7790This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7791not intended by the user. Example: >
7792 try
7793 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7794 catch /.*/
7795 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7796 endtry
7797This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7798a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7799
7800==============================================================================
78019. Examples *eval-examples*
7802
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007803Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007804>
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007805 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the Hex string of a number.
7806 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007807 : let n = a:nr
7808 : let r = ""
7809 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007810 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
7811 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007812 : endwhile
7813 : return r
7814 :endfunc
7815
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007816 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
7817 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
7818 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007819 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007820 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
7821 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7822 : endfor
7823 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007824 :endfunc
7825
7826Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007827 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
7828result: "100000" >
7829 :echo String2Bin("32")
7830result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007831
7832
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007833Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007834
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007835This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
7836
7837 :func SortBuffer()
7838 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
7839 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
7840 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007841 :endfunction
7842
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007843As a one-liner: >
7844 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007845
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007846
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007847scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007848 *sscanf*
7849There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7850line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7851how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7852"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7853 :" Set up the match bit
7854 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7855 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7856 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7857 :"get each item out of the match
7858 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
7859 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
7860 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
7861
7862The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
7863"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
7864
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007865
7866getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
7867 *scriptnames-dictionary*
7868The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
7869have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
7870(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
7871code can be used: >
7872 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
7873 let scriptnames_output = ''
7874 redir => scriptnames_output
7875 silent scriptnames
7876 redir END
7877
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007878 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007879 " "scripts" dictionary.
7880 let scripts = {}
7881 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
7882 " Only do non-blank lines.
7883 if line =~ '\S'
7884 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007885 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007886 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007887 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007888 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007889 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007890 endif
7891 endfor
7892 unlet scriptnames_output
7893
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007894==============================================================================
789510. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
7896
7897When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
7898evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
7899to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
7900recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
7901and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
7902only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
7903recognized.
7904
7905Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
7906missing: >
7907
7908 :if 1
7909 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
7910 :else
7911 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
7912 :endif
7913
7914==============================================================================
791511. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
7916
7917The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
7918options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
7919these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007920these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00007921a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007922The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007923
7924These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
7925 - changing the buffer text
7926 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
7927 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007928 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007929 - executing a shell command
7930 - reading or writing a file
7931 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00007932 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007933This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
7934
7935 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00007936:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007937 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
7938 'foldexpr'.
7939
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007940 *sandbox-option*
7941A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00007942have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007943restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
7944location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00007945- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007946- while executing in the sandbox
7947- value coming from a modeline
7948
7949Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
7950option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
7951
7952==============================================================================
795312. Textlock *textlock*
7954
7955In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
7956to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
7957is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007958actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007959happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
7960
7961This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
7962 - changing the buffer text
7963 - jumping to another buffer or window
7964 - editing another file
7965 - closing a window or quitting Vim
7966 - etc.
7967
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007968
7969 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: