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Bram Moolenaard28478b2010-07-18 23:29:58 +02001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.3b. Last change: 2010 May 14
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"
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +020070 *octal*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000071Conversion 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 Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100856Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see |byteidx()| for
857an alternative.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000858
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000859Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
860text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
861cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000862 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000863
864If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000865String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
866compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
867
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000868If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000869for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000870error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000871 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
872
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000873Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
874|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
875error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000876
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000877
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000878expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000879
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000880If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
881from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100882expr1b are used as a Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see
883|byteidx()| for computing the indexes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000884
885If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
886string minus one is used.
887
888A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
889the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
890
891If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
892expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
893
894Examples: >
895 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
896 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
897 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
898 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100899<
900 *sublist* *slice*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000901If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000902the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000903just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000904 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
905 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
906 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
907
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000908Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
909error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000910
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000911
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000912expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000913
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000914If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
915name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
916expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000917
918The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
919but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
920
921There must not be white space before or after the dot.
922
923Examples: >
924 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
925 :echo dict.one
926 :echo dict .2
927
928Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
929always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
930
931
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000932expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000933
934When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
935
936
937
938 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000939number
940------
941number number constant *expr-number*
942
943Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
944
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000945 *floating-point-format*
946Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
947
948 [-+]{N}.{M}
949 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
950
951{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
952contain digits.
953[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
954{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
955Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
956locale is.
957{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
958
959Examples:
960 123.456
961 +0.0001
962 55.0
963 -0.123
964 1.234e03
965 1.0E-6
966 -3.1416e+88
967
968These are INVALID:
969 3. empty {M}
970 1e40 missing .{M}
971
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000972 *float-pi* *float-e*
973A few useful values to copy&paste: >
974 :let pi = 3.14159265359
975 :let e = 2.71828182846
976
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000977Rationale:
978Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
979the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
980resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000981could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000982incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
983for floating point numbers.
984
985 *floating-point-precision*
986The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
987means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
988runtime.
989
990The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
991printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
992function. Example: >
993 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
994< 7.853981633974483e-01
995
996
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000997
998string *expr-string* *E114*
999------
1000"string" string constant *expr-quote*
1001
1002Note that double quotes are used.
1003
1004A string constant accepts these special characters:
1005\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1006\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1007\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1008\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1009\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1010\X.. same as \x..
1011\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001012\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001013 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1014\U.... same as \u....
1015\b backspace <BS>
1016\e escape <Esc>
1017\f formfeed <FF>
1018\n newline <NL>
1019\r return <CR>
1020\t tab <Tab>
1021\\ backslash
1022\" double quote
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02001023\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W. This is for use
1024 in mappings, the 0x80 byte is escaped. Don't use <Char-xxxx> to get a
1025 utf-8 character, use \uxxxx as mentioned above.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001026
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001027Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1028encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1029of 'encoding'.
1030
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001031Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1032
1033
1034literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1035---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001036'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001037
1038Note that single quotes are used.
1039
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001040This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001041meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001042
1043Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001044to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001045 if a =~ "\\s*"
1046 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001047
1048
1049option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1050------
1051&option option value, local value if possible
1052&g:option global option value
1053&l:option local option value
1054
1055Examples: >
1056 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1057 if &insertmode
1058
1059Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1060and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1061anyway.
1062
1063
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001064register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001065--------
1066@r contents of register 'r'
1067
1068The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1069Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001070register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001071registers.
1072
1073When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1074evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001075
1076
1077nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1078-------
1079(expr1) nested expression
1080
1081
1082environment variable *expr-env*
1083--------------------
1084$VAR environment variable
1085
1086The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1087result is an empty string.
1088 *expr-env-expand*
1089Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1090expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1091are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1092the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1093fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1094does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1095 :echo $version
1096 :echo expand("$version")
1097The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1098variable (if your shell supports it).
1099
1100
1101internal variable *expr-variable*
1102-----------------
1103variable internal variable
1104See below |internal-variables|.
1105
1106
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001107function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001108-------------
1109function(expr1, ...) function call
1110See below |functions|.
1111
1112
1113==============================================================================
11143. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1115 *E461*
1116An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1117cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1118|curly-braces-names|.
1119
1120An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001121An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1122|:unlet|.
1123Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1124been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001125
1126There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1127specified by what is prepended:
1128
1129 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1130|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1131|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001132|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001133|global-variable| g: Global.
1134|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1135|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1136|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001137|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001138
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001139The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1140delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001141 :for k in keys(s:)
1142 : unlet s:[k]
1143 :endfor
1144<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001145 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1146A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1147Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1148This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1149|:bdelete|.
1150
1151One local buffer variable is predefined:
1152 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1153b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1154 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1155 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1156 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1157 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001158 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1159 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001160 :endif
1161<
1162 *window-variable* *w:var*
1163A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1164is deleted when the window is closed.
1165
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001166 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1167A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1168It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1169without the +windows feature}
1170
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001171 *global-variable* *g:var*
1172Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001173access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001174place if you like.
1175
1176 *local-variable* *l:var*
1177Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001178But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1179you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1180refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1181same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001182
1183 *script-variable* *s:var*
1184In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1185accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1186
1187They can be used in:
1188- commands executed while the script is sourced
1189- functions defined in the script
1190- autocommands defined in the script
1191- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1192 defined in the script (recursively)
1193- user defined commands defined in the script
1194Thus not in:
1195- other scripts sourced from this one
1196- mappings
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001197- menus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001198- etc.
1199
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001200Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1201Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001202
1203 let s:counter = 0
1204 function MyCounter()
1205 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1206 echo s:counter
1207 endfunction
1208 command Tick call MyCounter()
1209
1210You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1211that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1212"Tick" was defined is used.
1213
1214Another example that does the same: >
1215
1216 let s:counter = 0
1217 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1218
1219When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001220script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001221defined.
1222
1223The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1224function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1225
1226 let s:counter = 0
1227 function StartCounting(incr)
1228 if a:incr
1229 function MyCounter()
1230 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1231 endfunction
1232 else
1233 function MyCounter()
1234 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1235 endfunction
1236 endif
1237 endfunction
1238
1239This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1240when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1241called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1242
1243When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1244They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1245maintain a counter: >
1246
1247 if !exists("s:counter")
1248 let s:counter = 1
1249 echo "script executed for the first time"
1250 else
1251 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1252 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1253 endif
1254
1255Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1256variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1257
1258
1259Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1260
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001261 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1262v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1263 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1264 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1265
1266 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1267v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1268 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1269
1270 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1271v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1272 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1273
1274 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001275v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1276 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1277 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1278 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001279 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1280 highlighted text is used.
1281 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1282
1283 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1284v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1285 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1286
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001287 *v:char* *char-variable*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001288v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr' and used for the typed
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02001289 character when using <expr> in an abbreviation |:map-<expr>|.
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001290
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001291 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1292v:charconvert_from
1293 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1294 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1295
1296 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1297v:charconvert_to
1298 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1299 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1300
1301 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1302v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1303 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1304 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1305 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1306 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1307 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001308 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001309 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1310 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1311 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1312 in 'printexpr'.
1313
1314 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1315v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1316 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1317 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1318 can be used.
1319
1320 *v:count* *count-variable*
1321v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001322 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001323 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1324< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1325 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001326 When there are two counts, as in "3d2w", they are multiplied,
1327 just like what happens in the command, "d6w" for the example.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001328 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001329 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1330
1331 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1332v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1333 used.
1334
1335 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1336v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1337 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1338 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1339 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1340 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1341 command.
1342 See |multi-lang|.
1343
1344 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001345v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001346 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1347 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1348 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1349 Example: >
1350 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +02001351< Note: if another deadly signal is caught when v:dying is one,
1352 VimLeave autocommands will not be executed.
1353
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001354 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1355v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1356 Example: >
1357 :let v:errmsg = ""
1358 :silent! next
1359 :if v:errmsg != ""
1360 : ... handle error
1361< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1362
1363 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1364v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1365 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1366 Example: >
1367 :try
1368 : throw "oops"
1369 :catch /.*/
1370 : echo "caught" v:exception
1371 :endtry
1372< Output: "caught oops".
1373
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001374 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1375v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1376 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1377 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1378 deleted file no longer exists
1379 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1380 changed and buffer is modified
1381 changed file contents has changed
1382 mode mode of file changed
1383 time only file timestamp changed
1384
1385 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1386v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1387 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1388 do with the affected buffer:
1389 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1390 the file was deleted).
1391 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1392 was no autocommand. Except that when
1393 only the timestamp changed nothing
1394 will happen.
1395 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1396 everything that needs to be done.
1397 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1398 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1399
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001400 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001401v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001402 option used for ~
1403 'charconvert' file to be converted
1404 'diffexpr' original file
1405 'patchexpr' original file
1406 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001407 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001408
1409 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1410v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1411 evaluating:
1412 option used for ~
1413 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1414 'diffexpr' output of diff
1415 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1416 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001417 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001418 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1419 file and different from v:fname_in.
1420
1421 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1422v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1423 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1424
1425 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1426v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1427 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1428
1429 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1430v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1431 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001432 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001433
1434 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1435v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001436 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001437
1438 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1439v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001440 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001441
1442 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1443v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001444 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001445
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001446 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1447v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1448 events. Values:
1449 i Insert mode
1450 r Replace mode
1451 v Virtual Replace mode
1452
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001453 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001454v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001455 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1456 Read-only.
1457
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001458 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1459v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1460 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1461 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1462 The value is system dependent.
1463 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1464 command.
1465 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1466 in a different language than what is used for character
1467 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1468
1469 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1470v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1471 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1472 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1473 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1474 command. See |multi-lang|.
1475
1476 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001477v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar57657d82006-04-21 22:12:41 +00001478 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel' and
1479 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1480 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001481
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001482 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1483v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1484 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1485 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1486
1487 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1488v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1489 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1490 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1491
1492 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1493v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1494 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1495 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1496
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001497 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1498v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1499 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1500 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1501 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
1502 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1503 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1504 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1505 than String this will cause trouble.
1506 {only when compiled with the +viminfo feature}
1507
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001508 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1509v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1510 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1511 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1512 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1513 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1514 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1515< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1516 don't expect it to be empty.
1517 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1518 commands.
1519 Read-only.
1520
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001521 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1522v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1523 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001524 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1525 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001526 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1527< Read-only.
1528
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001529 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001530v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001531 See |profiling|.
1532
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001533 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1534v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1535 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1536 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1537 Read-only.
1538
1539 *v:register* *register-variable*
1540v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1541 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1542
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001543 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1544v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1545 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1546 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1547 typed command.
1548 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1549 hit-enter prompt.
1550
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001551 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1552v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1553 Read-only.
1554
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001555
1556v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1557 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1558 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1559 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1560 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1561 function. |function-search-undo|.
1562 Read-write.
1563
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001564 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1565v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1566 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1567 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1568 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1569 executed. Read-only.
1570 Example: >
1571 :!mv foo bar
1572 :if v:shell_error
1573 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1574 :endif
1575< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1576
1577 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1578v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1579
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001580 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1581v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1582 the swap file found. Read-only.
1583
1584 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1585v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1586 for handling an existing swap file:
1587 'o' Open read-only
1588 'e' Edit anyway
1589 'r' Recover
1590 'd' Delete swapfile
1591 'q' Quit
1592 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001593 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001594 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1595 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1596
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001597 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001598v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001599 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001600 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001601 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001602 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001603
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001604 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1605v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001606 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001607 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1608 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1609 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1610 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1611 terminal.
1612 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1613 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1614 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1615 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1616 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1617
1618 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1619v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1620 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1621 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1622 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1623
1624 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1625v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001626 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001627 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1628 Example: >
1629 :try
1630 : throw "oops"
1631 :catch /.*/
1632 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1633 :endtry
1634< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1635
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001636 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001637v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001638 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001639 |filter()|. Read-only.
1640
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001641 *v:version* *version-variable*
1642v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1643 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1644 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1645 compatibility.
1646 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1647 if has("patch123")
1648< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1649 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1650 completely different.
1651
1652 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1653v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1654
1655==============================================================================
16564. Builtin Functions *functions*
1657
1658See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1659
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001660(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001661
1662USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1663
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001664abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001665acos( {expr}) Float arc cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001666add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001667append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001668append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001669argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001670argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001671argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001672argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001673asin( {expr}) Float arc sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001674atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001675atan2( {expr}, {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001676browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1677 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001678browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001679bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001680buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1681bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001682bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1683bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1684bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1685byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001686byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001687call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1688 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001689ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1690changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001691char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001692cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001693clearmatches() none clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001694col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001695complete( {startcol}, {matches}) none set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001696complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001697complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001698confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1699 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001700copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001701cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001702cosh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001703count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1704 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001705cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1706 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001707cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1708 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1709cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001710deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001711delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1712did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001713diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1714diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001715empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001716escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001717eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001718eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001719executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1720exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001721extend( {expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001722 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001723exp( {expr}) Float exponential of {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001724expand( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001725feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001726filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001727filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001728filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1729 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001730finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001731 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001732findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001733 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001734float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1735floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001736fmod( {expr1}, {expr2}) Float remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001737fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001738fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001739foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1740foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001741foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001742foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001743foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001744foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001745function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00001746garbagecollect( [at_exit]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001747get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001748get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001749getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1750 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001751getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001752getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1753getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001754getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1755getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001756getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001757getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001758getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1759getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001760getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001761getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001762getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001763getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1764getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001765getloclist( {nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001766getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001767getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001768getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001769getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001770getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001771getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001772gettabvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in tab {nr}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001773gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1774 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001775getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1776getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001777getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001778glob( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1779globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {flag}])
1780 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001781has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001782has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001783haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001784hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1785 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001786histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1787histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1788histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1789histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1790hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1791hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1792hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001793iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1794indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001795index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1796 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001797input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1798 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001799inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001800inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001801inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1802inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001803inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001804insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001805isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001806islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001807items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001808join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001809keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001810len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1811libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001812libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1813line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1814line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001815lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001816localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001817log( {expr}) Float natural logarithm (base e) of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001818log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001819map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001820maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1821 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1822mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1823 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001824match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001825 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001826matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1827 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001828matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001829matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001830matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001831 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001832matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1833 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001834matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1835 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001836max( {list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1837min( {list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
1838mkdir( {name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001839 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001840mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01001841mzeval( {expr}) any evaluate |MzScheme| expression
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001842nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1843nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001844pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001845pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001846prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001847printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1848pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001849range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1850 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001851readfile( {fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001852 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001853reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1854reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001855remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1856 String send expression
1857remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1858remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1859 Number check for reply string
1860remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1861remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1862 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001863remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001864remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001865rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1866repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1867resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001868reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001869round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001870search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1871 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001872searchdecl( {name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001873 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001874searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001875 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001876searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001877 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001878searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001879 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001880server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1881 Number send reply string
1882serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1883setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1884setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1885setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001886setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1887 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001888setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001889setpos( {expr}, {list}) Number set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001890setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001891setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001892settabvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in tab page {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001893settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1894 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001895setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001896shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1897 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001898 command argument
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001899simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001900sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001901sinh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001902sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001903soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001904spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001905spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1906 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001907split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001908 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001909sqrt( {expr} Float squar root of {expr}
1910str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1911str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001912strchars( {expr}) Number character length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02001913strdisplaywidth( {expr} [, {col}]) Number display length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001914strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001915stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1916 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001917string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001918strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1919strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1920 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001921strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1922 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001923strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001924strwidth( {expr}) Number display cell length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001925submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001926substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1927 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001928synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001929synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1930 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1931synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001932synstack( {lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001933system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001934tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1935tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1936tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1937 Number number of current window in tab page
1938taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001939tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001940tempname() String name for a temporary file
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001941tan( {expr}) Float tangent of {expr}
1942tanh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001943tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1944toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001945tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1946 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001947trunc( {expr} Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001948type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02001949undofile( {name}) String undo file name for {name}
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02001950undotree() List undo file tree
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001951values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001952virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1953visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1954winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1955wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1956winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1957winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001958winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001959winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001960winrestview( {dict}) none restore view of current window
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001961winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001962winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001963writefile( {list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001964 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001965
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001966abs({expr}) *abs()*
1967 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
1968 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
1969 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
1970 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
1971 Examples: >
1972 echo abs(1.456)
1973< 1.456 >
1974 echo abs(-5.456)
1975< 5.456 >
1976 echo abs(-4)
1977< 4
1978 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1979
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001980
1981acos({expr}) *acos()*
1982 Return the arc cosine of {expr} measured in radians, as a
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02001983 |Float| in the range of [0, pi].
1984 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001985 [-1, 1].
1986 Examples: >
1987 :echo acos(0)
1988< 1.570796 >
1989 :echo acos(-0.5)
1990< 2.094395
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02001991 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001992
1993
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001994add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001995 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1996 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001997 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1998 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001999< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002000 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002001 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002002
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002003
2004append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002005 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
2006 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002007 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
2008 the current buffer.
2009 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002010 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002011 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002012 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002013 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002014<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002015 *argc()*
2016argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
2017 current window. See |arglist|.
2018
2019 *argidx()*
2020argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
2021 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
2022
2023 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002024argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002025 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
2026 Example: >
2027 :let i = 0
2028 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002029 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002030 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
2031 : let i = i + 1
2032 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002033< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
2034 returned.
2035
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002036asin({expr}) *asin()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002037 Return the arc sine of {expr} measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002038 in the range of [-pi/2, pi/2].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002039 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002040 [-1, 1].
2041 Examples: >
2042 :echo asin(0.8)
2043< 0.927295 >
2044 :echo asin(-0.5)
2045< -0.523599
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002046 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002047
2048
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002049atan({expr}) *atan()*
2050 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
2051 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
2052 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2053 Examples: >
2054 :echo atan(100)
2055< 1.560797 >
2056 :echo atan(-4.01)
2057< -1.326405
2058 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2059
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002060
2061atan2({expr1}, {expr2}) *atan2()*
2062 Return the arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}, measured in
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002063 radians, as a |Float| in the range [-pi, pi].
2064 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002065 Examples: >
2066 :echo atan2(-1, 1)
2067< -0.785398 >
2068 :echo atan2(1, -1)
2069< 2.356194
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002070 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002071
2072
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002073 *browse()*
2074browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2075 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2076 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2077 The input fields are:
2078 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2079 {title} title for the requester
2080 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2081 {default} default file name
2082 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2083 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2084
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002085 *browsedir()*
2086browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2087 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2088 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2089 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2090 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2091 to be used.
2092 The input fields are:
2093 {title} title for the requester
2094 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2095 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2096 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2097
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002098bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2099 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2100 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002101 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002102 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002103 exactly. The name can be:
2104 - Relative to the current directory.
2105 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002106 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002107 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002108 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2109 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2110 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2111 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002112 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2113 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2114 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002115 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2116 file name.
2117 *buffer_exists()*
2118 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2119
2120buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2121 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2122 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002123 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002124
2125bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2126 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2127 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002128 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002129
2130bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2131 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2132 ":ls" command.
2133 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2134 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2135 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002136 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002137 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2138 match an empty string is returned.
2139 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2140 alternate buffer.
2141 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002142 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2143 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2144 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002145 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2146 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2147 buffers are searched for.
2148 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2149 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2150 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2151< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2152 string is returned. >
2153 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2154 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2155 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2156 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2157< *buffer_name()*
2158 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2159
2160 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002161bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2162 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002163 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002164 above.
2165 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2166 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2167 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002168 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2169 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2170< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2171 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2172 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2173 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2174 *buffer_number()*
2175 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2176 *last_buffer_nr()*
2177 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2178
2179bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2180 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2181 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002182 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002183 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2184
2185 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2186
2187< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2188 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002189 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002190
2191
2192byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2193 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2194 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2195 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2196 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2197 one.
2198 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2199 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2200 feature}
2201
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002202byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2203 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2204 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2205 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2206 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2207 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2208 Example : >
2209 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2210< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2211 same: >
2212 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2213 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2214< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2215 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2216 is returned.
2217
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002218call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002219 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002220 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002221 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002222 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2223 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002224 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2225 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002226
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002227ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2228 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2229 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2230 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2231 Examples: >
2232 echo ceil(1.456)
2233< 2.0 >
2234 echo ceil(-5.456)
2235< -5.0 >
2236 echo ceil(4.0)
2237< 4.0
2238 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2239
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002240changenr() *changenr()*
2241 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2242 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2243 with the |:undo| command.
2244 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2245 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2246 one less than the number of the undone change.
2247
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002248char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
2249 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2250 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2251 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
2252< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002253 char2nr("á") returns 225
2254 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002255< |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002256
2257cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2258 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2259 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2260 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2261 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2262 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2263 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002264 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002265
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002266clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2267 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2268 |:match| commands.
2269
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002270 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002271col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002272 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2273 . the cursor position
2274 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
2275 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
2276 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2277 returned)
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002278 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2279 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002280 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002281 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002282 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002283 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002284 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2285 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2286 Examples: >
2287 col(".") column of cursor
2288 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2289 col("'t") column of mark t
2290 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002291< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002292 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2293 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002294 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2295 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2296 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2297 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2298 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2299 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2300 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2301<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002302
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002303complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2304 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2305 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002306 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2307 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002308 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2309 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2310 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2311 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2312 match.
2313 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2314 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2315 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002316 inserting anything that would cause completion to stop.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002317 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2318 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2319 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2320 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002321 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002322
2323 func! ListMonths()
2324 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2325 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2326 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2327 return ''
2328 endfunc
2329< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2330 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2331
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002332complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2333 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2334 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2335 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2336 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2337 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002338 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002339 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002340
2341complete_check() *complete_check()*
2342 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2343 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2344 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2345 zero otherwise.
2346 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2347 'completefunc' option.
2348
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002349 *confirm()*
2350confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2351 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2352 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2353 choice this is 1.
2354 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2355 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002356
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002357 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2358 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2359 used (and translated).
2360 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2361 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002362
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002363 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2364 by '\n', e.g. >
2365 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2366< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2367 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2368 not need to be the first letter: >
2369 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2370< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2371 the default shortcut key.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002372
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002373 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2374 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2375 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2376 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002377
2378 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2379 is only used for the icon of the GTK, Mac, Motif and Win32
2380 GUI. It can be one of these values: "Error", "Question",
2381 "Info", "Warning" or "Generic". Only the first character is
2382 relevant. When {type} is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2383
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002384 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2385 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2386
2387 An example: >
2388 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2389 :if choice == 0
2390 : echo "make up your mind!"
2391 :elseif choice == 3
2392 : echo "tasteful"
2393 :else
2394 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2395 :endif
2396< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2397 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002398 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002399 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2400 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2401 the horizontal layout is always used.
2402
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002403 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002404copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002405 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002406 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2407 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002408 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2409 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002410 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002411
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002412cos({expr}) *cos()*
2413 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2414 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2415 Examples: >
2416 :echo cos(100)
2417< 0.862319 >
2418 :echo cos(-4.01)
2419< -0.646043
2420 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2421
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002422
2423cosh({expr}) *cosh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002424 Return the hyperbolic cosine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002425 [1, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002426 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002427 Examples: >
2428 :echo cosh(0.5)
2429< 1.127626 >
2430 :echo cosh(-0.5)
2431< -1.127626
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002432 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002433
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002434
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002435count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002436 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002437 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002438 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002439 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002440 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2441
2442
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002443 *cscope_connection()*
2444cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2445 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2446 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2447 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2448 if there are no cscope connections;
2449 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2450
2451 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2452 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2453
2454 {num} Description of existence check
2455 ----- ------------------------------
2456 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2457 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2458 {dbpath}.
2459 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2460 {dbpath}.
2461 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2462 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2463 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2464 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2465
2466 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2467
2468 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2469
2470 # pid database name prepend path
2471 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2472<
2473 Invocation Return Val ~
2474 ---------- ---------- >
2475 cscope_connection() 1
2476 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2477 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2478 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2479 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2480 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2481 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2482 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2483<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002484cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2485cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002486 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2487 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002488 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002489 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2490 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002491 Does not change the jumplist.
2492 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2493 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2494 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002495 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002496 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2497 line.
2498 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002499 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2500 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002501 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00002502 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002503
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002504
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002505deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002506 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002507 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002508 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2509 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002510 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002511 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002512 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2513 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2514 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2515 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2516 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2517 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002518 *E724*
2519 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002520 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2521 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002522 Also see |copy()|.
2523
2524delete({fname}) *delete()*
2525 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002526 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2527 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002528 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002529
2530 *did_filetype()*
2531did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2532 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2533 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2534 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2535 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2536 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2537 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2538 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2539 file.
2540
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002541diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2542 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2543 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2544 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2545 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2546 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2547 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2548 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2549
2550diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2551 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2552 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2553 diff change zero is returned.
2554 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2555 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2556 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2557 line.
2558 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2559 syntax information about the highlighting.
2560
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002561empty({expr}) *empty()*
2562 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002563 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002564 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002565 For a long |List| this is much faster than comparing the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002566 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002567
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002568escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2569 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2570 backslash. Example: >
2571 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2572< results in: >
2573 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002574< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002575
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002576 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002577eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2578 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002579 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2580 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2581 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002582
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002583eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2584 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2585 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2586 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2587 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2588
2589executable({expr}) *executable()*
2590 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2591 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002592 arguments.
2593 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2594 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2595 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2596 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002597 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2598 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002599 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002600 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002601 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2602 extension.
2603 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2604 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002605 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2606 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2607 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002608 The result is a Number:
2609 1 exists
2610 0 does not exist
2611 -1 not implemented on this system
2612
2613 *exists()*
2614exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2615 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2616 which contains one of these:
2617 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2618 not if it really works)
2619 +option-name Vim option that works.
2620 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2621 done by comparing with an empty
2622 string)
2623 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2624 or user defined function (see
2625 |user-functions|).
2626 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002627 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002628 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2629 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002630 that evaluating an index may cause an
2631 error message for an invalid
2632 expression. E.g.: >
2633 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2634 :echo exists("l[5]")
2635< 0 >
2636 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2637< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2638 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002639 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2640 command or command modifier |:command|.
2641 Returns:
2642 1 for match with start of a command
2643 2 full match with a command
2644 3 matches several user commands
2645 To check for a supported command
2646 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002647 :2match The |:2match| command.
2648 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002649 #event autocommand defined for this event
2650 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2651 pattern (the pattern is taken
2652 literally and compared to the
2653 autocommand patterns character by
2654 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002655 #group autocommand group exists
2656 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2657 event.
2658 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002659 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002660 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002661 ##event autocommand for this event is
2662 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002663 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2664
2665 Examples: >
2666 exists("&shortname")
2667 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2668 exists("*strftime")
2669 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2670 exists("bufcount")
2671 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002672 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002673 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002674 exists("#filetypeindent")
2675 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2676 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002677 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002678< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2679 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002680 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2681 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2682 the future, thus don't count on it!
2683 Working example: >
2684 exists(":make")
2685< NOT working example: >
2686 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002687
2688< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2689 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002690 exists(bufcount)
2691< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002692 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002693
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002694exp({expr}) *exp()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002695 Return the exponential of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002696 [0, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002697 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002698 Examples: >
2699 :echo exp(2)
2700< 7.389056 >
2701 :echo exp(-1)
2702< 0.367879
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002703 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002704
2705
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002706expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2707 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2708 The result is a String.
2709
2710 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2711 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2712 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2713
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002714 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002715 for a non-existing file is not included.
2716
2717 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2718 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2719 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2720
2721 % current file name
2722 # alternate file name
2723 #n alternate file name n
2724 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2725 <afile> autocmd file name
2726 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2727 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2728 <sfile> sourced script file name
2729 <cword> word under the cursor
2730 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2731 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2732 message |server2client()|
2733 Modifiers:
2734 :p expand to full path
2735 :h head (last path component removed)
2736 :t tail (last path component only)
2737 :r root (one extension removed)
2738 :e extension only
2739
2740 Example: >
2741 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2742< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2743 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2744 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2745< Use this: >
2746 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2747< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2748 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2749 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2750 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2751 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2752<
2753 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2754 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2755 to modify normal file names.
2756
2757 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2758 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2759 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2760 '/' added.
2761
2762 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2763 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2764 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2765 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002766 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2767 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2768 files in the current directory and below: >
2769 :echo expand("**/README")
2770<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002771 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2772 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002773 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002774 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002775 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002776 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2777 "$FOOBAR".
2778
2779 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2780 getting the raw output of an external command.
2781
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002782extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002783 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2784 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002785
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002786 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002787 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2788 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2789 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2790 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002791 Examples: >
2792 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2793 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002794< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2795 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2796 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2797 (where N is the original length of the List).
2798 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002799 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002800 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002801<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002802 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002803 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2804 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2805 used to decide what to do:
2806 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2807 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002808 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002809 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2810
2811 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2812 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2813 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2814 Returns {expr1}.
2815
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002816
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002817feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2818 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002819 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002820 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002821 being executed these characters come after them.
2822 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2823 {string}.
2824 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2825 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002826 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002827 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2828 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2829 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002830 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2831 'n' Do not remap keys.
2832 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2833 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2834 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002835 Return value is always 0.
2836
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002837filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2838 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2839 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2840 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2841 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002842 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2843 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002844 *file_readable()*
2845 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2846
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002847
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002848filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2849 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2850 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002851 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002852 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2853
2854
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002855filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002856 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002857 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002858 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002859 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002860 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002861 Examples: >
2862 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2863< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2864 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2865< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2866 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002867< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002868
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002869 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2870 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2871 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2872
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002873 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2874 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002875 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002876
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002877< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002878 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2879 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002880
2881
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002882finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00002883 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2884 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2885 for the syntax of {path}.
2886 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2887 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2888 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002889 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2890 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002891 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002892 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002893 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002894 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2895
2896findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2897 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002898 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2899 Example: >
2900 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002901< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2902 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002903
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002904float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2905 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2906 decimal point.
2907 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2908 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2909 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2910 in -0x80000000.
2911 Examples: >
2912 echo float2nr(3.95)
2913< 3 >
2914 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2915< -23 >
2916 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2917< 2147483647 >
2918 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2919< -2147483647 >
2920 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2921< 0
2922 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2923
2924
2925floor({expr}) *floor()*
2926 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2927 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2928 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2929 Examples: >
2930 echo floor(1.856)
2931< 1.0 >
2932 echo floor(-5.456)
2933< -6.0 >
2934 echo floor(4.0)
2935< 4.0
2936 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2937
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002938
2939fmod({expr1}, {expr2}) *fmod()*
2940 Return the remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}, even if the
2941 division is not representable. Returns {expr1} - i * {expr2}
2942 for some integer i such that if {expr2} is non-zero, the
2943 result has the same sign as {expr1} and magnitude less than
2944 the magnitude of {expr2}. If {expr2} is zero, the value
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002945 returned is zero. The value returned is a |Float|.
2946 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002947 Examples: >
2948 :echo fmod(12.33, 1.22)
2949< 0.13 >
2950 :echo fmod(-12.33, 1.22)
2951< -0.13
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002952 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002953
2954
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002955fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002956 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002957 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
2958 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002959 For most systems the characters escaped are
2960 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
2961 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002962 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
2963 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002964 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002965 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002966 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
2967< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002968 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002969
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002970fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2971 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2972 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2973 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2974 Example: >
2975 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2976< results in: >
2977 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002978< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002979 |expand()| first then.
2980
2981foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2982 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2983 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2984 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2985
2986foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2987 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2988 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2989 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2990
2991foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2992 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002993 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002994 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2995 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2996 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2997 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2998 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2999 previous line is usually available.
3000
3001 *foldtext()*
3002foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
3003 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
3004 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
3005 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
3006 The returned string looks like this: >
3007 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003008< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003009 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
3010 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
3011 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
3012 options is removed.
3013 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3014
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00003015foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
3016 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
3017 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
3018 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
3019 returned.
3020 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
3021 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
3022 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
3023 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3024
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003025 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003026foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003027 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
3028 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
3029 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
3030 |remote_foreground()| instead.
3031 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3032 Win32 console version}
3033
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003034
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003035function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003036 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003037 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
3038
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003039
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003040garbagecollect([at_exit]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003041 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003042 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
3043 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
3044 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
3045 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
3046 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003047 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
3048 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
3049 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003050 When the optional "at_exit" argument is one, garbage
3051 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
3052 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003053
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003054get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003055 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003056 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
3057 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003058get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003059 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003060 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
3061 {default} is omitted.
3062
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003063 *getbufline()*
3064getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003065 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
3066 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
3067 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003068
3069 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3070
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003071 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
3072 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003073
3074 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003075 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003076
3077 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
3078 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003079 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003080 returned.
3081
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003082 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003083 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003084
3085 Example: >
3086 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003087
3088getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
3089 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
3090 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
3091 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003092 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
3093 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00003094 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
3095 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
3096 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003097 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3098 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
3099 returned, there is no error message.
3100 Examples: >
3101 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
3102 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
3103<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003104getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003105 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003106 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
3107 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003108 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003109 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003110 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
3111
3112 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
3113 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3114 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3115 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3116 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003117 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3118 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3119 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3120 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003121
3122 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003123 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3124 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003125
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003126 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3127 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3128 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3129 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3130 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003131 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003132 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3133 exe v:mouse_lnum
3134 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3135 endif
3136<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003137 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3138 user that a character has to be typed.
3139 There is no mapping for the character.
3140 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3141 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3142 sequence. Examples: >
3143 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3144 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3145< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3146 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3147 :function FindChar()
3148 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3149 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3150 : normal l
3151 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3152 : break
3153 : endif
3154 : endwhile
3155 :endfunction
3156
3157getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3158 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3159 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3160 These values are added together:
3161 2 shift
3162 4 control
3163 8 alt (meta)
3164 16 mouse double click
3165 32 mouse triple click
3166 64 mouse quadruple click
3167 128 Macintosh only: command
3168 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003169 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003170 without a modifier.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003171
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003172getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3173 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3174 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3175 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3176 Example: >
3177 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003178< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003179
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003180getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003181 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3182 byte count. The first column is 1.
3183 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3184 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003185 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3186
3187getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3188 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3189 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003190 : normal Ex command
3191 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3192 / forward search command
3193 ? backward search command
3194 @ |input()| command
3195 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003196 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3197 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
3198 otherwise.
3199 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003200
3201 *getcwd()*
3202getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3203 working directory.
3204
3205getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3206 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3207 given file {fname}.
3208 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3209 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003210 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3211 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003212
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003213getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3214 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3215 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3216 |hl-Normal|.
3217 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3218 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3219 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3220 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003221 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003222 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3223 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003224 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3225 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003226
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003227getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3228 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3229 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3230 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3231 empty string is returned.
3232 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3233 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3234 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3235 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
3236 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
3237 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
3238< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3239 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003240
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003241getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3242 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3243 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3244 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3245 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3246 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3247
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003248getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3249 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3250 file of the given file {fname}.
3251 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3252 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3253 results:
3254 Normal file "file"
3255 Directory "dir"
3256 Symbolic link "link"
3257 Block device "bdev"
3258 Character device "cdev"
3259 Socket "socket"
3260 FIFO "fifo"
3261 All other "other"
3262 Example: >
3263 getftype("/home")
3264< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3265 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3266 "file" are returned.
3267
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003268 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003269getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3270 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3271 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003272 getline(1)
3273< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3274 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3275 To get the line under the cursor: >
3276 getline(".")
3277< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3278 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3279
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003280 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3281 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003282 including line {end}.
3283 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3284 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003285 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003286 Example: >
3287 :let start = line('.')
3288 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3289 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3290
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003291< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3292
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003293getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3294 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3295 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3296 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003297 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003298 returned. Otherwise, same as |getqflist()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003299
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003300getmatches() *getmatches()*
3301 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3302 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3303 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3304 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3305 Example: >
3306 :echo getmatches()
3307< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3308 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3309 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3310 :let m = getmatches()
3311 :call clearmatches()
3312 :echo getmatches()
3313< [] >
3314 :call setmatches(m)
3315 :echo getmatches()
3316< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3317 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3318 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3319 :unlet m
3320<
3321
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003322getqflist() *getqflist()*
3323 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3324 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3325 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3326 bufname() to get the name
3327 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3328 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003329 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3330 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003331 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003332 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003333 text description of the error
3334 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3335 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3336
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003337 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003338 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3339 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003340
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003341 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3342 do something with them: >
3343 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3344 :for d in getqflist()
3345 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3346 :endfor
3347
3348
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003349getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003350 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003351 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003352 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3353< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003354 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003355 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3356 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3357 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003358 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3359
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003360
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003361getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3362 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3363 The value will be one of:
3364 "v" for |characterwise| text
3365 "V" for |linewise| text
3366 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3367 0 for an empty or unknown register
3368 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3369 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3370
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003371gettabvar({tabnr}, {varname}) *gettabvar()*
3372 Get the value of a tab-local variable {varname} in tab page
3373 {tabnr}. |t:var|
3374 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
3375 Note that the name without "t:" must be used.
3376
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003377gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003378 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3379 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3380 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3381 option.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003382 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3383 use |getwinvar()|.
3384 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3385 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3386 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3387 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003388 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3389 variables is returned.
3390 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003391 Examples: >
3392 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3393 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003394<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003395 *getwinposx()*
3396getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3397 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3398 -1 if the information is not available.
3399
3400 *getwinposy()*
3401getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003402 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003403 information is not available.
3404
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003405getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
3406 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003407 Examples: >
3408 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3409 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3410<
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003411glob({expr} [, {flag}]) *glob()*
3412 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003413 use of special characters.
3414 The result is a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003415 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
3416 characters.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003417 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3418 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3419 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3420 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003421 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
3422 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
3423
3424 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3425 any external command. Example: >
3426 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3427 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3428< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003429 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003430
3431 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3432 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3433
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003434globpath({path}, {expr} [, {flag}]) *globpath()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003435 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3436 the results. Example: >
3437 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3438< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3439 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003440 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003441 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3442 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3443 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3444 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3445 error message.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003446 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3447 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3448 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3449 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003450
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003451 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3452 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3453 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3454 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003455< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3456 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3457
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003458 *has()*
3459has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3460 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3461 string. See |feature-list| below.
3462 Also see |exists()|.
3463
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003464
3465has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003466 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3467 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003468
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003469haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3470 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003471 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003472
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003473hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003474 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3475 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3476 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3477 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003478 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003479 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3480 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003481 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3482 buffer are checked for a match.
3483 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3484 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3485 n Normal mode
3486 v Visual mode
3487 o Operator-pending mode
3488 i Insert mode
3489 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3490 c Command-line mode
3491 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3492
3493 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003494 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003495 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3496 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3497 :endif
3498< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3499 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3500
3501histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3502 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3503 one of: *hist-names*
3504 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3505 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003506 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003507 "input" or "@" input line history
3508 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3509 shifted to become the newest entry.
3510 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3511 otherwise 0 is returned.
3512
3513 Example: >
3514 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3515 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3516< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3517
3518histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003519 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003520 for the possible values of {history}.
3521
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003522 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3523 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3524 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003525 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003526 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3527 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3528 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003529
3530 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3531 otherwise 0 is returned.
3532
3533 Examples:
3534 Clear expression register history: >
3535 :call histdel("expr")
3536<
3537 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3538 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3539<
3540 The following three are equivalent: >
3541 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3542 :call histdel("search", -1)
3543 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3544<
3545 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3546 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3547 :call histdel("search", -1)
3548 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3549
3550histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3551 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3552 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3553 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3554 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3555 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3556
3557 Examples:
3558 Redo the second last search from history. >
3559 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3560
3561< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3562 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3563 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3564<
3565histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3566 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3567 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3568 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3569
3570 Example: >
3571 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3572<
3573hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3574 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3575 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3576 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3577 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3578 item.
3579 *highlight_exists()*
3580 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3581
3582 *hlID()*
3583hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3584 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3585 zero is returned.
3586 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003587 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003588 "Comment" group: >
3589 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3590< *highlightID()*
3591 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3592
3593hostname() *hostname()*
3594 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003595 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003596 256 characters long are truncated.
3597
3598iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3599 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3600 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003601 When the conversion completely fails an empty string is
3602 returned. When some characters could not be converted they
3603 are replaced with "?".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003604 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3605 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3606 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3607 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3608 can be done.
3609 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3610 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3611 UTF-8 and use: >
3612 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3613< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3614 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3615 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3616 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3617
3618 *indent()*
3619indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3620 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3621 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3622 |getline()|.
3623 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3624
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003625
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003626index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003627 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003628 value equal to {expr}. There is no automatic conversion, so
3629 the String "4" is different from the Number 4. And the number
3630 4 is different from the Float 4.0. The value of 'ignorecase'
3631 is not used here, case always matters.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003632 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3633 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003634 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3635 case must match.
3636 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3637 Example: >
3638 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003639 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003640
3641
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003642input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003643 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003644 the command-line. The {prompt} argument is either a prompt
3645 string, or a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used
3646 in the prompt to start a new line.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003647 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3648 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003649 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003650 for lines typed for input().
3651 Example: >
3652 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3653 : echo "Cheers!"
3654 :endif
3655<
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003656 If the optional {text} argument is present and not empty, this
3657 is used for the default reply, as if the user typed this.
3658 Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003659 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3660
3661< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3662 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003663 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003664 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003665 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003666 more information. Example: >
3667 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3668<
3669 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3670 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003671 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3672 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3673 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3674 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3675 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3676 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3677 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3678
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003679 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003680 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3681 :function GetFoo()
3682 : call inputsave()
3683 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3684 : call inputrestore()
3685 :endfunction
3686
3687inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003688 Like |input()|, but when the GUI is running and text dialogs
3689 are supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003690 Example: >
3691 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3692 :if n != ""
3693 : let &sw = n
3694 :endif
3695< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3696 omitted an empty string is returned.
3697 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3698 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003699 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003700
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003701inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003702 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3703 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3704 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003705 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003706 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003707 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3708 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3709 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003710 Make sure {textlist} has less than 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003711 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003712 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3713 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003714 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3715 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3716
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003717inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003718 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous |inputsave()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003719 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3720 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3721 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3722
3723inputsave() *inputsave()*
3724 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3725 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3726 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3727 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3728 many inputrestore() calls.
3729 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3730
3731inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3732 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3733 two exceptions:
3734 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3735 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3736 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3737 |history| stack.
3738 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3739 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003740 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003741
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003742insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003743 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003744 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003745 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003746 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3747 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003748 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003749 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3750 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3751 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003752< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003753 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003754 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003755
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003756isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3757 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3758 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3759 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3760 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3761
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003762islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003763 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3764 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003765 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3766 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003767 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3768 :lockvar 1 alist
3769 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3770 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3771
3772< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003773 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003774
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003775items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003776 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3777 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3778 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3779 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003780
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003781
3782join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3783 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3784 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3785 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3786 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3787 add it there too: >
3788 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003789< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003790 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3791 The opposite function is |split()|.
3792
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003793keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003794 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003795 arbitrary order.
3796
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003797 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003798len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3799 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3800 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003801 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003802 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003803 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3804 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003805 Otherwise an error is given.
3806
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003807 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3808libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3809 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3810 with single argument {argument}.
3811 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3812 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3813 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3814 limited.
3815 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3816 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3817 to Vim.
3818 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3819 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3820 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3821 null-terminated string.
3822 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3823
3824 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3825 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3826 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3827 very probably crash.
3828
3829 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3830 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3831 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3832 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3833 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3834 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3835 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3836 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3837 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3838 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3839
3840 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003841 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003842 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3843 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3844 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3845 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3846 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3847 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003848 {only in Win32 and some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003849 feature is present}
3850 Examples: >
3851 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003852<
3853 *libcallnr()*
3854libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003855 Just like |libcall()|, but used for a function that returns an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003856 int instead of a string.
3857 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3858 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003859 Examples: >
3860 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003861 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3862 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3863<
3864 *line()*
3865line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3866 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3867 . the cursor position
3868 $ the last line in the current buffer
3869 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3870 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003871 w0 first line visible in current window
3872 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00003873 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3874 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3875 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3876 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003877 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3878 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003879 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3880 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003881 Examples: >
3882 line(".") line number of the cursor
3883 line("'t") line number of mark t
3884 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3885< *last-position-jump*
3886 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3887 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003888 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003889
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003890line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3891 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3892 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3893 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3894 line returns 1.
3895 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3896 below the last line: >
3897 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3898< This is the file size plus one.
3899 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3900 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3901 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3902
3903lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3904 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3905 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3906 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3907 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3908 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3909 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3910
3911localtime() *localtime()*
3912 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3913 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3914
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003915
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003916log({expr}) *log()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003917 Return the natural logarithm (base e) of {expr} as a |Float|.
3918 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003919 (0, inf].
3920 Examples: >
3921 :echo log(10)
3922< 2.302585 >
3923 :echo log(exp(5))
3924< 5.0
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003925 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003926
3927
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003928log10({expr}) *log10()*
3929 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
3930 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3931 Examples: >
3932 :echo log10(1000)
3933< 3.0 >
3934 :echo log10(0.01)
3935< -2.0
3936 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3937
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003938map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003939 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003940 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3941 {string}.
3942 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar627b1d32009-11-17 11:20:35 +00003943 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
3944 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003945 Example: >
3946 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003947< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003948
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003949 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003950 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003951 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3952 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003953
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003954 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3955 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003956 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003957
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003958< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003959 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3960 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003961
3962
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003963maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003964 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3965 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003966 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003967 "n" Normal
3968 "v" Visual
3969 "o" Operator-pending
3970 "i" Insert
3971 "c" Cmd-line
3972 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3973 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003974 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003975 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3976 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003977 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3978 command. The returned String has special characters
3979 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3980 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3981 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003982 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3983 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3984 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3985
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003986
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003987mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003988 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3989 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3990 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003991 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3992 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003993 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3994 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3995
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003996 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003997 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3998 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3999 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
4000 mapcheck("b") no no no
4001
4002 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
4003 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
4004 mapping for {name} exactly.
4005 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
4006 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
4007 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
4008 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
4009 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4010 then the global mappings.
4011 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
4012 without being ambiguous. Example: >
4013 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
4014 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
4015 :endif
4016< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
4017 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
4018
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004019match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004020 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
4021 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004022 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004023 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004024 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
4025 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004026 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004027 If there is no match -1 is returned.
4028 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004029 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004030 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004031< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004032 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004033 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004034 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
4035< *strcasestr()*
4036 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
4037 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
4038 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
4039<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004040 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004041 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004042 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004043 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004044 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
4045< result is again "4". >
4046 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
4047< result is again "4". >
4048 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
4049< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004050 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004051 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
4052 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
4053 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
4054 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004055 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
4056 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004057 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
4058 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004059
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004060 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004061 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004062 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
4063 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
4064< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004065 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
4066 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004067
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004068 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
4069 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004070 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004071 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
4072
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004073 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
4074matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
4075 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
4076 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
4077 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
4078 match using |matchdelete()|.
4079
4080 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004081 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004082 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
4083 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
4084 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
4085 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
4086 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
4087 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
4088 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
4089 always overrule syntax highlighting.
4090
4091 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
4092 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
4093 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
4094 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
4095 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
4096 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
4097 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
4098
4099 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
4100 the |:match| commands.
4101
4102 Example: >
4103 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4104 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
4105< Deletion of the pattern: >
4106 :call matchdelete(m)
4107
4108< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004109 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004110 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004111
4112matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004113 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004114 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
4115 Return a |List| with two elements:
4116 The name of the highlight group used
4117 The pattern used.
4118 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
4119 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004120 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
4121 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
4122 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004123
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004124matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
4125 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004126 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004127 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
4128 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004129
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004130matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004131 Same as |match()|, but return the index of first character
4132 after the match. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004133 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
4134< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004135 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
4136 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
4137 do it with matchend(): >
4138 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4139 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4140< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4141
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004142 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004143 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4144< results in "7". >
4145 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4146< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004147 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004148
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004149matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004150 Same as |match()|, but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004151 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4152 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00004153 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4154 empty string is used. Example: >
4155 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4156< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004157 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4158
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004159matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004160 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004161 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4162< results in "ing".
4163 When there is no match "" is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004164 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004165 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4166< results in "ing". >
4167 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4168< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004169 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004170 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004171
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004172 *max()*
4173max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4174 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4175 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004176 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004177
4178 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004179min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004180 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4181 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004182 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004183
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004184 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004185mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4186 Create directory {name}.
4187 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4188 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4189 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4190 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004191 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004192 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4193 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4194 with 0755.
4195 Example: >
4196 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4197< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004198 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4199 :if exists("*mkdir")
4200<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004201 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004202mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004203 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4204 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4205 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4206 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004207
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004208 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004209 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004210 v Visual by character
4211 V Visual by line
4212 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4213 s Select by character
4214 S Select by line
4215 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4216 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004217 R Replace |R|
4218 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004219 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004220 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4221 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004222 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004223 rm The -- more -- prompt
4224 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4225 ! Shell or external command is executing
4226 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4227 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4228 "c" or "n".
4229 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004230
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004231mzeval({expr}) *mzeval()*
4232 Evaluate MzScheme expression {expr} and return its result
4233 convert to Vim data structures.
4234 Numbers and strings are returned as they are.
4235 Pairs (including lists and improper lists) and vectors are
4236 returned as Vim |Lists|.
4237 Hash tables are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with keys
4238 converted to strings.
4239 All other types are converted to string with display function.
4240 Examples: >
4241 :mz (define l (list 1 2 3))
4242 :mz (define h (make-hash)) (hash-set! h "list" l)
4243 :echo mzeval("l")
4244 :echo mzeval("h")
4245<
4246 {only available when compiled with the |+mzscheme| feature}
4247
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004248nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4249 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4250 that is not blank. Example: >
4251 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4252< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4253 below it, zero is returned.
4254 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4255
4256nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
4257 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4258 value {expr}. Examples: >
4259 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4260 nr2char(32) returns " "
4261< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
4262 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
4263< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
4264 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4265 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004266 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004267
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004268 *getpid()*
4269getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004270 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4271 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004272
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004273 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004274getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4275 see |line()|.
4276 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4277 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4278 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4279 is the buffer number of the mark.
4280 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4281 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004282 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4283 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004284 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004285 character.
4286 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4287 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4288 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004289 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004290< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004291
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004292pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4293 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4294 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4295 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4296 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4297 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4298< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4299 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4300
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004301pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4302 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4303 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4304 Examples: >
4305 :echo pow(3, 3)
4306< 27.0 >
4307 :echo pow(2, 16)
4308< 65536.0 >
4309 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4310< 2.0
4311 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4312
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004313prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4314 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4315 that is not blank. Example: >
4316 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4317< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4318 above it, zero is returned.
4319 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4320
4321
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004322printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4323 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4324 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004325 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004326< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004327 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004328
4329 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004330 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004331 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004332 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4333 %c single byte
4334 %d decimal number
4335 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4336 %x hex number
4337 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4338 %X hex number using upper case letters
4339 %o octal number
4340 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4341 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4342 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4343 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4344 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4345 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004346
4347 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4348 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4349 the result.
4350
4351 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004352 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004353
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004354 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004355
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004356 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004357 Zero or more of the following flags:
4358
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004359 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4360 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4361 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4362 of the number is increased to force the first
4363 character of the output string to a zero (except
4364 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4365 precision of zero).
4366 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4367 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4368 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004369
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004370 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4371 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4372 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4373 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4374 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004375
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004376 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4377 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4378 The converted value is padded on the right with
4379 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4380 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004381
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004382 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4383 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004384
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004385 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004386 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004387 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004388
4389 field-width
4390 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004391 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4392 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4393 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4394 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004395
4396 .precision
4397 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4398 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4399 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4400 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4401 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004402 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004403 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4404 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004405
4406 type
4407 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4408 be applied, see below.
4409
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004410 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4411 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004412 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004413 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4414 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4415 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004416 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004417< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004418 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004419
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004420 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004421
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004422 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4423 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004424 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4425 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4426 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004427 conversions.
4428 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4429 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4430 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4431 zeros.
4432 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4433 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4434 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4435 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4436
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004437 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004438 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4439 resulting character is written.
4440
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004441 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004442 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4443 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4444 specified are used.
4445
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004446 *printf-f* *E807*
4447 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4448 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4449 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4450 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4451 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4452 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4453 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4454 Example: >
4455 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4456< 12.12
4457 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4458 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4459
4460 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4461 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4462 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4463 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4464 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4465
4466 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4467 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4468 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4469 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4470 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4471 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4472 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4473 results in 1.0e7.
4474
4475 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004476 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4477 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004478
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004479 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4480 accepted and automatically converted.
4481 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4482 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4483 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004484
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004485 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004486 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4487 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004488 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004489
4490
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004491pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4492 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4493 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004494 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4495 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004496
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004497 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004498range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004499 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004500 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4501 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4502 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4503 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4504 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004505 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4506 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4507 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004508 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004509 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004510 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4511 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004512 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004513 range(0) " []
4514 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004515<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004516 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004517readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004518 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4519 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004520 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4521 NL appears somewhere).
4522 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4523 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4524 added.
4525 - No CR characters are removed.
4526 Otherwise:
4527 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4528 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
4529 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004530 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4531 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4532 lines of a file: >
4533 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4534 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4535 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004536< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4537 are returned, or as many as there are.
4538 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004539 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4540 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4541 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004542 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4543 the result is an empty list.
4544 Also see |writefile()|.
4545
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004546reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4547 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4548 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4549 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4550 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4551 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4552 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004553 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004554 and {end}.
4555 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4556 reltime().
4557 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4558
4559reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4560 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4561 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4562 microseconds. Example: >
4563 let start = reltime()
4564 call MyFunction()
4565 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4566< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4567 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004568 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4569 can use split() to remove it. >
4570 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4571< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004572 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4573
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004574 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4575remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004576 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004577 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004578 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4579 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4580 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004581 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4582 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4583 remote_read() is stored there.
4584 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4585 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4586 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4587 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4588 and the result will be the empty string.
4589 Examples: >
4590 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4591 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4592<
4593
4594remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4595 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4596 This works like: >
4597 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4598< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4599 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4600 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004601 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4602 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004603 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4604 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4605 Win32 console version}
4606
4607
4608remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4609 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4610 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004611 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004612 name of a variable.
4613 Returns zero if none are available.
4614 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4615 See also |clientserver|.
4616 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4617 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4618 Examples: >
4619 :let repl = ""
4620 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4621
4622remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4623 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4624 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4625 See also |clientserver|.
4626 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4627 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4628 Example: >
4629 :echo remote_read(id)
4630<
4631 *remote_send()* *E241*
4632remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004633 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004634 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4635 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004636 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4637 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4638 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004639 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4640 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4641 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4642 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4643 up the display.
4644 Examples: >
4645 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4646 \ remote_read(serverid)
4647
4648 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4649 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4650 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4651 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004652<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004653remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004654 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004655 return the item.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004656 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004657 return a List with these items. When {idx} points to the same
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004658 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4659 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4660 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004661 Example: >
4662 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004663 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004664remove({dict}, {key})
4665 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4666 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4667< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4668
4669 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004670
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004671rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4672 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4673 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4674 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4675 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00004676 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004677 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4678
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004679repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4680 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4681 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004682 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004683< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004684 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004685 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004686 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4687< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004688
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004689
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004690resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4691 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4692 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4693 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4694 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4695 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4696 stopped after 100 iterations.
4697 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4698 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4699 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4700 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4701 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4702
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004703 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004704reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004705 {list}.
4706 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4707 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4708
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004709round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004710 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004711 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4712 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4713 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4714 Examples: >
4715 echo round(0.456)
4716< 0.0 >
4717 echo round(4.5)
4718< 5.0 >
4719 echo round(-4.5)
4720< -5.0
4721 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4722
4723
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004724search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004725 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004726 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004727
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004728 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4729 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004730 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004731 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004732 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004733 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4734 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004735 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4736 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4737 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4738
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004739 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4740 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4741 flag.
4742
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004743 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4744
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004745 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4746 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4747 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4748 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4749 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4750< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4751 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004752 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4753
4754 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004755 more than this many milli seconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004756 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4757 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4758 giving the argument.
4759 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004760
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004761 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4762 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004763 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4764 *search()-sub-match*
4765 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4766 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4767 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004768 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004769
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004770 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4771 flag is used.
4772
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004773 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4774 :let n = 1
4775 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4776 : exe "argument " . n
4777 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4778 : " first search to find match at start of file
4779 : normal G$
4780 : let flags = "w"
4781 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004782 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004783 : let flags = "W"
4784 : endwhile
4785 : update " write the file if modified
4786 : let n = n + 1
4787 :endwhile
4788<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004789 Example for using some flags: >
4790 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4791< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4792 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4793 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4794 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4795 line:
4796 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4797 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4798 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4799 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4800 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4801
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004802
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004803searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4804 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004805
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004806 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4807 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4808 first match in the function.
4809
4810 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4811 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4812 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4813
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004814 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4815 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4816 Example: >
4817 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4818 echo getline('.')
4819 endif
4820<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004821 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004822searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4823 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004824 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4825 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4826 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004827 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4828 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4829 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4830 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4831 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4832 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004833
4834 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4835 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4836 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4837 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4838 typical use is: >
4839 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4840< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4841
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004842 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4843 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004844 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004845 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
4846 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004847 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004848 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
4849 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004850
4851 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4852 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4853 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4854 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4855 or a string.
4856 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4857 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4858 and -1 returned.
4859
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004860 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004861
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004862 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4863 patterns are used like it's on.
4864
4865 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4866 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4867 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4868 if 1
4869 if 2
4870 endif 2
4871 endif 1
4872< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4873 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4874 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004875 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004876 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4877 "endif 2".
4878 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4879 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4880 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4881 the matching start.
4882
4883 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4884
4885 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4886 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4887
4888< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4889 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4890 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4891 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4892 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4893 match.
4894 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4895
4896 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4897
4898< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4899 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4900 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4901
4902 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4903 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4904<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004905 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004906searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4907 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004908 Same as |searchpair()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004909 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4910 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004911 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02004912 returns [0, 0]. >
4913
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004914 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4915<
4916 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4917
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004918searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004919 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004920 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4921 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4922 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4923 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004924 Example: >
4925 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4926
4927< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4928 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4929 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4930< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4931 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4932
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004933server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4934 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4935 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4936 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4937 Note:
4938 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004939 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004940 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4941 See also |clientserver|.
4942 Example: >
4943 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4944<
4945serverlist() *serverlist()*
4946 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4947 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4948 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4949 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4950 Example: >
4951 :echo serverlist()
4952<
4953setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4954 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4955 {val}.
4956 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4957 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4958 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4959 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4960 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4961 Examples: >
4962 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4963 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4964< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4965
4966setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4967 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004968 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004969 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4970 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004971 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4972 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4973 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4974 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4975 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004976 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4977 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4978 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4979 line.
4980
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004981setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
4982 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004983 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004984 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004985 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004986 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4987 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004988 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004989< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004990 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4991 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4992< This is equivalent to: >
4993 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4994 : call setline(n, l)
4995 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004996< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4997
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004998setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4999 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
5000 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005001 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
5002 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005003 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
5004 Also see |location-list|.
5005
5006setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
5007 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005008 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005009 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005010
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005011 *setpos()*
5012setpos({expr}, {list})
5013 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
5014 . the cursor
5015 'x mark x
5016
5017 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
5018 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
5019
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005020 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005021 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005022 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
5023 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
5024 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005025 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005026
5027 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005028 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark. If "col" is
5029 smaller than 1 then 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005030
5031 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
5032 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005033 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005034 character.
5035
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00005036 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
5037 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
5038
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005039 Also see |getpos()|
5040
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005041 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
5042 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
5043
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005044
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005045setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005046 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
5047 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
5048 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
5049 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005050
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005051 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005052 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005053 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005054 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005055 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005056 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005057 col column number
5058 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005059 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005060 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005061 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005062 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005063
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005064 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
5065 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
5066 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005067 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
5068 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
5069 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005070 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
5071 be used.
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02005072 If you supply an empty {list}, the quickfix list will be
5073 cleared.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005074 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
5075 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005076
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005077 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
5078 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
5079 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
5080 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
5081 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
5082 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
5083
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005084 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
5085
5086 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
5087 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
5088 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
5089
5090
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005091 *setreg()*
5092setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
5093 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
5094 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
5095 then the value is appended.
5096 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
5097 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
5098 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
5099 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
5100 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
5101 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
5102 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005103 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005104
5105 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
5106 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
5107 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
5108 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5109
5110 Examples: >
5111 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
5112 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
5113 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
5114
5115< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
5116 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005117 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005118 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
5119 ....
5120 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
5121
5122< You can also change the type of a register by appending
5123 nothing: >
5124 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
5125
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005126settabvar({tabnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabvar()*
5127 Set tab-local variable {varname} to {val} in tab page {tabnr}.
5128 |t:var|
5129 Note that the variable name without "t:" must be used.
5130 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
5131 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
5132 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
5133 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5134
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005135settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
5136 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
5137 {val}.
5138 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
5139 use |setwinvar()|.
5140 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005141 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
5142 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
5143 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
5144 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005145 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
5146 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
5147 Examples: >
5148 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
5149 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
5150< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5151
5152setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
5153 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005154 Examples: >
5155 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
5156 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005157
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005158shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005159 Escape {string} for use as a shell command argument.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005160 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005161 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005162 quotes within {string}.
5163 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
5164 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005165 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
5166 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005167 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5168 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005169 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005170 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5171 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5172 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5173 even when inside single quotes.
5174 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5175 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5176 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005177 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5178 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5179< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5180 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5181 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005182
5183
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005184simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5185 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5186 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5187 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5188 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5189 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5190 not removed either.
5191 Example: >
5192 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5193< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5194 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5195 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5196 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5197 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5198
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005199
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005200sin({expr}) *sin()*
5201 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5202 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5203 Examples: >
5204 :echo sin(100)
5205< -0.506366 >
5206 :echo sin(-4.01)
5207< 0.763301
5208 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5209
5210
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005211sinh({expr}) *sinh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005212 Return the hyperbolic sine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005213 [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005214 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005215 Examples: >
5216 :echo sinh(0.5)
5217< 0.521095 >
5218 :echo sinh(-0.9)
5219< -1.026517
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005220 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005221
5222
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005223sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005224 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5225 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5226 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5227< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005228 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005229 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005230 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005231 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5232 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005233 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 or
5234 bigger if the first one sorts after the second one, -1 or
5235 smaller if the first one sorts before the second one.
5236 Example: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005237 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5238 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5239 endfunc
5240 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005241< A shorter compare version for this specific simple case, which
5242 ignores overflow: >
5243 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5244 return a:i1 - a:i2
5245 endfunc
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005246<
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005247 *soundfold()*
5248soundfold({word})
5249 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005250 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005251 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5252 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005253 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5254 the method can be quite slow.
5255
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005256 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005257spellbadword([{sentence}])
5258 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5259 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5260 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5261 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5262
5263 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5264 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5265 result is an empty string.
5266
5267 The return value is a list with two items:
5268 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5269 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005270 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005271 "rare" rare word
5272 "local" word only valid in another region
5273 "caps" word should start with Capital
5274 Example: >
5275 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5276< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5277
5278 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5279 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5280 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005281
5282 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005283spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005284 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005285 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5286 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5287
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005288 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5289 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5290 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5291
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005292 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5293 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005294 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5295 replace a line.
5296
5297 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005298 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5299 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005300
5301 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005302 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5303 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005304
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005305
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005306split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005307 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5308 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5309 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005310 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005311 removing the matched characters.
5312 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5313 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005314 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5315 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005316 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005317 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005318< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005319 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005320< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5321 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5322< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005323 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5324 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5325< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005326
5327
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005328sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5329 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5330 |Float|.
5331 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5332 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5333 Examples: >
5334 :echo sqrt(100)
5335< 10.0 >
5336 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5337< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005338 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005339 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5340
5341
5342str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5343 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5344 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5345 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5346 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5347 write "1.0e40".
5348 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5349 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5350 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5351 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5352 |substitute()|: >
5353 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5354< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5355
5356
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005357str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5358 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5359 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5360 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5361 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5362 with the default String to Number conversion.
5363 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5364 different base the result will be zero.
5365 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005366
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005367
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005368strchars({expr}) *strchars()*
5369 The result is a Number, which is the number of characters
5370 String {expr} occupies. Composing characters are counted
5371 separately.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005372 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
5373
5374strdisplaywidth({expr}[, {col}]) *strdisplaywidth()*
5375 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5376 String {expr} occupies on the screen.
5377 When {col} is omitted zero is used. Otherwise it is the
5378 screen column where to start. This matters for Tab
5379 characters.
Bram Moolenaar4d32c2d2010-07-18 22:10:01 +02005380 The option settings of the current window are used. This
5381 matters for anything that's displayed differently, such as
5382 'tabstop' and 'display'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005383 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5384 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
5385 Also see |strlen()|, |strwidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005386
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005387strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5388 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5389 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5390 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5391 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5392 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5393 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5394 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5395 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5396 Examples: >
5397 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5398 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5399 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5400 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5401 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5402 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005403< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5404 :if exists("*strftime")
5405
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005406stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5407 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5408 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005409 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5410 This can be used to find a second match: >
5411 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
5412 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
5413< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005414 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005415 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005416 See also |strridx()|.
5417 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005418 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5419 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5420 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005421< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005422 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5423 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5424
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005425 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005426string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005427 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5428 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005429 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005430 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005431 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005432 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005433 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005434 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005435 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005436 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005437 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005438
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005439 *strlen()*
5440strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005441 {expr} in bytes.
5442 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5443 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005444
5445 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005446<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005447 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5448 For other types an error is given.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005449 Also see |len()|, |strchars()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and
5450 |strwidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005451
5452strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5453 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005454 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005455 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5456 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5457 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5458 end of the {src}. >
5459 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5460 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5461 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005462 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005463< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5464 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00005465 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005466<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005467strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5468 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5469 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5470 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5471 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5472 match: >
5473 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5474 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5475< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005476 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5477 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005478 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005479 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005480 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005481< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005482 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5483 function strrchr().
5484
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005485strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5486 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5487 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5488 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5489 echo strtrans(@a)
5490< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5491 starting a new line.
5492
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005493strwidth({expr}) *strwidth()*
5494 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5495 String {expr} occupies. A Tab character is counted as one
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005496 cell, alternatively use |strdisplaywidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005497 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5498 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005499 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005500
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005501submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
5502 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
5503 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
5504 the whole matched text is returned.
5505 Example: >
5506 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5507< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5508 A line break is included as a newline character.
5509
5510substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5511 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
5512 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
5513 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
5514 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
5515 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005516 'ignorecase' is still relevant. 'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005517 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
5518 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
5519 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005520 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005521 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
5522 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5523 unmodified.
5524 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5525 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5526 Example: >
5527 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5528< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5529 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5530< results in "TESTING".
5531
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005532synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005533 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005534 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005535 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5536 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005537
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005538 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005539 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5540
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005541 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005542 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005543 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5544 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5545 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5546 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5547 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5548
5549 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5550 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5551<
5552synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5553 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5554 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5555 about a syntax item.
5556 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005557 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005558 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5559 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5560 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5561 {what} result
5562 "name" the name of the syntax item
5563 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5564 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5565 term: empty string)
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005566 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005567 "font" font name (only available in the GUI)
5568 |highlight-font|
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005569 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005570 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5571 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5572 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005573 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005574 "bold" "1" if bold
5575 "italic" "1" if italic
5576 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5577 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005578 "standout" "1" if standout
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005579 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005580 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005581
5582 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5583 cursor): >
5584 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5585<
5586synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5587 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5588 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5589 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5590 ":highlight link" are followed.
5591
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005592synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5593 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5594 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5595 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005596 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5597 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5598 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5599 transparent item.
5600 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5601 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5602 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5603 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5604 endfor
Bram Moolenaar0bc380a2010-07-10 13:52:13 +02005605< When the position specified with {lnum} and {col} is invalid
5606 nothing is returned. The position just after the last
5607 character in a line and the first column in an empty line are
5608 valid positions.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005609
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00005610system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5611 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5612 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5613 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5614 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005615 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005616 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5617 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5618 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5619 also cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005620 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005621
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005622 The result is a String. Example: >
5623 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005624
5625< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5626 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5627 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5628 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5629 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5630 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5631 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5632 concatenated commands.
5633
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005634 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5635 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5636
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005637 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5638 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00005639
5640 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5641 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5642 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005643 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5644 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5645
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005646
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005647tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005648 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005649 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5650 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5651 omitted the current tab page is used.
5652 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5653 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
5654 tablist = []
5655 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
5656 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
5657 endfor
5658< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5659
5660
5661tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005662 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5663 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5664 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5665 page is returned (the tab page count).
5666 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5667
5668
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005669tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
5670 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
5671 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5672 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5673 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5674 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5675 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5676 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5677 Useful examples: >
5678 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5679 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5680< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5681
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00005682 *tagfiles()*
5683tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5684 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5685
5686
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005687taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5688 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00005689 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5690 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005691 name Name of the tag.
5692 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005693 defined. It is either relative to the
5694 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005695 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5696 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005697 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005698 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005699 kind values. Only available when
5700 using a tags file generated by
5701 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005702 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005703 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005704 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5705 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5706 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5707 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5708 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5709 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005710
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00005711 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5712 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005713
5714 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5715
5716 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
5717 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
5718 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
5719
5720 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5721 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5722 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5723
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005724tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5725 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005726 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005727 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5728 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5729 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005730< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory |tempfile|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005731 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5732 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5733
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005734
5735tan({expr}) *tan()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005736 Return the tangent of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005737 in the range [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005738 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005739 Examples: >
5740 :echo tan(10)
5741< 0.648361 >
5742 :echo tan(-4.01)
5743< -1.181502
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005744 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005745
5746
5747tanh({expr}) *tanh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005748 Return the hyperbolic tangent of {expr} as a |Float| in the
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005749 range [-1, 1].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005750 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005751 Examples: >
5752 :echo tanh(0.5)
5753< 0.462117 >
5754 :echo tanh(-1)
5755< -0.761594
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005756 {only available when compiled with |+float|}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005757
5758
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005759tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
5760 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
5761 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
5762 the string).
5763
5764toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
5765 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
5766 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
5767 the string).
5768
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00005769tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
5770 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
5771 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
5772 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
5773 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
5774 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
5775 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
5776
5777 Examples: >
5778 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
5779< returns "Hello THere" >
5780 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
5781< returns "{blob}"
5782
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005783trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005784 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005785 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
5786 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5787 Examples: >
5788 echo trunc(1.456)
5789< 1.0 >
5790 echo trunc(-5.456)
5791< -5.0 >
5792 echo trunc(4.0)
5793< 4.0
5794 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5795
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005796 *type()*
5797type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005798 Number: 0
5799 String: 1
5800 Funcref: 2
5801 List: 3
5802 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005803 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005804 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005805 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
5806 :if type(myvar) == type("")
5807 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
5808 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005809 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005810 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005811
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02005812undofile({name}) *undofile()*
5813 Return the name of the undo file that would be used for a file
5814 with name {name} when writing. This uses the 'undodir'
5815 option, finding directories that exist. It does not check if
Bram Moolenaar860cae12010-06-05 23:22:07 +02005816 the undo file exists.
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02005817 {name} is always expanded to the full path, since that is what
5818 is used internally.
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02005819 Useful in combination with |:wundo| and |:rundo|.
5820 When compiled without the +persistent_undo option this always
5821 returns an empty string.
5822
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02005823undotree() *undotree()*
5824 Return the current state of the undo tree in a dictionary with
5825 the following items:
5826 "seq_last" The highest undo sequence number used.
5827 "seq_cur" The sequence number of the current position in
5828 the undo tree. This differs from "seq_last"
5829 when some changes were undone.
5830 "time_cur" Time last used for |:earlier| and related
5831 commands. Use |strftime()| to convert to
5832 something readable.
5833 "save_last" Number of the last file write. Zero when no
5834 write yet.
Bram Moolenaar730cde92010-06-27 05:18:54 +02005835 "save_cur" Number of the current position in the undo
5836 tree.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02005837 "synced" Non-zero when the last undo block was synced.
5838 This happens when waiting from input from the
5839 user. See |undo-blocks|.
5840 "entries" A list of dictionaries with information about
5841 undo blocks.
5842
5843 The first item in the "entries" list is the oldest undo item.
5844 Each List item is a Dictionary with these items:
5845 "seq" Undo sequence number. Same as what appears in
5846 |:undolist|.
5847 "time" Timestamp when the change happened. Use
5848 |strftime()| to convert to something readable.
5849 "newhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
5850 that was added. This marks the last change
5851 and where further changes will be added.
5852 "curhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
5853 that was undone. This marks the current
5854 position in the undo tree, the block that will
5855 be used by a redo command. When nothing was
5856 undone after the last change this item will
5857 not appear anywhere.
5858 "save" Only appears on the last block before a file
5859 write. The number is the write count. The
5860 first write has number 1, the last one the
5861 "save_last" mentioned above.
5862 "alt" Alternate entry. This is again a List of undo
5863 blocks. Each item may again have an "alt"
5864 item.
5865
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005866values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005867 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005868 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005869
5870
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005871virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
5872 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
5873 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
5874 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
5875 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
5876 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
5877 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
5878 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00005879 For the byte position use |col()|.
5880 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
5881 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005882 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005883 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005884 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005885 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
5886 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
5887 The accepted positions are:
5888 . the cursor position
5889 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
5890 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
5891 plus one)
5892 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
5893 returned)
5894 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
5895 Examples: >
5896 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
5897 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005898 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
5899< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005900 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
5901 all lines: >
5902 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
5903
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005904
5905visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
5906 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005907 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
5908 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
5909 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
5910 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
5911 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005912 Example: >
5913 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
5914< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
5915 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
5916 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005917 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
5918 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005919 *non-zero-arg*
5920 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
5921 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005922 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005923 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
5924 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
5925 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005926
5927 *winbufnr()*
5928winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005929 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005930 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
5931 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5932 Example: >
5933 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
5934<
5935 *wincol()*
5936wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
5937 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
5938 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
5939
5940winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
5941 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
5942 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
5943 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5944 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
5945 Examples: >
5946 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
5947<
5948 *winline()*
5949winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005950 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005951 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00005952 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
5953 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005954
5955 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005956winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5957 window. The top window has number 1.
5958 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005959 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005960 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
5961 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005962 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
5963 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005964 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
5965 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005966 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005967
5968 *winrestcmd()*
5969winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
5970 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005971 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
5972 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005973 Example: >
5974 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5975 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
5976 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005977<
5978 *winrestview()*
5979winrestview({dict})
5980 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
5981 the view of the current window.
5982 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
5983 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
5984
5985 *winsaveview()*
5986winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
5987 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
5988 restore the view.
5989 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
5990 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
5991 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005992 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
5993 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005994 The return value includes:
5995 lnum cursor line number
5996 col cursor column
5997 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
5998 curswant column for vertical movement
5999 topline first line in the window
6000 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
6001 leftcol first column displayed
6002 skipcol columns skipped
6003 Note that no option values are saved.
6004
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006005
6006winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
6007 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
6008 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
6009 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6010 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
6011 Examples: >
6012 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
6013 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
6014 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
6015 :endif
6016<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006017 *writefile()*
6018writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006019 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006020 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
6021 Number.
6022 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
6023 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
6024 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
6025 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
6026 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
6027 to writefile().
6028 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
6029 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
6030 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
6031 fails.
6032 Also see |readfile()|.
6033 To copy a file byte for byte: >
6034 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
6035 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
6036<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006037
6038 *feature-list*
6039There are three types of features:
60401. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
6041 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
6042 :if has("cindent")
60432. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
6044 Example: >
6045 :if has("gui_running")
6046< *has-patch*
60473. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
6048 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
6049 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
6050 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006051< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
6052 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006053
6054all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
6055amiga Amiga version of Vim.
6056arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
6057arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00006058autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006059balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00006060balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006061beos BeOS version of Vim.
6062browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
6063 work.
6064builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
6065byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
6066cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
6067clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
6068clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
6069cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
6070cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
6071cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
6072comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
6073cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
6074cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
6075compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
6076debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
6077dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
6078dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
6079diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
6080digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
6081dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
6082dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
6083dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
6084ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
6085emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
6086eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
6087 true, of course!
6088ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
6089extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
6090 |'hlsearch'|
6091farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
6092file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006093filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
6094 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006095find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
6096 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006097float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006098fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
6099 Windows this is not present).
6100folding Compiled with |folding| support.
6101footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
6102fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
6103gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
6104gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
6105gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006106gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
6107gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006108gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006109gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
6110gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
6111gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
6112gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
6113gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
6114gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
6115hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
6116iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
6117insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
6118 Insert mode.
6119jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
6120keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
6121langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
6122libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
6123linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
6124 support.
6125lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
6126listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
6127 and the argument list |arglist|.
6128localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
Bram Moolenaar0ba04292010-07-14 23:23:17 +02006129lua Compiled with Lua interface |Lua|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006130mac Macintosh version of Vim.
6131macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
6132menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
6133mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
6134modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
6135mouse Compiled with support mouse.
6136mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
6137mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
6138mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
6139mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
6140mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006141mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006142mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar42022d52008-12-09 09:57:49 +00006143multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
6144multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006145multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
6146multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00006147mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006148netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaarb26e6322010-05-22 21:34:09 +02006149netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and connected.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006150ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
6151os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
6152osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
6153path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
6154perl Compiled with Perl interface.
Bram Moolenaar55debbe2010-05-23 23:34:36 +02006155persistent_undo Compiled with support for persistent undo history.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006156postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
6157printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006158profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006159python Compiled with Python interface.
6160qnx QNX version of Vim.
6161quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00006162reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006163rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
6164ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
6165scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
6166showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
6167signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
6168smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00006169sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaaref94eec2009-11-11 13:22:11 +00006170startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006171statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
6172 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
6173sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00006174spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
6175syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006176syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
6177 current buffer.
6178system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
6179tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
6180 |tag-binary-search|.
6181tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
6182 |tag-old-static|.
6183tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
6184 files |tag-any-white|.
6185tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
6186terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
6187termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
6188textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
6189tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
6190 or terminfo file.
6191title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
6192toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
6193unix Unix version of Vim.
6194user_commands User-defined commands.
6195viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
6196vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
6197vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
6198virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
6199visual Compiled with Visual mode.
6200visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
6201 |blockwise-operators|.
6202vms VMS version of Vim.
6203vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
6204wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
6205wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
6206windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
6207winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
6208win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
6209win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
6210win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
6211win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
6212win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
6213writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
6214xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
6215xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
6216xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
6217xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
6218xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
6219xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
6220 xterm screen.
6221x11 Compiled with X11 support.
6222
6223 *string-match*
6224Matching a pattern in a String
6225
6226A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
6227the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
6228everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
6229like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
6230line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
6231with ".". Example: >
6232 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
6233 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
6234 aa
6235 xx
6236 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
6237 a
6238 x
6239
6240Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
6241"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
6242"\n".
6243
6244==============================================================================
62455. Defining functions *user-functions*
6246
6247New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
6248functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
6249commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
6250
6251The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
6252builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
6253avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
6254the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
6255
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006256It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
6257|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006258
6259 *local-function*
6260A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
6261can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
6262and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006263function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006264instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
6265
6266 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
6267:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
6268
6269:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006270 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6271 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006272 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006273
6274:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
6275 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
6276 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006277<
6278 *:function-verbose*
6279When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
6280last defined. Example: >
6281
6282 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
6283 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
6284 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
6285<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00006286See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006287
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006288 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006289:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006290 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
6291 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
6292 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006293
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006294 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6295 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006296 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006297< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006298 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006299 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006300 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
6301 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
6302 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006303 *E127* *E122*
6304 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
6305 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
6306 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
6307 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006308
6309 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
6310
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006311 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
6312 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
6313 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
6314 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
6315 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
6316 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
6317 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006318
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006319 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
6320 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006321
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006322 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006323 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006324 local variable "self" will then be set to the
6325 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006326
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006327 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006328 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006329 will not be changed by the function. This also
6330 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6331 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006332
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006333 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6334:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6335 by its own, without other commands.
6336
6337 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6338:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006339 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6340 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006341 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006342< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006343 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6344 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006345 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6346:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6347 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6348 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6349 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6350 the number 0 is returned.
6351 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6352 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6353
6354 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6355 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6356 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6357 are executed first. This process applies to all
6358 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6359 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6360
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006361 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006362An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006363be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006364 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006365Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6366arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6367may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6368as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006369can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6370that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006371 *E742*
6372The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006373However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006374Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6375it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6376|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006377
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006378When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6379to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6380may be larger.
6381
6382It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6383still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6384until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6385inside a function body.
6386
6387 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006388Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6389will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6390accessed with "g:".
6391
6392Example: >
6393 :function Table(title, ...)
6394 : echohl Title
6395 : echo a:title
6396 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006397 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6398 : for s in a:000
6399 : echon ' ' . s
6400 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006401 :endfunction
6402
6403This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006404 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6405 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006406
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006407To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6408 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006409 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006410 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006411 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006412 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006413 :endfunction
6414
6415This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006416 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006417 :if success == "ok"
6418 : echo div
6419 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006420<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00006421 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006422:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6423 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6424 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006425 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006426 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6427 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6428 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6429 function.
6430 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6431 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6432 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6433 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006434 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006435 this works:
6436 *function-range-example* >
6437 :function Mynumber(arg)
6438 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6439 :endfunction
6440 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6441<
6442 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6443 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6444 the range.
6445
6446 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6447
6448 :function Cont() range
6449 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6450 :endfunction
6451 :4,8call Cont()
6452<
6453 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6454 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6455
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006456 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6457 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6458 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6459< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6460
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006461 *E132*
6462The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6463option.
6464
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006465
6466AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006467 *autoload-functions*
6468When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006469only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6470the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6471
6472
6473Using an autocommand ~
6474
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006475This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6476
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006477The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6478You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006479That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006480again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6481
6482Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6483function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006484
6485 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6486
6487The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6488"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6489
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006490
6491Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006492 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006493This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6494
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006495Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6496exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6497like this: >
6498
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006499 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006500
6501When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6502"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6503"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6504then define the function like this: >
6505
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006506 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006507 echo "Done!"
6508 endfunction
6509
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00006510The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006511exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6512called.
6513
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006514It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6515a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006516
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006517 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006518
6519Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6520
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006521This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6522
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006523 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006524
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00006525However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6526for an unknown variable.
6527
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006528When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6529be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6530
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006531 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6532 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006533
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00006534Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6535defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6536function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006537And you will get an error message every time.
6538
6539Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006540other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006541Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006542
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006543Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6544|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6545
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006546==============================================================================
65476. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6548
6549Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
6550This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
6551{} like this: >
6552 my_{adjective}_variable
6553
6554When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6555that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6556name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6557"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6558"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6559
6560One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006561value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006562 echo my_{&background}_message
6563
6564would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6565on the current value of 'background'.
6566
6567You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6568 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6569..or even nest them: >
6570 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6571where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6572
6573However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006574variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006575 :let foo='a + b'
6576 :echo c{foo}d
6577.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6578
6579 *curly-braces-function-names*
6580You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6581Example: >
6582 :let func_end='whizz'
6583 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6584
6585This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6586
6587==============================================================================
65887. Commands *expression-commands*
6589
6590:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6591 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6592 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6593 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6594 is created.
6595
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006596:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6597 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6598 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6599 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6600 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006601 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6602 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6603 can do that like this: >
6604 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6605<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006606 *E711* *E719*
6607:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006608 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6609 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006610 correct number of items.
6611 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6612 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6613 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6614 end of the list, items will be added.
6615
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006616 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006617:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6618:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6619:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6620 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6621 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6622
6623
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006624:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6625 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6626 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006627:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6628 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6629 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6630 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006631
6632:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6633 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6634 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6635 must be the name of a writable register (see
6636 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6637 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6638 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6639 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6640 characterwise.
6641 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6642 :let @/ = ""
6643< This is different from searching for an empty string,
6644 that would match everywhere.
6645
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006646:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006647 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006648 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6649
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006650:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006651 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006652 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6653 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006654 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6655 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00006656 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006657 Example: >
6658 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006659
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006660:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6661 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6662 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6663
6664:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6665:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6666 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6667 {expr1}.
6668
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006669:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006670:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6671:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6672:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006673 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6674 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6675
6676:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006677:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6678:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6679:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006680 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6681 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6682
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006683:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006684 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006685 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6686 {name2}, etc.
6687 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006688 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006689 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6690 command as mentioned above.
6691 Example: >
6692 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006693< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6694 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6695 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6696 :let x = [0, 1]
6697 :let i = 0
6698 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6699 :echo x
6700< The result is [0, 2].
6701
6702:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6703:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6704:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
6705 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006706 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006707
6708:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006709 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006710 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
6711 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
6712 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006713 Example: >
6714 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
6715<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006716:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
6717:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
6718:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
6719 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006720 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006721 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006722:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006723 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
6724 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006725 g: global variables
6726 b: local buffer variables
6727 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006728 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006729 s: script-local variables
6730 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006731 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006732
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006733:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
6734 variable is indicated before the value:
6735 <nothing> String
6736 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006737 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006738
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006739
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006740:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006741 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
6742 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006743 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006744 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
6745 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006746 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006747 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
6748 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006749< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006750 :unlet dict['two']
6751 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006752< This is especially useful to clean up used global
6753 variables and script-local variables (these are not
6754 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
6755 variables are automatically deleted when the function
6756 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006757
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006758:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
6759 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
6760 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
6761 A locked variable can be deleted: >
6762 :lockvar v
6763 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
6764 :unlet v
6765< *E741*
6766 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
6767 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
6768
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006769 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
6770 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
6771 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006772 cannot add or remove items, but can
6773 still change their values.
6774 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006775 the items. If an item is a |List| or
6776 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006777 items, but can still change the
6778 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006779 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
6780 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
6781 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
6782 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
6783 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006784 *E743*
6785 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
6786 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
6787 loops.
6788
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006789 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
6790 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006791 locked when used through the other variable.
6792 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006793 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
6794 :let cl = l
6795 :lockvar l
6796 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
6797< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
6798 See |deepcopy()|.
6799
6800
6801:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
6802 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
6803 opposite of |:lockvar|.
6804
6805
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006806:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
6807:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6808 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6809
6810 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
6811 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
6812 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
6813 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
6814 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
6815 part was not executed either.
6816
6817 You can use this to remain compatible with older
6818 versions: >
6819 :if version >= 500
6820 : version-5-specific-commands
6821 :endif
6822< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
6823 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
6824 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
6825 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
6826 avoid problems: >
6827 :if version >= 600
6828 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
6829 :endif
6830<
6831 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6832 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
6833
6834 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
6835:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6836 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
6837 executed.
6838
6839 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
6840:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
6841 is no extra ":endif".
6842
6843:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006844 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006845:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
6846 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6847 When an error is detected from a command inside the
6848 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006849 Example: >
6850 :let lnum = 1
6851 :while lnum <= line("$")
6852 :call FixLine(lnum)
6853 :let lnum = lnum + 1
6854 :endwhile
6855<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006856 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006857 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006858
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006859:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006860:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
6861 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006862 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006863 value of each item.
6864 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006865 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00006866 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
6867 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006868 :for item in copy(mylist)
6869< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
6870 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006871 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006872 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
6873 it will not be found. Thus the following example
6874 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006875 for item in mylist
6876 call remove(mylist, 0)
6877 endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006878< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
6879 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
6880 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006881 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
6882 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006883 to allow multiple item types: >
6884 for item in ["foo", ["bar"]]
6885 echo item
6886 unlet item " E706 without this
6887 endfor
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006888
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006889:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
6890:endfo[r]
6891 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
6892 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
6893 {var2}, etc. Example: >
6894 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
6895 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
6896 :endfor
6897<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006898 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006899:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
6900 to the start of the loop.
6901 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6902 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6903 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6904 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6905 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6906 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006907
6908 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006909:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
6910 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
6911 ":endfor".
6912 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6913 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6914 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6915 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6916 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6917 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006918
6919:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
6920:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
6921 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
6922 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
6923 or autocommand invocations.
6924
6925 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
6926 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
6927 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
6928 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
6929 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
6930 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
6931 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
6932 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
6933 Example: >
6934 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
6935 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
6936<
6937 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
6938 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
6939 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
6940 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
6941 processing is not terminated.
6942
6943 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
6944 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
6945 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
6946 other errors are converted to a value of the form
6947 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
6948 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
6949 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
6950 the error number.
6951 Examples: >
6952 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
6953 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
6954<
6955 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006956:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next |:catch|,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006957 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
6958 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
6959 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
6960 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
6961 commands are skipped.
6962 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
6963 Examples: >
6964 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
6965 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
6966 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
6967 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
6968 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
6969 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
6970 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
6971 :catch " same as /.*/
6972<
6973 Another character can be used instead of / around the
6974 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
6975 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
6976 {pattern}.
6977 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
6978 an error message because it may vary in different
6979 locales.
6980
6981 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
6982:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
6983 are executed whenever the part between the matching
6984 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
6985 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
6986 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
6987 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
6988
6989 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
6990:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
6991 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
6992 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
6993 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
6994 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
6995 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
6996 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
6997 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
6998 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
6999 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
7000 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
7001 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
7002 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
7003 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
7004 is terminated.
7005 Example: >
7006 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
7007<
7008
7009 *:ec* *:echo*
7010:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
7011 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
7012 Also see |:comment|.
7013 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
7014 cursor to the first column.
7015 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7016 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7017 Example: >
7018 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007019< *:echo-redraw*
7020 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
7021 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
7022 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
7023 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
7024 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
7025 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
7026 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007027 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
7028<
7029 *:echon*
7030:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
7031 |:comment|.
7032 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7033 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7034 Example: >
7035 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
7036<
7037 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
7038 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
7039 command: >
7040 :!echo % --> filename
7041< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
7042 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
7043< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
7044 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
7045 :echo % --> nothing
7046< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
7047 :echo "%" --> %
7048< This just echoes the '%' character. >
7049 :echo expand("%") --> filename
7050< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
7051
7052 *:echoh* *:echohl*
7053:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
7054 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
7055 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
7056 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
7057< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
7058 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
7059
7060 *:echom* *:echomsg*
7061:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
7062 message in the |message-history|.
7063 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
7064 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
7065 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007066 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
7067 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
7068 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
7069 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
7070 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007071 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7072 Example: >
7073 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007074< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
7075 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007076 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
7077:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
7078 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
7079 script or function the line number will be added.
7080 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007081 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007082 the message is raised as an error exception instead
7083 (see |try-echoerr|).
7084 Example: >
7085 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
7086< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
7087 And to get a beep: >
7088 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
7089<
7090 *:exe* *:execute*
7091:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007092 of {expr1} as an Ex command.
7093 Multiple arguments are concatenated, with a space in
7094 between. To avoid the extra space use the "."
7095 operator to concatenate strings into one argument.
7096 {expr1} is used as the processed command, command line
7097 editing keys are not recognized.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007098 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7099 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007100 :execute "buffer" nextbuf
7101 :execute "normal" count . "w"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007102<
7103 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
7104 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
7105 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
7106
7107< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
7108 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
7109 command: >
7110 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
7111< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
7112
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007113 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
7114 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007115 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
7116 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007117 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007118 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007119<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007120 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00007121 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
7122 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007123 :execute 'while i > 5'
7124 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
7125<
7126 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
7127 completely in the executed string: >
7128 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
7129<
7130
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007131 *:exe-comment*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007132 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
7133 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
7134 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
7135 comment. Example: >
7136 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
7137
7138==============================================================================
71398. Exception handling *exception-handling*
7140
7141The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
7142explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
7143
7144Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
7145|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
7146exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
7147
7148
7149TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
7150
7151Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
7152use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
7153a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
7154 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
7155|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
7156a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
7157be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
7158which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
7159clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
7160
7161 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007162 : ...
7163 : ... TRY BLOCK
7164 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007165 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007166 : ...
7167 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7168 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007169 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007170 : ...
7171 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7172 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007173 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007174 : ...
7175 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
7176 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007177 :endtry
7178
7179The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
7180appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
7181from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
7182 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
7183is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
7184script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
7185 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
7186lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
7187patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
7188after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
7189executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
7190":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
7191(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
7192continues in the following line as usual.
7193 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
7194":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
7195that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
7196finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
7197the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
7198the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
7199see |try-nesting|.
7200 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007201remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007202not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
7203try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
7204a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
7205execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
7206exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7207 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007208thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007209clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
7210catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
7211following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
7212clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7213
7214The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
7215a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
7216try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
7217from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
7218sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
7219":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
7220":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
7221from the finally clause.
7222 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
7223try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
7224clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
7225":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
7226clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
7227":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
7228this pending exception or command is discarded.
7229
7230For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
7231
7232
7233NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
7234
7235Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
7236conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
7237clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
7238catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
7239of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
7240checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
7241try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007242otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007243nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
7244one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
7245the inner try conditional.
7246
7247When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
7248finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
7249An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
7250thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
7251implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
7252as usual.
7253
7254For examples see |throw-catch|.
7255
7256
7257EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
7258
7259Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
7260'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
7261script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
7262finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
7263a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
7264(see |debug-scripts|).
7265
7266
7267THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
7268
7269You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
7270and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
7271 :throw 4711
7272 :throw "string"
7273< *throw-expression*
7274You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
7275first, and the result is thrown: >
7276 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
7277 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
7278
7279An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
7280command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
7281The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
7282 Example: >
7283
7284 :function! Foo(arg)
7285 : try
7286 : throw a:arg
7287 : catch /foo/
7288 : endtry
7289 : return 1
7290 :endfunction
7291 :
7292 :function! Bar()
7293 : echo "in Bar"
7294 : return 4710
7295 :endfunction
7296 :
7297 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
7298
7299This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
7300executed. >
7301 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
7302however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
7303
7304Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007305abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007306exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
7307 Example: >
7308
7309 :if Foo("arrgh")
7310 : echo "then"
7311 :else
7312 : echo "else"
7313 :endif
7314
7315Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
7316
7317 *catch-order*
7318Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
7319commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
7320command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
7321gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
7322 Example: >
7323
7324 :function! Foo(value)
7325 : try
7326 : throw a:value
7327 : catch /^\d\+$/
7328 : echo "Number thrown"
7329 : catch /.*/
7330 : echo "String thrown"
7331 : endtry
7332 :endfunction
7333 :
7334 :call Foo(0x1267)
7335 :call Foo('string')
7336
7337The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7338An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7339specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7340specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7341
7342 : catch /.*/
7343 : echo "String thrown"
7344 : catch /^\d\+$/
7345 : echo "Number thrown"
7346
7347The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7348never taken.
7349
7350 *throw-variables*
7351If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7352in the variable |v:exception|: >
7353
7354 : catch /^\d\+$/
7355 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7356
7357You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7358|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7359exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7360 Example: >
7361
7362 :function! Caught()
7363 : if v:exception != ""
7364 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7365 : else
7366 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7367 : endif
7368 :endfunction
7369 :
7370 :function! Foo()
7371 : try
7372 : try
7373 : try
7374 : throw 4711
7375 : finally
7376 : call Caught()
7377 : endtry
7378 : catch /.*/
7379 : call Caught()
7380 : throw "oops"
7381 : endtry
7382 : catch /.*/
7383 : call Caught()
7384 : finally
7385 : call Caught()
7386 : endtry
7387 :endfunction
7388 :
7389 :call Foo()
7390
7391This displays >
7392
7393 Nothing caught
7394 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7395 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7396 Nothing caught
7397
7398A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7399number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7400
7401 :function! LineNumber()
7402 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7403 :endfunction
7404 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7405<
7406 *try-nested*
7407An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7408a surrounding try conditional: >
7409
7410 :try
7411 : try
7412 : throw "foo"
7413 : catch /foobar/
7414 : echo "foobar"
7415 : finally
7416 : echo "inner finally"
7417 : endtry
7418 :catch /foo/
7419 : echo "foo"
7420 :endtry
7421
7422The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7423clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7424conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7425
7426 *throw-from-catch*
7427You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7428catch clause: >
7429
7430 :function! Foo()
7431 : throw "foo"
7432 :endfunction
7433 :
7434 :function! Bar()
7435 : try
7436 : call Foo()
7437 : catch /foo/
7438 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7439 : throw "bar"
7440 : endtry
7441 :endfunction
7442 :
7443 :try
7444 : call Bar()
7445 :catch /.*/
7446 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7447 :endtry
7448
7449This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7450
7451 *rethrow*
7452There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7453"v:exception" instead: >
7454
7455 :function! Bar()
7456 : try
7457 : call Foo()
7458 : catch /.*/
7459 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7460 : throw v:exception
7461 : endtry
7462 :endfunction
7463< *try-echoerr*
7464Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7465exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7466Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7467denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7468the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7469
7470 :try
7471 : try
7472 : asdf
7473 : catch /.*/
7474 : echoerr v:exception
7475 : endtry
7476 :catch /.*/
7477 : echo v:exception
7478 :endtry
7479
7480This code displays
7481
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007482 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007483
7484
7485CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7486
7487Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7488user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007489an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007490a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7491catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7492a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7493normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7494(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007495to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007496clause has been executed.)
7497Example: >
7498
7499 :try
7500 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7501 : set ts=17
7502 :
7503 : " Do the hard work here.
7504 :
7505 :finally
7506 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7507 : unlet s:saved_ts
7508 :endtry
7509
7510This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7511changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7512that function or script part.
7513
7514 *break-finally*
7515Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7516a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7517 Example: >
7518
7519 :let first = 1
7520 :while 1
7521 : try
7522 : if first
7523 : echo "first"
7524 : let first = 0
7525 : continue
7526 : else
7527 : throw "second"
7528 : endif
7529 : catch /.*/
7530 : echo v:exception
7531 : break
7532 : finally
7533 : echo "cleanup"
7534 : endtry
7535 : echo "still in while"
7536 :endwhile
7537 :echo "end"
7538
7539This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7540
7541 :function! Foo()
7542 : try
7543 : return 4711
7544 : finally
7545 : echo "cleanup\n"
7546 : endtry
7547 : echo "Foo still active"
7548 :endfunction
7549 :
7550 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7551
7552This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007553extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007554return value.)
7555
7556 *except-from-finally*
7557Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7558a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7559cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7560exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7561 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7562working correctly: >
7563
7564 :try
7565 : try
7566 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7567 : while 1
7568 : endwhile
7569 : finally
7570 : unlet novar
7571 : endtry
7572 :catch /novar/
7573 :endtry
7574 :echo "Script still running"
7575 :sleep 1
7576
7577If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7578think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7579|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7580
7581
7582CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7583
7584If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7585watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7586presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7587exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7588the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7589the error exception is.
7590 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7591
7592 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7593or >
7594 Vim:{errmsg}
7595
7596{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007597the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007598when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7599a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7600a space.
7601
7602Examples:
7603
7604The command >
7605 :unlet novar
7606normally produces the error message >
7607 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7608which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7609 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7610
7611The command >
7612 :dwim
7613normally produces the error message >
7614 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7615which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7616 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7617
7618You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7619 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7620or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7621 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7622
7623Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7624 :function nofunc
7625and >
7626 :delfunction nofunc
7627both produce the error message >
7628 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7629which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7630 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7631or >
7632 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7633respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7634command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7635 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7636
7637Some commands like >
7638 :let x = novar
7639produce multiple error messages, here: >
7640 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7641 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7642Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7643one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7644 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7645
7646You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7647 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7648
7649You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7650 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7651
7652You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7653 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7654<
7655 *catch-text*
7656NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7657 :catch /No such variable/
7658only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7659a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7660cite the message text in a comment: >
7661 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7662
7663
7664IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7665
7666You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7667
7668 :try
7669 : write
7670 :catch
7671 :endtry
7672
7673But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7674catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7675be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7676
7677 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7678
7679There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7680writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7681then hide the error from the user.
7682 It is much better to use >
7683
7684 :try
7685 : write
7686 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7687 :endtry
7688
7689which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7690intentionally.
7691
7692For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7693even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7694command: >
7695 :silent! nunmap k
7696This works also when a try conditional is active.
7697
7698
7699CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7700
7701When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007702the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007703script is not terminated, then.
7704 Example: >
7705
7706 :function! TASK1()
7707 : sleep 10
7708 :endfunction
7709
7710 :function! TASK2()
7711 : sleep 20
7712 :endfunction
7713
7714 :while 1
7715 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
7716 : try
7717 : if command == ""
7718 : continue
7719 : elseif command == "END"
7720 : break
7721 : elseif command == "TASK1"
7722 : call TASK1()
7723 : elseif command == "TASK2"
7724 : call TASK2()
7725 : else
7726 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
7727 : continue
7728 : endif
7729 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7730 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
7731 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
7732 : endtry
7733 :endwhile
7734
7735You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007736a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007737
7738For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
7739your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
7740command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
7741
7742
7743CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
7744
7745The commands >
7746
7747 :catch /.*/
7748 :catch //
7749 :catch
7750
7751catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
7752explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
7753a script in order to catch unexpected things.
7754 Example: >
7755
7756 :try
7757 :
7758 : " do the hard work here
7759 :
7760 :catch /MyException/
7761 :
7762 : " handle known problem
7763 :
7764 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7765 : echo "Script interrupted"
7766 :catch /.*/
7767 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
7768 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
7769 :endtry
7770 :" end of script
7771
7772Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
7773strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
7774specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
7775 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
7776by pressing CTRL-C: >
7777
7778 :while 1
7779 : try
7780 : sleep 1
7781 : catch
7782 : endtry
7783 :endwhile
7784
7785
7786EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
7787
7788Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
7789
7790 :autocmd User x try
7791 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
7792 :autocmd User x catch
7793 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
7794 :autocmd User x endtry
7795 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
7796 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
7797 :
7798 :try
7799 : doautocmd User x
7800 :catch
7801 : echo v:exception
7802 :endtry
7803
7804This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
7805
7806 *except-autocmd-Pre*
7807For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
7808command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
7809of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
7810abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
7811 Example: >
7812
7813 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
7814 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
7815 :
7816 :try
7817 : write
7818 :catch
7819 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
7820 :endtry
7821
7822Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
7823you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
7824autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
7825script displays: >
7826
7827 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
7828<
7829 *except-autocmd-Post*
7830For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
7831command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
7832an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
7833is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
7834 Example: >
7835
7836 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
7837 :
7838 :try
7839 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7840 :catch
7841 : echo v:exception
7842 :endtry
7843
7844This just displays: >
7845
7846 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
7847
7848If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
7849fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
7850 Example: >
7851
7852 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
7853 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
7854 :
7855 :try
7856 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7857 :catch
7858 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7859 :endtry
7860<
7861You can also use ":silent!": >
7862
7863 :let x = "ok"
7864 :let v:errmsg = ""
7865 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
7866 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
7867 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
7868 :try
7869 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7870 :catch
7871 :endtry
7872 :echo x
7873
7874This displays "after fail".
7875
7876If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
7877autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
7878
7879 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
7880 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
7881 :
7882 :try
7883 : write
7884 :catch
7885 : echo v:exception
7886 :endtry
7887<
7888 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
7889For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
7890autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
7891of the command.
7892 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007893had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007894some way. >
7895
7896 :if !exists("cnt")
7897 : let cnt = 0
7898 :
7899 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
7900 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
7901 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
7902 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7903 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7904 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
7905 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
7906 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7907 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7908 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
7909 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7910 :endif
7911 :
7912 :try
7913 : write
7914 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
7915 : if &modified
7916 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
7917 : else
7918 : echo "Error after writing"
7919 : endif
7920 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7921 : echo "Error on writing"
7922 :endtry
7923
7924When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
7925first >
7926 File successfully written!
7927then >
7928 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
7929then >
7930 Error after writing
7931etc.
7932
7933 *except-autocmd-ill*
7934You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
7935The following code is ill-formed: >
7936
7937 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
7938 :
7939 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
7940 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
7941 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
7942 :
7943 :write
7944
7945
7946EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
7947
7948Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
7949pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
7950similar things in Vim.
7951 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
7952class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
7953string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
7954 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
7955it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
7956for an error when writing "myfile".
7957 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
7958base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
7959parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
7960 Example: >
7961
7962 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
7963 : if a:a < 0
7964 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
7965 : endif
7966 :endfunction
7967 :
7968 :function! Add(a, b)
7969 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
7970 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
7971 : let c = a:a + a:b
7972 : if c < 0
7973 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
7974 : endif
7975 : return c
7976 :endfunction
7977 :
7978 :function! Div(a, b)
7979 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
7980 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
7981 : if (a:b == 0)
7982 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
7983 : endif
7984 : return a:a / a:b
7985 :endfunction
7986 :
7987 :function! Write(file)
7988 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007989 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007990 : catch /^Vim(write):/
7991 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
7992 : endtry
7993 :endfunction
7994 :
7995 :try
7996 :
7997 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
7998 :
7999 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
8000 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8001 : echo "Range error in" function
8002 :
8003 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
8004 : echo "Math error"
8005 :
8006 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
8007 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
8008 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8009 : if file !~ '^/'
8010 : let file = dir . "/" . file
8011 : endif
8012 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
8013 :
8014 :catch /^EXCEPT/
8015 : echo "Unspecified error"
8016 :
8017 :endtry
8018
8019The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
8020a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
8021exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
8022 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
8023failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
8024
8025
8026PECULIARITIES
8027 *except-compat*
8028The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
8029exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
8030and/or a catch clause.
8031
8032In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
8033continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
8034after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
8035functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
8036or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
8037(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
8038
8039This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
8040immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008041conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
8042be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008043termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
8044catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
8045by specifying a finally clause.)
8046
8047When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
8048behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
8049scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
8050
8051However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
8052commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
8053conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
8054script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
8055error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
8056messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008057|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
8058not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008059where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
8060error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
8061scripts.
8062
8063 *except-syntax-err*
8064Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
8065the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
8066clauses, however, is executed.
8067 Example: >
8068
8069 :try
8070 : try
8071 : throw 4711
8072 : catch /\(/
8073 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
8074 : catch
8075 : echo "inner catch-all"
8076 : finally
8077 : echo "inner finally"
8078 : endtry
8079 :catch
8080 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
8081 : finally
8082 : echo "outer finally"
8083 :endtry
8084
8085This displays: >
8086 inner finally
8087 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
8088 outer finally
8089The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
8090
8091 *except-single-line*
8092The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
8093a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
8094"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
8095 Example: >
8096 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
8097raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
8098argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
8099error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
8100displayed.
8101
8102 *except-several-errors*
8103When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
8104usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
8105 Example: >
8106 echo novar
8107causes >
8108 E121: Undefined variable: novar
8109 E15: Invalid expression: novar
8110The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8111 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
8112< *except-syntax-error*
8113But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
8114the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
8115 Example: >
8116 unlet novar #
8117causes >
8118 E108: No such variable: "novar"
8119 E488: Trailing characters
8120The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8121 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
8122This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
8123not intended by the user. Example: >
8124 try
8125 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
8126 catch /.*/
8127 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
8128 endtry
8129This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
8130a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
8131
8132==============================================================================
81339. Examples *eval-examples*
8134
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008135Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008136>
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01008137 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the binary string representation of a number.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008138 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008139 : let n = a:nr
8140 : let r = ""
8141 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008142 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
8143 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008144 : endwhile
8145 : return r
8146 :endfunc
8147
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008148 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
8149 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
8150 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008151 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008152 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
8153 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
8154 : endfor
8155 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008156 :endfunc
8157
8158Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008159 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
8160result: "100000" >
8161 :echo String2Bin("32")
8162result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008163
8164
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008165Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008166
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008167This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
8168
8169 :func SortBuffer()
8170 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
8171 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
8172 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008173 :endfunction
8174
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008175As a one-liner: >
8176 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008177
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008178
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008179scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008180 *sscanf*
8181There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
8182line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
8183how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
8184"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
8185 :" Set up the match bit
8186 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
8187 :"get the part matching the whole expression
8188 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
8189 :"get each item out of the match
8190 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
8191 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
8192 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
8193
8194The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
8195"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
8196
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008197
8198getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
8199 *scriptnames-dictionary*
8200The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
8201have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
8202(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
8203code can be used: >
8204 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
8205 let scriptnames_output = ''
8206 redir => scriptnames_output
8207 silent scriptnames
8208 redir END
8209
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008210 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008211 " "scripts" dictionary.
8212 let scripts = {}
8213 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
8214 " Only do non-blank lines.
8215 if line =~ '\S'
8216 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008217 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008218 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008219 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008220 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008221 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008222 endif
8223 endfor
8224 unlet scriptnames_output
8225
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008226==============================================================================
822710. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
8228
8229When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
8230evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
8231to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
8232recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
8233and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
8234only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
8235recognized.
8236
8237Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
8238missing: >
8239
8240 :if 1
8241 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
8242 :else
8243 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
8244 :endif
8245
8246==============================================================================
824711. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
8248
8249The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
8250options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
8251these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008252these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00008253a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008254The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008255
8256These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
8257 - changing the buffer text
8258 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
8259 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008260 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008261 - executing a shell command
8262 - reading or writing a file
8263 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00008264 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008265This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
8266
8267 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00008268:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008269 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
8270 'foldexpr'.
8271
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008272 *sandbox-option*
8273A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00008274have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008275restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
8276location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00008277- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008278- while executing in the sandbox
8279- value coming from a modeline
8280
8281Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
8282option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
8283
8284==============================================================================
828512. Textlock *textlock*
8286
8287In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
8288to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
8289is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008290actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008291happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
8292
8293This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
8294 - changing the buffer text
8295 - jumping to another buffer or window
8296 - editing another file
8297 - closing a window or quitting Vim
8298 - etc.
8299
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008300
8301 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: