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Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00001*cmdline.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2005 Dec 27
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7 *Cmdline-mode* *Command-line-mode*
8Command-line mode *Cmdline* *Command-line* *mode-cmdline* *:*
9
10Command-line mode is used to enter Ex commands (":"), search patterns
11("/" and "?"), and filter commands ("!").
12
13Basic command line editing is explained in chapter 20 of the user manual
14|usr_20.txt|.
15
161. Command-line editing |cmdline-editing|
172. Command-line completion |cmdline-completion|
183. Ex command-lines |cmdline-lines|
194. Ex command-line ranges |cmdline-ranges|
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +0000205. Ex command-line flags |ex-flags|
216. Ex special characters |cmdline-special|
227. Command-line window |cmdline-window|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000023
24==============================================================================
251. Command-line editing *cmdline-editing*
26
27Normally characters are inserted in front of the cursor position. You can
28move around in the command-line with the left and right cursor keys. With the
29<Insert> key, you can toggle between inserting and overstriking characters.
30{Vi: can only alter the last character in the line}
31
32Note that if your keyboard does not have working cursor keys or any of the
33other special keys, you can use ":cnoremap" to define another key for them.
34For example, to define tcsh style editing keys: *tcsh-style* >
35 :cnoremap <C-A> <Home>
36 :cnoremap <C-F> <Right>
37 :cnoremap <C-B> <Left>
38 :cnoremap <Esc>b <S-Left>
39 :cnoremap <Esc>f <S-Right>
40(<> notation |<>|; type all this literally)
41
42 *cmdline-too-long*
43When the command line is getting longer than what fits on the screen, only the
44part that fits will be shown. The cursor can only move in this visible part,
45thus you cannot edit beyond that.
46
47 *cmdline-history* *history*
48The command-lines that you enter are remembered in a history table. You can
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +000049recall them with the up and down cursor keys. There are actually five
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000050history tables:
51- one for ':' commands
52- one for search strings
53- one for expressions
54- one for input lines, typed for the |input()| function.
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +000055- one for debug mode commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000056These are completely separate. Each history can only be accessed when
57entering the same type of line.
58Use the 'history' option to set the number of lines that are remembered
59(default: 20).
60Notes:
61- When you enter a command-line that is exactly the same as an older one, the
62 old one is removed (to avoid repeated commands moving older commands out of
63 the history).
64- Only commands that are typed are remembered. Ones that completely come from
65 mappings are not put in the history
66- All searches are put in the search history, including the ones that come
67 from commands like "*" and "#". But for a mapping, only the last search is
68 remembered (to avoid that long mappings trash the history).
69{Vi: no history}
70{not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist| feature}
71
72There is an automatic completion of names on the command-line; see
73|cmdline-completion|.
74
75 *c_CTRL-V*
76CTRL-V Insert next non-digit literally. Up to three digits form the
77 decimal value of a single byte. The non-digit and the three
78 digits are not considered for mapping. This works the same
79 way as in Insert mode (see above, |i_CTRL-V|).
80 Note: Under Windows CTRL-V is often mapped to paste text.
81 Use CTRL-Q instead then.
82 *c_CTRL-Q*
83CTRL-Q Same as CTRL-V. But with some terminals it is used for
84 control flow, it doesn't work then.
85
86 *c_<Left>*
87<Left> cursor left
88 *c_<Right>*
89<Right> cursor right
90 *c_<S-Left>*
91<S-Left> or <C-Left> *c_<C-Left>*
92 cursor one WORD left
93 *c_<S-Right>*
94<S-Right> or <C-Right> *c_<C-Right>*
95 cursor one WORD right
96CTRL-B or <Home> *c_CTRL-B* *c_<Home>*
97 cursor to beginning of command-line
98CTRL-E or <End> *c_CTRL-E* *c_<End>*
99 cursor to end of command-line
100
101 *c_<LeftMouse>*
102<LeftMouse> cursor to position of mouse click.
103
104CTRL-H *c_<BS>* *c_CTRL-H*
105<BS> delete the character in front of the cursor (see |:fixdel| if
106 your <BS> key does not do what you want).
107 *c_<Del>*
108<Del> delete the character under the cursor (at end of line:
109 character before the cursor) (see |:fixdel| if your <Del>
110 key does not do what you want).
111 *c_CTRL-W*
112CTRL-W delete the word before the cursor
113 *c_CTRL-U*
114CTRL-U remove all characters between the cursor position and
115 the beginning of the line. Previous versions of vim
116 deleted all characters on the line. If that is the
117 preferred behavior, add the following to your .vimrc: >
118 :cnoremap <C-U> <C-E><C-U>
119<
120 Note: if the command-line becomes empty with one of the
121 delete commands, Command-line mode is quit.
122 *c_<Insert>*
123<Insert> Toggle between insert and overstrike. {not in Vi}
124
125{char1} <BS> {char2} or *c_digraph*
126CTRL-K {char1} {char2} *c_CTRL-K*
127 enter digraph (see |digraphs|). When {char1} is a special
128 key, the code for that key is inserted in <> form. {not in Vi}
129
130CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#:-=.} *c_CTRL-R* *c_<C-R>*
131 Insert the contents of a numbered or named register. Between
132 typing CTRL-R and the second character '"' will be displayed
133 to indicate that you are expected to enter the name of a
134 register.
135 The text is inserted as if you typed it, but mappings and
136 abbreviations are not used. Command-line completion through
137 'wildchar' is not triggered though. And characters that end
138 the command line are inserted literally (<Esc>, <CR>, <NL>,
139 <C-C>). A <BS> or CTRL-W could still end the command line
140 though, and remaining characters will then be interpreted in
141 another mode, which might not be what you intended.
142 Special registers:
143 '"' the unnamed register, containing the text of
144 the last delete or yank
145 '%' the current file name
146 '#' the alternate file name
147 '*' the clipboard contents (X11: primary selection)
148 '+' the clipboard contents
149 '/' the last search pattern
150 ':' the last command-line
151 '-' the last small (less than a line) delete
152 '.' the last inserted text
153 *c_CTRL-R_=*
154 '=' the expression register: you are prompted to
155 enter an expression (see |expression|)
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +0000156 (doesn't work at the expression prompt; uses
157 the |sandbox| to avoid side effects)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000158 See |registers| about registers. {not in Vi}
Bram Moolenaarfd371682005-01-14 21:42:54 +0000159 Implementation detail: When using the |expression| register
160 and invoking setcmdpos(), this sets the position before
161 inserting the resulting string. Use CTRL-R CTRL-R to set the
162 position afterwards.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000163
164CTRL-R CTRL-F *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-F* *c_<C-R>_<C-F>*
165CTRL-R CTRL-P *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-P* *c_<C-R>_<C-P>*
166CTRL-R CTRL-W *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-W* *c_<C-R>_<C-W>*
167CTRL-R CTRL-A *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-A* *c_<C-R>_<C-A>*
168 Insert the object under the cursor:
169 CTRL-F the Filename under the cursor
170 CTRL-P the Filename under the cursor, expanded with
171 'path' as in |gf|
172 CTRL-W the Word under the cursor
173 CTRL-A the WORD under the cursor; see |WORD|
Bram Moolenaar21cf8232004-07-16 20:18:37 +0000174 When 'incsearch' is set the cursor position of the currently
175 displayed match is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000176 {not in Vi}
177 CTRL-F and CTRL-P: {only when +file_in_path feature is
178 included}
179
180 *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R* *c_<C-R>_<C-R>*
181 *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-O* *c_<C-R>_<C-O>*
182CTRL-R CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#:-=. CTRL-F CTRL-P CTRL-W CTRL-A}
183CTRL-R CTRL-O {0-9a-z"%#:-=. CTRL-F CTRL-P CTRL-W CTRL-A}
184 Insert register or object under the cursor. Works like
185 |c_CTRL-R| but inserts the text literally. For example, if
186 register a contains "xy^Hz" (where ^H is a backspace),
187 "CTRL-R a" will insert "xz" while "CTRL-R CTRL-R a" will
188 insert "xy^Hz".
189
190CTRL-\ e {expr} *c_CTRL-\_e*
191 Evaluate {expr} and replace the whole command line with the
192 result. You will be prompted for the expression, type <Enter>
193 to finish it. It's most useful in mappings though. See
194 |expression|.
195 See |c_CTRL-R_=| for inserting the result of an expression.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +0000196 Useful functions are |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdline()| and
197 |getcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000198 The cursor position is unchanged, except when the cursor was
199 at the end of the line, then it stays at the end.
200 |setcmdpos()| can be used to set the cursor position.
201 Example: >
202 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eAppendSome()<CR>
203 :func AppendSome()
204 :let cmd = getcmdline() . " Some()"
205 :" place the cursor on the )
206 :call setcmdpos(strlen(cmd))
207 :return cmd
208 :endfunc
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +0000209< This doesn't work recursively, thus not when already editing
210 an expression.
211
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000212 *c_CTRL-Y*
213CTRL-Y When there is a modeless selection, copy the selection into
214 the clipboard. |modeless-selection|
215 If there is no selection CTRL-Y is inserted as a character.
216
217CTRL-J *c_CTRL-J* *c_<NL>* *c_<CR>*
218<CR> or <NL> start entered command
219 *c_<Esc>*
220<Esc> When typed and 'x' not present in 'cpoptions', quit
221 Command-line mode without executing. In macros or when 'x'
222 present in 'cpoptions', start entered command.
223 *c_CTRL-C*
224CTRL-C quit command-line without executing
225
226 *c_<Up>*
227<Up> recall older command-line from history, whose beginning
228 matches the current command-line (see below).
229 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
230 feature}
231 *c_<Down>*
232<Down> recall more recent command-line from history, whose beginning
233 matches the current command-line (see below).
234 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
235 feature}
236
237 *c_<S-Up>* *c_<PageUp>*
238<S-Up> or <PageUp>
239 recall older command-line from history
240 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
241 feature}
242 *c_<S-Down>* *c_<PageDown>*
243<S-Down> or <PageDown>
244 recall more recent command-line from history
245 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
246 feature}
247
248CTRL-D command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
249'wildchar' option
250 command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
251CTRL-N command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
252CTRL-P command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
253CTRL-A command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
254CTRL-L command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
255
256 *c_CTRL-_*
257CTRL-_ a - switch between Hebrew and English keyboard mode, which is
258 private to the command-line and not related to hkmap.
259 This is useful when Hebrew text entry is required in the
260 command-line, searches, abbreviations, etc. Applies only if
261 Vim is compiled with the |+rightleft| feature and the
262 'allowrevins' option is set.
263 See |rileft.txt|.
264
265 b - switch between Farsi and English keyboard mode, which is
266 private to the command-line and not related to fkmap. In
267 Farsi keyboard mode the characters are inserted in reverse
268 insert manner. This is useful when Farsi text entry is
269 required in the command-line, searches, abbreviations, etc.
270 Applies only if Vim is compiled with the |+farsi| feature.
271 See |farsi.txt|.
272
273 *c_CTRL-^*
274CTRL-^ Toggle the use of language |:lmap| mappings and/or Input
275 Method.
276 When typing a pattern for a search command and 'imsearch' is
277 not -1, VAL is the value of 'imsearch', otherwise VAL is the
278 value of 'iminsert'.
279 When language mappings are defined:
280 - If VAL is 1 (langmap mappings used) it becomes 0 (no langmap
281 mappings used).
282 - If VAL was not 1 it becomes 1, thus langmap mappings are
283 enabled.
284 When no language mappings are defined:
285 - If VAL is 2 (Input Method is used) it becomes 0 (no input
286 method used)
287 - If VAL has another value it becomes 2, thus the Input Method
288 is enabled.
289 These language mappings are normally used to type characters
290 that are different from what the keyboard produces. The
291 'keymap' option can be used to install a whole number of them.
292 When entering a command line, langmap mappings are switched
293 off, since you are expected to type a command. After
294 switching it on with CTRL-^, the new state is not used again
295 for the next command or Search pattern.
296 {not in Vi}
297
298For Emacs-style editing on the command-line see |emacs-keys|.
299
300The <Up> and <Down> keys take the current command-line as a search string.
301The beginning of the next/previous command-lines are compared with this
302string. The first line that matches is the new command-line. When typing
303these two keys repeatedly, the same string is used again. For example, this
304can be used to find the previous substitute command: Type ":s" and then <Up>.
305The same could be done by typing <S-Up> a number of times until the desired
306command-line is shown. (Note: the shifted arrow keys do not work on all
307terminals)
308
309 *his* *:history*
310:his[tory] Print the history of last entered commands.
311 {not in Vi}
312 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
313 feature}
314
315:his[tory] [{name}] [{first}][, [{last}]]
316 List the contents of history {name} which can be:
317 c[md] or : command-line history
318 s[earch] or / search string history
319 e[xpr] or = expression register history
320 i[nput] or @ input line history
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +0000321 d[ebug] or > debug command history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000322 a[ll] all of the above
323 {not in Vi}
324
325 If the numbers {first} and/or {last} are given, the respective
326 range of entries from a history is listed. These numbers can
327 be specified in the following form:
328 *:history-indexing*
329 A positive number represents the absolute index of an entry
330 as it is given in the first column of a :history listing.
331 This number remains fixed even if other entries are deleted.
332
333 A negative number means the relative position of an entry,
334 counted from the newest entry (which has index -1) backwards.
335
336 Examples:
337 List entries 6 to 12 from the search history: >
338 :history / 6,12
339<
340 List the recent five entries from all histories: >
341 :history all -5,
342
343==============================================================================
3442. Command-line completion *cmdline-completion*
345
346When editing the command-line, a few commands can be used to complete the
347word before the cursor. This is available for:
348
349- Command names: At the start of the command-line.
350- Tags: Only after the ":tag" command.
351- File names: Only after a command that accepts a file name or a setting for
352 an option that can be set to a file name. This is called file name
353 completion.
354- Options: Only after the ":set" command.
355- Mappings: Only after a ":map" or similar command.
356- Variable and function names: Only after a ":if", ":call" or similar command.
357
358When Vim was compiled with the |+cmdline_compl| feature disabled, only file
359names, directories and help items can be completed.
360
361These are the commands that can be used:
362
363 *c_CTRL-D*
364CTRL-D List names that match the pattern in front of the cursor.
365 When showing file names, directories are highlighted (see
366 'highlight' option). Names where 'suffixes' matches are moved
367 to the end.
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000368 The 'wildoptions' option can be set to "tagfile" to list the
369 file of matching tags.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000370 *c_CTRL-I* *c_wildchar* *c_<Tab>*
371'wildchar' option
372 A match is done on the pattern in front of the cursor. The
373 match (if there are several, the first match) is inserted
374 in place of the pattern. (Note: does not work inside a
375 macro, because <Tab> or <Esc> are mostly used as 'wildchar',
376 and these have a special meaning in some macros.) When typed
377 again and there were multiple matches, the next
378 match is inserted. After the last match, the first is used
379 again (wrap around).
380 The behavior can be changed with the 'wildmode' option.
381 *c_CTRL-N*
382CTRL-N After using 'wildchar' which got multiple matches, go to next
383 match. Otherwise recall more recent command-line from history.
384<S-Tab> *c_CTRL-P* *c_<S-Tab>*
385CTRL-P After using 'wildchar' which got multiple matches, go to
386 previous match. Otherwise recall older command-line from
387 history. <S-Tab> only works with the GUI, on the Amiga and
388 with MS-DOS.
389 *c_CTRL-A*
390CTRL-A All names that match the pattern in front of the cursor are
391 inserted.
392 *c_CTRL-L*
393CTRL-L A match is done on the pattern in front of the cursor. If
394 there is one match, it is inserted in place of the pattern.
395 If there are multiple matches the longest common part is
396 inserted in place of the pattern. If the result is shorter
397 than the pattern, no completion is done.
398
399The 'wildchar' option defaults to <Tab> (CTRL-E when in Vi compatible mode; in
400a previous version <Esc> was used). In the pattern standard wildcards '*' and
401'?' are accepted. '*' matches any string, '?' matches exactly one character.
402
403If you like tcsh's autolist completion, you can use this mapping:
404 :cnoremap X <C-L><C-D>
405(Where X is the command key to use, <C-L> is CTRL-L and <C-D> is CTRL-D)
406This will find the longest match and then list all matching files.
407
408If you like tcsh's autolist completion, you can use the 'wildmode' option to
409emulate it. For example, this mimics autolist=ambiguous:
410 :set wildmode=longest,list
411This will find the longest match with the first 'wildchar', then list all
412matching files with the next.
413
414 *suffixes*
415For file name completion you can use the 'suffixes' option to set a priority
416between files with almost the same name. If there are multiple matches,
417those files with an extension that is in the 'suffixes' option are ignored.
418The default is ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj", which means that files ending
419in ".bak", "~", ".o", ".h", ".info", ".swp" and ".obj" are sometimes ignored.
420It is impossible to ignore suffixes with two dots. Examples:
421
422 pattern: files: match: ~
423 test* test.c test.h test.o test.c
424 test* test.h test.o test.h and test.o
425 test* test.i test.h test.c test.i and test.c
426
427If there is more than one matching file (after ignoring the ones matching
428the 'suffixes' option) the first file name is inserted. You can see that
429there is only one match when you type 'wildchar' twice and the completed
430match stays the same. You can get to the other matches by entering
431'wildchar', CTRL-N or CTRL-P. All files are included, also the ones with
432extensions matching the 'suffixes' option.
433
434To completely ignore files with some extension use 'wildignore'.
435
436The old value of an option can be obtained by hitting 'wildchar' just after
437the '='. For example, typing 'wildchar' after ":set dir=" will insert the
438current value of 'dir'. This overrules file name completion for the options
439that take a file name.
440
441If you would like using <S-Tab> for CTRL-P in an xterm, put this command in
442your .cshrc: >
443 xmodmap -e "keysym Tab = Tab Find"
444And this in your .vimrc: >
445 :cmap <Esc>[1~ <C-P>
446
447==============================================================================
4483. Ex command-lines *cmdline-lines*
449
450The Ex commands have a few specialties:
451
452 *:quote*
453'"' at the start of a line causes the whole line to be ignored. '"'
454after a command causes the rest of the line to be ignored. This can be used
455to add comments. Example: >
456 :set ai "set 'autoindent' option
457It is not possible to add a comment to a shell command ":!cmd" or to the
458":map" command and friends, because they see the '"' as part of their
459argument.
460
461 *:bar* *:\bar*
462'|' can be used to separate commands, so you can give multiple commands in one
463line. If you want to use '|' in an argument, precede it with '\'.
464
465These commands see the '|' as their argument, and can therefore not be
466followed by another command:
467 :argdo
468 :autocmd
469 :bufdo
470 :command
471 :cscope
472 :debug
473 :folddoopen
474 :folddoclosed
475 :function
476 :global
477 :help
478 :helpfind
479 :make
480 :normal
481 :perl
482 :perldo
483 :promptfind
484 :promptrepl
485 :pyfile
486 :python
487 :registers
488 :read !
489 :scscope
490 :tcl
491 :tcldo
492 :tclfile
493 :vglobal
494 :windo
495 :write !
496 :[range]!
497 a user defined command without the "-bar" argument |:command|
498
499Note that this is confusing (inherited from Vi): With ":g" the '|' is included
500in the command, with ":s" it is not.
501
502To be able to use another command anyway, use the ":execute" command.
503Example (append the output of "ls" and jump to the first line): >
504 :execute 'r !ls' | '[
505
506There is one exception: When the 'b' flag is present in 'cpoptions', with the
507":map" and ":abbr" commands and friends CTRL-V needs to be used instead of
508'\'. You can also use "<Bar>" instead. See also |map_bar|.
509
510Examples: >
511 :!ls | wc view the output of two commands
512 :r !ls | wc insert the same output in the text
513 :%g/foo/p|> moves all matching lines one shiftwidth
514 :%s/foo/bar/|> moves one line one shiftwidth
515 :map q 10^V| map "q" to "10|"
516 :map q 10\| map \ l map "q" to "10\" and map "\" to "l"
517 (when 'b' is present in 'cpoptions')
518
519You can also use <NL> to separate commands in the same way as with '|'. To
520insert a <NL> use CTRL-V CTRL-J. "^@" will be shown. Using '|' is the
521preferred method. But for external commands a <NL> must be used, because a
522'|' is included in the external command. To avoid the special meaning of <NL>
523it must be preceded with a backslash. Example: >
524 :r !date<NL>-join
525This reads the current date into the file and joins it with the previous line.
526
527Note that when the command before the '|' generates an error, the following
528commands will not be executed.
529
530
531Because of Vi compatibility the following strange commands are supported: >
532 :| print current line (like ":p")
533 :3| print line 3 (like ":3p")
534 :3 goto line 3
535
536A colon is allowed between the range and the command name. It is ignored
537(this is Vi compatible). For example: >
538 :1,$:s/pat/string
539
540When the character '%' or '#' is used where a file name is expected, they are
541expanded to the current and alternate file name (see the chapter "editing
542files" |:_%| |:_#|).
543
544Embedded spaces in file names are allowed on the Amiga if one file name is
545expected as argument. Trailing spaces will be ignored, unless escaped with a
546backslash or CTRL-V. Note that the ":next" command uses spaces to separate
547file names. Escape the spaces to include them in a file name. Example: >
548 :next foo\ bar goes\ to school\
549starts editing the three files "foo bar", "goes to" and "school ".
550
551When you want to use the special characters '"' or '|' in a command, or want
552to use '%' or '#' in a file name, precede them with a backslash. The
553backslash is not required in a range and in the ":substitute" command.
554
555 *:_!*
556The '!' (bang) character after an Ex command makes the command behave in a
557different way. The '!' should be placed immediately after the command, without
558any blanks in between. If you insert blanks the '!' will be seen as an
559argument for the command, which has a different meaning. For example:
560 :w! name write the current buffer to file "name", overwriting
561 any existing file
562 :w !name send the current buffer as standard input to command
563 "name"
564
565==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005664. Ex command-line ranges *cmdline-ranges* *[range]* *E16*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000567
568Some Ex commands accept a line range in front of them. This is noted as
569[range]. It consists of one or more line specifiers, separated with ',' or
570';'.
571
572The basics are explained in section |10.3| of the user manual.
573
574 *:,* *:;*
575When separated with ';' the cursor position will be set to that line
576before interpreting the next line specifier. This doesn't happen for ','.
577Examples: >
578 4,/this line/
579< from line 4 till match with "this line" after the cursor line. >
580 5;/that line/
581< from line 5 till match with "that line" after line 5.
582
583The default line specifier for most commands is the cursor position, but the
584commands ":write" and ":global" have the whole file (1,$) as default.
585
586If more line specifiers are given than required for the command, the first
587one(s) will be ignored.
588
589Line numbers may be specified with: *:range* *E14* *{address}*
590 {number} an absolute line number
591 . the current line *:.*
592 $ the last line in the file *:$*
593 % equal to 1,$ (the entire file) *:%*
594 't position of mark t (lowercase) *:'*
595 'T position of mark T (uppercase); when the mark is in
596 another file it cannot be used in a range
597 /{pattern}[/] the next line where {pattern} matches *:/*
598 ?{pattern}[?] the previous line where {pattern} matches *:?*
599 \/ the next line where the previously used search
600 pattern matches
601 \? the previous line where the previously used search
602 pattern matches
603 \& the next line where the previously used substitute
604 pattern matches
605
606Each may be followed (several times) by '+' or '-' and an optional number.
607This number is added or subtracted from the preceding line number. If the
608number is omitted, 1 is used.
609
610The "/" and "?" after {pattern} are required to separate the pattern from
611anything that follows.
612
613The "/" and "?" may be preceded with another address. The search starts from
614there. The difference from using ';' is that the cursor isn't moved.
615Examples: >
616 /pat1//pat2/ Find line containing "pat2" after line containing
617 "pat1", without moving the cursor.
618 7;/pat2/ Find line containing "pat2", after line 7, leaving
619 the cursor in line 7.
620
621The {number} must be between 0 and the number of lines in the file. When
622using a 0 (zero) this is interpreted as a 1 by most commands. Commands that
623use it as a count do use it as a zero (|:tag|, |:pop|, etc). Some commands
624interpret the zero as "before the first line" (|:read|, search pattern, etc).
625
626Examples: >
627 .+3 three lines below the cursor
628 /that/+1 the line below the next line containing "that"
629 .,$ from current line until end of file
630 0;/that the first line containing "that", also matches in the
631 first line.
632 1;/that the first line after line 1 containing "that"
633
634Some commands allow for a count after the command. This count is used as the
635number of lines to be used, starting with the line given in the last line
636specifier (the default is the cursor line). The commands that accept a count
637are the ones that use a range but do not have a file name argument (because
638a file name can also be a number).
639
640Examples: >
641 :s/x/X/g 5 substitute 'x' by 'X' in the current line and four
642 following lines
643 :23d 4 delete lines 23, 24, 25 and 26
644
645
646Folds and Range
647
648When folds are active the line numbers are rounded off to include the whole
649closed fold. See |fold-behavior|.
650
651
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +0000652Reverse Range *E493*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000653
654A range should have the lower line number first. If this is not the case, Vim
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +0000655will ask you if it should swap the line numbers.
656 Backwards range given, OK to swap ~
657This is not done within the global command ":g".
658
659You can use ":silent" before a command to avoid the question, the range will
660always be swapped then.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000661
662
663Count and Range *N:*
664
665When giving a count before entering ":", this is translated into:
666 :.,.+(count - 1)
667In words: The 'count' lines at and after the cursor. Example: To delete
668three lines: >
669 3:d<CR> is translated into: .,.+2d<CR>
670<
671
672Visual Mode and Range *v_:*
673
674{Visual}: Starts a command-line with the Visual selected lines as a
675 range. The code ":'<,'>" is used for this range, which makes
676 it possible to select a similar line from the command-line
677 history for repeating a command on different Visually selected
678 lines.
679
680==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +00006815. Ex command-line flags *ex-flags*
682
683These flags are supported by a selection of Ex commands. They print the line
684that the cursor ends up after executing the command:
685
686 l output like for |:list|
687 # add line number
688 p output like for |:print|
689
690The flags can be combined, thus "l#" uses both a line number and |:list| style
691output.
692
693==============================================================================
6946. Ex special characters *cmdline-special*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000695
Bram Moolenaar8fa04452005-12-23 22:13:51 +0000696Note: These are special characters in the executed command line. If you want
697to insert special things while typing you can use the CTRL-R command. For
698example, "%" stands for the current file name, while CTRL-R % inserts the
699current file name right away. See |c_CTRL-R|.
700
701
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000702In Ex commands, at places where a file name can be used, the following
703characters have a special meaning. These can also be used in the expression
704function expand() |expand()|.
705 % is replaced with the current file name *:_%*
706 # is replaced with the alternate file name *:_#*
707 #n (where n is a number) is replaced with the file name of
708 buffer n. "#0" is the same as "#"
709 ## is replaced with all names in the argument list *:_##*
710 concatenated, separated by spaces. Each space in a name
711 is preceded with a backslash.
712Note that these give the file name as it was typed. If an absolute path is
713needed (when using the file name from a different directory), you need to add
714":p". See |filename-modifiers|.
715Note that backslashes are inserted before spaces, so that the command will
716correctly interpret the file name. But this doesn't happen for shell
717commands. For those you probably have to use quotes: >
718 :!ls "%"
719 :r !spell "%"
720
721To avoid the special meaning of '%' and '#' insert a backslash before it.
722Detail: The special meaning is always escaped when there is a backslash before
723it, no matter how many backslashes.
724 you type: result ~
725 # alternate.file
726 \# #
727 \\# \#
728
729 *:<cword>* *:<cWORD>* *:<cfile>* *<cfile>*
730 *:<sfile>* *<sfile>* *:<afile>* *<afile>*
731 *:<abuf>* *<abuf>* *:<amatch>* *<amatch>*
732 *E495* *E496* *E497* *E498* *E499* *E500*
733Note: these are typed literally, they are not special keys!
734 <cword> is replaced with the word under the cursor (like |star|)
735 <cWORD> is replaced with the WORD under the cursor (see |WORD|)
736 <cfile> is replaced with the path name under the cursor (like what
737 |gf| uses)
738 <afile> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the file name
739 for a file read or write
740 <abuf> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the currently
741 effective buffer number (for ":r file" it is the current
742 buffer, the file being read is not in a buffer).
743 <amatch> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the match for
Bram Moolenaar53180ce2005-07-05 21:48:14 +0000744 which this autocommand was executed. It differs from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000745 <afile> only when the file name isn't used to match with
746 (for FileType and Syntax events).
747 <sfile> when executing a ":source" command, is replaced with the
748 file name of the sourced file;
749 when executing a function, is replaced with
750 "function {function-name}"; function call nesting is
751 indicated like this:
752 "function {function-name1}..{function-name2}". Note that
753 filename-modifiers are useless when <sfile> is used inside
754 a function.
755
756 *filename-modifiers*
757 *:_%:* *::8* *::p* *::.* *::~* *::h* *::t* *::r* *::e* *::s* *::gs*
758The file name modifiers can be used after "%", "#", "#n", "<cfile>", "<sfile>",
759"<afile>" or "<abuf>". They are also used with the |fnamemodify()| function.
760These are not available when Vim has been compiled without the |+modify_fname|
761feature.
762These modifiers can be given, in this order:
763 :p Make file name a full path. Must be the first modifier. Also
764 changes "~/" (and "~user/" for Unix and VMS) to the path for
765 the home directory. If the name is a directory a path
766 separator is added at the end. For a file name that does not
767 exist and does not have an absolute path the result is
768 unpredictable.
769 :8 Converts the path to 8.3 short format (currently only on
770 win32). Will act on as much of a path that is an existing
771 path.
772 :~ Reduce file name to be relative to the home directory, if
773 possible. File name is unmodified if it is not below the home
774 directory.
775 :. Reduce file name to be relative to current directory, if
776 possible. File name is unmodified if it is not below the
777 current directory.
778 For maximum shortness, use ":~:.".
779 :h Head of the file name (the last component and any separators
780 removed). Cannot be used with :e, :r or :t.
781 Can be repeated to remove several components at the end.
782 When the file name ends in a path separator, only the path
783 separator is removed. Thus ":p:h" on a directory name results
784 on the directory name itself (without trailing slash).
785 When the file name is an absolute path (starts with "/" for
786 Unix; "x:\" for MS-DOS, WIN32, OS/2; "drive:" for Amiga), that
787 part is not removed. When there is no head (path is relative
788 to current directory) the result is empty.
789 :t Tail of the file name (last component of the name). Must
790 precede any :r or :e.
791 :r Root of the file name (the last extension removed). When
792 there is only an extension (file name that starts with '.',
793 e.g., ".vimrc"), it is not removed. Can be repeated to remove
794 several extensions (last one first).
795 :e Extension of the file name. Only makes sense when used alone.
796 When there is no extension the result is empty.
797 When there is only an extension (file name that starts with
798 '.'), the result is empty. Can be repeated to include more
799 extensions. If there are not enough extensions (but at least
800 one) as much as possible are included.
801 :s?pat?sub?
802 Substitute the first occurrence of "pat" with "sub". This
803 works like the |:s| command. "pat" is a regular expression.
804 Any character can be used for '?', but it must not occur in
805 "pat" or "sub".
806 After this, the previous modifiers can be used again. For
807 example ":p", to make a full path after the substitution.
808 :gs?pat?sub?
809 Substitute all occurrences of "path" with "sub". Otherwise
810 this works like ":s".
811
812Examples, when the file name is "src/version.c", current dir
813"/home/mool/vim": >
814 :p /home/mool/vim/src/version.c
815 :p:. src/version.c
816 :p:~ ~/vim/src/version.c
817 :h src
818 :p:h /home/mool/vim/src
819 :p:h:h /home/mool/vim
820 :t version.c
821 :p:t version.c
822 :r src/version
823 :p:r /home/mool/vim/src/version
824 :t:r version
825 :e c
826 :s?version?main? src/main.c
827 :s?version?main?:p /home/mool/vim/src/main.c
828 :p:gs?/?\\? \home\mool\vim\src\version.c
829
830Examples, when the file name is "src/version.c.gz": >
831 :p /home/mool/vim/src/version.c.gz
832 :e gz
833 :e:e c.gz
834 :e:e:e c.gz
835 :e:e:r c
836 :r src/version.c
837 :r:e c
838 :r:r src/version
839 :r:r:r src/version
840<
841 *extension-removal* *:_%<*
842If a "<" is appended to "%", "#", "#n" or "CTRL-V p" the extension of the file
843name is removed (everything after and including the last '.' in the file
844name). This is included for backwards compatibility with version 3.0, the
845":r" form is preferred. Examples: >
846
847 % current file name
848 %< current file name without extension
849 # alternate file name for current window
850 #< idem, without extension
851 #31 alternate file number 31
852 #31< idem, without extension
853 <cword> word under the cursor
854 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor (see |WORD|)
855 <cfile> path name under the cursor
856 <cfile>< idem, without extension
857
858Note: Where a file name is expected wildcards expansion is done. On Unix the
859shell is used for this, unless it can be done internally (for speed).
860Backticks also work, like in >
861 :n `echo *.c`
862(backtick expansion is not possible in |restricted-mode|)
863But expansion is only done if there are any wildcards before expanding the
864'%', '#', etc.. This avoids expanding wildcards inside a file name. If you
865want to expand the result of <cfile>, add a wildcard character to it.
866Examples: (alternate file name is "?readme?")
867 command expands to ~
868 :e # :e ?readme?
869 :e `ls #` :e {files matching "?readme?"}
870 :e #.* :e {files matching "?readme?.*"}
871 :cd <cfile> :cd {file name under cursor}
872 :cd <cfile>* :cd {file name under cursor plus "*" and then expanded}
873
874When the expanded argument contains a "!" and it is used for a shell command
875(":!cmd", ":r !cmd" or ":w !cmd"), it is escaped with a backslash to avoid it
876being expanded into a previously used command. When the 'shell' option
877contains "sh", this is done twice, to avoid the shell trying to expand the
878"!".
879
880 *filename-backslash*
881For filesystems that use a backslash as directory separator (MS-DOS, Windows,
882OS/2), it's a bit difficult to recognize a backslash that is used to escape
883the special meaning of the next character. The general rule is: If the
884backslash is followed by a normal file name character, it does not have a
885special meaning. Therefore "\file\foo" is a valid file name, you don't have
886to type the backslash twice.
887
888An exception is the '$' sign. It is a valid character in a file name. But
889to avoid a file name like "$home" to be interpreted as an environment variable,
890it needs to be preceded by a backslash. Therefore you need to use "/\$home"
891for the file "$home" in the root directory. A few examples:
892
893 FILE NAME INTERPRETED AS ~
894 $home expanded to value of environment var $home
895 \$home file "$home" in current directory
896 /\$home file "$home" in root directory
897 \\$home file "\\", followed by expanded $home
898
899==============================================================================
9006. Command-line window *cmdline-window* *cmdwin*
901
902In the command-line window the command line can be edited just like editing
903text in any window. It is a special kind of window, because you cannot leave
904it in a normal way.
905{not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist| or |+vertsplit|
906feature}
907
908
909OPEN
910
911There are two ways to open the command-line window:
9121. From Command-line mode, use the key specified with the 'cedit' option.
913 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is not set.
9142. From Normal mode, use the "q:", "q/" or "q?" command. *q:* *q/* *q?*
915 This starts editing an Ex command-line ("q:") or search string ("q/" or
916 "q?"). Note that this is not possible while recording is in progress (the
917 "q" stops recording then).
918
919When the window opens it is filled with the command-line history. The last
920line contains the command as typed so far. The left column will show a
921character that indicates the type of command-line being edited, see
922|cmdwin-char|.
923
924Vim will be in Normal mode when the editor is opened, except when 'insertmode'
925is set.
926
927The height of the window is specified with 'cmdwinheight' (or smaller if there
928is no room). The window is always full width and is positioned just above the
929command-line.
930
931
932EDIT
933
934You can now use commands to move around and edit the text in the window. Both
935in Normal mode and Insert mode.
936
937It is possible to use ":", "/" and other commands that use the command-line,
938but it's not possible to open another command-line window then. There is no
939nesting.
940 *E11*
941The command-line window is not a normal window. It is not possible to move to
942another window or edit another buffer. All commands that would do this are
943disabled in the command-line window. Of course it _is_ possible to execute
944any command that you entered in the command-line window.
945
946
947CLOSE *E199*
948
949There are several ways to leave the command-line window:
950
951<CR> Execute the command-line under the cursor. Works both in
952 Insert and in Normal mode.
953CTRL-C Continue in Command-line mode. The command-line under the
954 cursor is used as the command-line. Works both in Insert and
955 in Normal mode. ":close" also works. There is no redraw,
956 thus the window will remain visible.
957:quit Discard the command line and go back to Normal mode.
958 ":exit", ":xit" and CTRL-\ CTRL-N also work.
959:qall Quit Vim, unless there are changes in some buffer.
960:qall! Quit Vim, discarding changes to any buffer.
961
962Once the command-line window is closed the old window sizes are restored. The
963executed command applies to the window and buffer where the command-line was
964started from. This works as if the command-line window was not there, except
965that there will be an extra screen redraw.
966The buffer used for the command-line window is deleted. Any changes to lines
967other than the one that is executed with <CR> are lost.
968
969
970VARIOUS
971
972The command-line window cannot be used:
973- when there already is a command-line window (no nesting)
974- for entering a encryption key or when using inputsecret()
975- when Vim was not compiled with the +vertsplit feature
976
977Some options are set when the command-line window is opened:
978'filetype' "vim", when editing an Ex command-line; this starts Vim syntax
979 highlighting if it was enabled
980'rightleft' off
981'modifiable' on
982'buftype' "nofile"
983'swapfile' off
984
985It is allowed to write the buffer contents to a file. This is an easy way to
986save the command-line history and read it back later.
987
988If the 'wildchar' option is set to <Tab>, and the command-line window is used
989for an Ex command, then two mappings will be added to use <Tab> for completion
990in the command-line window, like this: >
991 :imap <buffer> <Tab> <C-X><C-V>
992 :nmap <buffer> <Tab> a<C-X><C-V>
993Note that hitting <Tab> in Normal mode will do completion on the next
994character. That way it works at the end of the line.
995If you don't want these mappings, disable them with: >
996 au CmdwinEnter [:>] iunmap <Tab>
997 au CmdwinEnter [:>] nunmap <Tab>
998You could put these lines in your vimrc file.
999
1000While in the command-line window you cannot use the mouse to put the cursor in
1001another window, or drag statuslines of other windows. You can drag the
1002statusline of the command-line window itself and the statusline above it.
1003Thus you can resize the command-line window, but not others.
1004
1005
1006AUTOCOMMANDS
1007
1008Two autocommand events are used: |CmdwinEnter| and |CmdwinLeave|. Since this
1009window is of a special type, the WinEnter, WinLeave, BufEnter and BufLeave
1010events are not triggered. You can use the Cmdwin events to do settings
1011specifically for the command-line window. Be careful not to cause side
1012effects!
1013Example: >
1014 :au CmdwinEnter : let b:cpt_save = &cpt | set cpt=v
1015 :au CmdwinLeave : let &cpt = b:cpt_save
1016This sets 'complete' to use command-line completion in Insert mode for CTRL-N.
1017Another example: >
1018 :au CmdwinEnter [/?] startinsert
1019This will make Vim start in Insert mode in the command-line window.
1020
1021 *cmdwin-char*
1022The character used for the pattern indicates the type of command-line:
1023 : normal Ex command
1024 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
1025 / forward search string
1026 ? backward search string
1027 = expression for "= |expr-register|
1028 @ string for |input()|
1029 - text for |:insert| or |:append|
1030
1031 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: