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Bram Moolenaar681baaf2016-02-04 20:57:07 +01001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.4. Last change: 2016 Feb 04
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 Moolenaar5302d9e2011-09-14 17:55:08 +020042Number A 32 or 64 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
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020066the 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 Moolenaarfa735342016-01-03 22:14:44 +010071Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits to
72a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9", Octal "017", and Binary "0b10" numbers are
73recognized. If the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero.
74Examples:
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020075 String "456" --> Number 456 ~
76 String "6bar" --> Number 6 ~
77 String "foo" --> Number 0 ~
78 String "0xf1" --> Number 241 ~
79 String "0100" --> Number 64 ~
Bram Moolenaarfa735342016-01-03 22:14:44 +010080 String "0b101" --> Number 5 ~
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020081 String "-8" --> Number -8 ~
82 String "+8" --> Number 0 ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000083
84To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
85 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000086< 64 ~
87
88To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
89base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000090
91For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
92
93Note that in the command >
94 :if "foo"
95"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
Bram Moolenaar3a0d8092012-10-21 03:02:54 +020096use empty(): >
97 :if !empty("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000098< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
99List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000100
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000101 *E805* *E806* *E808*
102When mixing Number and Float the Number is converted to Float. Otherwise
103there is no automatic conversion of Float. You can use str2float() for String
104to Float, printf() for Float to String and float2nr() for Float to Number.
105
Bram Moolenaar13d5aee2016-01-21 23:36:05 +0100106 *E891* *E892* *E893* *E894*
107When expecting a Float a Number can also be used, but nothing else.
108
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000109 *E706* *sticky-type-checking*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000110You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
111to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000112equivalent though, as well are Float and Number. Consider this sequence of
113commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000114 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000115 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000116 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error! l is still a Number
117 :let l = 4.4 " changes type from Number to Float
118 :let l = "string" " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000119
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000120
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001211.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000122 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000123A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000124in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
125around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000126
127 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
128 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000129< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000130A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
Bram Moolenaar7cba6c02013-09-05 22:13:31 +0200131can use "g:" but the following name must still start with a capital. You
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000132cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000133
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000134A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
135Dictionary entry. Example: >
136 :function dict.init() dict
137 : let self.val = 0
138 :endfunction
139
140The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
141function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
142
143A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
144 :call Fn()
145 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000146
147The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000148 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000149
150You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
151arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000152 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000153
154
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001551.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +0200156 *list* *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000157A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000158can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000159position in the sequence.
160
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000161
162List creation ~
163 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000164A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000165Examples: >
166 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
167 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000168
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000169An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000170List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000171 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000172
173An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
174
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000175
176List index ~
177 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000178An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000179after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
180 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000181 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000182
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000183When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000184 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000185<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000186A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
187the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000188 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
189
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000190To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000191is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000192 :echo get(mylist, idx)
193 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
194
195
196List concatenation ~
197
198Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
199 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000200 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000201
202To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
203it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
204
205
206Sublist ~
207
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000208A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
209separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000210 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000211
212Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000213similar to -1. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000214 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
215 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
216 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000217
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000218If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
219before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
220message.
221
222If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
223length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000224 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
225 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
226
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000227NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000228using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000229mylist[s : e].
230
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000231
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000232List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000233 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000234When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
235variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
236change "bb": >
237 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
238 :let bb = aa
239 :call add(aa, 4)
240 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000241< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000242
243Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
244works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000245a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000246 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
247 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000248 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000249 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
250 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000251< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000252 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000253< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000254
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000255To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000256copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000257
258The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000259List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000260the same value. >
261 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
262 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
263 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000264< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000265 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000266< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000267
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000268Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
269same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000270exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
271different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
272variables. Example: >
273 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000274< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000275 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000276< 0
277
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000278Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000279can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000280
281 :let a = 5
282 :let b = "5"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000283 :echo a == b
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000284< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000285 :echo [a] == [b]
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000286< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000287
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000288
289List unpack ~
290
291To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
292square brackets, like list items: >
293 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
294
295When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
296this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
297and a variable name: >
298 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
299
300This works like: >
301 :let var1 = mylist[0]
302 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000303 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000304
305Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
306empty list then.
307
308
309List modification ~
310 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000311To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000312 :let list[4] = "four"
313 :let listlist[0][3] = item
314
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000315To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000316modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000317 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
318
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000319Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
320examples: >
321 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
322 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
323 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000324 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
326 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000327 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000328 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000329 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000330 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000331
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000332Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000333 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
334 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +0100335 :call uniq(sort(list)) " sort and remove duplicates
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000336
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000337
338For loop ~
339
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000340The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
341to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000342 :for item in mylist
343 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000344 :endfor
345
346This works like: >
347 :let index = 0
348 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000349 : let item = mylist[index]
350 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000351 : let index = index + 1
352 :endwhile
353
354Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000355results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000356the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000357
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000358If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000359function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000360
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000361Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000362requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
363 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
364 : call Doit(lnum, col)
365 :endfor
366
367This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
368must remain the same to avoid an error.
369
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000370It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000371 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
372 : call Doit(i, j)
373 : if !empty(rest)
374 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
375 : endif
376 :endfor
377
378
379List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000380 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000382 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000383 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000384 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
385 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
386 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000387 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
388 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000389 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
390 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000391 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
392 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000393 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
394 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000395
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000396Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
397example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
398 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
399
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000400
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004011.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +0200402 *dict* *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
405ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000406
407
408Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000409 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000410A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000411braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
412only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000413 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
414 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000415< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000416A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
417String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000418entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000419Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000420
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000421A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000422nested Dictionary: >
423 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
424
425An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
426
427
428Accessing entries ~
429
430The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
431 :let val = mydict["one"]
432 :let mydict["four"] = 4
433
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000434You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000435
436For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
437form can be used |expr-entry|: >
438 :let val = mydict.one
439 :let mydict.four = 4
440
441Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
442key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000443 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000444
445
446Dictionary to List conversion ~
447
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000448You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000449turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
450
451Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
452 :for key in keys(mydict)
453 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
454 :endfor
455
456The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
457 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
458
459To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
460 :for v in values(mydict)
461 : echo "value: " . v
462 :endfor
463
464If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000465a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000466 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
467 : echo key . ': ' . value
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000468 :endfor
469
470
471Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000472 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000473Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
474Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
475Dictionary: >
476 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
477 :let adict = onedict
478 :let adict['a'] = 11
479 :echo onedict['a']
480 11
481
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000482Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
483more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000484
485
486Dictionary modification ~
487 *dict-modification*
488To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
489use |:let| this way: >
490 :let dict[4] = "four"
491 :let dict['one'] = item
492
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000493Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
494Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
495 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
496 :unlet dict.aaa
497 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000498
499Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000500 :call extend(adict, bdict)
501This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
502in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000503Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
504expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
505adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000506
507Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000508 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000509This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000510
511
512Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar26402cb2013-02-20 21:26:00 +0100513 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725* *E862*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000514When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000515special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000516 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000517 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000518 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
520 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000521
522This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
523Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
524the function was invoked from.
525
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000526It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
527Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
528
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000529 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
531assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000532 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
Bram Moolenaar5a5f4592015-04-13 12:43:06 +0200533 :function mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000534 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000535 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000536 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000537
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000538The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000539that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000540|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
541remaining that refers to it.
542
543It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000544
Bram Moolenaar1affd722010-08-04 17:49:30 +0200545If you get an error for a numbered function, you can find out what it is with
546a trick. Assuming the function is 42, the command is: >
547 :function {42}
548
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000549
550Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000551 *E715*
552Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000553 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
554 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
555 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
556 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
557 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
558 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
559 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
560 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000561
562
5631.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000564 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000565If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
566function.
567
568When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
569start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
570stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
571
572When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
573start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
574stored in the session file |session-file|.
575
576variable name can be stored where ~
577my_var_6 not
578My_Var_6 session file
579MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
580
581
582It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
583|curly-braces-names|.
584
585==============================================================================
5862. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
587
588Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
589
590|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
591
592|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
593
594|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
595
596|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
597 expr5 != expr5 not equal
598 expr5 > expr5 greater than
599 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
600 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
601 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
602 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
603 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
604
605 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
606 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
607 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
608 matching case
609
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000610 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
611 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000612
613|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000614 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
615 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
616
617|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
618 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
619 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
620
621|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
622 - expr7 unary minus
623 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000624
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000625|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
626 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
627 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
628 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000629
630|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000631 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000632 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000633 [expr1, ...] |List|
634 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000635 &option option value
636 (expr1) nested expression
637 variable internal variable
638 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
639 $VAR environment variable
640 @r contents of register 'r'
641 function(expr1, ...) function call
642 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
643
644
645".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
646Example: >
647 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
648
649All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
650
651
652expr1 *expr1* *E109*
653-----
654
655expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
656
657The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
658non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
659otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
660Example: >
661 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
662
663Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
664other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
665Example: >
666 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
667
668To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
669 :echo lnum == 1
670 :\ ? "top"
671 :\ : lnum == 1000
672 :\ ? "last"
673 :\ : lnum
674
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000675You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
676use in a variable such as "a:1".
677
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000678
679expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
680---------------
681
682 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
683The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
684are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
685
686 input output ~
687n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
688zero zero zero zero
689zero non-zero non-zero zero
690non-zero zero non-zero zero
691non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
692
693The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
694
695 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
696
697Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
698
699 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
700
701Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
702arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
703
704 let a = 1
705 echo a || b
706
707This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
708so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
709
710 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
711
712This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
713only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
714
715
716expr4 *expr4*
717-----
718
719expr5 {cmp} expr5
720
721Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
722if it evaluates to true.
723
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000724 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000725 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
726 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
727 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
728 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
729 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200730 *expr-is* *expr-isnot* *expr-is#* *expr-isnot#*
731 *expr-is?* *expr-isnot?*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000732 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
733equal == ==# ==?
734not equal != !=# !=?
735greater than > ># >?
736greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
737smaller than < <# <?
738smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
739regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
740regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200741same instance is is# is?
742different instance isnot isnot# isnot?
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000743
744Examples:
745"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
746"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
747"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
748
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000749 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000750A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
751"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
752Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000753
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000754 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000755A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
756equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000757recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
758
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000759 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000760A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
761equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000762
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200763When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| or a |Dictionary| this checks if the
764expressions are referring to the same |List| or |Dictionary| instance. A copy
765of a |List| is different from the original |List|. When using "is" without
766a |List| or a |Dictionary| it is equivalent to using "equal", using "isnot"
767equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a different type means the
768values are different: "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'" is false and "0 is []" is
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +0200769false and not an error. "is#"/"isnot#" and "is?"/"isnot?" can be used to match
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200770and ignore case.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000771
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000772When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000773and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000774because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
775
776When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
777results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
778necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
779
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000780When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000781'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000782
783When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000784'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
785
786'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000787
788The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
789argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
790This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
791matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
792portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
793single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
794Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
795(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
796can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
797 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
798 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
799
800
801expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
802---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000803expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000804expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
805expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000806
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000807For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000808result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000809
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +0100810expr7 * expr7 .. Number multiplication *expr-star*
811expr7 / expr7 .. Number division *expr-/*
812expr7 % expr7 .. Number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000813
814For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +0100815For bitwise operators see |and()|, |or()| and |xor()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000816
817Note the difference between "+" and ".":
818 "123" + "456" = 579
819 "123" . "456" = "123456"
820
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000821Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
822 1 . 90 + 90.0
823As: >
824 (1 . 90) + 90.0
825That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
826190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
827 1 . 90 * 90.0
828Should be read as: >
829 1 . (90 * 90.0)
830Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
831attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
832
833When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
834 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
835 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
836 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
837 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
838
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000839When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
840
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000841None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000842
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000843. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
844
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000845
846expr7 *expr7*
847-----
848! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
849- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
850+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
851
852For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
853For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
854For '+' the number is unchanged.
855
856A String will be converted to a Number first.
857
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000858These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000859 !-1 == 0
860 !!8 == 1
861 --9 == 9
862
863
864expr8 *expr8*
865-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000866expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000867
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000868If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
869expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100870Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see |byteidx()| for
871an alternative.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000872
Bram Moolenaar256972a2015-12-29 19:10:25 +0100873Index zero gives the first byte. This is like it works in C. Careful:
874text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the byte under the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000875cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000876 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000877
878If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaar85084ef2016-01-17 22:26:33 +0100879String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backward
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000880compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
881
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000882If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000883for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000884error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000885 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
886
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000887Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
888|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
889error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000890
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000891
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000892expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000893
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000894If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
895from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100896expr1b are used as a Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see
897|byteidx()| for computing the indexes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000898
899If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
900string minus one is used.
901
902A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
903the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
904
905If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
906expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
907
908Examples: >
909 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
910 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
911 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
912 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100913<
914 *sublist* *slice*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000915If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000916the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000917just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000918 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
919 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
920 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
921
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000922Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
923error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000924
Bram Moolenaarda440d22016-01-16 21:27:23 +0100925Watch out for confusion between a namespace and a variable followed by a colon
926for a sublist: >
927 mylist[n:] " uses variable n
928 mylist[s:] " uses namespace s:, error!
929
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000930
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000931expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000932
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000933If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
934name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
935expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000936
937The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
938but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
939
940There must not be white space before or after the dot.
941
942Examples: >
943 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
944 :echo dict.one
945 :echo dict .2
946
947Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
948always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
949
950
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000951expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000952
953When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
954
955
956
957 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000958number
959------
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +0100960number number constant *expr-number*
961 *hex-number* *octal-number*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000962
963Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
964
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000965 *floating-point-format*
966Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
967
968 [-+]{N}.{M}
Bram Moolenaar8a94d872015-01-25 13:02:57 +0100969 [-+]{N}.{M}[eE][-+]{exp}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000970
971{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
972contain digits.
973[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
974{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
975Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
976locale is.
977{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
978
979Examples:
980 123.456
981 +0.0001
982 55.0
983 -0.123
984 1.234e03
985 1.0E-6
986 -3.1416e+88
987
988These are INVALID:
989 3. empty {M}
990 1e40 missing .{M}
991
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000992 *float-pi* *float-e*
993A few useful values to copy&paste: >
994 :let pi = 3.14159265359
995 :let e = 2.71828182846
996
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000997Rationale:
998Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
999the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
1000resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00001001could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001002incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
1003for floating point numbers.
1004
1005 *floating-point-precision*
1006The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
1007means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
1008runtime.
1009
1010The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
1011printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
1012function. Example: >
1013 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
1014< 7.853981633974483e-01
1015
1016
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001017
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02001018string *string* *String* *expr-string* *E114*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001019------
1020"string" string constant *expr-quote*
1021
1022Note that double quotes are used.
1023
1024A string constant accepts these special characters:
1025\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1026\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1027\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1028\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1029\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1030\X.. same as \x..
1031\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001032\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001033 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
Bram Moolenaar541f92d2015-06-19 13:27:23 +02001034\U.... same as \u but allows up to 8 hex numbers.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001035\b backspace <BS>
1036\e escape <Esc>
1037\f formfeed <FF>
1038\n newline <NL>
1039\r return <CR>
1040\t tab <Tab>
1041\\ backslash
1042\" double quote
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02001043\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W. This is for use
1044 in mappings, the 0x80 byte is escaped. Don't use <Char-xxxx> to get a
1045 utf-8 character, use \uxxxx as mentioned above.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001046
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001047Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1048encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1049of 'encoding'.
1050
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001051Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1052
1053
1054literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1055---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001056'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001057
1058Note that single quotes are used.
1059
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001060This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001061meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001062
1063Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001064to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001065 if a =~ "\\s*"
1066 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001067
1068
1069option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1070------
1071&option option value, local value if possible
1072&g:option global option value
1073&l:option local option value
1074
1075Examples: >
1076 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1077 if &insertmode
1078
1079Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1080and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1081anyway.
1082
1083
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001084register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001085--------
1086@r contents of register 'r'
1087
1088The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1089Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001090register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001091registers.
1092
1093When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1094evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001095
1096
1097nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1098-------
1099(expr1) nested expression
1100
1101
1102environment variable *expr-env*
1103--------------------
1104$VAR environment variable
1105
1106The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1107result is an empty string.
1108 *expr-env-expand*
1109Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1110expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1111are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1112the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1113fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1114does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02001115 :echo $shell
1116 :echo expand("$shell")
1117The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $shell
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001118variable (if your shell supports it).
1119
1120
1121internal variable *expr-variable*
1122-----------------
1123variable internal variable
1124See below |internal-variables|.
1125
1126
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001127function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001128-------------
1129function(expr1, ...) function call
1130See below |functions|.
1131
1132
1133==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +020011343. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E461*
1135
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001136An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1137cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1138|curly-braces-names|.
1139
1140An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001141An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1142|:unlet|.
1143Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1144been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001145
1146There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1147specified by what is prepended:
1148
1149 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1150|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1151|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001152|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001153|global-variable| g: Global.
1154|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1155|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1156|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar75b81562014-04-06 14:09:13 +02001157|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001158
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001159The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1160delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001161 :for k in keys(s:)
1162 : unlet s:[k]
1163 :endfor
1164<
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001165 *buffer-variable* *b:var* *b:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001166A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1167Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1168This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1169|:bdelete|.
1170
1171One local buffer variable is predefined:
Bram Moolenaarbf884932013-04-05 22:26:15 +02001172 *b:changedtick* *changetick*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001173b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1174 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1175 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1176 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1177 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001178 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1179 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001180 :endif
1181<
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001182 *window-variable* *w:var* *w:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001183A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1184is deleted when the window is closed.
1185
Bram Moolenaarad3b3662013-05-17 18:14:19 +02001186 *tabpage-variable* *t:var* *t:*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001187A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1188It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001189without the |+windows| feature}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001190
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001191 *global-variable* *g:var* *g:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001192Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001193access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001194place if you like.
1195
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001196 *local-variable* *l:var* *l:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001197Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001198But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1199you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1200refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1201same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001202
1203 *script-variable* *s:var*
1204In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1205accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1206
1207They can be used in:
1208- commands executed while the script is sourced
1209- functions defined in the script
1210- autocommands defined in the script
1211- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1212 defined in the script (recursively)
1213- user defined commands defined in the script
1214Thus not in:
1215- other scripts sourced from this one
1216- mappings
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001217- menus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001218- etc.
1219
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001220Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1221Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001222
1223 let s:counter = 0
1224 function MyCounter()
1225 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1226 echo s:counter
1227 endfunction
1228 command Tick call MyCounter()
1229
1230You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1231that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1232"Tick" was defined is used.
1233
1234Another example that does the same: >
1235
1236 let s:counter = 0
1237 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1238
1239When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001240script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001241defined.
1242
1243The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1244function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1245
1246 let s:counter = 0
1247 function StartCounting(incr)
1248 if a:incr
1249 function MyCounter()
1250 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1251 endfunction
1252 else
1253 function MyCounter()
1254 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1255 endfunction
1256 endif
1257 endfunction
1258
1259This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1260when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1261called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1262
1263When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1264They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1265maintain a counter: >
1266
1267 if !exists("s:counter")
1268 let s:counter = 1
1269 echo "script executed for the first time"
1270 else
1271 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1272 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1273 endif
1274
1275Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1276variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1277
1278
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001279Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var* *v:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001280
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001281 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1282v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1283 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1284 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1285
1286 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1287v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1288 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1289
1290 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1291v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1292 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1293
1294 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001295v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1296 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1297 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1298 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001299 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1300 highlighted text is used.
1301 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1302
1303 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1304v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
Bram Moolenaar00654022011-02-25 14:42:19 +01001305 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option. The first
1306 window has number zero (unlike most other places where a
1307 window gets a number).
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001308
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001309 *v:char* *char-variable*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001310v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr' and used for the typed
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02001311 character when using <expr> in an abbreviation |:map-<expr>|.
Bram Moolenaare6ae6222013-05-21 21:01:10 +02001312 It is also used by the |InsertCharPre| and |InsertEnter| events.
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001313
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001314 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1315v:charconvert_from
1316 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1317 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1318
1319 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1320v:charconvert_to
1321 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1322 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1323
1324 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1325v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1326 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1327 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1328 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1329 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1330 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001331 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001332 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1333 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1334 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1335 in 'printexpr'.
1336
1337 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1338v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1339 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1340 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1341 can be used.
1342
Bram Moolenaar42a45122015-07-10 17:56:23 +02001343 *v:completed_item* *completed_item-variable*
1344v:completed_item
1345 |Dictionary| containing the |complete-items| for the most
1346 recently completed word after |CompleteDone|. The
1347 |Dictionary| is empty if the completion failed.
1348
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001349 *v:count* *count-variable*
1350v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001351 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001352 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1353< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1354 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001355 When there are two counts, as in "3d2w", they are multiplied,
1356 just like what happens in the command, "d6w" for the example.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001357 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001358 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1359
1360 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1361v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1362 used.
1363
1364 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1365v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1366 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1367 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1368 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1369 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1370 command.
1371 See |multi-lang|.
1372
1373 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001374v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001375 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1376 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1377 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1378 Example: >
1379 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +02001380< Note: if another deadly signal is caught when v:dying is one,
1381 VimLeave autocommands will not be executed.
1382
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001383 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1384v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1385 Example: >
1386 :let v:errmsg = ""
1387 :silent! next
1388 :if v:errmsg != ""
1389 : ... handle error
1390< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1391
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01001392 *v:errors* *errors-variable*
Bram Moolenaar683fa182015-11-30 21:38:24 +01001393v:errors Errors found by assert functions, such as |assert_true()|.
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01001394 This is a list of strings.
1395 The assert functions append an item when an assert fails.
1396 To remove old results make it empty: >
1397 :let v:errors = []
1398< If v:errors is set to anything but a list it is made an empty
1399 list by the assert function.
1400
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001401 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1402v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1403 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1404 Example: >
1405 :try
1406 : throw "oops"
1407 :catch /.*/
1408 : echo "caught" v:exception
1409 :endtry
1410< Output: "caught oops".
1411
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01001412 *v:false* *false-variable*
1413v:false A Number with value zero. Used to put "false" in JSON. See
1414 |jsonencode()|.
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01001415 When used as a string this evaluates to "false". >
1416 echo v:false
1417< false ~
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01001418
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001419 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1420v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1421 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1422 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1423 deleted file no longer exists
1424 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1425 changed and buffer is modified
1426 changed file contents has changed
1427 mode mode of file changed
1428 time only file timestamp changed
1429
1430 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1431v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1432 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1433 do with the affected buffer:
1434 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1435 the file was deleted).
1436 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1437 was no autocommand. Except that when
1438 only the timestamp changed nothing
1439 will happen.
1440 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1441 everything that needs to be done.
1442 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1443 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1444
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001445 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001446v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001447 option used for ~
1448 'charconvert' file to be converted
1449 'diffexpr' original file
1450 'patchexpr' original file
1451 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001452 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001453
1454 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1455v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1456 evaluating:
1457 option used for ~
1458 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1459 'diffexpr' output of diff
1460 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1461 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001462 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001463 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1464 file and different from v:fname_in.
1465
1466 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1467v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1468 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1469
1470 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1471v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1472 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1473
1474 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1475v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1476 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001477 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001478
1479 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1480v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001481 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001482
1483 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1484v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001485 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001486
1487 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1488v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001489 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001490
Bram Moolenaar817a8802013-11-09 01:44:43 +01001491 *v:hlsearch* *hlsearch-variable*
Bram Moolenaar76440e22014-11-27 19:14:49 +01001492v:hlsearch Variable that indicates whether search highlighting is on.
1493 Setting it makes sense only if 'hlsearch' is enabled which
1494 requires |+extra_search|. Setting this variable to zero acts
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01001495 like the |:nohlsearch| command, setting it to one acts like >
Bram Moolenaar817a8802013-11-09 01:44:43 +01001496 let &hlsearch = &hlsearch
Bram Moolenaar86ae7202015-07-10 19:31:35 +02001497< Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1498 function. |function-search-undo|.
1499
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001500 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1501v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1502 events. Values:
1503 i Insert mode
1504 r Replace mode
1505 v Virtual Replace mode
1506
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001507 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001508v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001509 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1510 Read-only.
1511
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001512 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1513v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1514 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1515 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1516 The value is system dependent.
1517 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1518 command.
1519 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1520 in a different language than what is used for character
1521 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1522
1523 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1524v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1525 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1526 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1527 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1528 command. See |multi-lang|.
1529
1530 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02001531v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr|, 'formatexpr' and
1532 'indentexpr' expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'
1533 and 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these
1534 expressions is being evaluated. Read-only when in the
1535 |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001536
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001537 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1538v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1539 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1540 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1541
1542 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1543v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1544 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1545 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1546
1547 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1548v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1549 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1550 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1551
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01001552 *v:none* *none-variable*
1553v:none An empty String. Used to put an empty item in JSON. See
1554 |jsonencode()|.
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01001555 When used as a number this evaluates to zero.
1556 When used as a string this evaluates to "none". >
1557 echo v:none
1558< none ~
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01001559
1560 *v:null* *null-variable*
1561v:null An empty String. Used to put "null" in JSON. See
1562 |jsonencode()|.
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01001563 When used as a number this evaluates to zero.
1564 When used as a string this evaluates to "null". >
1565 echo v:null
1566< null ~
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01001567
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001568 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1569v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1570 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1571 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1572 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01001573 When the |viminfo| file is not used the List is empty.
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001574 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1575 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1576 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1577 than String this will cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001578 {only when compiled with the |+viminfo| feature}
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001579
Bram Moolenaar53744302015-07-17 17:38:22 +02001580 *v:option_new*
1581v:option_new New value of the option. Valid while executing an |OptionSet|
1582 autocommand.
1583 *v:option_old*
1584v:option_old Old value of the option. Valid while executing an |OptionSet|
1585 autocommand.
1586 *v:option_type*
1587v:option_type Scope of the set command. Valid while executing an
1588 |OptionSet| autocommand. Can be either "global" or "local"
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001589 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1590v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1591 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1592 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1593 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1594 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1595 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1596< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1597 don't expect it to be empty.
1598 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1599 commands.
1600 Read-only.
1601
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001602 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1603v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1604 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001605 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1606 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001607 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1608< Read-only.
1609
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001610 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001611v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001612 See |profiling|.
1613
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001614 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1615v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001616 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for |view|,
1617 |evim| etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001618 Read-only.
1619
Bram Moolenaara1706c92014-04-01 19:55:49 +02001620 *v:progpath* *progpath-variable*
1621v:progpath Contains the command with which Vim was invoked, including the
1622 path. Useful if you want to message a Vim server using a
1623 |--remote-expr|.
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02001624 To get the full path use: >
1625 echo exepath(v:progpath)
1626< NOTE: This does not work when the command is a relative path
1627 and the current directory has changed.
Bram Moolenaara1706c92014-04-01 19:55:49 +02001628 Read-only.
1629
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001630 *v:register* *register-variable*
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001631v:register The name of the register in effect for the current normal mode
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001632 command (regardless of whether that command actually used a
1633 register). Or for the currently executing normal mode mapping
1634 (use this in custom commands that take a register).
1635 If none is supplied it is the default register '"', unless
1636 'clipboard' contains "unnamed" or "unnamedplus", then it is
1637 '*' or '+'.
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001638 Also see |getreg()| and |setreg()|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001639
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001640 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1641v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1642 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1643 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1644 typed command.
1645 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1646 hit-enter prompt.
1647
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001648 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1649v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1650 Read-only.
1651
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001652
1653v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1654 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1655 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1656 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1657 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1658 function. |function-search-undo|.
1659 Read-write.
1660
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001661 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1662v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1663 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1664 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1665 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1666 executed. Read-only.
1667 Example: >
1668 :!mv foo bar
1669 :if v:shell_error
1670 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1671 :endif
1672< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1673
1674 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1675v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1676
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001677 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1678v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1679 the swap file found. Read-only.
1680
1681 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1682v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1683 for handling an existing swap file:
1684 'o' Open read-only
1685 'e' Edit anyway
1686 'r' Recover
1687 'd' Delete swapfile
1688 'q' Quit
1689 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001690 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001691 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1692 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1693
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001694 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001695v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001696 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001697 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001698 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001699 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001700
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001701 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1702v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001703 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001704 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1705 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1706 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1707 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1708 terminal.
1709 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1710 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1711 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1712 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1713 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1714
1715 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1716v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1717 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1718 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1719 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1720
1721 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1722v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001723 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001724 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1725 Example: >
1726 :try
1727 : throw "oops"
1728 :catch /.*/
1729 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1730 :endtry
1731< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1732
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01001733 *v:true* *true-variable*
1734v:true A Number with value one. Used to put "true" in JSON. See
1735 |jsonencode()|.
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01001736 When used as a string this evaluates to "true". >
1737 echo v:true
1738< true ~
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001739 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001740v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001741 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001742 |filter()|. Read-only.
1743
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001744 *v:version* *version-variable*
1745v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1746 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1747 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1748 compatibility.
1749 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar6716d9a2014-04-02 12:12:08 +02001750 if has("patch-7.4.123")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001751< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1752 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1753 completely different.
1754
1755 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1756v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1757
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001758 *v:windowid* *windowid-variable*
1759v:windowid When any X11 based GUI is running or when running in a
1760 terminal and Vim connects to the X server (|-X|) this will be
Bram Moolenaar264e9fd2010-10-27 12:33:17 +02001761 set to the window ID.
1762 When an MS-Windows GUI is running this will be set to the
1763 window handle.
1764 Otherwise the value is zero.
1765 Note: for windows inside Vim use |winnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001766
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001767==============================================================================
17684. Builtin Functions *functions*
1769
1770See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1771
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001772(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001773
1774USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1775
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001776abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001777acos( {expr}) Float arc cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001778add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaaracb4f222016-01-10 15:59:26 +01001779alloc_fail( {id}, {countdown}, {repeat})
1780 none make memory allocation fail
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001781and( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise AND
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001782append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001783append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001784argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001785argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar683fa182015-11-30 21:38:24 +01001786arglistid( [{winnr} [, {tabnr}]])
Bram Moolenaar2d1fe052014-05-28 18:22:57 +02001787 Number argument list id
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001788argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001789argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01001790assert_equal( {exp}, {act} [, {msg}]) none assert {exp} equals {act}
1791assert_exception({error} [, {msg}]) none assert {error} is in v:exception
Bram Moolenaara260b872016-01-15 20:48:22 +01001792assert_fails( {cmd} [, {error}]) none assert {cmd} fails
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01001793assert_false( {actual} [, {msg}]) none assert {actual} is false
1794assert_true( {actual} [, {msg}]) none assert {actual} is true
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001795asin( {expr}) Float arc sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001796atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001797atan2( {expr}, {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001798browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1799 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001800browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001801bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001802buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1803bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001804bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaar12969c02015-09-08 23:36:10 +02001805bufnr( {expr} [, {create}]) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001806bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1807byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001808byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar0ffbbf92013-11-02 23:29:26 +01001809byteidxcomp( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001810call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1811 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001812ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
Bram Moolenaarf57969a2016-02-02 20:47:49 +01001813ch_close( {handle}) none close a channel
1814ch_open( {address}, {mode} [, {callback}])
1815 Number open a channel
1816ch_sendexpr( {handle}, {expr} [, {callback}])
1817 any send {expr} over JSON channel {handle}
1818ch_sendraw( {handle}, {string} [, {callback}])
1819 any send {string} over raw channel {handle}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001820changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01001821char2nr( {expr}[, {utf8}]) Number ASCII/UTF8 value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001822cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001823clearmatches() none clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001824col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001825complete( {startcol}, {matches}) none set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001826complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001827complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001828confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1829 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001830copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001831cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001832cosh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a991dd2014-10-02 01:41:41 +02001833count( {list}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]])
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001834 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001835cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1836 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar2f3b5102014-11-19 18:54:17 +01001837cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {off}])
1838 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {off}
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001839cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaar92dff182014-02-11 19:15:50 +01001840deepcopy( {expr} [, {noref}]) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaarda440d22016-01-16 21:27:23 +01001841delete( {fname} [, {flags}]) Number delete the file or directory {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001842did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001843diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1844diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001845empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001846escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001847eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001848eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001849executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02001850exepath( {expr}) String full path of the command {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001851exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001852extend( {expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001853 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001854exp( {expr}) Float exponential of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01001855expand( {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]])
1856 any expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001857feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001858filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001859filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001860filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1861 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001862finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001863 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001864findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001865 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001866float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1867floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001868fmod( {expr1}, {expr2}) Float remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001869fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001870fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001871foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1872foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001873foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001874foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001875foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001876foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001877function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01001878garbagecollect( [{atexit}]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001879get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001880get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001881getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1882 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001883getbufvar( {expr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1884 any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001885getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1886getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaarfc39ecf2015-08-11 20:34:49 +02001887getcharsearch() Dict last character search
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001888getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1889getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02001890getcmdtype() String return current command-line type
1891getcmdwintype() String return current command-line window type
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02001892getcurpos() List position of the cursor
Bram Moolenaarc9703302016-01-17 21:49:33 +01001893getcwd( [{winnr} [, {tabnr}]]) String get the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02001894getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001895getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1896getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001897getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001898getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001899getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1900getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001901getloclist( {nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001902getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001903getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001904getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001905getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaarb7cb42b2014-04-02 19:55:10 +02001906getreg( [{regname} [, 1 [, {list}]]])
1907 String or List contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001908getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001909gettabvar( {nr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1910 any variable {varname} in tab {nr} or {def}
1911gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name} [, {def}])
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001912 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001913getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1914getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001915getwinvar( {nr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1916 any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01001917glob( {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {alllinks}]]])
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01001918 any expand file wildcards in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5837f1f2015-03-21 18:06:14 +01001919glob2regpat( {expr}) String convert a glob pat into a search pat
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01001920globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {alllinks}]]])
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001921 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001922has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001923has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaarc9703302016-01-17 21:49:33 +01001924haslocaldir( [{winnr} [, {tabnr}]])
1925 Number TRUE if the window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001926hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1927 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001928histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1929histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1930histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1931histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1932hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1933hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1934hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001935iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1936indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001937index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1938 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001939input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1940 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001941inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001942inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001943inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1944inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001945inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001946insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001947invert( {expr}) Number bitwise invert
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001948isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001949islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001950items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001951join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01001952jsondecode( {string}) any decode JSON
1953jsonencode( {expr}) String encode JSON
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001954keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001955len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1956libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001957libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1958line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1959line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001960lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001961localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001962log( {expr}) Float natural logarithm (base e) of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001963log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001964luaeval( {expr}[, {expr}]) any evaluate |Lua| expression
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001965map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02001966maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]])
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01001967 String or Dict
1968 rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001969mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1970 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001971match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001972 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001973matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1974 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02001975matchaddpos( {group}, {list}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1976 Number highlight positions with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001977matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001978matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001979matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001980 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001981matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1982 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001983matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1984 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001985max( {list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1986min( {list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
1987mkdir( {name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001988 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001989mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01001990mzeval( {expr}) any evaluate |MzScheme| expression
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001991nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01001992nr2char( {expr}[, {utf8}]) String single char with ASCII/UTF8 value {expr}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001993or( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise OR
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001994pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaare9b892e2016-01-17 21:15:58 +01001995perleval( {expr}) any evaluate |Perl| expression
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001996pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001997prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001998printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1999pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02002000pyeval( {expr}) any evaluate |Python| expression
2001py3eval( {expr}) any evaluate |python3| expression
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002002range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
2003 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002004readfile( {fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00002005 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002006reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
2007reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002008remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
2009 String send expression
2010remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
2011remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
2012 Number check for reply string
2013remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
2014remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
2015 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002016remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002017remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002018rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
2019repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
2020resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002021reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002022round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9a773482013-06-11 18:40:13 +02002023screenattr( {row}, {col}) Number attribute at screen position
2024screenchar( {row}, {col}) Number character at screen position
Bram Moolenaar9750bb12012-12-05 16:10:42 +01002025screencol() Number current cursor column
2026screenrow() Number current cursor row
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00002027search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
2028 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002029searchdecl( {name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002030 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00002031searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002032 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00002033searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00002034 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00002035searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00002036 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002037server2client( {clientid}, {string})
2038 Number send reply string
2039serverlist() String get a list of available servers
2040setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaardbd24b52015-08-11 14:26:19 +02002041setcharsearch( {dict}) Dict set character search from {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002042setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
2043setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002044setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
2045 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002046setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002047setpos( {expr}, {list}) Number set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002048setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002049setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02002050settabvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in tab page {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00002051settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
2052 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002053setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01002054sha256( {string}) String SHA256 checksum of {string}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00002055shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
2056 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00002057 command argument
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02002058shiftwidth() Number effective value of 'shiftwidth'
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002059simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002060sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002061sinh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f894962011-06-19 02:55:37 +02002062sort( {list} [, {func} [, {dict}]])
2063 List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00002064soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00002065spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00002066spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
2067 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002068split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002069 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01002070sqrt( {expr}) Float square root of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002071str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
2072str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar641e48c2015-06-25 16:09:26 +02002073strchars( {expr} [, {skipcc}]) Number character length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02002074strdisplaywidth( {expr} [, {col}]) Number display length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002075strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00002076stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
2077 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002078string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002079strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
2080strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
2081 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002082strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
2083 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002084strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02002085strwidth( {expr}) Number display cell length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02002086submatch( {nr}[, {list}]) String or List
2087 specific match in ":s" or substitute()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002088substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
2089 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002090synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002091synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
2092 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
2093synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02002094synconcealed( {lnum}, {col}) List info about concealing
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002095synstack( {lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002096system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaar39c29ed2014-04-05 19:44:40 +02002097systemlist( {expr} [, {input}]) List output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00002098tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
2099tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
2100tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
2101 Number number of current window in tab page
2102taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002103tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002104tempname() String name for a temporary file
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002105tan( {expr}) Float tangent of {expr}
2106tanh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002107tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
2108toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00002109tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
2110 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01002111trunc( {expr}) Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002112type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02002113undofile( {name}) String undo file name for {name}
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002114undotree() List undo file tree
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01002115uniq( {list} [, {func} [, {dict}]])
2116 List remove adjacent duplicates from a list
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002117values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002118virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
2119visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
Bram Moolenaar8738fc12013-02-20 17:59:11 +01002120wildmenumode() Number whether 'wildmenu' mode is active
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002121winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
2122wincol() Number window column of the cursor
2123winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
2124winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00002125winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002126winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002127winrestview( {dict}) none restore view of current window
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00002128winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002129winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaared767a22016-01-03 22:49:16 +01002130wordcount() Dict get byte/char/word statistics
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01002131writefile( {list}, {fname} [, {flags}])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002132 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01002133xor( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise XOR
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002134
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002135abs({expr}) *abs()*
2136 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
2137 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
2138 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
2139 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
2140 Examples: >
2141 echo abs(1.456)
2142< 1.456 >
2143 echo abs(-5.456)
2144< 5.456 >
2145 echo abs(-4)
2146< 4
2147 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2148
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002149
2150acos({expr}) *acos()*
2151 Return the arc cosine of {expr} measured in radians, as a
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002152 |Float| in the range of [0, pi].
2153 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002154 [-1, 1].
2155 Examples: >
2156 :echo acos(0)
2157< 1.570796 >
2158 :echo acos(-0.5)
2159< 2.094395
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002160 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002161
2162
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002163add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002164 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
2165 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002166 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
2167 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002168< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002169 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002170 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002171
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002172
Bram Moolenaar75bdf6a2016-01-07 21:25:08 +01002173alloc_fail({id}, {countdown}, {repeat}) *alloc_fail()*
2174 This is for testing: If the memory allocation with {id} is
2175 called, then decrement {countdown}, and when it reaches zero
2176 let memory allocation fail {repeat} times. When {repeat} is
2177 smaller than one it fails one time.
2178
2179
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01002180and({expr}, {expr}) *and()*
2181 Bitwise AND on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
2182 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
2183 Example: >
2184 :let flag = and(bits, 0x80)
2185
2186
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002187append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002188 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
2189 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002190 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
2191 the current buffer.
2192 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002193 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002194 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002195 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002196 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002197<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002198 *argc()*
2199argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
2200 current window. See |arglist|.
2201
2202 *argidx()*
2203argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
2204 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
2205
Bram Moolenaar2d1fe052014-05-28 18:22:57 +02002206 *arglistid()*
2207arglistid([{winnr}, [ {tabnr} ]])
2208 Return the argument list ID. This is a number which
2209 identifies the argument list being used. Zero is used for the
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02002210 global argument list. See |arglist|.
2211 Return -1 if the arguments are invalid.
Bram Moolenaar2d1fe052014-05-28 18:22:57 +02002212
2213 Without arguments use the current window.
2214 With {winnr} only use this window in the current tab page.
2215 With {winnr} and {tabnr} use the window in the specified tab
2216 page.
2217
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002218 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002219argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002220 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
2221 Example: >
2222 :let i = 0
2223 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002224 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002225 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
2226 : let i = i + 1
2227 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002228< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
2229 returned.
2230
Bram Moolenaar683fa182015-11-30 21:38:24 +01002231 *assert_equal()*
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01002232assert_equal({expected}, {actual} [, {msg}])
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002233 When {expected} and {actual} are not equal an error message is
2234 added to |v:errors|.
2235 There is no automatic conversion, the String "4" is different
2236 from the Number 4. And the number 4 is different from the
2237 Float 4.0. The value of 'ignorecase' is not used here, case
2238 always matters.
Bram Moolenaar683fa182015-11-30 21:38:24 +01002239 When {msg} is omitted an error in the form "Expected
2240 {expected} but got {actual}" is produced.
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002241 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar683fa182015-11-30 21:38:24 +01002242 assert_equal('foo', 'bar')
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002243< Will result in a string to be added to |v:errors|:
2244 test.vim line 12: Expected 'foo' but got 'bar' ~
2245
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01002246assert_exception({error} [, {msg}]) *assert_exception()*
2247 When v:exception does not contain the string {error} an error
2248 message is added to |v:errors|.
2249 This can be used to assert that a command throws an exception.
2250 Using the error number, followed by a colon, avoids problems
2251 with translations: >
2252 try
2253 commandthatfails
2254 call assert_false(1, 'command should have failed')
2255 catch
2256 call assert_exception('E492:')
2257 endtry
2258
Bram Moolenaara260b872016-01-15 20:48:22 +01002259assert_fails({cmd} [, {error}]) *assert_fails()*
2260 Run {cmd} and add an error message to |v:errors| if it does
2261 NOT produce an error.
2262 When {error} is given it must match |v:errmsg|.
2263
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01002264assert_false({actual} [, {msg}]) *assert_false()*
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002265 When {actual} is not false an error message is added to
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01002266 |v:errors|, like with |assert_equal()|.
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002267 A value is false when it is zero. When "{actual}" is not a
2268 number the assert fails.
Bram Moolenaar683fa182015-11-30 21:38:24 +01002269 When {msg} is omitted an error in the form "Expected False but
2270 got {actual}" is produced.
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002271
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01002272assert_true({actual} [, {msg}]) *assert_true()*
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002273 When {actual} is not true an error message is added to
Bram Moolenaara803c7f2016-01-15 15:31:39 +01002274 |v:errors|, like with |assert_equal()|.
2275 A value is true when it is a non-zero number. When {actual}
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002276 is not a number the assert fails.
Bram Moolenaar683fa182015-11-30 21:38:24 +01002277 When {msg} is omitted an error in the form "Expected True but
2278 got {actual}" is produced.
Bram Moolenaar43345542015-11-29 17:35:35 +01002279
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002280asin({expr}) *asin()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002281 Return the arc sine of {expr} measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002282 in the range of [-pi/2, pi/2].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002283 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002284 [-1, 1].
2285 Examples: >
2286 :echo asin(0.8)
2287< 0.927295 >
2288 :echo asin(-0.5)
2289< -0.523599
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002290 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002291
2292
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002293atan({expr}) *atan()*
2294 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
2295 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
2296 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2297 Examples: >
2298 :echo atan(100)
2299< 1.560797 >
2300 :echo atan(-4.01)
2301< -1.326405
2302 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2303
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002304
2305atan2({expr1}, {expr2}) *atan2()*
2306 Return the arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}, measured in
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002307 radians, as a |Float| in the range [-pi, pi].
2308 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002309 Examples: >
2310 :echo atan2(-1, 1)
2311< -0.785398 >
2312 :echo atan2(1, -1)
2313< 2.356194
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002314 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002315
2316
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002317 *browse()*
2318browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2319 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2320 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2321 The input fields are:
2322 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2323 {title} title for the requester
2324 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2325 {default} default file name
2326 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2327 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2328
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002329 *browsedir()*
2330browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2331 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2332 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2333 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2334 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2335 to be used.
2336 The input fields are:
2337 {title} title for the requester
2338 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2339 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2340 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2341
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002342bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2343 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2344 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002345 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002346 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002347 exactly. The name can be:
2348 - Relative to the current directory.
2349 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002350 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002351 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002352 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2353 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2354 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2355 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002356 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2357 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2358 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002359 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2360 file name.
2361 *buffer_exists()*
2362 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2363
2364buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2365 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2366 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002367 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002368
2369bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2370 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2371 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002372 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002373
2374bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2375 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2376 ":ls" command.
2377 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2378 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2379 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002380 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002381 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2382 match an empty string is returned.
2383 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2384 alternate buffer.
2385 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002386 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2387 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2388 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002389 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2390 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2391 buffers are searched for.
2392 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2393 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2394 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2395< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2396 string is returned. >
2397 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2398 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2399 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2400 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2401< *buffer_name()*
2402 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2403
2404 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002405bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2406 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002407 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002408 above.
2409 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2410 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2411 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002412 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2413 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2414< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2415 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2416 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2417 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2418 *buffer_number()*
2419 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2420 *last_buffer_nr()*
2421 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2422
2423bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2424 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2425 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002426 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002427 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2428
2429 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2430
2431< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2432 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002433 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002434
2435
2436byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2437 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2438 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2439 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2440 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2441 one.
2442 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2443 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2444 feature}
2445
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002446byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2447 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2448 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2449 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2450 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
Bram Moolenaar0ffbbf92013-11-02 23:29:26 +01002451 Composing characters are not counted separately, their byte
2452 length is added to the preceding base character. See
2453 |byteidxcomp()| below for counting composing characters
2454 separately.
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002455 Example : >
2456 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2457< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2458 same: >
2459 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2460 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2461< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2462 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
Bram Moolenaar0ffbbf92013-11-02 23:29:26 +01002463 in bytes is returned.
2464
2465byteidxcomp({expr}, {nr}) *byteidxcomp()*
2466 Like byteidx(), except that a composing character is counted
2467 as a separate character. Example: >
2468 let s = 'e' . nr2char(0x301)
2469 echo byteidx(s, 1)
2470 echo byteidxcomp(s, 1)
2471 echo byteidxcomp(s, 2)
2472< The first and third echo result in 3 ('e' plus composing
2473 character is 3 bytes), the second echo results in 1 ('e' is
2474 one byte).
2475 Only works different from byteidx() when 'encoding' is set to
2476 a Unicode encoding.
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002477
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002478call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002479 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002480 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002481 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002482 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2483 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002484 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2485 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002486
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002487ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2488 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2489 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2490 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2491 Examples: >
2492 echo ceil(1.456)
2493< 2.0 >
2494 echo ceil(-5.456)
2495< -5.0 >
2496 echo ceil(4.0)
2497< 4.0
2498 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2499
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002500changenr() *changenr()*
2501 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2502 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2503 with the |:undo| command.
2504 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2505 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2506 one less than the number of the undone change.
2507
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002508char2nr({expr}[, {utf8}]) *char2nr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002509 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2510 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2511 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002512< When {utf8} is omitted or zero, the current 'encoding' is used.
2513 Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002514 char2nr("á") returns 225
2515 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002516< With {utf8} set to 1, always treat as utf-8 characters.
2517 A combining character is a separate character.
Bram Moolenaar97293012011-07-18 19:40:27 +02002518 |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002519
2520cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2521 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2522 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2523 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2524 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2525 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2526 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002527 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002528
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002529clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2530 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2531 |:match| commands.
2532
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002533 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002534col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002535 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2536 . the cursor position
2537 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
Bram Moolenaar1aeaf8c2012-05-18 13:46:39 +02002538 number of bytes in the cursor line plus one)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002539 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2540 returned)
Bram Moolenaare3faf442014-12-14 01:27:49 +01002541 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
2542 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
2543 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
2544 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002545 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2546 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002547 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002548 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002549 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002550 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002551 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2552 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2553 Examples: >
2554 col(".") column of cursor
2555 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2556 col("'t") column of mark t
2557 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002558< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002559 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2560 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002561 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2562 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2563 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2564 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2565 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2566 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2567 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2568<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002569
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002570complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2571 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2572 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002573 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2574 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002575 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2576 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2577 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2578 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2579 match.
2580 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2581 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2582 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002583 inserting anything that would cause completion to stop.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002584 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2585 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2586 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2587 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002588 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002589
2590 func! ListMonths()
2591 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2592 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2593 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2594 return ''
2595 endfunc
2596< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2597 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2598
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002599complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2600 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2601 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2602 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2603 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2604 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002605 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002606 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002607
2608complete_check() *complete_check()*
2609 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2610 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2611 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2612 zero otherwise.
2613 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2614 'completefunc' option.
2615
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002616 *confirm()*
2617confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2618 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2619 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2620 choice this is 1.
2621 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2622 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002623
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002624 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2625 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2626 used (and translated).
2627 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2628 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002629
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002630 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2631 by '\n', e.g. >
2632 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2633< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2634 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2635 not need to be the first letter: >
2636 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2637< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2638 the default shortcut key.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002639
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002640 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2641 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2642 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2643 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002644
2645 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2646 is only used for the icon of the GTK, Mac, Motif and Win32
2647 GUI. It can be one of these values: "Error", "Question",
2648 "Info", "Warning" or "Generic". Only the first character is
2649 relevant. When {type} is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2650
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002651 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2652 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2653
2654 An example: >
2655 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2656 :if choice == 0
2657 : echo "make up your mind!"
2658 :elseif choice == 3
2659 : echo "tasteful"
2660 :else
2661 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2662 :endif
2663< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2664 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002665 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002666 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2667 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2668 the horizontal layout is always used.
2669
Bram Moolenaarf57969a2016-02-02 20:47:49 +01002670ch_close({handle}) *ch_close()*
2671 Close channel {handle}. See |channel|.
2672
2673ch_open({address}, {mode} [, {callback}]) *ch_open()*
Bram Moolenaar3b5f9292016-01-28 22:37:01 +01002674 Open a channel to {address}. See |channel|.
Bram Moolenaar5e9b2fa2016-02-01 22:37:05 +01002675 Returns the channel handle on success. Returns a negative
2676 number for failure.
Bram Moolenaar3b5f9292016-01-28 22:37:01 +01002677
2678 {address} has the form "hostname:port", e.g.,
2679 "localhost:8765".
2680
2681 {mode} is either "json" or "raw". See |channel-mode| for the
2682 meaning.
2683
2684 {callback} is a function that handles received messages on the
2685 channel. See |channel-callback|.
2686
Bram Moolenaar681baaf2016-02-04 20:57:07 +01002687ch_sendexpr({handle}, {expr} [, {callback}]) *ch_sendexpr()*
Bram Moolenaarf57969a2016-02-02 20:47:49 +01002688 Send {expr} over JSON channel {handle}. See |channel-use|.
2689
2690 When {callback} is given returns immediately. Without
2691 {callback} waits for a JSON response and returns the decoded
2692 expression. When there is an error or timeout returns an
2693 empty string.
2694
2695 When {callback} is zero no response is expected.
2696 Otherwise {callback} must be a Funcref or the name of a
2697 function. It is called when the response is received. See
2698 |channel-callback|.
2699
2700ch_sendraw({handle}, {string} [, {callback}]) *ch_sendraw()*
2701 Send {string} over raw channel {handle}. See |channel-raw|.
2702 Works like |ch_sendexpr()|, but does not decode the response.
2703
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002704 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002705copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002706 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002707 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2708 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002709 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2710 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002711 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002712
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002713cos({expr}) *cos()*
2714 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2715 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2716 Examples: >
2717 :echo cos(100)
2718< 0.862319 >
2719 :echo cos(-4.01)
2720< -0.646043
2721 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2722
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002723
2724cosh({expr}) *cosh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002725 Return the hyperbolic cosine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002726 [1, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002727 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002728 Examples: >
2729 :echo cosh(0.5)
2730< 1.127626 >
2731 :echo cosh(-0.5)
2732< -1.127626
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002733 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002734
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002735
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002736count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002737 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002738 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002739 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002740 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002741 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2742
2743
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002744 *cscope_connection()*
2745cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2746 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2747 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2748 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2749 if there are no cscope connections;
2750 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2751
2752 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2753 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2754
2755 {num} Description of existence check
2756 ----- ------------------------------
2757 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2758 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2759 {dbpath}.
2760 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2761 {dbpath}.
2762 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2763 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2764 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2765 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2766
2767 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2768
2769 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2770
2771 # pid database name prepend path
2772 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2773<
2774 Invocation Return Val ~
2775 ---------- ---------- >
2776 cscope_connection() 1
2777 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2778 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2779 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2780 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2781 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2782 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2783 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2784<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002785cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2786cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002787 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2788 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02002789
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002790 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02002791 with two, three or four item:
2792 [{lnum}, {col}, {off}]
2793 [{lnum}, {col}, {off}, {curswant}]
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02002794 This is like the return value of |getpos()| or |getcurpos()|,
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02002795 but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02002796
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002797 Does not change the jumplist.
2798 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2799 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2800 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002801 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002802 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2803 line.
2804 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02002805 If {curswant} is given it is used to set the preferred column
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02002806 for vertical movement. Otherwise {col} is used.
Bram Moolenaar2f3b5102014-11-19 18:54:17 +01002807
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002808 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2809 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002810 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00002811 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002812
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002813
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002814deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002815 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002816 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002817 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2818 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002819 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002820 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002821 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2822 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2823 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2824 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2825 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2826 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002827 *E724*
2828 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002829 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2830 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002831 Also see |copy()|.
2832
Bram Moolenaarda440d22016-01-16 21:27:23 +01002833delete({fname} [, {flags}]) *delete()*
2834 Without {flags} or with {flags} empty: Deletes the file by the
Bram Moolenaar43a34f92016-01-17 15:56:34 +01002835 name {fname}. This also works when {fname} is a symbolic link.
Bram Moolenaarda440d22016-01-16 21:27:23 +01002836
2837 When {flags} is "d": Deletes the directory by the name
Bram Moolenaar43a34f92016-01-17 15:56:34 +01002838 {fname}. This fails when directory {fname} is not empty.
Bram Moolenaarda440d22016-01-16 21:27:23 +01002839
2840 When {flags} is "rf": Deletes the directory by the name
Bram Moolenaar43a34f92016-01-17 15:56:34 +01002841 {fname} and everything in it, recursively. BE CAREFUL!
2842 A symbolic link itself is deleted, not what it points to.
Bram Moolenaarda440d22016-01-16 21:27:23 +01002843
2844 The result is a Number, which is 0 if the delete operation was
2845 successful and -1 when the deletion failed or partly failed.
2846
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002847 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarac7bd632013-03-19 11:35:58 +01002848 To delete a line from the buffer use |:delete|. Use |:exe|
2849 when the line number is in a variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002850
2851 *did_filetype()*
2852did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2853 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2854 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2855 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2856 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2857 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2858 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2859 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2860 file.
2861
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002862diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2863 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2864 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2865 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2866 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2867 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2868 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2869 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2870
2871diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2872 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2873 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2874 diff change zero is returned.
2875 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2876 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2877 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2878 line.
2879 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2880 syntax information about the highlighting.
2881
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002882empty({expr}) *empty()*
2883 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002884 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002885 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar009d84a2016-01-28 14:12:00 +01002886 |v:false|, |v:none| and |v:null| are empty, |v:true| is not.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002887 For a long |List| this is much faster than comparing the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002888 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002889
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002890escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2891 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2892 backslash. Example: >
2893 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2894< results in: >
2895 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002896< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002897
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002898 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002899eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2900 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002901 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2902 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2903 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002904
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002905eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2906 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2907 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2908 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2909 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2910
2911executable({expr}) *executable()*
2912 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2913 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002914 arguments.
2915 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2916 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2917 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2918 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002919 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2920 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002921 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002922 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002923 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2924 extension.
2925 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2926 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002927 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2928 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2929 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002930 The result is a Number:
2931 1 exists
2932 0 does not exist
2933 -1 not implemented on this system
2934
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02002935exepath({expr}) *exepath()*
2936 If {expr} is an executable and is either an absolute path, a
2937 relative path or found in $PATH, return the full path.
2938 Note that the current directory is used when {expr} starts
2939 with "./", which may be a problem for Vim: >
2940 echo exepath(v:progpath)
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02002941< If {expr} cannot be found in $PATH or is not executable then
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02002942 an empty string is returned.
2943
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002944 *exists()*
2945exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2946 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2947 which contains one of these:
2948 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2949 not if it really works)
2950 +option-name Vim option that works.
2951 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2952 done by comparing with an empty
2953 string)
2954 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2955 or user defined function (see
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02002956 |user-functions|). Also works for a
2957 variable that is a Funcref.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002958 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002959 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002960 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2961 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002962 that evaluating an index may cause an
2963 error message for an invalid
2964 expression. E.g.: >
2965 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2966 :echo exists("l[5]")
2967< 0 >
2968 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2969< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2970 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002971 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2972 command or command modifier |:command|.
2973 Returns:
2974 1 for match with start of a command
2975 2 full match with a command
2976 3 matches several user commands
2977 To check for a supported command
2978 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002979 :2match The |:2match| command.
2980 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002981 #event autocommand defined for this event
2982 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2983 pattern (the pattern is taken
2984 literally and compared to the
2985 autocommand patterns character by
2986 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002987 #group autocommand group exists
2988 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2989 event.
2990 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002991 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002992 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002993 ##event autocommand for this event is
2994 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002995 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2996
2997 Examples: >
2998 exists("&shortname")
2999 exists("$HOSTNAME")
3000 exists("*strftime")
3001 exists("*s:MyFunc")
3002 exists("bufcount")
3003 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00003004 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003005 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00003006 exists("#filetypeindent")
3007 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
3008 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00003009 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003010< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
3011 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003012 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
3013 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
3014 the future, thus don't count on it!
3015 Working example: >
3016 exists(":make")
3017< NOT working example: >
3018 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00003019
3020< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
3021 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003022 exists(bufcount)
3023< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00003024 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003025
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003026exp({expr}) *exp()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003027 Return the exponential of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003028 [0, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003029 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003030 Examples: >
3031 :echo exp(2)
3032< 7.389056 >
3033 :echo exp(-1)
3034< 0.367879
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003035 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003036
3037
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003038expand({expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]]) *expand()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003039 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003040 'wildignorecase' applies.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003041
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003042 If {list} is given and it is non-zero, a List will be returned.
3043 Otherwise the result is a String and when there are several
3044 matches, they are separated by <NL> characters. [Note: in
3045 version 5.0 a space was used, which caused problems when a
3046 file name contains a space]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003047
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003048 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaarec7944a2013-06-12 21:29:15 +02003049 for a non-existing file is not included, unless {expr} does
3050 not start with '%', '#' or '<', see below.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003051
3052 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
3053 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
3054 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
3055
3056 % current file name
3057 # alternate file name
3058 #n alternate file name n
3059 <cfile> file name under the cursor
3060 <afile> autocmd file name
3061 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
3062 <amatch> autocmd matched name
Bram Moolenaara6878372014-03-22 21:02:50 +01003063 <sfile> sourced script file or function name
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01003064 <slnum> sourced script file line number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003065 <cword> word under the cursor
3066 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
3067 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
3068 message |server2client()|
3069 Modifiers:
3070 :p expand to full path
3071 :h head (last path component removed)
3072 :t tail (last path component only)
3073 :r root (one extension removed)
3074 :e extension only
3075
3076 Example: >
3077 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
3078< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
3079 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
3080 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
3081< Use this: >
3082 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
3083< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
3084 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
3085 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
3086 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
3087 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
3088<
3089 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
3090 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
3091 to modify normal file names.
3092
3093 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
3094 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
3095 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
3096 '/' added.
3097
3098 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
3099 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
3100 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01003101 {nosuf} argument is given and it is non-zero.
3102 Names for non-existing files are included. The "**" item can
3103 be used to search in a directory tree. For example, to find
3104 all "README" files in the current directory and below: >
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003105 :echo expand("**/README")
3106<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003107 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
3108 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02003109 slow, because a shell may be used to do the expansion. See
3110 |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003111 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003112 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003113 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
3114 "$FOOBAR".
3115
3116 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
3117 getting the raw output of an external command.
3118
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003119extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003120 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
3121 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003122
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003123 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003124 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
3125 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
3126 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
3127 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003128 Examples: >
3129 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
3130 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00003131< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
3132 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
3133 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
3134 (where N is the original length of the List).
3135 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003136 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003137 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003138<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003139 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003140 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
3141 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
3142 used to decide what to do:
3143 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
3144 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003145 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003146 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
3147
3148 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
3149 make a copy of {expr1} first.
3150 {expr2} remains unchanged.
Bram Moolenaarf2571c62015-06-09 19:44:55 +02003151 When {expr1} is locked and {expr2} is not empty the operation
3152 fails.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003153 Returns {expr1}.
3154
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003155
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003156feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
3157 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar0a988df2015-01-27 15:19:24 +01003158 come from a mapping or were typed by the user.
3159 By default the string is added to the end of the typeahead
3160 buffer, thus if a mapping is still being executed the
3161 characters come after them. Use the 'i' flag to insert before
3162 other characters, they will be executed next, before any
3163 characters from a mapping.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003164 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
3165 {string}.
3166 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
3167 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00003168 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003169 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
3170 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
3171 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003172 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
3173 'n' Do not remap keys.
3174 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
3175 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
3176 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaar0a988df2015-01-27 15:19:24 +01003177 'i' Insert the string instead of appending (see above).
Bram Moolenaar25281632016-01-21 23:32:32 +01003178 'x' Execute commands until typeahead is empty. This is
3179 similar to using ":normal!". You can call feedkeys()
3180 several times without 'x' and then one time with 'x'
3181 (possibly with an empty {string}) to execute all the
3182 typeahead.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003183 Return value is always 0.
3184
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003185filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
3186 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
3187 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
3188 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
3189 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003190 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
3191 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003192 *file_readable()*
3193 Obsolete name: file_readable().
3194
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003195
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003196filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
3197 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
3198 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003199 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003200 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
3201
3202
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003203filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003204 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003205 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003206 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003207 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003208 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003209 Examples: >
3210 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
3211< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
3212 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
3213< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
3214 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003215< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003216
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003217 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
3218 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
3219 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
3220
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003221 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3222 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00003223 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003224
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003225< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003226 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3227 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003228
3229
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003230finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00003231 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
3232 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
3233 for the syntax of {path}.
3234 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
3235 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
3236 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003237 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
3238 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003239 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00003240 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003241 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003242 {only available when compiled with the |+file_in_path|
3243 feature}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003244
3245findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
3246 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003247 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
3248 Example: >
3249 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003250< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
3251 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003252
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003253float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
3254 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
3255 decimal point.
3256 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
3257 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
3258 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
3259 in -0x80000000.
3260 Examples: >
3261 echo float2nr(3.95)
3262< 3 >
3263 echo float2nr(-23.45)
3264< -23 >
3265 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
3266< 2147483647 >
3267 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
3268< -2147483647 >
3269 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
3270< 0
3271 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3272
3273
3274floor({expr}) *floor()*
3275 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
3276 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
3277 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3278 Examples: >
3279 echo floor(1.856)
3280< 1.0 >
3281 echo floor(-5.456)
3282< -6.0 >
3283 echo floor(4.0)
3284< 4.0
3285 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3286
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003287
3288fmod({expr1}, {expr2}) *fmod()*
3289 Return the remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}, even if the
3290 division is not representable. Returns {expr1} - i * {expr2}
3291 for some integer i such that if {expr2} is non-zero, the
3292 result has the same sign as {expr1} and magnitude less than
3293 the magnitude of {expr2}. If {expr2} is zero, the value
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003294 returned is zero. The value returned is a |Float|.
3295 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003296 Examples: >
3297 :echo fmod(12.33, 1.22)
3298< 0.13 >
3299 :echo fmod(-12.33, 1.22)
3300< -0.13
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003301 {only available when compiled with |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003302
3303
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003304fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003305 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003306 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
3307 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003308 For most systems the characters escaped are
3309 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
3310 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003311 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
3312 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003313 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003314 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003315 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
3316< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003317 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003318
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003319fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
3320 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
3321 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
3322 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
3323 Example: >
3324 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
3325< results in: >
3326 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003327< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003328 |expand()| first then.
3329
3330foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
3331 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3332 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
3333 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3334
3335foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
3336 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3337 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
3338 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3339
3340foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
3341 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003342 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003343 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
3344 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
3345 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
3346 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
3347 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
3348 previous line is usually available.
3349
3350 *foldtext()*
3351foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
3352 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
3353 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
3354 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
3355 The returned string looks like this: >
3356 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003357< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003358 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
3359 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
3360 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
3361 options is removed.
3362 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3363
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00003364foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
3365 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
3366 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
3367 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
3368 returned.
3369 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
3370 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
3371 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
3372 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3373
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003374 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003375foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003376 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
3377 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
3378 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
3379 |remote_foreground()| instead.
3380 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3381 Win32 console version}
3382
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003383
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003384function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003385 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003386 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
3387
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003388
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003389garbagecollect([{atexit}]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003390 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003391 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
3392 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
3393 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
3394 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
3395 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003396 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
3397 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
3398 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003399 When the optional {atexit} argument is one, garbage
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003400 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
3401 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003402
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003403get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003404 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003405 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
3406 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003407get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003408 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003409 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
3410 {default} is omitted.
3411
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003412 *getbufline()*
3413getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003414 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
3415 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
3416 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003417
3418 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3419
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003420 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
3421 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003422
3423 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003424 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003425
3426 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
3427 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003428 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003429 returned.
3430
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003431 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003432 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003433
3434 Example: >
3435 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003436
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003437getbufvar({expr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *getbufvar()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003438 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
3439 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
3440 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003441 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
3442 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00003443 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
3444 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
3445 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003446 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003447 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist {def} or an empty
3448 string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003449 Examples: >
3450 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
3451 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
3452<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003453getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003454 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003455 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
3456 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003457 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003458 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003459 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
3460
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01003461 Without [expr] and when [expr] is 0 a whole character or
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003462 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3463 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3464 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3465 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003466 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3467 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3468 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3469 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003470
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02003471 When [expr] is 0 and Esc is typed, there will be a short delay
3472 while Vim waits to see if this is the start of an escape
3473 sequence.
3474
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01003475 When [expr] is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003476 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3477 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003478
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003479 Use getcharmod() to obtain any additional modifiers.
3480
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003481 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3482 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3483 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3484 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3485 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003486 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003487 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3488 exe v:mouse_lnum
3489 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3490 endif
3491<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003492 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3493 user that a character has to be typed.
3494 There is no mapping for the character.
3495 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3496 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3497 sequence. Examples: >
3498 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3499 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3500< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3501 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3502 :function FindChar()
3503 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3504 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3505 : normal l
3506 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3507 : break
3508 : endif
3509 : endwhile
3510 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaared32d942014-12-06 23:33:00 +01003511<
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01003512 You may also receive synthetic characters, such as
Bram Moolenaared32d942014-12-06 23:33:00 +01003513 |<CursorHold>|. Often you will want to ignore this and get
3514 another character: >
3515 :function GetKey()
3516 : let c = getchar()
3517 : while c == "\<CursorHold>"
3518 : let c = getchar()
3519 : endwhile
3520 : return c
3521 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003522
3523getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3524 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3525 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3526 These values are added together:
3527 2 shift
3528 4 control
3529 8 alt (meta)
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003530 16 meta (when it's different from ALT)
3531 32 mouse double click
3532 64 mouse triple click
3533 96 mouse quadruple click (== 32 + 64)
3534 128 command (Macintosh only)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003535 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003536 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003537 without a modifier.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003538
Bram Moolenaardbd24b52015-08-11 14:26:19 +02003539getcharsearch() *getcharsearch()*
3540 Return the current character search information as a {dict}
3541 with the following entries:
3542
3543 char character previously used for a character
3544 search (|t|, |f|, |T|, or |F|); empty string
3545 if no character search has been performed
3546 forward direction of character search; 1 for forward,
3547 0 for backward
3548 until type of character search; 1 for a |t| or |T|
3549 character search, 0 for an |f| or |F|
3550 character search
3551
3552 This can be useful to always have |;| and |,| search
3553 forward/backward regardless of the direction of the previous
3554 character search: >
3555 :nnoremap <expr> ; getcharsearch().forward ? ';' : ','
3556 :nnoremap <expr> , getcharsearch().forward ? ',' : ';'
3557< Also see |setcharsearch()|.
3558
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003559getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3560 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3561 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3562 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3563 Example: >
3564 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003565< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003566
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003567getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003568 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3569 byte count. The first column is 1.
3570 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
Bram Moolenaar5b435d62012-04-05 17:33:26 +02003571 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=| or an expression mapping.
3572 Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003573 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3574
3575getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3576 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3577 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003578 : normal Ex command
3579 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3580 / forward search command
3581 ? backward search command
3582 @ |input()| command
3583 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaar6e932462014-09-09 18:48:09 +02003584 = |i_CTRL-R_=|
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003585 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
Bram Moolenaar5b435d62012-04-05 17:33:26 +02003586 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=| or an expression mapping.
3587 Returns an empty string otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003588 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003589
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02003590getcmdwintype() *getcmdwintype()*
3591 Return the current |command-line-window| type. Possible return
3592 values are the same as |getcmdtype()|. Returns an empty string
3593 when not in the command-line window.
3594
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02003595 *getcurpos()*
3596getcurpos() Get the position of the cursor. This is like getpos('.'), but
3597 includes an extra item in the list:
Bram Moolenaar345efa02016-01-15 20:57:49 +01003598 [bufnum, lnum, col, off, curswant] ~
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02003599 The "curswant" number is the preferred column when moving the
3600 cursor vertically.
3601 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
3602 let save_cursor = getcurpos()
3603 MoveTheCursorAround
3604 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02003605<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003606 *getcwd()*
Bram Moolenaarc9703302016-01-17 21:49:33 +01003607getcwd([{winnr} [, {tabnr}]])
3608 The result is a String, which is the name of the current
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003609 working directory.
Bram Moolenaarc9703302016-01-17 21:49:33 +01003610 Without arguments, for the current window.
3611
3612 With {winnr} return the local current directory of this window
3613 in the current tab page.
3614 With {winnr} and {tabnr} return the local current directory of
3615 the window in the specified tab page.
3616 Return an empty string if the arguments are invalid.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003617
3618getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3619 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3620 given file {fname}.
3621 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3622 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003623 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3624 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003625
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003626getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3627 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3628 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3629 |hl-Normal|.
3630 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3631 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3632 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3633 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003634 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003635 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3636 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003637 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3638 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003639
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003640getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3641 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3642 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3643 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3644 empty string is returned.
3645 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3646 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3647 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3648 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02003649 is replaced with the string "-". Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003650 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02003651 :echo getfperm(expand("~/.vimrc"))
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003652< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3653 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003654
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003655getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3656 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3657 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3658 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3659 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3660 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3661
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003662getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3663 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3664 file of the given file {fname}.
3665 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3666 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3667 results:
3668 Normal file "file"
3669 Directory "dir"
3670 Symbolic link "link"
3671 Block device "bdev"
3672 Character device "cdev"
3673 Socket "socket"
3674 FIFO "fifo"
3675 All other "other"
3676 Example: >
3677 getftype("/home")
3678< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3679 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
Bram Moolenaar13d5aee2016-01-21 23:36:05 +01003680 "file" are returned. On MS-Windows a symbolic link to a
3681 directory returns "dir" instead of "link".
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003682
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003683 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003684getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3685 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3686 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003687 getline(1)
3688< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3689 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3690 To get the line under the cursor: >
3691 getline(".")
3692< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3693 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3694
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003695 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3696 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003697 including line {end}.
3698 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3699 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003700 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003701 Example: >
3702 :let start = line('.')
3703 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3704 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3705
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003706< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3707
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003708getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3709 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3710 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3711 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003712 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003713 returned. Otherwise, same as |getqflist()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003714
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003715getmatches() *getmatches()*
3716 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3717 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3718 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3719 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3720 Example: >
3721 :echo getmatches()
3722< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3723 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3724 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3725 :let m = getmatches()
3726 :call clearmatches()
3727 :echo getmatches()
3728< [] >
3729 :call setmatches(m)
3730 :echo getmatches()
3731< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3732 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3733 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3734 :unlet m
3735<
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02003736 *getpid()*
3737getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
3738 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
3739 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
3740
3741 *getpos()*
3742getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
3743 see |line()|. For getting the cursor position see
3744 |getcurpos()|.
3745 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
3746 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
3747 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
3748 is the buffer number of the mark.
3749 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
3750 column is 1.
3751 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
3752 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
3753 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
3754 character.
3755 Note that for '< and '> Visual mode matters: when it is "V"
3756 (visual line mode) the column of '< is zero and the column of
3757 '> is a large number.
3758 This can be used to save and restore the position of a mark: >
3759 let save_a_mark = getpos("'a")
3760 ...
Bram Moolenaared32d942014-12-06 23:33:00 +01003761 call setpos("'a", save_a_mark)
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02003762< Also see |getcurpos()| and |setpos()|.
3763
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003764
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003765getqflist() *getqflist()*
3766 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3767 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3768 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3769 bufname() to get the name
3770 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3771 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003772 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3773 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003774 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003775 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003776 text description of the error
3777 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3778 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3779
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003780 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003781 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3782 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003783
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003784 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3785 do something with them: >
3786 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3787 :for d in getqflist()
3788 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3789 :endfor
3790
3791
Bram Moolenaarb7cb42b2014-04-02 19:55:10 +02003792getreg([{regname} [, 1 [, {list}]]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003793 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003794 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003795 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3796< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003797 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003798 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3799 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3800 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaarb7cb42b2014-04-02 19:55:10 +02003801 If {list} is present and non-zero result type is changed to
3802 |List|. Each list item is one text line. Use it if you care
3803 about zero bytes possibly present inside register: without
3804 third argument both NLs and zero bytes are represented as NLs
3805 (see |NL-used-for-Nul|).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003806 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3807
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003808
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003809getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3810 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3811 The value will be one of:
3812 "v" for |characterwise| text
3813 "V" for |linewise| text
3814 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
Bram Moolenaar32b92012014-01-14 12:33:36 +01003815 "" for an empty or unknown register
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003816 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3817 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3818
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003819gettabvar({tabnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *gettabvar()*
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003820 Get the value of a tab-local variable {varname} in tab page
3821 {tabnr}. |t:var|
3822 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
Bram Moolenaar0e2ea1b2014-09-09 16:13:08 +02003823 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all tab-local
3824 variables is returned.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003825 Note that the name without "t:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003826 When the tab or variable doesn't exist {def} or an empty
3827 string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003828
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003829gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003830 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3831 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3832 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3833 option.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003834 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3835 variables is returned.
3836 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003837 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3838 use |getwinvar()|.
3839 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3840 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3841 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3842 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003843 When the tab, window or variable doesn't exist {def} or an
3844 empty string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003845 Examples: >
3846 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3847 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003848<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003849 *getwinposx()*
3850getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3851 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3852 -1 if the information is not available.
3853
3854 *getwinposy()*
3855getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003856 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003857 information is not available.
3858
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003859getwinvar({winnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *getwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003860 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003861 Examples: >
3862 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3863 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3864<
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003865glob({expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {alllinks}]]]) *glob()*
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003866 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003867 use of special characters.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003868
3869 Unless the optional {nosuf} argument is given and is non-zero,
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003870 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3871 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3872 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01003873 'wildignorecase' always applies.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003874
3875 When {list} is present and it is non-zero the result is a List
3876 with all matching files. The advantage of using a List is,
3877 you also get filenames containing newlines correctly.
3878 Otherwise the result is a String and when there are several
3879 matches, they are separated by <NL> characters.
3880
3881 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty String or List.
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003882
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02003883 A name for a non-existing file is not included. A symbolic
3884 link is only included if it points to an existing file.
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003885 However, when the {alllinks} argument is present and it is
3886 non-zero then all symbolic links are included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003887
3888 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3889 any external command. Example: >
3890 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3891 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3892< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003893 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003894
3895 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3896 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3897
Bram Moolenaar5837f1f2015-03-21 18:06:14 +01003898glob2regpat({expr}) *glob2regpat()*
3899 Convert a file pattern, as used by glob(), into a search
3900 pattern. The result can be used to match with a string that
3901 is a file name. E.g. >
3902 if filename =~ glob2regpat('Make*.mak')
3903< This is equivalent to: >
3904 if filename =~ '^Make.*\.mak$'
Bram Moolenaar3b5f9292016-01-28 22:37:01 +01003905< When {expr} is an empty string the result is "^$", match an
3906 empty string.
3907
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003908 *globpath()*
3909globpath({path}, {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {allinks}]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003910 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3911 the results. Example: >
3912 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
Bram Moolenaar1b1063a2014-05-07 18:35:30 +02003913<
3914 {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003915 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003916 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003917 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3918 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3919 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3920 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3921 error message.
Bram Moolenaar1b1063a2014-05-07 18:35:30 +02003922
3923 Unless the optional {nosuf} argument is given and is non-zero,
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003924 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3925 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3926 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003927
Bram Moolenaar1b1063a2014-05-07 18:35:30 +02003928 When {list} is present and it is non-zero the result is a List
3929 with all matching files. The advantage of using a List is, you
3930 also get filenames containing newlines correctly. Otherwise
3931 the result is a String and when there are several matches,
3932 they are separated by <NL> characters. Example: >
3933 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim", 0, 1)
3934<
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003935 {allinks} is used as with |glob()|.
3936
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003937 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3938 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3939 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3940 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003941< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3942 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3943
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003944 *has()*
3945has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3946 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3947 string. See |feature-list| below.
3948 Also see |exists()|.
3949
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003950
3951has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003952 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3953 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003954
Bram Moolenaarc9703302016-01-17 21:49:33 +01003955haslocaldir([{winnr} [, {tabnr}]]) *haslocaldir()*
3956 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the window has set a
3957 local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
3958
3959 Without arguments use the current window.
3960 With {winnr} use this window in the current tab page.
3961 With {winnr} and {tabnr} use the window in the specified tab
3962 page.
3963 Return 0 if the arguments are invalid.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003964
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003965hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003966 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3967 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3968 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3969 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003970 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003971 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3972 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003973 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3974 buffer are checked for a match.
3975 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3976 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3977 n Normal mode
3978 v Visual mode
3979 o Operator-pending mode
3980 i Insert mode
3981 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3982 c Command-line mode
3983 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3984
3985 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003986 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003987 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3988 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3989 :endif
3990< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3991 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3992
3993histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3994 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3995 one of: *hist-names*
3996 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3997 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003998 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003999 "input" or "@" input line history
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004000 "debug" or ">" debug command history
4001 The {history} string does not need to be the whole name, one
4002 character is sufficient.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004003 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
4004 shifted to become the newest entry.
4005 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
4006 otherwise 0 is returned.
4007
4008 Example: >
4009 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
4010 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
4011< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4012
4013histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004014 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004015 for the possible values of {history}.
4016
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004017 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
4018 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
4019 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004020 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004021 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
4022 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
4023 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004024
4025 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
4026 otherwise 0 is returned.
4027
4028 Examples:
4029 Clear expression register history: >
4030 :call histdel("expr")
4031<
4032 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
4033 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
4034<
4035 The following three are equivalent: >
4036 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
4037 :call histdel("search", -1)
4038 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
4039<
4040 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
4041 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
4042 :call histdel("search", -1)
4043 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
4044
4045histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
4046 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
4047 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
4048 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
4049 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
4050 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
4051
4052 Examples:
4053 Redo the second last search from history. >
4054 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
4055
4056< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
4057 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
4058 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
4059<
4060histnr({history}) *histnr()*
4061 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
4062 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
4063 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
4064
4065 Example: >
4066 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
4067<
4068hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
4069 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
4070 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
4071 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
4072 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
4073 item.
4074 *highlight_exists()*
4075 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
4076
4077 *hlID()*
4078hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
4079 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
4080 zero is returned.
4081 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004082 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004083 "Comment" group: >
4084 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
4085< *highlightID()*
4086 Obsolete name: highlightID().
4087
4088hostname() *hostname()*
4089 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004090 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004091 256 characters long are truncated.
4092
4093iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
4094 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
4095 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004096 When the conversion completely fails an empty string is
4097 returned. When some characters could not be converted they
4098 are replaced with "?".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004099 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
4100 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
4101 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
4102 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
4103 can be done.
4104 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
4105 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
4106 UTF-8 and use: >
4107 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
4108< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
4109 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
4110 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004111 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte| feature}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004112
4113 *indent()*
4114indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
4115 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
4116 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
4117 |getline()|.
4118 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
4119
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004120
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004121index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004122 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004123 value equal to {expr}. There is no automatic conversion, so
4124 the String "4" is different from the Number 4. And the number
4125 4 is different from the Float 4.0. The value of 'ignorecase'
4126 is not used here, case always matters.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004127 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
4128 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004129 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
4130 case must match.
4131 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
4132 Example: >
4133 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004134 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004135
4136
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004137input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004138 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004139 the command-line. The {prompt} argument is either a prompt
4140 string, or a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used
4141 in the prompt to start a new line.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004142 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
4143 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004144 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004145 for lines typed for input().
4146 Example: >
4147 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
4148 : echo "Cheers!"
4149 :endif
4150<
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004151 If the optional {text} argument is present and not empty, this
4152 is used for the default reply, as if the user typed this.
4153 Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004154 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
4155
4156< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
4157 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004158 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004159 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004160 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004161 more information. Example: >
4162 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
4163<
4164 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
4165 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004166 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
4167 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
4168 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
4169 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
4170 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
4171 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
4172 |:execute| or |:normal|.
4173
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004174 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004175 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
4176 :function GetFoo()
4177 : call inputsave()
4178 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
4179 : call inputrestore()
4180 :endfunction
4181
4182inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004183 Like |input()|, but when the GUI is running and text dialogs
4184 are supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004185 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02004186 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", shiftwidth())
4187 :if n != ""
4188 : let &sw = n
4189 :endif
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004190< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
4191 omitted an empty string is returned.
4192 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
4193 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004194 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004195
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004196inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004197 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
4198 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
4199 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004200 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004201 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004202 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
4203 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
4204 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004205 Make sure {textlist} has less than 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004206 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004207 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
4208 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004209 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
4210 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
4211
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004212inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004213 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous |inputsave()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004214 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
4215 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
4216 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
4217
4218inputsave() *inputsave()*
4219 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
4220 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
4221 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
4222 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
4223 many inputrestore() calls.
4224 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
4225
4226inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
4227 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
4228 two exceptions:
4229 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
4230 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
4231 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
4232 |history| stack.
4233 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
4234 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004235 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004236
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004237insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004238 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004239 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004240 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004241 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
4242 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004243 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004244 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
4245 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
4246 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004247< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004248 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004249 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004250
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01004251invert({expr}) *invert()*
4252 Bitwise invert. The argument is converted to a number. A
4253 List, Dict or Float argument causes an error. Example: >
4254 :let bits = invert(bits)
4255
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004256isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
4257 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
4258 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
4259 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
4260 is any expression, which is used as a String.
4261
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004262islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004263 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
4264 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004265 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
4266 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004267 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
4268 :lockvar 1 alist
4269 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
4270 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
4271
4272< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004273 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004274
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004275items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004276 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
4277 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
4278 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
4279 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004280
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004281
4282join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
4283 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
4284 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
4285 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
4286 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
4287 add it there too: >
4288 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004289< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004290 converted into a string like with |string()|.
4291 The opposite function is |split()|.
4292
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01004293jsondecode({string}) *jsondecode()*
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01004294 This parses a JSON formatted string and returns the equivalent
4295 in Vim values. See |jsonencode()| for the relation between
4296 JSON and Vim values.
4297 The decoding is permissive:
4298 - A trailing comma in an array and object is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar009d84a2016-01-28 14:12:00 +01004299 - An empty item in an array, two commas with nothing or white
4300 space in between, results in v:none.
4301 - When an object member name is not a string it is converted
4302 to a string. E.g. the number 123 is used as the string
4303 "123".
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01004304 - More floating point numbers are recognized, e.g. "1." for
4305 "1.0".
Bram Moolenaar009d84a2016-01-28 14:12:00 +01004306 The result must be a valid Vim type:
4307 - An empty object member name is not allowed.
4308 - Duplicate object member names are not allowed.
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01004309
4310jsonencode({expr}) *jsonencode()*
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01004311 Encode {expr} as JSON and return this as a string.
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01004312 The encoding is specified in:
Bram Moolenaar009d84a2016-01-28 14:12:00 +01004313 https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7159.html
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01004314 Vim values are converted as follows:
4315 Number decimal number
4316 Float floating point number
4317 String in double quotes (possibly null)
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01004318 Funcref not possible, error
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01004319 List as an array (possibly null); when
4320 used recursively: []
4321 Dict as an object (possibly null); when
4322 used recursively: {}
4323 v:false "false"
4324 v:true "true"
4325 v:none nothing
4326 v:null "null"
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01004327 Note that using v:none is permitted, although the JSON
4328 standard does not allow empty items. This can be useful for
4329 omitting items in an array:
4330 [0,,,,,5] ~
4331 This is much more efficient than:
4332 [0,null,null,null,null,5] ~
4333 But a strict JSON parser will not accept it.
Bram Moolenaar520e1e42016-01-23 19:46:28 +01004334
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004335keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004336 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004337 arbitrary order.
4338
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004339 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004340len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
4341 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
4342 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004343 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004344 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004345 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
4346 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004347 Otherwise an error is given.
4348
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004349 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
4350libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
4351 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
4352 with single argument {argument}.
4353 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
4354 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
4355 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
4356 limited.
4357 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
4358 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
4359 to Vim.
4360 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
4361 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
4362 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
4363 null-terminated string.
4364 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
4365
4366 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
4367 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
4368 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
4369 very probably crash.
4370
4371 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
4372 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
4373 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
4374 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
4375 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
4376 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
4377 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
4378 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
4379 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
4380 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
4381
4382 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004383 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004384 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
4385 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
4386 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
4387 the DLL is not in the usual places.
4388 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
4389 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004390 {only in Win32 and some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004391 feature is present}
4392 Examples: >
4393 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004394<
4395 *libcallnr()*
4396libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004397 Just like |libcall()|, but used for a function that returns an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004398 int instead of a string.
4399 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
4400 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004401 Examples: >
4402 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004403 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
4404 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
4405<
4406 *line()*
4407line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
4408 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
4409 . the cursor position
4410 $ the last line in the current buffer
4411 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4412 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00004413 w0 first line visible in current window
4414 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00004415 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
4416 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
4417 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
4418 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004419 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
4420 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004421 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
4422 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004423 Examples: >
4424 line(".") line number of the cursor
4425 line("'t") line number of mark t
4426 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
4427< *last-position-jump*
4428 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
4429 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004430 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00004431
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004432line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
4433 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
4434 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
4435 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaarb6b046b2011-12-30 13:11:27 +01004436 line returns 1. 'encoding' matters, 'fileencoding' is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004437 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
4438 below the last line: >
4439 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
Bram Moolenaarb6b046b2011-12-30 13:11:27 +01004440< This is the buffer size plus one. If 'fileencoding' is empty
4441 it is the file size plus one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004442 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
4443 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
4444 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
4445
4446lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
4447 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
4448 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
4449 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
4450 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
4451 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
4452 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
4453
4454localtime() *localtime()*
4455 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
4456 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
4457
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004458
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004459log({expr}) *log()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02004460 Return the natural logarithm (base e) of {expr} as a |Float|.
4461 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004462 (0, inf].
4463 Examples: >
4464 :echo log(10)
4465< 2.302585 >
4466 :echo log(exp(5))
4467< 5.0
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004468 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004469
4470
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004471log10({expr}) *log10()*
4472 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
4473 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4474 Examples: >
4475 :echo log10(1000)
4476< 3.0 >
4477 :echo log10(0.01)
4478< -2.0
4479 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4480
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02004481luaeval({expr}[, {expr}]) *luaeval()*
4482 Evaluate Lua expression {expr} and return its result converted
4483 to Vim data structures. Second {expr} may hold additional
4484 argument accessible as _A inside first {expr}.
4485 Strings are returned as they are.
4486 Boolean objects are converted to numbers.
4487 Numbers are converted to |Float| values if vim was compiled
4488 with |+float| and to numbers otherwise.
4489 Dictionaries and lists obtained by vim.eval() are returned
4490 as-is.
4491 Other objects are returned as zero without any errors.
4492 See |lua-luaeval| for more details.
4493 {only available when compiled with the |+lua| feature}
4494
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004495map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004496 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004497 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
4498 {string}.
4499 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar627b1d32009-11-17 11:20:35 +00004500 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
4501 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004502 Example: >
4503 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004504< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004505
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004506 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004507 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004508 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
4509 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004510
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004511 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
4512 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004513 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' v:val . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004514
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004515< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004516 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
4517 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004518
4519
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004520maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]]) *maparg()*
4521 When {dict} is omitted or zero: Return the rhs of mapping
4522 {name} in mode {mode}. The returned String has special
4523 characters translated like in the output of the ":map" command
4524 listing.
4525
4526 When there is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is
4527 returned.
4528
4529 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
4530 command.
4531
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00004532 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004533 "n" Normal
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004534 "v" Visual (including Select)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004535 "o" Operator-pending
4536 "i" Insert
4537 "c" Cmd-line
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004538 "s" Select
4539 "x" Visual
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004540 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
4541 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00004542 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004543
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004544 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4545 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004546
4547 When {dict} is there and it is non-zero return a dictionary
4548 containing all the information of the mapping with the
4549 following items:
4550 "lhs" The {lhs} of the mapping.
4551 "rhs" The {rhs} of the mapping as typed.
4552 "silent" 1 for a |:map-silent| mapping, else 0.
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004553 "noremap" 1 if the {rhs} of the mapping is not remappable.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004554 "expr" 1 for an expression mapping (|:map-<expr>|).
4555 "buffer" 1 for a buffer local mapping (|:map-local|).
4556 "mode" Modes for which the mapping is defined. In
4557 addition to the modes mentioned above, these
4558 characters will be used:
4559 " " Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
4560 "!" Insert and Commandline mode
Bram Moolenaar166af9b2010-11-16 20:34:40 +01004561 (|mapmode-ic|)
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004562 "sid" The script local ID, used for <sid> mappings
4563 (|<SID>|).
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01004564 "nowait" Do not wait for other, longer mappings.
4565 (|:map-<nowait>|).
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004566
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004567 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4568 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00004569 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
4570 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
4571 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
4572
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004573
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004574mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004575 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
4576 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
4577 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004578 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4579 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004580 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
4581 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
4582
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004583 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004584 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
4585 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
4586 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
4587 mapcheck("b") no no no
4588
4589 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
4590 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
4591 mapping for {name} exactly.
4592 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
4593 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
4594 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
4595 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
4596 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4597 then the global mappings.
4598 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
4599 without being ambiguous. Example: >
4600 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
4601 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
4602 :endif
4603< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
4604 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
4605
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004606match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004607 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
4608 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004609 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004610 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004611 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
4612 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004613 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004614 If there is no match -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02004615 For getting submatches see |matchlist()|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004616 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004617 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004618 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004619< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004620 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004621 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004622 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
4623< *strcasestr()*
4624 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
4625 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
4626 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
4627<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004628 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004629 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004630 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004631 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004632 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
4633< result is again "4". >
4634 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
4635< result is again "4". >
4636 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
4637< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004638 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004639 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
4640 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
4641 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
4642 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004643 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
4644 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004645 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
4646 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004647
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004648 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004649 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004650 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
4651 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
4652< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004653 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
4654 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004655
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004656 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
4657 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004658 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004659 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
4660
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004661 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
Bram Moolenaarf9132812015-07-21 19:19:13 +02004662matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id} [, {dict}]]])
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004663 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
4664 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
4665 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
4666 match using |matchdelete()|.
Bram Moolenaar8e69b4a2013-11-09 03:41:58 +01004667 Matching is case sensitive and magic, unless case sensitivity
4668 or magicness are explicitly overridden in {pattern}. The
4669 'magic', 'smartcase' and 'ignorecase' options are not used.
Bram Moolenaarf9132812015-07-21 19:19:13 +02004670 The "Conceal" value is special, it causes the match to be
4671 concealed.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004672
4673 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004674 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004675 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
4676 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
4677 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
4678 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
4679 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
4680 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
4681 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
4682 always overrule syntax highlighting.
4683
4684 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
4685 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
4686 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
4687 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
4688 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
Bram Moolenaar6561d522015-07-21 15:48:27 +02004689 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified or -1,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004690 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
4691
Bram Moolenaar85084ef2016-01-17 22:26:33 +01004692 The optional {dict} argument allows for further custom
4693 values. Currently this is used to specify a match specific
Bram Moolenaar6561d522015-07-21 15:48:27 +02004694 conceal character that will be shown for |hl-Conceal|
4695 highlighted matches. The dict can have the following members:
4696
4697 conceal Special character to show instead of the
4698 match (only for |hl-Conceal| highlighed
4699 matches, see |:syn-cchar|)
4700
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004701 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
4702 the |:match| commands.
4703
4704 Example: >
4705 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4706 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
4707< Deletion of the pattern: >
4708 :call matchdelete(m)
4709
4710< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004711 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004712 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004713
Bram Moolenaar6561d522015-07-21 15:48:27 +02004714matchaddpos({group}, {pos}[, {priority}[, {id}[, {dict}]]]) *matchaddpos()*
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004715 Same as |matchadd()|, but requires a list of positions {pos}
4716 instead of a pattern. This command is faster than |matchadd()|
4717 because it does not require to handle regular expressions and
4718 sets buffer line boundaries to redraw screen. It is supposed
4719 to be used when fast match additions and deletions are
4720 required, for example to highlight matching parentheses.
4721
4722 The list {pos} can contain one of these items:
Bram Moolenaarb6da44a2014-06-25 18:15:22 +02004723 - A number. This whole line will be highlighted. The first
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004724 line has number 1.
4725 - A list with one number, e.g., [23]. The whole line with this
4726 number will be highlighted.
4727 - A list with two numbers, e.g., [23, 11]. The first number is
Bram Moolenaarb6da44a2014-06-25 18:15:22 +02004728 the line number, the second one is the column number (first
4729 column is 1, the value must correspond to the byte index as
4730 |col()| would return). The character at this position will
4731 be highlighted.
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004732 - A list with three numbers, e.g., [23, 11, 3]. As above, but
Bram Moolenaarb6da44a2014-06-25 18:15:22 +02004733 the third number gives the length of the highlight in bytes.
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004734
4735 The maximum number of positions is 8.
4736
4737 Example: >
4738 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4739 :let m = matchaddpos("MyGroup", [[23, 24], 34])
4740< Deletion of the pattern: >
4741 :call matchdelete(m)
4742
4743< Matches added by |matchaddpos()| are returned by
4744 |getmatches()| with an entry "pos1", "pos2", etc., with the
4745 value a list like the {pos} item.
4746 These matches cannot be set via |setmatches()|, however they
4747 can still be deleted by |clearmatches()|.
4748
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004749matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004750 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004751 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
4752 Return a |List| with two elements:
4753 The name of the highlight group used
4754 The pattern used.
4755 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
4756 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004757 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
4758 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
4759 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004760
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004761matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
4762 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004763 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004764 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
4765 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004766
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004767matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004768 Same as |match()|, but return the index of first character
4769 after the match. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004770 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
4771< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004772 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
4773 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
4774 do it with matchend(): >
4775 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4776 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4777< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4778
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004779 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004780 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4781< results in "7". >
4782 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4783< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004784 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004785
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004786matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004787 Same as |match()|, but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004788 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4789 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00004790 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4791 empty string is used. Example: >
4792 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4793< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004794 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4795
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004796matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004797 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004798 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4799< results in "ing".
4800 When there is no match "" is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004801 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004802 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4803< results in "ing". >
4804 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4805< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004806 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004807 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004808
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004809 *max()*
4810max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4811 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4812 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004813 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004814
4815 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004816min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004817 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4818 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004819 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004820
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004821 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004822mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4823 Create directory {name}.
4824 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4825 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4826 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4827 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004828 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004829 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4830 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4831 with 0755.
4832 Example: >
4833 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4834< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004835 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4836 :if exists("*mkdir")
4837<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004838 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004839mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004840 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4841 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4842 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4843 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004844
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004845 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004846 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004847 v Visual by character
4848 V Visual by line
4849 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4850 s Select by character
4851 S Select by line
4852 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4853 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004854 R Replace |R|
4855 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004856 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004857 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4858 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004859 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004860 rm The -- more -- prompt
4861 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4862 ! Shell or external command is executing
4863 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4864 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4865 "c" or "n".
4866 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004867
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004868mzeval({expr}) *mzeval()*
4869 Evaluate MzScheme expression {expr} and return its result
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02004870 converted to Vim data structures.
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004871 Numbers and strings are returned as they are.
4872 Pairs (including lists and improper lists) and vectors are
4873 returned as Vim |Lists|.
4874 Hash tables are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with keys
4875 converted to strings.
4876 All other types are converted to string with display function.
4877 Examples: >
4878 :mz (define l (list 1 2 3))
4879 :mz (define h (make-hash)) (hash-set! h "list" l)
4880 :echo mzeval("l")
4881 :echo mzeval("h")
4882<
4883 {only available when compiled with the |+mzscheme| feature}
4884
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004885nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4886 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4887 that is not blank. Example: >
4888 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4889< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4890 below it, zero is returned.
4891 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4892
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004893nr2char({expr}[, {utf8}]) *nr2char()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004894 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4895 value {expr}. Examples: >
4896 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4897 nr2char(32) returns " "
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004898< When {utf8} is omitted or zero, the current 'encoding' is used.
4899 Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004900 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004901< With {utf8} set to 1, always return utf-8 characters.
4902 Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004903 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4904 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004905 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004906
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01004907or({expr}, {expr}) *or()*
4908 Bitwise OR on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
4909 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
4910 Example: >
4911 :let bits = or(bits, 0x80)
4912
4913
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004914pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4915 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4916 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4917 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4918 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4919 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4920< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4921 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4922
Bram Moolenaare9b892e2016-01-17 21:15:58 +01004923perleval({expr}) *perleval()*
4924 Evaluate Perl expression {expr} in scalar context and return
4925 its result converted to Vim data structures. If value can't be
Bram Moolenaar85084ef2016-01-17 22:26:33 +01004926 converted, it is returned as a string Perl representation.
4927 Note: If you want an array or hash, {expr} must return a
4928 reference to it.
Bram Moolenaare9b892e2016-01-17 21:15:58 +01004929 Example: >
4930 :echo perleval('[1 .. 4]')
4931< [1, 2, 3, 4]
4932 {only available when compiled with the |+perl| feature}
4933
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004934pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4935 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4936 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4937 Examples: >
4938 :echo pow(3, 3)
4939< 27.0 >
4940 :echo pow(2, 16)
4941< 65536.0 >
4942 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4943< 2.0
4944 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4945
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004946prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4947 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4948 that is not blank. Example: >
4949 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4950< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4951 above it, zero is returned.
4952 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4953
4954
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004955printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4956 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4957 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004958 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004959< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004960 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004961
4962 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004963 %s string
Bram Moolenaar3ab72c52012-11-14 18:10:56 +01004964 %6S string right-aligned in 6 display cells
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004965 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004966 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4967 %c single byte
4968 %d decimal number
4969 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4970 %x hex number
4971 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4972 %X hex number using upper case letters
4973 %o octal number
4974 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4975 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4976 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4977 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4978 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4979 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004980
4981 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4982 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4983 the result.
4984
4985 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004986 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004987
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004988 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004989
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004990 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004991 Zero or more of the following flags:
4992
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004993 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4994 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4995 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4996 of the number is increased to force the first
4997 character of the output string to a zero (except
4998 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4999 precision of zero).
5000 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
5001 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
5002 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005003
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005004 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
5005 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
5006 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
5007 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
5008 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005009
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005010 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
5011 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
5012 The converted value is padded on the right with
5013 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
5014 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005015
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005016 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
5017 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005018
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005019 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005020 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005021 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005022
5023 field-width
5024 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00005025 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
5026 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
5027 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
5028 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005029
5030 .precision
5031 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
5032 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
5033 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
5034 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
5035 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00005036 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005037 For floating point it is the number of digits after
5038 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005039
5040 type
5041 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
5042 be applied, see below.
5043
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005044 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
5045 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005046 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005047 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
5048 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
5049 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005050 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005051< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005052 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005053
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005054 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005055
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005056 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
5057 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005058 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
5059 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
5060 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005061 conversions.
5062 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
5063 digits that must appear; if the converted value
5064 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
5065 zeros.
5066 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
5067 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
5068 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
5069 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
5070
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005071 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005072 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
5073 resulting character is written.
5074
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005075 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005076 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
5077 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
5078 specified are used.
Bram Moolenaar0122c402015-02-03 19:13:34 +01005079 *printf-S*
Bram Moolenaar3ab72c52012-11-14 18:10:56 +01005080 S The text of the String argument is used. If a
5081 precision is specified, no more display cells than the
5082 number specified are used. Without the |+multi_byte|
5083 feature works just like 's'.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005084
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005085 *printf-f* *E807*
5086 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
5087 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
5088 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
5089 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
5090 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
5091 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
5092 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
5093 Example: >
5094 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
5095< 12.12
5096 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
5097 Use |round()| when in doubt.
5098
5099 *printf-e* *printf-E*
5100 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
5101 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
5102 precision specifies the number of digits after the
5103 decimal point, like with 'f'.
5104
5105 *printf-g* *printf-G*
5106 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
5107 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
5108 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
5109 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
5110 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
5111 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
5112 results in 1.0e7.
5113
5114 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005115 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
5116 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005117
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005118 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
5119 accepted and automatically converted.
5120 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
5121 is also accepted and automatically converted.
5122 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005123
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00005124 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005125 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
5126 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005127 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00005128
5129
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005130pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
5131 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
5132 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005133 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
5134 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005135
Bram Moolenaare6ae6222013-05-21 21:01:10 +02005136 *E860*
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02005137py3eval({expr}) *py3eval()*
5138 Evaluate Python expression {expr} and return its result
5139 converted to Vim data structures.
5140 Numbers and strings are returned as they are (strings are
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01005141 copied though, Unicode strings are additionally converted to
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02005142 'encoding').
5143 Lists are represented as Vim |List| type.
5144 Dictionaries are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with
5145 keys converted to strings.
5146 {only available when compiled with the |+python3| feature}
5147
5148 *E858* *E859*
5149pyeval({expr}) *pyeval()*
5150 Evaluate Python expression {expr} and return its result
5151 converted to Vim data structures.
5152 Numbers and strings are returned as they are (strings are
5153 copied though).
5154 Lists are represented as Vim |List| type.
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +02005155 Dictionaries are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type,
5156 non-string keys result in error.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02005157 {only available when compiled with the |+python| feature}
5158
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005159 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005160range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005161 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005162 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
5163 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
5164 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
5165 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
5166 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00005167 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
5168 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
5169 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005170 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005171 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005172 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
5173 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005174 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00005175 range(0) " []
5176 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005177<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005178 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005179readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005180 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
5181 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005182 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
5183 NL appears somewhere).
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02005184 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar86ae7202015-07-10 19:31:35 +02005185 When {binary} contains "b" binary mode is used:
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005186 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
5187 added.
5188 - No CR characters are removed.
5189 Otherwise:
5190 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
5191 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02005192 - When 'encoding' is Unicode any UTF-8 byte order mark is
5193 removed from the text.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005194 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
5195 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
5196 lines of a file: >
5197 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
5198 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
5199 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005200< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
5201 are returned, or as many as there are.
5202 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005203 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
5204 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
5205 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005206 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
5207 the result is an empty list.
5208 Also see |writefile()|.
5209
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005210reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
5211 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
5212 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
5213 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
5214 Without an argument it returns the current time.
5215 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
5216 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00005217 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005218 and {end}.
5219 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
5220 reltime().
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005221 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005222
5223reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
5224 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
5225 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
5226 microseconds. Example: >
5227 let start = reltime()
5228 call MyFunction()
5229 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
5230< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
5231 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005232 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
5233 can use split() to remove it. >
5234 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
5235< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005236 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005237
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005238 *remote_expr()* *E449*
5239remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005240 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005241 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00005242 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
5243 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
5244 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005245 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
5246 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
5247 remote_read() is stored there.
5248 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
5249 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5250 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5251 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
5252 and the result will be the empty string.
5253 Examples: >
5254 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
5255 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
5256<
5257
5258remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
5259 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
5260 This works like: >
5261 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
5262< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
5263 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
5264 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005265 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
5266 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005267 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5268 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
5269 Win32 console version}
5270
5271
5272remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
5273 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
5274 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005275 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005276 name of a variable.
5277 Returns zero if none are available.
5278 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
5279 See also |clientserver|.
5280 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5281 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5282 Examples: >
5283 :let repl = ""
5284 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
5285
5286remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
5287 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
5288 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
5289 See also |clientserver|.
5290 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5291 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5292 Example: >
5293 :echo remote_read(id)
5294<
5295 *remote_send()* *E241*
5296remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005297 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005298 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
5299 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005300 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
5301 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
5302 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005303 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
5304 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5305 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5306 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
5307 up the display.
5308 Examples: >
5309 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
5310 \ remote_read(serverid)
5311
5312 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
5313 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
5314 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
5315 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005316<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005317remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005318 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005319 return the item.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005320 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005321 return a List with these items. When {idx} points to the same
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005322 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
5323 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
5324 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005325 Example: >
5326 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005327 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005328remove({dict}, {key})
5329 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
5330 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
5331< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
5332
5333 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005334
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005335rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
5336 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
5337 should also work to move files across file systems. The
5338 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
5339 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00005340 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005341 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5342
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00005343repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
5344 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
5345 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00005346 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00005347< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005348 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005349 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005350 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
5351< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00005352
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005353
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005354resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
5355 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
5356 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
5357 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
5358 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
5359 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
5360 stopped after 100 iterations.
5361 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
5362 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
5363 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
5364 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
5365 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
5366
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005367 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005368reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005369 {list}.
5370 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5371 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
5372
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005373round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005374 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005375 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
5376 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
5377 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5378 Examples: >
5379 echo round(0.456)
5380< 0.0 >
5381 echo round(4.5)
5382< 5.0 >
5383 echo round(-4.5)
5384< -5.0
5385 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaar34feacb2012-12-05 19:01:43 +01005386
Bram Moolenaar9a773482013-06-11 18:40:13 +02005387screenattr(row, col) *screenattr()*
5388 Like screenchar(), but return the attribute. This is a rather
5389 arbitrary number that can only be used to compare to the
5390 attribute at other positions.
5391
5392screenchar(row, col) *screenchar()*
5393 The result is a Number, which is the character at position
5394 [row, col] on the screen. This works for every possible
5395 screen position, also status lines, window separators and the
5396 command line. The top left position is row one, column one
5397 The character excludes composing characters. For double-byte
5398 encodings it may only be the first byte.
5399 This is mainly to be used for testing.
5400 Returns -1 when row or col is out of range.
5401
Bram Moolenaar34feacb2012-12-05 19:01:43 +01005402screencol() *screencol()*
5403 The result is a Number, which is the current screen column of
5404 the cursor. The leftmost column has number 1.
5405 This function is mainly used for testing.
5406
5407 Note: Always returns the current screen column, thus if used
5408 in a command (e.g. ":echo screencol()") it will return the
5409 column inside the command line, which is 1 when the command is
5410 executed. To get the cursor position in the file use one of
5411 the following mappings: >
5412 nnoremap <expr> GG ":echom ".screencol()."\n"
5413 nnoremap <silent> GG :echom screencol()<CR>
5414<
5415screenrow() *screenrow()*
5416 The result is a Number, which is the current screen row of the
5417 cursor. The top line has number one.
5418 This function is mainly used for testing.
5419
5420 Note: Same restrictions as with |screencol()|.
5421
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005422search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005423 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00005424 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005425
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01005426 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01005427 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
5428 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01005429
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005430 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaarad4d8a12015-12-28 19:20:36 +01005431 'b' search Backward instead of forward
5432 'c' accept a match at the Cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005433 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005434 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaarad4d8a12015-12-28 19:20:36 +01005435 'p' return number of matching sub-Pattern (see below)
5436 's' Set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
5437 'w' Wrap around the end of the file
5438 'W' don't Wrap around the end of the file
5439 'z' start searching at the cursor column instead of zero
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005440 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
5441
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00005442 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
5443 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
5444 flag.
5445
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005446 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
Bram Moolenaarad4d8a12015-12-28 19:20:36 +01005447
Bram Moolenaar85084ef2016-01-17 22:26:33 +01005448 When the 'z' flag is not given, searching always starts in
Bram Moolenaarad4d8a12015-12-28 19:20:36 +01005449 column zero and then matches before the cursor are skipped.
5450 When the 'c' flag is present in 'cpo' the next search starts
5451 after the match. Without the 'c' flag the next search starts
5452 one column further.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005453
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005454 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
5455 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
5456 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
5457 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
5458 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
5459< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
5460 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005461 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
5462
5463 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar1aeaf8c2012-05-18 13:46:39 +02005464 more than this many milliseconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005465 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
5466 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
5467 giving the argument.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005468 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005469
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00005470 *search()-sub-match*
5471 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
5472 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
5473 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005474 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005475
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005476 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
5477 flag is used.
5478
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005479 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
5480 :let n = 1
5481 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
5482 : exe "argument " . n
5483 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
5484 : " first search to find match at start of file
5485 : normal G$
5486 : let flags = "w"
5487 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005488 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005489 : let flags = "W"
5490 : endwhile
5491 : update " write the file if modified
5492 : let n = n + 1
5493 :endwhile
5494<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005495 Example for using some flags: >
5496 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
5497< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
5498 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
5499 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
5500 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
5501 line:
5502 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
5503 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
5504 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
5505 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
5506 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
5507
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005508
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00005509searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
5510 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005511
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00005512 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
5513 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
5514 first match in the function.
5515
5516 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
5517 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
5518 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
5519
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005520 Moves the cursor to the found match.
5521 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5522 Example: >
5523 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
5524 echo getline('.')
5525 endif
5526<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005527 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005528searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
5529 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005530 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
5531 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
5532 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005533 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
5534 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
5535 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
5536 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
5537 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
5538 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005539
5540 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
5541 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
5542 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
5543 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
5544 typical use is: >
5545 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
5546< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
5547
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005548 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
5549 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005550 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005551 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
5552 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005553 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005554 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
5555 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005556
5557 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
5558 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
5559 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
5560 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
5561 or a string.
5562 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
5563 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
5564 and -1 returned.
5565
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005566 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005567
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005568 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
5569 patterns are used like it's on.
5570
5571 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
5572 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
5573 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
5574 if 1
5575 if 2
5576 endif 2
5577 endif 1
5578< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
5579 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
5580 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005581 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005582 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
5583 "endif 2".
5584 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
5585 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
5586 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
5587 the matching start.
5588
5589 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
5590
5591 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
5592 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
5593
5594< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
5595 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
5596 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
5597 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
5598 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
5599 match.
5600 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
5601
5602 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
5603
5604< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
5605 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
5606 highlighting recognized as strings: >
5607
5608 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
5609 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
5610<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005611 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005612searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
5613 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005614 Same as |searchpair()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005615 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
5616 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005617 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005618 returns [0, 0]. >
5619
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005620 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
5621<
5622 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
5623
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005624searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005625 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005626 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
5627 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
5628 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
5629 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00005630 Example: >
5631 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
5632
5633< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
5634 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
5635 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
5636< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
5637 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
5638
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005639server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
5640 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
5641 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
5642 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5643 Note:
5644 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005645 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005646 before calling any commands that waits for input.
5647 See also |clientserver|.
5648 Example: >
5649 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
5650<
5651serverlist() *serverlist()*
5652 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
5653 When there are no servers or the information is not available
5654 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
5655 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5656 Example: >
5657 :echo serverlist()
5658<
5659setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
5660 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
5661 {val}.
5662 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
5663 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
5664 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
5665 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
5666 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
5667 Examples: >
5668 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
5669 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
5670< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5671
Bram Moolenaar12969c02015-09-08 23:36:10 +02005672setcharsearch({dict}) *setcharsearch()*
Bram Moolenaardbd24b52015-08-11 14:26:19 +02005673 Set the current character search information to {dict},
5674 which contains one or more of the following entries:
5675
5676 char character which will be used for a subsequent
5677 |,| or |;| command; an empty string clears the
5678 character search
5679 forward direction of character search; 1 for forward,
5680 0 for backward
5681 until type of character search; 1 for a |t| or |T|
5682 character search, 0 for an |f| or |F|
5683 character search
5684
5685 This can be useful to save/restore a user's character search
5686 from a script: >
5687 :let prevsearch = getcharsearch()
5688 :" Perform a command which clobbers user's search
5689 :call setcharsearch(prevsearch)
5690< Also see |getcharsearch()|.
5691
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005692setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
5693 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005694 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005695 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
5696 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005697 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
5698 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
5699 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
5700 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
5701 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005702 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
5703 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
5704 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
5705 line.
5706
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005707setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01005708 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}. To insert
5709 lines use |append()|.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005710 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005711 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005712 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005713 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
5714 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005715 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005716< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005717 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
5718 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
5719< This is equivalent to: >
Bram Moolenaar53bfca22012-04-13 23:04:47 +02005720 :for [n, l] in [[5, 'aaa'], [6, 'bbb'], [7, 'ccc']]
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005721 : call setline(n, l)
5722 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005723< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
5724
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005725setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
5726 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
5727 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005728 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
5729 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005730 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
5731 Also see |location-list|.
5732
5733setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
5734 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005735 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005736 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005737
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005738 *setpos()*
5739setpos({expr}, {list})
5740 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
5741 . the cursor
5742 'x mark x
5743
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005744 {list} must be a |List| with four or five numbers:
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005745 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005746 [bufnum, lnum, col, off, curswant]
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005747
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005748 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005749 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005750 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
5751 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
5752 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005753 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005754
5755 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005756 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark. If "col" is
5757 smaller than 1 then 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005758
5759 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
5760 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005761 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005762 character.
5763
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005764 The "curswant" number is only used when setting the cursor
5765 position. It sets the preferred column for when moving the
5766 cursor vertically. When the "curswant" number is missing the
5767 preferred column is not set. When it is present and setting a
5768 mark position it is not used.
5769
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01005770 Note that for '< and '> changing the line number may result in
5771 the marks to be effectively be swapped, so that '< is always
5772 before '>.
5773
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00005774 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
5775 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
5776
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02005777 Also see |getpos()| and |getcurpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005778
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005779 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005780 vertically; if you set the cursor position with this, |j| and
5781 |k| motions will jump to previous columns! Use |cursor()| to
5782 also set the preferred column. Also see the "curswant" key in
5783 |winrestview()|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005784
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005785
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005786setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005787 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
5788 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
5789 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
5790 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005791
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005792 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005793 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005794 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005795 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005796 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005797 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005798 col column number
5799 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005800 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005801 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005802 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005803 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005804
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005805 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
5806 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
5807 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005808 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
5809 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
5810 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005811 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
5812 be used.
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02005813 If you supply an empty {list}, the quickfix list will be
5814 cleared.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005815 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
5816 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005817
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005818 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
5819 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
5820 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
5821 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
5822 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
5823 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
5824
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005825 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
5826
5827 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
5828 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
5829 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
5830
5831
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005832 *setreg()*
5833setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
5834 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005835 {value} may be any value returned by |getreg()|, including
5836 a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005837 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
5838 then the value is appended.
Bram Moolenaarc6485bc2010-07-28 17:02:55 +02005839 {options} can also contain a register type specification:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005840 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
5841 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
5842 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
5843 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
5844 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
5845 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005846 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005847
5848 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005849 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL> for
5850 string {value} and linewise mode for list {value}. Blockwise
5851 mode is never selected automatically.
5852 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5853
5854 *E883*
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02005855 Note: you may not use |List| containing more than one item to
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005856 set search and expression registers. Lists containing no
5857 items act like empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005858
5859 Examples: >
5860 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
5861 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
5862 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
5863
5864< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005865 register (note: you may not reliably restore register value
5866 without using the third argument to |getreg()| as without it
5867 newlines are represented as newlines AND Nul bytes are
5868 represented as newlines as well, see |NL-used-for-Nul|). >
5869 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1, 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005870 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
5871 ....
5872 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
5873
5874< You can also change the type of a register by appending
5875 nothing: >
5876 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
5877
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005878settabvar({tabnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabvar()*
5879 Set tab-local variable {varname} to {val} in tab page {tabnr}.
5880 |t:var|
5881 Note that the variable name without "t:" must be used.
5882 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005883 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5884
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005885settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
5886 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
5887 {val}.
5888 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
5889 use |setwinvar()|.
5890 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005891 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
5892 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
5893 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
5894 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005895 Examples: >
5896 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
5897 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
5898< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5899
5900setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
5901 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005902 Examples: >
5903 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
5904 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005905
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01005906sha256({string}) *sha256()*
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01005907 Returns a String with 64 hex characters, which is the SHA256
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01005908 checksum of {string}.
5909 {only available when compiled with the |+cryptv| feature}
5910
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005911shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005912 Escape {string} for use as a shell command argument.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005913 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005914 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005915 quotes within {string}.
5916 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
5917 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005918 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
5919 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005920 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5921 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005922 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005923 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5924 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5925 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5926 even when inside single quotes.
5927 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5928 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5929 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005930 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5931 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5932< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5933 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5934 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar26df0922014-02-23 23:39:13 +01005935< See also |::S|.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005936
5937
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02005938shiftwidth() *shiftwidth()*
5939 Returns the effective value of 'shiftwidth'. This is the
5940 'shiftwidth' value unless it is zero, in which case it is the
Bram Moolenaar009d84a2016-01-28 14:12:00 +01005941 'tabstop' value. This function was introduced with patch
5942 7.3.694 in 2012, everybody should have it by now.
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02005943
5944
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005945simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5946 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5947 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5948 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5949 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5950 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5951 not removed either.
5952 Example: >
5953 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5954< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5955 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5956 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5957 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5958 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5959
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005960
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005961sin({expr}) *sin()*
5962 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5963 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5964 Examples: >
5965 :echo sin(100)
5966< -0.506366 >
5967 :echo sin(-4.01)
5968< 0.763301
5969 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5970
5971
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005972sinh({expr}) *sinh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005973 Return the hyperbolic sine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005974 [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005975 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005976 Examples: >
5977 :echo sinh(0.5)
5978< 0.521095 >
5979 :echo sinh(-0.9)
5980< -1.026517
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005981 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005982
5983
Bram Moolenaar5f894962011-06-19 02:55:37 +02005984sort({list} [, {func} [, {dict}]]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01005985 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}.
5986
5987 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005988 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02005989
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02005990< When {func} is omitted, is empty or zero, then sort() uses the
5991 string representation of each item to sort on. Numbers sort
5992 after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers. For sorting text in the
5993 current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01005994
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02005995 When {func} is given and it is '1' or 'i' then case is
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02005996 ignored.
5997
5998 When {func} is given and it is 'n' then all items will be
5999 sorted numerical (Implementation detail: This uses the
6000 strtod() function to parse numbers, Strings, Lists, Dicts and
6001 Funcrefs will be considered as being 0).
6002
Bram Moolenaarb00da1d2015-12-03 16:33:12 +01006003 When {func} is given and it is 'N' then all items will be
6004 sorted numerical. This is like 'n' but a string containing
6005 digits will be used as the number they represent.
6006
Bram Moolenaar13d5aee2016-01-21 23:36:05 +01006007 When {func} is given and it is 'f' then all items will be
6008 sorted numerical. All values must be a Number or a Float.
6009
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006010 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
6011 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006012 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 or
6013 bigger if the first one sorts after the second one, -1 or
6014 smaller if the first one sorts before the second one.
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01006015
6016 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
6017 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
6018
Bram Moolenaar8bb1c3e2014-07-04 16:43:17 +02006019 The sort is stable, items which compare equal (as number or as
6020 string) will keep their relative position. E.g., when sorting
Bram Moolenaardb6ea062014-07-10 22:01:47 +02006021 on numbers, text strings will sort next to each other, in the
Bram Moolenaar8bb1c3e2014-07-04 16:43:17 +02006022 same order as they were originally.
6023
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01006024 Also see |uniq()|.
6025
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006026 Example: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00006027 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
6028 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
6029 endfunc
6030 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006031< A shorter compare version for this specific simple case, which
6032 ignores overflow: >
6033 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
6034 return a:i1 - a:i2
6035 endfunc
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00006036<
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00006037 *soundfold()*
6038soundfold({word})
6039 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006040 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00006041 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
6042 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00006043 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
6044 the method can be quite slow.
6045
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00006046 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00006047spellbadword([{sentence}])
6048 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
6049 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
6050 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
6051 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
6052
6053 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
6054 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
6055 result is an empty string.
6056
6057 The return value is a list with two items:
6058 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
6059 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006060 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00006061 "rare" rare word
6062 "local" word only valid in another region
6063 "caps" word should start with Capital
6064 Example: >
6065 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
6066< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
6067
6068 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
6069 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
6070 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00006071
6072 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00006073spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006074 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00006075 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
6076 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
6077
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00006078 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
6079 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
6080 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
6081
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00006082 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
6083 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00006084 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
6085 replace a line.
6086
6087 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00006088 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
6089 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00006090
6091 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00006092 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
6093 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00006094
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00006095
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00006096split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006097 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
6098 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
6099 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00006100 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar97d62492012-11-15 21:28:22 +01006101 removing the matched characters. 'ignorecase' is not used
6102 here, add \c to ignore case. |/\c|
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00006103 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
6104 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00006105 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
6106 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00006107 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00006108 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00006109< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006110 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar12969c02015-09-08 23:36:10 +02006111< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs' at
6112 the end of the pattern: >
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00006113 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
6114< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00006115 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
6116 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
6117< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00006118
6119
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006120sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
6121 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
6122 |Float|.
6123 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
6124 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
6125 Examples: >
6126 :echo sqrt(100)
6127< 10.0 >
6128 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
6129< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006130 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006131 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
6132
6133
6134str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
6135 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
6136 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
6137 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
6138 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
6139 write "1.0e40".
6140 Text after the number is silently ignored.
6141 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
6142 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
6143 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
6144 |substitute()|: >
6145 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
6146< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
6147
6148
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00006149str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
6150 Convert string {expr} to a number.
Bram Moolenaarfa735342016-01-03 22:14:44 +01006151 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 2, 8, 10 or 16.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00006152 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
6153 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
6154 with the default String to Number conversion.
6155 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
Bram Moolenaarfa735342016-01-03 22:14:44 +01006156 different base the result will be zero. Similarly, when
6157 {base} is 8 a leading "0" is ignored, and when {base} is 2 a
6158 leading "0b" or "0B" is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00006159 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006160
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00006161
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02006162strchars({expr} [, {skipcc}]) *strchars()*
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006163 The result is a Number, which is the number of characters
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02006164 in String {expr}.
6165 When {skipcc} is omitted or zero, composing characters are
6166 counted separately.
6167 When {skipcc} set to 1, Composing characters are ignored.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006168 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
6169
Bram Moolenaar86ae7202015-07-10 19:31:35 +02006170
6171 {skipcc} is only available after 7.4.755. For backward
6172 compatibility, you can define a wrapper function: >
6173 if has("patch-7.4.755")
6174 function s:strchars(str, skipcc)
6175 return strchars(a:str, a:skipcc)
6176 endfunction
6177 else
6178 function s:strchars(str, skipcc)
6179 if a:skipcc
6180 return strlen(substitute(a:str, ".", "x", "g"))
6181 else
6182 return strchars(a:str)
6183 endif
6184 endfunction
6185 endif
6186<
6187
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006188strdisplaywidth({expr}[, {col}]) *strdisplaywidth()*
6189 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02006190 String {expr} occupies on the screen when it starts at {col}.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006191 When {col} is omitted zero is used. Otherwise it is the
6192 screen column where to start. This matters for Tab
6193 characters.
Bram Moolenaar4d32c2d2010-07-18 22:10:01 +02006194 The option settings of the current window are used. This
6195 matters for anything that's displayed differently, such as
6196 'tabstop' and 'display'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006197 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
6198 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
6199 Also see |strlen()|, |strwidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006200
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006201strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
6202 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
6203 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
6204 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
6205 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
6206 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
6207 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
6208 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
6209 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
6210 Examples: >
6211 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
6212 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
6213 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
6214 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
6215 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
6216 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00006217< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
6218 :if exists("*strftime")
6219
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006220stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
6221 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
6222 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006223 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
6224 This can be used to find a second match: >
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01006225 :let colon1 = stridx(line, ":")
6226 :let colon2 = stridx(line, ":", colon1 + 1)
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006227< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006228 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006229 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006230 See also |strridx()|.
6231 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006232 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
6233 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
6234 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006235< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006236 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
6237 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
6238
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006239 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00006240string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006241 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
6242 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006243 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006244 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00006245 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006246 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006247 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00006248 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00006249 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006250 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006251 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006252
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006253 *strlen()*
6254strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00006255 {expr} in bytes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006256 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
6257 For other types an error is given.
Bram Moolenaar641e48c2015-06-25 16:09:26 +02006258 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters use
6259 |strchars()|.
6260 Also see |len()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006261
6262strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
6263 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00006264 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006265 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
6266 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
6267 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
6268 end of the {src}. >
6269 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
6270 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
6271 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006272 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006273< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
6274 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00006275 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006276<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006277strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
6278 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
6279 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
6280 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
6281 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
6282 match: >
6283 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
6284 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
6285< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006286 For pattern searches use |match()|.
6287 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00006288 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006289 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006290 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006291< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006292 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
6293 function strrchr().
6294
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006295strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
6296 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
6297 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
6298 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
6299 echo strtrans(@a)
6300< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
6301 starting a new line.
6302
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006303strwidth({expr}) *strwidth()*
6304 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
6305 String {expr} occupies. A Tab character is counted as one
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006306 cell, alternatively use |strdisplaywidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006307 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
6308 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006309 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006310
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02006311submatch({nr}[, {list}]) *submatch()*
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006312 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command or
6313 substitute() function.
6314 Returns the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr}
6315 is 0 the whole matched text is returned.
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02006316 Note that a NL in the string can stand for a line break of a
6317 multi-line match or a NUL character in the text.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006318 Also see |sub-replace-expression|.
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02006319
6320 If {list} is present and non-zero then submatch() returns
6321 a list of strings, similar to |getline()| with two arguments.
6322 NL characters in the text represent NUL characters in the
6323 text.
6324 Only returns more than one item for |:substitute|, inside
6325 |substitute()| this list will always contain one or zero
6326 items, since there are no real line breaks.
6327
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006328 Example: >
6329 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
6330< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
6331 A line break is included as a newline character.
6332
6333substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
6334 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006335 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}.
6336 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
6337 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
6338
6339 This works like the ":substitute" command (without any flags).
6340 But the matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic'
6341 option is set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01006342 portable). 'ignorecase' is still relevant, use |/\c| or |/\C|
6343 if you want to ignore or match case and ignore 'ignorecase'.
6344 'smartcase' is not used. See |string-match| for how {pat} is
6345 used.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006346
6347 A "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006348 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006349 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006350 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006351
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006352 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
6353 unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006354
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006355 Example: >
6356 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
6357< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
6358 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
6359< results in "TESTING".
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006360
6361 When {sub} starts with "\=", the remainder is interpreted as
6362 an expression. See |sub-replace-expression|. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02006363 :echo substitute(s, '%\(\x\x\)',
6364 \ '\=nr2char("0x" . submatch(1))', 'g')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006365
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00006366synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006367 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00006368 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006369 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
6370 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00006371
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00006372 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00006373 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
Bram Moolenaarca635012015-09-25 20:34:21 +02006374 Note that when the position is after the last character,
6375 that's where the cursor can be in Insert mode, synID() returns
6376 zero.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00006377
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006378 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006379 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006380 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
6381 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
6382 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
6383 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
6384 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
6385
6386 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
6387 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
6388<
Bram Moolenaar7510fe72010-07-25 12:46:44 +02006389
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006390synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
6391 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
6392 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
6393 about a syntax item.
6394 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006395 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006396 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
6397 used (GUI, cterm or term).
6398 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
6399 {what} result
6400 "name" the name of the syntax item
6401 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
6402 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
6403 term: empty string)
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00006404 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01006405 "font" font name (only available in the GUI)
6406 |highlight-font|
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00006407 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006408 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
6409 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
6410 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00006411 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006412 "bold" "1" if bold
6413 "italic" "1" if italic
6414 "reverse" "1" if reverse
6415 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01006416 "standout" "1" if standout
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006417 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006418 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006419
6420 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
6421 cursor): >
6422 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
6423<
6424synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
6425 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
6426 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
6427 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
6428 ":highlight link" are followed.
6429
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02006430synconcealed({lnum}, {col}) *synconcealed()*
6431 The result is a List. The first item in the list is 0 if the
6432 character at the position {lnum} and {col} is not part of a
6433 concealable region, 1 if it is. The second item in the list is
6434 a string. If the first item is 1, the second item contains the
6435 text which will be displayed in place of the concealed text,
6436 depending on the current setting of 'conceallevel'. The third
6437 and final item in the list is a unique number representing the
6438 specific syntax region matched. This allows detection of the
6439 beginning of a new concealable region if there are two
6440 consecutive regions with the same replacement character.
6441 For an example use see $VIMRUNTIME/syntax/2html.vim .
6442
6443
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00006444synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
6445 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
6446 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
6447 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00006448 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
6449 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
6450 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
6451 transparent item.
6452 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
6453 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
6454 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
6455 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
6456 endfor
Bram Moolenaar0bc380a2010-07-10 13:52:13 +02006457< When the position specified with {lnum} and {col} is invalid
6458 nothing is returned. The position just after the last
6459 character in a line and the first column in an empty line are
6460 valid positions.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00006461
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00006462system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
Bram Moolenaar39c29ed2014-04-05 19:44:40 +02006463 Get the output of the shell command {expr} as a string. See
6464 |systemlist()| to get the output as a List.
Bram Moolenaar57ebe6e2014-04-05 18:55:46 +02006465
6466 When {input} is given and is a string this string is written
6467 to a file and passed as stdin to the command. The string is
6468 written as-is, you need to take care of using the correct line
6469 separators yourself.
6470 If {input} is given and is a |List| it is written to the file
6471 in a way |writefile()| does with {binary} set to "b" (i.e.
6472 with a newline between each list item with newlines inside
6473 list items converted to NULs).
6474 Pipes are not used.
6475
Bram Moolenaar52a72462014-08-29 15:53:52 +02006476 When prepended by |:silent| the shell will not be set to
6477 cooked mode. This is meant to be used for commands that do
6478 not need the user to type. It avoids stray characters showing
6479 up on the screen which require |CTRL-L| to remove. >
6480 :silent let f = system('ls *.vim')
6481<
Bram Moolenaar26df0922014-02-23 23:39:13 +01006482 Note: Use |shellescape()| or |::S| with |expand()| or
6483 |fnamemodify()| to escape special characters in a command
6484 argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail.
6485 The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also
6486 cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006487 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006488
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006489 The result is a String. Example: >
6490 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar26df0922014-02-23 23:39:13 +01006491 :let files = system('ls ' . expand('%:h:S'))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006492
6493< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
6494 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
6495 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
Bram Moolenaar9d98fe92013-08-03 18:35:36 +02006496 To avoid the string being truncated at a NUL, all NUL
6497 characters are replaced with SOH (0x01).
6498
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006499 The command executed is constructed using several options:
6500 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
6501 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
6502 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
6503 concatenated commands.
6504
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006505 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
6506 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
6507
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006508 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
6509 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00006510
6511 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
6512 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
6513 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006514 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
6515 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
6516
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006517
Bram Moolenaar39c29ed2014-04-05 19:44:40 +02006518systemlist({expr} [, {input}]) *systemlist()*
6519 Same as |system()|, but returns a |List| with lines (parts of
6520 output separated by NL) with NULs transformed into NLs. Output
6521 is the same as |readfile()| will output with {binary} argument
6522 set to "b".
6523
6524 Returns an empty string on error, so be careful not to run
6525 into |E706|.
6526
6527
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006528tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006529 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006530 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
6531 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
6532 omitted the current tab page is used.
6533 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
6534 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02006535 let buflist = []
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006536 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02006537 call extend(buflist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006538 endfor
6539< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
6540
6541
6542tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00006543 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
6544 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
6545 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
6546 page is returned (the tab page count).
6547 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
6548
6549
Bram Moolenaar76f3b1a2014-03-27 22:30:07 +01006550tabpagewinnr({tabarg} [, {arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
Bram Moolenaard04f4402010-08-15 13:30:34 +02006551 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {tabarg}.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006552 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
6553 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
6554 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
6555 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
6556 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
6557 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
6558 Useful examples: >
6559 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
6560 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
6561< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
6562
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00006563 *tagfiles()*
6564tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
6565 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
6566
6567
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006568taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
6569 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00006570 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
6571 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00006572 name Name of the tag.
6573 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006574 defined. It is either relative to the
6575 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006576 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
6577 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00006578 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006579 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006580 kind values. Only available when
6581 using a tags file generated by
6582 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00006583 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006584 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006585 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
6586 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
6587 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
6588 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
6589 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
6590 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00006591
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00006592 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
6593 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006594
6595 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
6596
6597 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
Bram Moolenaara3e6bc92013-01-30 14:18:00 +01006598 used in {expr}. This also make the function work faster.
6599 Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information about the tag
6600 search regular expression pattern.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006601
6602 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
6603 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
6604 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
6605
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006606tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
6607 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006608 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006609 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
6610 :let tmpfile = tempname()
6611 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006612< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory |tempfile|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006613 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
6614 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
6615
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006616
6617tan({expr}) *tan()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006618 Return the tangent of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006619 in the range [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006620 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006621 Examples: >
6622 :echo tan(10)
6623< 0.648361 >
6624 :echo tan(-4.01)
6625< -1.181502
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02006626 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006627
6628
6629tanh({expr}) *tanh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006630 Return the hyperbolic tangent of {expr} as a |Float| in the
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006631 range [-1, 1].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006632 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006633 Examples: >
6634 :echo tanh(0.5)
6635< 0.462117 >
6636 :echo tanh(-1)
6637< -0.761594
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02006638 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006639
6640
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006641tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
6642 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
6643 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
6644 the string).
6645
6646toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
6647 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
6648 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
6649 the string).
6650
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00006651tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
6652 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
6653 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
6654 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
6655 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
6656 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
6657 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
6658
6659 Examples: >
6660 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
6661< returns "Hello THere" >
6662 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
6663< returns "{blob}"
6664
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006665trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006666 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006667 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
6668 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
6669 Examples: >
6670 echo trunc(1.456)
6671< 1.0 >
6672 echo trunc(-5.456)
6673< -5.0 >
6674 echo trunc(4.0)
6675< 4.0
6676 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
6677
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006678 *type()*
6679type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006680 Number: 0
6681 String: 1
6682 Funcref: 2
6683 List: 3
6684 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006685 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01006686 Boolean: 6 (v:false and v:true)
6687 None 7 (v:null and v:none)
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006688 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006689 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
6690 :if type(myvar) == type("")
6691 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
6692 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006693 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006694 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar705ada12016-01-24 17:56:50 +01006695 :if type(myvar) == type(v:false)
6696 :if type(myvar) == type(v:none
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006697
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02006698undofile({name}) *undofile()*
6699 Return the name of the undo file that would be used for a file
6700 with name {name} when writing. This uses the 'undodir'
6701 option, finding directories that exist. It does not check if
Bram Moolenaar860cae12010-06-05 23:22:07 +02006702 the undo file exists.
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02006703 {name} is always expanded to the full path, since that is what
6704 is used internally.
Bram Moolenaar80716072012-05-01 21:14:34 +02006705 If {name} is empty undofile() returns an empty string, since a
6706 buffer without a file name will not write an undo file.
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02006707 Useful in combination with |:wundo| and |:rundo|.
6708 When compiled without the +persistent_undo option this always
6709 returns an empty string.
6710
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02006711undotree() *undotree()*
6712 Return the current state of the undo tree in a dictionary with
6713 the following items:
6714 "seq_last" The highest undo sequence number used.
6715 "seq_cur" The sequence number of the current position in
6716 the undo tree. This differs from "seq_last"
6717 when some changes were undone.
6718 "time_cur" Time last used for |:earlier| and related
6719 commands. Use |strftime()| to convert to
6720 something readable.
6721 "save_last" Number of the last file write. Zero when no
6722 write yet.
Bram Moolenaar730cde92010-06-27 05:18:54 +02006723 "save_cur" Number of the current position in the undo
6724 tree.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02006725 "synced" Non-zero when the last undo block was synced.
6726 This happens when waiting from input from the
6727 user. See |undo-blocks|.
6728 "entries" A list of dictionaries with information about
6729 undo blocks.
6730
6731 The first item in the "entries" list is the oldest undo item.
6732 Each List item is a Dictionary with these items:
6733 "seq" Undo sequence number. Same as what appears in
6734 |:undolist|.
6735 "time" Timestamp when the change happened. Use
6736 |strftime()| to convert to something readable.
6737 "newhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
6738 that was added. This marks the last change
6739 and where further changes will be added.
6740 "curhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
6741 that was undone. This marks the current
6742 position in the undo tree, the block that will
6743 be used by a redo command. When nothing was
6744 undone after the last change this item will
6745 not appear anywhere.
6746 "save" Only appears on the last block before a file
6747 write. The number is the write count. The
6748 first write has number 1, the last one the
6749 "save_last" mentioned above.
6750 "alt" Alternate entry. This is again a List of undo
6751 blocks. Each item may again have an "alt"
6752 item.
6753
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01006754uniq({list} [, {func} [, {dict}]]) *uniq()* *E882*
6755 Remove second and succeeding copies of repeated adjacent
6756 {list} items in-place. Returns {list}. If you want a list
6757 to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
6758 :let newlist = uniq(copy(mylist))
6759< The default compare function uses the string representation of
6760 each item. For the use of {func} and {dict} see |sort()|.
6761
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006762values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006763 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006764 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006765
6766
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006767virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
6768 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
6769 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
6770 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
6771 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
6772 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
6773 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02006774 set to 8, it returns 8. |conceal| is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00006775 For the byte position use |col()|.
6776 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
6777 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00006778 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00006779 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar97293012011-07-18 19:40:27 +02006780 character. When "off" is omitted zero is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006781 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
6782 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
6783 The accepted positions are:
6784 . the cursor position
6785 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
6786 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
6787 plus one)
6788 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
6789 returned)
Bram Moolenaare3faf442014-12-14 01:27:49 +01006790 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
6791 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
6792 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
6793 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006794 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
6795 Examples: >
6796 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
6797 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006798 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
6799< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006800 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
6801 all lines: >
6802 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
6803
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006804
6805visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
6806 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006807 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
6808 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
6809 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
6810 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
6811 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006812 Example: >
6813 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
6814< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
6815 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
6816 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006817 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
6818 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006819 *non-zero-arg*
6820 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
6821 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006822 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006823 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
6824 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
6825 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006826
Bram Moolenaar8738fc12013-02-20 17:59:11 +01006827wildmenumode() *wildmenumode()*
6828 Returns non-zero when the wildmenu is active and zero
6829 otherwise. See 'wildmenu' and 'wildmode'.
6830 This can be used in mappings to handle the 'wildcharm' option
6831 gracefully. (Makes only sense with |mapmode-c| mappings).
6832
6833 For example to make <c-j> work like <down> in wildmode, use: >
6834 :cnoremap <expr> <C-j> wildmenumode() ? "\<Down>\<Tab>" : "\<c-j>"
6835<
6836 (Note, this needs the 'wildcharm' option set appropriately).
6837
6838
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006839 *winbufnr()*
6840winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006841 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006842 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
6843 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6844 Example: >
6845 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
6846<
6847 *wincol()*
6848wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
6849 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
6850 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
6851
6852winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
6853 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
6854 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
6855 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6856 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
6857 Examples: >
6858 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
6859<
6860 *winline()*
6861winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006862 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006863 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00006864 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
6865 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006866
6867 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006868winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
6869 window. The top window has number 1.
6870 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01006871 last window is returned (the window count). >
6872 let window_count = winnr('$')
6873< When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006874 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006875 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
6876 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006877 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
6878 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006879 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006880
6881 *winrestcmd()*
6882winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
6883 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006884 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
6885 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006886 Example: >
6887 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
6888 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
6889 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006890<
6891 *winrestview()*
6892winrestview({dict})
6893 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
6894 the view of the current window.
Bram Moolenaar82c25852014-05-28 16:47:16 +02006895 Note: The {dict} does not have to contain all values, that are
6896 returned by |winsaveview()|. If values are missing, those
6897 settings won't be restored. So you can use: >
6898 :call winrestview({'curswant': 4})
6899<
6900 This will only set the curswant value (the column the cursor
6901 wants to move on vertical movements) of the cursor to column 5
6902 (yes, that is 5), while all other settings will remain the
6903 same. This is useful, if you set the cursor position manually.
6904
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006905 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
6906 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
6907
6908 *winsaveview()*
6909winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
6910 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
6911 restore the view.
6912 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
6913 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
6914 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00006915 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
Bram Moolenaar07d87792014-07-19 14:04:47 +02006916 not opened when moving around. This may have side effects.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006917 The return value includes:
6918 lnum cursor line number
Bram Moolenaar82c25852014-05-28 16:47:16 +02006919 col cursor column (Note: the first column
6920 zero, as opposed to what getpos()
6921 returns)
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006922 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
6923 curswant column for vertical movement
6924 topline first line in the window
6925 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
6926 leftcol first column displayed
6927 skipcol columns skipped
6928 Note that no option values are saved.
6929
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006930
6931winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
6932 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
6933 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
6934 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6935 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
6936 Examples: >
6937 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
6938 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
6939 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
6940 :endif
6941<
Bram Moolenaared767a22016-01-03 22:49:16 +01006942wordcount() *wordcount()*
6943 The result is a dictionary of byte/chars/word statistics for
6944 the current buffer. This is the same info as provided by
6945 |g_CTRL-G|
6946 The return value includes:
6947 bytes Number of bytes in the buffer
6948 chars Number of chars in the buffer
6949 words Number of words in the buffer
6950 cursor_bytes Number of bytes before cursor position
6951 (not in Visual mode)
6952 cursor_chars Number of chars before cursor position
6953 (not in Visual mode)
6954 cursor_words Number of words before cursor position
6955 (not in Visual mode)
6956 visual_bytes Number of bytes visually selected
6957 (only in Visual mode)
6958 visual_chars Number of chars visually selected
6959 (only in Visual mode)
6960 visual_words Number of chars visually selected
6961 (only in Visual mode)
6962
6963
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006964 *writefile()*
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01006965writefile({list}, {fname} [, {flags}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006966 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006967 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
6968 Number.
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01006969 When {flags} contains "b" then binary mode is used: There will
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006970 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
6971 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01006972
6973 When {flags} contains "a" then append mode is used, lines are
6974 append to the file: >
6975 :call writefile(["foo"], "event.log", "a")
6976 :call writefile(["bar"], "event.log", "a")
6977>
6978< All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006979 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
6980 to writefile().
6981 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
6982 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
6983 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
6984 fails.
6985 Also see |readfile()|.
6986 To copy a file byte for byte: >
6987 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
6988 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01006989
6990
6991xor({expr}, {expr}) *xor()*
6992 Bitwise XOR on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
6993 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
6994 Example: >
6995 :let bits = xor(bits, 0x80)
Bram Moolenaar6ee8d892012-01-10 14:55:01 +01006996<
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01006997
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006998
6999 *feature-list*
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02007000There are four types of features:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000070011. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
7002 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
7003 :if has("cindent")
70042. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
7005 Example: >
7006 :if has("gui_running")
7007< *has-patch*
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +020070083. Included patches. The "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been
7009 included. Note that this form does not check the version of Vim, you need
7010 to inspect |v:version| for that.
7011 Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007012 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02007013< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
7014 included.
7015
70164. Beyond a certain version or at a certain version and including a specific
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02007017 patch. The "patch-7.4.237" feature means that the Vim version is 7.5 or
7018 later, or it is version 7.4 and patch 237 was included.
7019 Note that this only works for patch 7.4.237 and later, before that you
7020 need to use the example above that checks v:version. Example: >
7021 :if has("patch-7.4.248")
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02007022< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007023 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007024
Bram Moolenaar7cba6c02013-09-05 22:13:31 +02007025acl Compiled with |ACL| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007026all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
7027amiga Amiga version of Vim.
7028arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
7029arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00007030autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007031balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00007032balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007033beos BeOS version of Vim.
7034browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
7035 work.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02007036browsefilter Compiled with support for |browsefilter|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007037builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
7038byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
7039cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
7040clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
7041clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
7042cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
7043cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
7044cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
7045comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007046compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007047cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
7048cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007049debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
7050dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
7051dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
7052diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
7053digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
Bram Moolenaarb5a7a8b2014-08-06 14:52:30 +02007054directx Compiled with support for Direct-X and 'renderoptions'.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007055dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007056dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007057dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007058ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
7059emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
7060eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
7061 true, of course!
Bram Moolenaar5e9b2fa2016-02-01 22:37:05 +01007062ex_extra |+ex_extra|, always true now
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007063extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
7064 |'hlsearch'|
7065farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
7066file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007067filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
7068 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007069find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
7070 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007071float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007072fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
7073 Windows this is not present).
7074folding Compiled with |folding| support.
7075footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
7076fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
7077gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
7078gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
7079gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007080gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007081gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
7082gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
7083gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
7084gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
7085gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007086gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007087gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
7088gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007089hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
7090iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
7091insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
7092 Insert mode.
7093jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
7094keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
7095langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
7096libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
Bram Moolenaar597a4222014-06-25 14:39:50 +02007097linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat', 'showbreak' and
7098 'breakindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007099lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
7100listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
7101 and the argument list |arglist|.
7102localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
Bram Moolenaar0ba04292010-07-14 23:23:17 +02007103lua Compiled with Lua interface |Lua|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007104mac Macintosh version of Vim.
7105macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
7106menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
7107mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
7108modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
7109mouse Compiled with support mouse.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007110mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
7111mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
7112mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
7113mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007114mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02007115mouse_sgr Compiled with support for sgr mouse.
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01007116mouse_urxvt Compiled with support for urxvt mouse.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007117mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007118mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
Bram Moolenaar42022d52008-12-09 09:57:49 +00007119multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
7120multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007121multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
7122multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00007123mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaarb26e6322010-05-22 21:34:09 +02007124netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and connected.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007125netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007126ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
7127os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007128path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
7129perl Compiled with Perl interface.
Bram Moolenaar55debbe2010-05-23 23:34:36 +02007130persistent_undo Compiled with support for persistent undo history.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007131postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
7132printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00007133profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar446beb42011-05-10 17:18:44 +02007134python Compiled with Python 2.x interface. |has-python|
7135python3 Compiled with Python 3.x interface. |has-python|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007136qnx QNX version of Vim.
7137quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00007138reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007139rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
7140ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
7141scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
7142showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
7143signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
7144smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00007145sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007146spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
Bram Moolenaaref94eec2009-11-11 13:22:11 +00007147startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007148statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
7149 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
7150sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00007151syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007152syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
7153 current buffer.
7154system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
7155tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
7156 |tag-binary-search|.
7157tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
7158 |tag-old-static|.
7159tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
7160 files |tag-any-white|.
7161tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
7162terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
7163termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
7164textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
7165tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
7166 or terminfo file.
7167title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
7168toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
7169unix Unix version of Vim.
7170user_commands User-defined commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007171vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007172vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place. |startup|
7173viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007174virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
7175visual Compiled with Visual mode.
7176visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
7177 |blockwise-operators|.
7178vms VMS version of Vim.
7179vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
7180wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
7181wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007182win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01007183win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95 and later, 32 or
7184 64 bits)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007185win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007186win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007187win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01007188winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
7189windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007190writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
7191xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
7192xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
Bram Moolenaar7cba6c02013-09-05 22:13:31 +02007193xpm Compiled with pixmap support.
7194xpm_w32 Compiled with pixmap support for Win32. (Only for
7195 backward compatibility. Use "xpm" instead.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007196xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
7197xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
7198xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
7199xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
7200 xterm screen.
7201x11 Compiled with X11 support.
7202
7203 *string-match*
7204Matching a pattern in a String
7205
7206A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
7207the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
7208everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
7209like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
7210line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
7211with ".". Example: >
7212 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
7213 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
7214 aa
7215 xx
7216 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
7217 a
7218 x
7219
7220Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
7221"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
7222"\n".
7223
7224==============================================================================
72255. Defining functions *user-functions*
7226
7227New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
7228functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
7229commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
7230
7231The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
7232builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
7233avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
7234the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
7235
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00007236It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
7237|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007238
7239 *local-function*
7240A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
7241can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
7242and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00007243function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007244instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02007245There are only script-local functions, no buffer-local or window-local
7246functions.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007247
7248 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
7249:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
7250
7251:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007252 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
7253 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007254 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00007255
7256:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
7257 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
7258 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00007259<
7260 *:function-verbose*
7261When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
7262last defined. Example: >
7263
7264 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
7265 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
7266 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
7267<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00007268See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00007269
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02007270 *E124* *E125* *E853* *E884*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00007271:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007272 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
7273 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02007274 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above). Note
7275 that using "b:" or "g:" is not allowed. (since patch
7276 7.4.260 E884 is given if the function name has a colon
7277 in the name, e.g. for "foo:bar()". Before that patch
7278 no error was given).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007279
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007280 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
7281 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007282 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007283< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007284 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007285 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007286 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
7287 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
7288 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007289 *E127* *E122*
7290 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
7291 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
7292 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
7293 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007294
7295 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
7296
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01007297 *:func-range* *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007298 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
7299 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
7300 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
7301 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
7302 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
7303 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01007304 The cursor is still moved to the first line of the
7305 range, as is the case with all Ex commands.
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01007306 *:func-abort*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007307 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
7308 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01007309 *:func-dict*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00007310 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007311 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00007312 local variable "self" will then be set to the
7313 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007314
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007315 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00007316 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007317 will not be changed by the function. This also
7318 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
7319 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00007320
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007321 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
7322:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
7323 by its own, without other commands.
7324
7325 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
7326:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007327 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
7328 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007329 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007330< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007331 function is deleted if there are no more references to
7332 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007333 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
7334:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
7335 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
7336 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
7337 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
7338 the number 0 is returned.
7339 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
7340 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
7341
7342 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
7343 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
7344 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
7345 are executed first. This process applies to all
7346 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
7347 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
7348
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007349 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007350An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007351be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007352 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007353Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
7354arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
7355may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
7356as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007357can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
7358that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007359 *E742*
7360The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00007361However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007362Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
7363it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
7364|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007365
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007366When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
7367to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
7368may be larger.
7369
7370It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
7371still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
7372until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
7373inside a function body.
7374
7375 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007376Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
7377will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
7378accessed with "g:".
7379
7380Example: >
7381 :function Table(title, ...)
7382 : echohl Title
7383 : echo a:title
7384 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00007385 : echo a:0 . " items:"
7386 : for s in a:000
7387 : echon ' ' . s
7388 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007389 :endfunction
7390
7391This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00007392 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
7393 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007394
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007395To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
7396 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007397 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007398 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007399 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007400 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007401 :endfunction
7402
7403This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007404 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007405 :if success == "ok"
7406 : echo div
7407 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007408<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00007409 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007410:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
7411 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
7412 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007413 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007414 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
7415 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
7416 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
7417 function.
7418 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
7419 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
7420 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
7421 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007422 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007423 this works:
7424 *function-range-example* >
7425 :function Mynumber(arg)
7426 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
7427 :endfunction
7428 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
7429<
7430 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
7431 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
7432 the range.
7433
7434 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
7435
7436 :function Cont() range
7437 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
7438 :endfunction
7439 :4,8call Cont()
7440<
7441 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
7442 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
7443
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007444 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
7445 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
7446 :4,8call GetDict().method()
7447< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
7448
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007449 *E132*
7450The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
7451option.
7452
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007453
7454AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007455 *autoload-functions*
7456When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007457only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
7458the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
7459
7460
7461Using an autocommand ~
7462
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00007463This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
7464
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007465The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
7466You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007467That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007468again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
7469
7470Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
7471function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007472
7473 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
7474
7475The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
7476"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
7477
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007478
7479Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007480 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00007481This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
7482
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007483Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
7484exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
7485like this: >
7486
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007487 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007488
7489When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
7490"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
7491"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
7492then define the function like this: >
7493
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007494 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007495 echo "Done!"
7496 endfunction
7497
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00007498The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007499exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
7500called.
7501
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007502It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
7503a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007504
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007505 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007506
7507Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
7508
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007509This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
7510
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007511 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007512
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00007513However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
7514for an unknown variable.
7515
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007516When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
7517be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
7518
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007519 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
7520 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007521
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00007522Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
7523defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
7524function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007525And you will get an error message every time.
7526
7527Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007528other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007529Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007530
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00007531Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
7532|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
7533
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007534==============================================================================
75356. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
7536
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01007537In most places where you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name"
7538variable. This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions
7539wrapped in braces {} like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007540 my_{adjective}_variable
7541
7542When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
7543that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
7544name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
7545"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
7546"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
7547
7548One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007549value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007550 echo my_{&background}_message
7551
7552would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
7553on the current value of 'background'.
7554
7555You can use multiple brace pairs: >
7556 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
7557..or even nest them: >
7558 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
7559where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
7560
7561However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00007562variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007563 :let foo='a + b'
7564 :echo c{foo}d
7565.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
7566
7567 *curly-braces-function-names*
7568You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
7569Example: >
7570 :let func_end='whizz'
7571 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
7572
7573This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
7574
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01007575This does NOT work: >
7576 :let i = 3
7577 :let @{i} = '' " error
7578 :echo @{i} " error
7579
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007580==============================================================================
75817. Commands *expression-commands*
7582
7583:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
7584 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
7585 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
7586 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
7587 is created.
7588
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00007589:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
7590 Set a list item to the result of the expression
7591 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
7592 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
7593 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007594 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
7595 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
7596 can do that like this: >
7597 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
7598<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007599 *E711* *E719*
7600:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007601 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
7602 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00007603 correct number of items.
7604 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
7605 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
7606 When the selected range of items is partly past the
7607 end of the list, items will be added.
7608
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00007609 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007610:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
7611:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
7612:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
7613 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
7614 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
7615
7616
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007617:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
7618 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
7619 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007620:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
7621 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
7622 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
7623 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007624
7625:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
7626 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
7627 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
7628 must be the name of a writable register (see
7629 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
7630 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
7631 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
7632 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
7633 characterwise.
7634 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
7635 :let @/ = ""
7636< This is different from searching for an empty string,
7637 that would match everywhere.
7638
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007639:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007640 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007641 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
7642
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007643:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007644 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007645 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
7646 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007647 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
7648 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00007649 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007650 Example: >
7651 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007652
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007653:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
7654 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
7655 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
7656
7657:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
7658:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
7659 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
7660 {expr1}.
7661
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007662:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007663:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
7664:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
7665:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007666 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
7667 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
7668
7669:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007670:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
7671:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
7672:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007673 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
7674 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
7675
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00007676:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007677 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007678 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
7679 {name2}, etc.
7680 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007681 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007682 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
7683 command as mentioned above.
7684 Example: >
7685 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007686< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
7687 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
7688 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
7689 :let x = [0, 1]
7690 :let i = 0
7691 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
7692 :echo x
7693< The result is [0, 2].
7694
7695:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
7696:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
7697:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
7698 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007699 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007700
7701:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007702 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007703 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
7704 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
7705 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007706 Example: >
7707 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
7708<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007709:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
7710:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
7711:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
7712 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007713 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +02007714
7715 *E121*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007716:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00007717 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
7718 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00007719 g: global variables
7720 b: local buffer variables
7721 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00007722 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00007723 s: script-local variables
7724 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00007725 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007726
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00007727:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
7728 variable is indicated before the value:
7729 <nothing> String
7730 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00007731 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007732
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007733
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007734:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007735 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
7736 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007737 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007738 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
7739 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007740 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00007741 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
7742 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007743< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00007744 :unlet dict['two']
7745 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00007746< This is especially useful to clean up used global
7747 variables and script-local variables (these are not
7748 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
7749 variables are automatically deleted when the function
7750 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007751
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007752:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
7753 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
7754 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
7755 A locked variable can be deleted: >
7756 :lockvar v
7757 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
7758 :unlet v
7759< *E741*
7760 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
Bram Moolenaar8a94d872015-01-25 13:02:57 +01007761 error message: "E741: Value is locked: {name}"
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007762
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007763 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
7764 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
7765 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007766 cannot add or remove items, but can
7767 still change their values.
7768 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007769 the items. If an item is a |List| or
7770 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007771 items, but can still change the
7772 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007773 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
7774 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
7775 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
7776 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
7777 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007778 *E743*
7779 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
7780 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
7781 loops.
7782
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007783 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
7784 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00007785 locked when used through the other variable.
7786 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007787 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
7788 :let cl = l
7789 :lockvar l
7790 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
7791< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
7792 See |deepcopy()|.
7793
7794
7795:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
7796 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
7797 opposite of |:lockvar|.
7798
7799
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007800:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
7801:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
7802 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
7803
7804 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
7805 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
7806 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
Bram Moolenaar85084ef2016-01-17 22:26:33 +01007807 backward compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007808 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
7809 part was not executed either.
7810
7811 You can use this to remain compatible with older
7812 versions: >
7813 :if version >= 500
7814 : version-5-specific-commands
7815 :endif
7816< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
7817 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
7818 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
7819 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
7820 avoid problems: >
7821 :if version >= 600
7822 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
7823 :endif
7824<
7825 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
7826 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
7827
7828 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
7829:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
7830 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
7831 executed.
7832
7833 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
7834:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
7835 is no extra ":endif".
7836
7837:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007838 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007839:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
7840 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
7841 When an error is detected from a command inside the
7842 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007843 Example: >
7844 :let lnum = 1
7845 :while lnum <= line("$")
7846 :call FixLine(lnum)
7847 :let lnum = lnum + 1
7848 :endwhile
7849<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007850 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00007851 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007852
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007853:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007854:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
7855 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00007856 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007857 value of each item.
7858 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007859 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00007860 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
7861 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007862 :for item in copy(mylist)
7863< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
7864 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007865 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007866 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
7867 it will not be found. Thus the following example
7868 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007869 for item in mylist
7870 call remove(mylist, 0)
7871 endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00007872< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
7873 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
7874 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007875 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
7876 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007877 to allow multiple item types: >
7878 for item in ["foo", ["bar"]]
7879 echo item
7880 unlet item " E706 without this
7881 endfor
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007882
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007883:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
7884:endfo[r]
7885 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
7886 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
7887 {var2}, etc. Example: >
7888 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
7889 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
7890 :endfor
7891<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007892 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007893:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
7894 to the start of the loop.
7895 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
7896 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
7897 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
7898 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
7899 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
7900 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007901
7902 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007903:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
7904 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
7905 ":endfor".
7906 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
7907 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
7908 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
7909 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
7910 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
7911 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007912
7913:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
7914:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
7915 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
7916 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
7917 or autocommand invocations.
7918
7919 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
7920 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
7921 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
7922 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
7923 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
7924 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
7925 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
7926 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
7927 Example: >
7928 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
7929 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
7930<
7931 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
7932 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
7933 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
7934 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
7935 processing is not terminated.
7936
7937 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
7938 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
7939 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
7940 other errors are converted to a value of the form
7941 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
7942 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
7943 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
7944 the error number.
7945 Examples: >
7946 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
7947 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
7948<
7949 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007950:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next |:catch|,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007951 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
7952 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
7953 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
7954 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
7955 commands are skipped.
7956 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
7957 Examples: >
7958 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
7959 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
7960 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
7961 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
7962 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
7963 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
7964 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
7965 :catch " same as /.*/
7966<
7967 Another character can be used instead of / around the
7968 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
7969 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
7970 {pattern}.
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02007971 Information about the exception is available in
7972 |v:exception|. Also see |throw-variables|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007973 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
7974 an error message because it may vary in different
7975 locales.
7976
7977 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
7978:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
7979 are executed whenever the part between the matching
7980 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
7981 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
7982 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
7983 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
7984
7985 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
7986:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
7987 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
7988 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
7989 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
7990 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
7991 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
7992 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
7993 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
7994 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
7995 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
7996 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
7997 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
7998 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
7999 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
8000 is terminated.
8001 Example: >
8002 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
Bram Moolenaar662db672011-03-22 14:05:35 +01008003< Note that "catch" may need to be on a separate line
8004 for when an error causes the parsing to skip the whole
8005 line and not see the "|" that separates the commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008006
8007 *:ec* *:echo*
8008:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
8009 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
8010 Also see |:comment|.
8011 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
8012 cursor to the first column.
8013 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
8014 Cannot be followed by a comment.
8015 Example: >
8016 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008017< *:echo-redraw*
8018 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
8019 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
8020 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
8021 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
8022 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
8023 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
8024 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008025 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
8026<
8027 *:echon*
8028:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
8029 |:comment|.
8030 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
8031 Cannot be followed by a comment.
8032 Example: >
8033 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
8034<
8035 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
8036 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
8037 command: >
8038 :!echo % --> filename
8039< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
8040 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
8041< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
8042 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
8043 :echo % --> nothing
8044< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
8045 :echo "%" --> %
8046< This just echoes the '%' character. >
8047 :echo expand("%") --> filename
8048< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
8049
8050 *:echoh* *:echohl*
8051:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
8052 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
8053 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
8054 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
8055< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
8056 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
8057
8058 *:echom* *:echomsg*
8059:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
8060 message in the |message-history|.
8061 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
8062 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
8063 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008064 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
8065 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
8066 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
8067 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
8068 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008069 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
8070 Example: >
8071 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008072< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
8073 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008074 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
8075:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
8076 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
8077 script or function the line number will be added.
8078 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008079 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008080 the message is raised as an error exception instead
8081 (see |try-echoerr|).
8082 Example: >
8083 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
8084< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
8085 And to get a beep: >
8086 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
8087<
8088 *:exe* *:execute*
8089:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02008090 of {expr1} as an Ex command.
8091 Multiple arguments are concatenated, with a space in
8092 between. To avoid the extra space use the "."
8093 operator to concatenate strings into one argument.
8094 {expr1} is used as the processed command, command line
8095 editing keys are not recognized.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008096 Cannot be followed by a comment.
8097 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02008098 :execute "buffer" nextbuf
8099 :execute "normal" count . "w"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008100<
8101 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
8102 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
8103 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
8104
8105< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
8106 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
8107 command: >
8108 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
8109< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
8110
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008111 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
8112 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00008113 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
8114 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008115 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar251835e2014-02-24 02:51:51 +01008116 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(filename, 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008117<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008118 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaar76f3b1a2014-03-27 22:30:07 +01008119 starting or ending "if", "while" and "for" does not
8120 always work, because when commands are skipped the
8121 ":execute" is not evaluated and Vim loses track of
8122 where blocks start and end. Also "break" and
8123 "continue" should not be inside ":execute".
8124 This example does not work, because the ":execute" is
8125 not evaluated and Vim does not see the "while", and
8126 gives an error for finding an ":endwhile": >
8127 :if 0
8128 : execute 'while i > 5'
8129 : echo "test"
8130 : endwhile
8131 :endif
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008132<
8133 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
8134 completely in the executed string: >
8135 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
8136<
8137
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01008138 *:exe-comment*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008139 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
8140 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
8141 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
8142 comment. Example: >
8143 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
8144
8145==============================================================================
81468. Exception handling *exception-handling*
8147
8148The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
8149explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
8150
8151Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
8152|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
8153exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
8154
8155
8156TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
8157
8158Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
8159use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
8160a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
8161 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
8162|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
8163a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
8164be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
8165which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
8166clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
8167
8168 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008169 : ...
8170 : ... TRY BLOCK
8171 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008172 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008173 : ...
8174 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
8175 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008176 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008177 : ...
8178 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
8179 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008180 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008181 : ...
8182 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
8183 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008184 :endtry
8185
8186The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
8187appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
8188from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
8189 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
8190is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
8191script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
8192 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
8193lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
8194patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
8195after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
8196executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
8197":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
8198(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
8199continues in the following line as usual.
8200 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
8201":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
8202that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
8203finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
8204the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
8205the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
8206see |try-nesting|.
8207 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008208remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008209not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
8210try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
8211a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
8212execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
8213exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
8214 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008215thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008216clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
8217catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
8218following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
8219clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
8220
8221The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
8222a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
8223try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
8224from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
8225sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
8226":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
8227":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
8228from the finally clause.
8229 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
8230try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
8231clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
8232":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
8233clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
8234":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
8235this pending exception or command is discarded.
8236
8237For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
8238
8239
8240NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
8241
8242Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
8243conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
8244clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
8245catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
8246of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
8247checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
8248try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008249otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008250nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
8251one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
8252the inner try conditional.
8253
8254When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
8255finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
8256An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
8257thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
8258implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
8259as usual.
8260
8261For examples see |throw-catch|.
8262
8263
8264EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
8265
8266Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
8267'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
8268script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
8269finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
8270a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
8271(see |debug-scripts|).
8272
8273
8274THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
8275
8276You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
8277and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
8278 :throw 4711
8279 :throw "string"
8280< *throw-expression*
8281You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
8282first, and the result is thrown: >
8283 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
8284 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
8285
8286An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
8287command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
8288The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
8289 Example: >
8290
8291 :function! Foo(arg)
8292 : try
8293 : throw a:arg
8294 : catch /foo/
8295 : endtry
8296 : return 1
8297 :endfunction
8298 :
8299 :function! Bar()
8300 : echo "in Bar"
8301 : return 4710
8302 :endfunction
8303 :
8304 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
8305
8306This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
8307executed. >
8308 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
8309however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
8310
8311Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008312abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008313exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
8314 Example: >
8315
8316 :if Foo("arrgh")
8317 : echo "then"
8318 :else
8319 : echo "else"
8320 :endif
8321
8322Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
8323
8324 *catch-order*
8325Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
8326commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
8327command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
8328gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
8329 Example: >
8330
8331 :function! Foo(value)
8332 : try
8333 : throw a:value
8334 : catch /^\d\+$/
8335 : echo "Number thrown"
8336 : catch /.*/
8337 : echo "String thrown"
8338 : endtry
8339 :endfunction
8340 :
8341 :call Foo(0x1267)
8342 :call Foo('string')
8343
8344The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
8345An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
8346specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
8347specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
8348
8349 : catch /.*/
8350 : echo "String thrown"
8351 : catch /^\d\+$/
8352 : echo "Number thrown"
8353
8354The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
8355never taken.
8356
8357 *throw-variables*
8358If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
8359in the variable |v:exception|: >
8360
8361 : catch /^\d\+$/
8362 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
8363
8364You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
8365|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
8366exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
8367 Example: >
8368
8369 :function! Caught()
8370 : if v:exception != ""
8371 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
8372 : else
8373 : echo 'Nothing caught'
8374 : endif
8375 :endfunction
8376 :
8377 :function! Foo()
8378 : try
8379 : try
8380 : try
8381 : throw 4711
8382 : finally
8383 : call Caught()
8384 : endtry
8385 : catch /.*/
8386 : call Caught()
8387 : throw "oops"
8388 : endtry
8389 : catch /.*/
8390 : call Caught()
8391 : finally
8392 : call Caught()
8393 : endtry
8394 :endfunction
8395 :
8396 :call Foo()
8397
8398This displays >
8399
8400 Nothing caught
8401 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
8402 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
8403 Nothing caught
8404
8405A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
8406number in the script or function where it has been used: >
8407
8408 :function! LineNumber()
8409 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
8410 :endfunction
8411 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
8412<
8413 *try-nested*
8414An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
8415a surrounding try conditional: >
8416
8417 :try
8418 : try
8419 : throw "foo"
8420 : catch /foobar/
8421 : echo "foobar"
8422 : finally
8423 : echo "inner finally"
8424 : endtry
8425 :catch /foo/
8426 : echo "foo"
8427 :endtry
8428
8429The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
8430clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
8431conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
8432
8433 *throw-from-catch*
8434You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
8435catch clause: >
8436
8437 :function! Foo()
8438 : throw "foo"
8439 :endfunction
8440 :
8441 :function! Bar()
8442 : try
8443 : call Foo()
8444 : catch /foo/
8445 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
8446 : throw "bar"
8447 : endtry
8448 :endfunction
8449 :
8450 :try
8451 : call Bar()
8452 :catch /.*/
8453 : echo "Caught" v:exception
8454 :endtry
8455
8456This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
8457
8458 *rethrow*
8459There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
8460"v:exception" instead: >
8461
8462 :function! Bar()
8463 : try
8464 : call Foo()
8465 : catch /.*/
8466 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
8467 : throw v:exception
8468 : endtry
8469 :endfunction
8470< *try-echoerr*
8471Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
8472exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
8473Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
8474denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
8475the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
8476
8477 :try
8478 : try
8479 : asdf
8480 : catch /.*/
8481 : echoerr v:exception
8482 : endtry
8483 :catch /.*/
8484 : echo v:exception
8485 :endtry
8486
8487This code displays
8488
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008489 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008490
8491
8492CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
8493
8494Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
8495user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008496an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008497a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
8498catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
8499a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
8500normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
8501(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008502to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008503clause has been executed.)
8504Example: >
8505
8506 :try
8507 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
8508 : set ts=17
8509 :
8510 : " Do the hard work here.
8511 :
8512 :finally
8513 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
8514 : unlet s:saved_ts
8515 :endtry
8516
8517This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
8518changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
8519that function or script part.
8520
8521 *break-finally*
8522Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
8523a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
8524 Example: >
8525
8526 :let first = 1
8527 :while 1
8528 : try
8529 : if first
8530 : echo "first"
8531 : let first = 0
8532 : continue
8533 : else
8534 : throw "second"
8535 : endif
8536 : catch /.*/
8537 : echo v:exception
8538 : break
8539 : finally
8540 : echo "cleanup"
8541 : endtry
8542 : echo "still in while"
8543 :endwhile
8544 :echo "end"
8545
8546This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
8547
8548 :function! Foo()
8549 : try
8550 : return 4711
8551 : finally
8552 : echo "cleanup\n"
8553 : endtry
8554 : echo "Foo still active"
8555 :endfunction
8556 :
8557 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
8558
8559This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008560extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008561return value.)
8562
8563 *except-from-finally*
8564Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
8565a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
8566cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
8567exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
8568 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
8569working correctly: >
8570
8571 :try
8572 : try
8573 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
8574 : while 1
8575 : endwhile
8576 : finally
8577 : unlet novar
8578 : endtry
8579 :catch /novar/
8580 :endtry
8581 :echo "Script still running"
8582 :sleep 1
8583
8584If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
8585think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
8586|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
8587
8588
8589CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
8590
8591If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
8592watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
8593presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
8594exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
8595the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
8596the error exception is.
8597 Error exceptions have the following format: >
8598
8599 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
8600or >
8601 Vim:{errmsg}
8602
8603{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008604the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008605when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
8606a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
8607a space.
8608
8609Examples:
8610
8611The command >
8612 :unlet novar
8613normally produces the error message >
8614 E108: No such variable: "novar"
8615which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
8616 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
8617
8618The command >
8619 :dwim
8620normally produces the error message >
8621 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
8622which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
8623 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
8624
8625You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
8626 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
8627or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
8628 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
8629
8630Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
8631 :function nofunc
8632and >
8633 :delfunction nofunc
8634both produce the error message >
8635 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
8636which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
8637 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
8638or >
8639 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
8640respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
8641command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
8642 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
8643
8644Some commands like >
8645 :let x = novar
8646produce multiple error messages, here: >
8647 E121: Undefined variable: novar
8648 E15: Invalid expression: novar
8649Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
8650one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
8651 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
8652
8653You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
8654 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
8655
8656You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
8657 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
8658
8659You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
8660 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
8661<
8662 *catch-text*
8663NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
8664 :catch /No such variable/
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01008665only works in the English locale, but not when the user has selected
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008666a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
8667cite the message text in a comment: >
8668 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
8669
8670
8671IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
8672
8673You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
8674
8675 :try
8676 : write
8677 :catch
8678 :endtry
8679
8680But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
8681catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
8682be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
8683
8684 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
8685
8686There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
8687writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
8688then hide the error from the user.
8689 It is much better to use >
8690
8691 :try
8692 : write
8693 :catch /^Vim(write):/
8694 :endtry
8695
8696which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
8697intentionally.
8698
8699For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
8700even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
8701command: >
8702 :silent! nunmap k
8703This works also when a try conditional is active.
8704
8705
8706CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
8707
8708When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008709the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008710script is not terminated, then.
8711 Example: >
8712
8713 :function! TASK1()
8714 : sleep 10
8715 :endfunction
8716
8717 :function! TASK2()
8718 : sleep 20
8719 :endfunction
8720
8721 :while 1
8722 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
8723 : try
8724 : if command == ""
8725 : continue
8726 : elseif command == "END"
8727 : break
8728 : elseif command == "TASK1"
8729 : call TASK1()
8730 : elseif command == "TASK2"
8731 : call TASK2()
8732 : else
8733 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
8734 : continue
8735 : endif
8736 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
8737 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
8738 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
8739 : endtry
8740 :endwhile
8741
8742You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008743a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008744
8745For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
8746your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
8747command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
8748
8749
8750CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
8751
8752The commands >
8753
8754 :catch /.*/
8755 :catch //
8756 :catch
8757
8758catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
8759explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
8760a script in order to catch unexpected things.
8761 Example: >
8762
8763 :try
8764 :
8765 : " do the hard work here
8766 :
8767 :catch /MyException/
8768 :
8769 : " handle known problem
8770 :
8771 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
8772 : echo "Script interrupted"
8773 :catch /.*/
8774 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
8775 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
8776 :endtry
8777 :" end of script
8778
8779Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
8780strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
8781specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
8782 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
8783by pressing CTRL-C: >
8784
8785 :while 1
8786 : try
8787 : sleep 1
8788 : catch
8789 : endtry
8790 :endwhile
8791
8792
8793EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
8794
8795Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
8796
8797 :autocmd User x try
8798 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
8799 :autocmd User x catch
8800 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
8801 :autocmd User x endtry
8802 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
8803 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
8804 :
8805 :try
8806 : doautocmd User x
8807 :catch
8808 : echo v:exception
8809 :endtry
8810
8811This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
8812
8813 *except-autocmd-Pre*
8814For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
8815command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
8816of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
8817abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
8818 Example: >
8819
8820 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
8821 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
8822 :
8823 :try
8824 : write
8825 :catch
8826 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
8827 :endtry
8828
8829Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
8830you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
8831autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
8832script displays: >
8833
8834 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
8835<
8836 *except-autocmd-Post*
8837For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
8838command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
8839an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
8840is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
8841 Example: >
8842
8843 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
8844 :
8845 :try
8846 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8847 :catch
8848 : echo v:exception
8849 :endtry
8850
8851This just displays: >
8852
8853 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
8854
8855If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
8856fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
8857 Example: >
8858
8859 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
8860 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
8861 :
8862 :try
8863 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8864 :catch
8865 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8866 :endtry
8867<
8868You can also use ":silent!": >
8869
8870 :let x = "ok"
8871 :let v:errmsg = ""
8872 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
8873 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
8874 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
8875 :try
8876 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8877 :catch
8878 :endtry
8879 :echo x
8880
8881This displays "after fail".
8882
8883If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
8884autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
8885
8886 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
8887 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
8888 :
8889 :try
8890 : write
8891 :catch
8892 : echo v:exception
8893 :endtry
8894<
8895 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
8896For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
8897autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
8898of the command.
8899 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008900had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008901some way. >
8902
8903 :if !exists("cnt")
8904 : let cnt = 0
8905 :
8906 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
8907 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
8908 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
8909 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
8910 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8911 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
8912 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
8913 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
8914 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8915 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
8916 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8917 :endif
8918 :
8919 :try
8920 : write
8921 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
8922 : if &modified
8923 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
8924 : else
8925 : echo "Error after writing"
8926 : endif
8927 :catch /^Vim(write):/
8928 : echo "Error on writing"
8929 :endtry
8930
8931When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
8932first >
8933 File successfully written!
8934then >
8935 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
8936then >
8937 Error after writing
8938etc.
8939
8940 *except-autocmd-ill*
8941You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
8942The following code is ill-formed: >
8943
8944 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
8945 :
8946 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
8947 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
8948 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
8949 :
8950 :write
8951
8952
8953EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
8954
8955Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
8956pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
8957similar things in Vim.
8958 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
8959class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
8960string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
8961 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
8962it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
8963for an error when writing "myfile".
8964 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
8965base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
8966parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
8967 Example: >
8968
8969 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
8970 : if a:a < 0
8971 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
8972 : endif
8973 :endfunction
8974 :
8975 :function! Add(a, b)
8976 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
8977 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
8978 : let c = a:a + a:b
8979 : if c < 0
8980 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
8981 : endif
8982 : return c
8983 :endfunction
8984 :
8985 :function! Div(a, b)
8986 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
8987 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
8988 : if (a:b == 0)
8989 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
8990 : endif
8991 : return a:a / a:b
8992 :endfunction
8993 :
8994 :function! Write(file)
8995 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008996 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008997 : catch /^Vim(write):/
8998 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
8999 : endtry
9000 :endfunction
9001 :
9002 :try
9003 :
9004 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
9005 :
9006 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
9007 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
9008 : echo "Range error in" function
9009 :
9010 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
9011 : echo "Math error"
9012 :
9013 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
9014 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
9015 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
9016 : if file !~ '^/'
9017 : let file = dir . "/" . file
9018 : endif
9019 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
9020 :
9021 :catch /^EXCEPT/
9022 : echo "Unspecified error"
9023 :
9024 :endtry
9025
9026The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
9027a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
9028exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
9029 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
9030failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
9031
9032
9033PECULIARITIES
9034 *except-compat*
9035The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
9036exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
9037and/or a catch clause.
9038
9039In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
9040continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
9041after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
9042functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
9043or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
9044(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
9045
9046This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
9047immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009048conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
9049be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009050termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
9051catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
9052by specifying a finally clause.)
9053
9054When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
9055behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
9056scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
9057
9058However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
9059commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
9060conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
9061script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
9062error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
9063messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009064|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
9065not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009066where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
9067error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
9068scripts.
9069
9070 *except-syntax-err*
9071Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
9072the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
9073clauses, however, is executed.
9074 Example: >
9075
9076 :try
9077 : try
9078 : throw 4711
9079 : catch /\(/
9080 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
9081 : catch
9082 : echo "inner catch-all"
9083 : finally
9084 : echo "inner finally"
9085 : endtry
9086 :catch
9087 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
9088 : finally
9089 : echo "outer finally"
9090 :endtry
9091
9092This displays: >
9093 inner finally
9094 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
9095 outer finally
9096The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
9097
9098 *except-single-line*
9099The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
9100a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
9101"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
9102 Example: >
9103 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
9104raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
9105argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
9106error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
9107displayed.
9108
9109 *except-several-errors*
9110When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
9111usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
9112 Example: >
9113 echo novar
9114causes >
9115 E121: Undefined variable: novar
9116 E15: Invalid expression: novar
9117The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
9118 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
9119< *except-syntax-error*
9120But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
9121the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
9122 Example: >
9123 unlet novar #
9124causes >
9125 E108: No such variable: "novar"
9126 E488: Trailing characters
9127The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
9128 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
9129This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
9130not intended by the user. Example: >
9131 try
9132 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
9133 catch /.*/
9134 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
9135 endtry
9136This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
9137a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
9138
9139==============================================================================
91409. Examples *eval-examples*
9141
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009142Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009143>
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01009144 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the binary string representation of a number.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009145 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009146 : let n = a:nr
9147 : let r = ""
9148 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009149 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
9150 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009151 : endwhile
9152 : return r
9153 :endfunc
9154
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009155 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
9156 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
9157 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009158 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009159 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
9160 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
9161 : endfor
9162 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009163 :endfunc
9164
9165Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009166 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
9167result: "100000" >
9168 :echo String2Bin("32")
9169result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009170
9171
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009172Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009173
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009174This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
9175
9176 :func SortBuffer()
9177 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
9178 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
9179 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009180 :endfunction
9181
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009182As a one-liner: >
9183 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009184
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009185
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009186scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009187 *sscanf*
9188There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
9189line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
9190how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
9191"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
9192 :" Set up the match bit
9193 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
9194 :"get the part matching the whole expression
9195 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
9196 :"get each item out of the match
9197 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
9198 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
9199 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
9200
9201The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
9202"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
9203
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009204
9205getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
9206 *scriptnames-dictionary*
9207The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
9208have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
9209(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
9210code can be used: >
9211 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
9212 let scriptnames_output = ''
9213 redir => scriptnames_output
9214 silent scriptnames
9215 redir END
9216
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009217 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009218 " "scripts" dictionary.
9219 let scripts = {}
9220 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
9221 " Only do non-blank lines.
9222 if line =~ '\S'
9223 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009224 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009225 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009226 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009227 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009228 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009229 endif
9230 endfor
9231 unlet scriptnames_output
9232
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009233==============================================================================
923410. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
9235
9236When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
9237evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
9238to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
9239recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
9240and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
9241only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
9242recognized.
9243
9244Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
9245missing: >
9246
9247 :if 1
9248 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
9249 :else
9250 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
9251 :endif
9252
9253==============================================================================
925411. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
9255
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02009256The 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and
9257'foldtext' options may be evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are
9258protected from these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some
9259safety for when these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when
9260the command from a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00009261The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009262
9263These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
9264 - changing the buffer text
9265 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
9266 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00009267 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009268 - executing a shell command
9269 - reading or writing a file
9270 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00009271 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00009272This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
9273
9274 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00009275:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00009276 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
9277 'foldexpr'.
9278
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00009279 *sandbox-option*
9280A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00009281have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00009282restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
9283location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00009284- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00009285- while executing in the sandbox
9286- value coming from a modeline
9287
9288Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
9289option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
9290
9291==============================================================================
929212. Textlock *textlock*
9293
9294In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
9295to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
9296is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009297actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00009298happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
9299
9300This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
9301 - changing the buffer text
9302 - jumping to another buffer or window
9303 - editing another file
9304 - closing a window or quitting Vim
9305 - etc.
9306
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009307
9308 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: