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Bram Moolenaar1423b9d2006-05-07 15:16:06 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.0. Last change: 2006 May 06
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000040There are five types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number.
43 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
45String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
46 Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
47
48Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
49 Example: function("strlen")
50
51List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
52 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000053
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000054Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
55 value. |Dictionary|
56 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
57
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000058The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
59are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000060
61Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
62the Number. Examples: >
63 Number 123 --> String "123"
64 Number 0 --> String "0"
65 Number -1 --> String "-1"
66
67Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
68to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
69the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
70 String "456" --> Number 456
71 String "6bar" --> Number 6
72 String "foo" --> Number 0
73 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
74 String "0100" --> Number 64
75 String "-8" --> Number -8
76 String "+8" --> Number 0
77
78To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
79 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000080< 64 ~
81
82To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
83base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000084
85For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
86
87Note that in the command >
88 :if "foo"
89"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
90use strlen(): >
91 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000092< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
93List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000094
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000095 *E706*
96You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
97to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000098equivalent though. Consider this sequence of commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000099 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000100 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000101 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000102
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000103
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001041.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000105 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000106A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000107in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
108around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000109
110 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
111 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000112< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000113A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
114cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000116A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
117Dictionary entry. Example: >
118 :function dict.init() dict
119 : let self.val = 0
120 :endfunction
121
122The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
123function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
124
125A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
126 :call Fn()
127 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000128
129The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000130 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000131
132You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
133arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000134 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000135
136
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001371.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000138 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000139A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
140can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
141position in the sequence.
142
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144List creation ~
145 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000146A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000147Examples: >
148 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
149 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000150
151An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000152List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000153 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000154
155An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
156
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000157
158List index ~
159 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000160An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000161after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
162 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000163 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000164
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000165When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000166 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000167<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000168A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
169the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000170 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
171
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000172To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000173is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000174 :echo get(mylist, idx)
175 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
176
177
178List concatenation ~
179
180Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
181 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000182 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000183
184To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
185it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
186
187
188Sublist ~
189
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000190A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
191separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000192 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000193
194Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000195similar to -1.
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000196 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
197 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
198 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000199
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000200If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
201before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
202message.
203
204If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
205length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000206 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
207 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
208
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000209NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
210using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
211mylist[s : e].
212
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000213
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000214List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000215 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000216When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
217variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
218change "bb": >
219 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
220 :let bb = aa
221 :call add(aa, 4)
222 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000223< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000224
225Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
226works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000227a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
229 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000230 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000231 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
232 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000233< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000234 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000237To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000238copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000239
240The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000241List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000242the same value. >
243 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
244 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
245 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000246< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000247 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000248< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000249
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000250Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
251same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000252exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
253different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
254variables. Example: >
255 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000256< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000257 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000258< 0
259
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000260Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
261can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a string: >
262
263 :let a = 5
264 :let b = "5"
265 echo a == b
266< 1 >
267 echo [a] == [b]
268< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000269
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000270
271List unpack ~
272
273To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
274square brackets, like list items: >
275 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
276
277When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
278this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
279and a variable name: >
280 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
281
282This works like: >
283 :let var1 = mylist[0]
284 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000285 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000286
287Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
288empty list then.
289
290
291List modification ~
292 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000293To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000294 :let list[4] = "four"
295 :let listlist[0][3] = item
296
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000297To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000298modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000299 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
300
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000301Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
302examples: >
303 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
304 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
305 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000306 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000307 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
308 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000309 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000310 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000311 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000312 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000313
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000314Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000315 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
316 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
317
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000318
319For loop ~
320
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000321The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
322to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000323 :for item in mylist
324 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325 :endfor
326
327This works like: >
328 :let index = 0
329 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000330 : let item = mylist[index]
331 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000332 : let index = index + 1
333 :endwhile
334
335Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000336results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000337the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000338
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000339If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000340function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000341
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000342Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
343requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
344 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
345 : call Doit(lnum, col)
346 :endfor
347
348This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
349must remain the same to avoid an error.
350
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000351It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000352 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
353 : call Doit(i, j)
354 : if !empty(rest)
355 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
356 : endif
357 :endfor
358
359
360List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000361 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000362Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000363 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000365 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
366 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
367 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000368 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
369 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000370 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
371 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000372 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
373 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000374 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
375 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000377Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
378example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
379 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
380
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003821.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000383 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000384A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000385entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
386ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000387
388
389Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000390 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000391A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000392braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
393only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000394 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
395 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000396< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000397A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
398String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000399entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
400Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000401
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000402A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403nested Dictionary: >
404 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
405
406An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
407
408
409Accessing entries ~
410
411The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
412 :let val = mydict["one"]
413 :let mydict["four"] = 4
414
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000415You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000416
417For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
418form can be used |expr-entry|: >
419 :let val = mydict.one
420 :let mydict.four = 4
421
422Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
423key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000424 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000425
426
427Dictionary to List conversion ~
428
429You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
430turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
431
432Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
433 :for key in keys(mydict)
434 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
435 :endfor
436
437The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
438 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
439
440To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
441 :for v in values(mydict)
442 : echo "value: " . v
443 :endfor
444
445If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000446a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000447 :for entry in items(mydict)
448 : echo entry[0] . ': ' . entry[1]
449 :endfor
450
451
452Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000453 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000454Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
455Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
456Dictionary: >
457 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
458 :let adict = onedict
459 :let adict['a'] = 11
460 :echo onedict['a']
461 11
462
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000463Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
464more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000465
466
467Dictionary modification ~
468 *dict-modification*
469To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
470use |:let| this way: >
471 :let dict[4] = "four"
472 :let dict['one'] = item
473
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000474Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
475Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
476 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
477 :unlet dict.aaa
478 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000479
480Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000481 :call extend(adict, bdict)
482This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
483in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000484Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
485expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
486adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000487
488Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +0000489 :call filter(dict 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000490This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000491
492
493Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000494 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000495When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
496special way with a dictionary. Example: >
497 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000498 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000499 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000500 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
501 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000502
503This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
504Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
505the function was invoked from.
506
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000507It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
508Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
509
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000510 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
512assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000513 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
514 :function mydict.len() dict
515 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000516 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000517 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
520that references this function. The function can only be used through a
521|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
522remaining that refers to it.
523
524It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000525
526
527Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000528 *E715*
529Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
531 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
532 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
533 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
534 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
535 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
536 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
537 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000538
539
5401.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000541 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000542If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
543function.
544
545When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
546start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
547stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
548
549When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
550start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
551stored in the session file |session-file|.
552
553variable name can be stored where ~
554my_var_6 not
555My_Var_6 session file
556MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
557
558
559It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
560|curly-braces-names|.
561
562==============================================================================
5632. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
564
565Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
566
567|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
568
569|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
570
571|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
572
573|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
574 expr5 != expr5 not equal
575 expr5 > expr5 greater than
576 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
577 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
578 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
579 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
580 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
581
582 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
583 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
584 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
585 matching case
586
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000587 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
588 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000589
590|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000591 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
592 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
593
594|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
595 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
596 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
597
598|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
599 - expr7 unary minus
600 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000601
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000602
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000603|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
604 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
605 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
606 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000607
608|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000609 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000610 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000611 [expr1, ...] |List|
612 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000613 &option option value
614 (expr1) nested expression
615 variable internal variable
616 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
617 $VAR environment variable
618 @r contents of register 'r'
619 function(expr1, ...) function call
620 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
621
622
623".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
624Example: >
625 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
626
627All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
628
629
630expr1 *expr1* *E109*
631-----
632
633expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
634
635The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
636non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
637otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
638Example: >
639 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
640
641Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
642other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
643Example: >
644 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
645
646To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
647 :echo lnum == 1
648 :\ ? "top"
649 :\ : lnum == 1000
650 :\ ? "last"
651 :\ : lnum
652
653
654expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
655---------------
656
657 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
658The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
659are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
660
661 input output ~
662n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
663zero zero zero zero
664zero non-zero non-zero zero
665non-zero zero non-zero zero
666non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
667
668The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
669
670 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
671
672Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
673
674 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
675
676Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
677arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
678
679 let a = 1
680 echo a || b
681
682This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
683so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
684
685 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
686
687This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
688only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
689
690
691expr4 *expr4*
692-----
693
694expr5 {cmp} expr5
695
696Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
697if it evaluates to true.
698
699 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
700 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
701 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
702 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
703 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
704 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000705 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000706 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
707equal == ==# ==?
708not equal != !=# !=?
709greater than > ># >?
710greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
711smaller than < <# <?
712smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
713regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
714regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000715same instance is
716different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000717
718Examples:
719"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
720"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
721"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
722
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000723 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000724A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
725"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
726Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000727
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000728 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000729A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
730equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000731recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
732
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000733 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000734A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
735equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000736
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000737When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
738referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
739the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
740using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000741different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
742is false.
743
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000744When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
745and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
746because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
747
748When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
749results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
750necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
751
752When using the operators with a trailing '#", or the short version and
753'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp().
754
755When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
756'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp().
757
758The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
759argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
760This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
761matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
762portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
763single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
764Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
765(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
766can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
767 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
768 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
769
770
771expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
772---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000773expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000774expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
775expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000776
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000777For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000778result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000779
780expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
781expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
782expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000783
784For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
785
786Note the difference between "+" and ".":
787 "123" + "456" = 579
788 "123" . "456" = "123456"
789
790When the righthand side of '/' is zero, the result is 0x7fffffff.
791When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
792
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000793None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000794
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000795
796expr7 *expr7*
797-----
798! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
799- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
800+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
801
802For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
803For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
804For '+' the number is unchanged.
805
806A String will be converted to a Number first.
807
808These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
809 !-1 == 0
810 !!8 == 1
811 --9 == 9
812
813
814expr8 *expr8*
815-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000816expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000817
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000818If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
819expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000820Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000821
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000822Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
823text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
824cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000825 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000826
827If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000828String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
829compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
830
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000831If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000832for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
833error. Example: >
834 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
835
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000836Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
837|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
838error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000839
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000840
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000841expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000842
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000843If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
844from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000845expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
846encodings.
847
848If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
849string minus one is used.
850
851A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
852the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
853
854If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
855expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
856
857Examples: >
858 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
859 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
860 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
861 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
862
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000863If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
864the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
865just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000866 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
867 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
868 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
869
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000870Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
871error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000872
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000873
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000874expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000875
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000876If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
877name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
878expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000879
880The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
881but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
882
883There must not be white space before or after the dot.
884
885Examples: >
886 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
887 :echo dict.one
888 :echo dict .2
889
890Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
891always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
892
893
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000894expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000895
896When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
897
898
899
900 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000901number
902------
903number number constant *expr-number*
904
905Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
906
907
908string *expr-string* *E114*
909------
910"string" string constant *expr-quote*
911
912Note that double quotes are used.
913
914A string constant accepts these special characters:
915\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
916\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
917\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
918\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
919\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
920\X.. same as \x..
921\X. same as \x.
922\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
923 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
924\U.... same as \u....
925\b backspace <BS>
926\e escape <Esc>
927\f formfeed <FF>
928\n newline <NL>
929\r return <CR>
930\t tab <Tab>
931\\ backslash
932\" double quote
933\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
934
935Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
936
937
938literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
939---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000940'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000941
942Note that single quotes are used.
943
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000944This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000945meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000946
947Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
948to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
949 if a =~ "\\s*"
950 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000951
952
953option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
954------
955&option option value, local value if possible
956&g:option global option value
957&l:option local option value
958
959Examples: >
960 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
961 if &insertmode
962
963Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
964and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
965anyway.
966
967
968register *expr-register*
969--------
970@r contents of register 'r'
971
972The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
973Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +0000974register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
975registers.
976
977When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
978evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000979
980
981nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
982-------
983(expr1) nested expression
984
985
986environment variable *expr-env*
987--------------------
988$VAR environment variable
989
990The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
991result is an empty string.
992 *expr-env-expand*
993Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
994expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
995are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
996the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
997fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
998does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
999 :echo $version
1000 :echo expand("$version")
1001The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1002variable (if your shell supports it).
1003
1004
1005internal variable *expr-variable*
1006-----------------
1007variable internal variable
1008See below |internal-variables|.
1009
1010
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001011function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001012-------------
1013function(expr1, ...) function call
1014See below |functions|.
1015
1016
1017==============================================================================
10183. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1019 *E461*
1020An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1021cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1022|curly-braces-names|.
1023
1024An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001025An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1026|:unlet|.
1027Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1028been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001029
1030There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1031specified by what is prepended:
1032
1033 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1034|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1035|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001036|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001037|global-variable| g: Global.
1038|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1039|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1040|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1041|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1042
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001043The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1044delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001045 :for k in keys(s:)
1046 : unlet s:[k]
1047 :endfor
1048<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001049 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1050A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1051Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1052This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1053|:bdelete|.
1054
1055One local buffer variable is predefined:
1056 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1057b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1058 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1059 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1060 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1061 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1062 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1063 : call My_Update()
1064 :endif
1065<
1066 *window-variable* *w:var*
1067A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1068is deleted when the window is closed.
1069
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001070 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1071A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1072It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1073without the +windows feature}
1074
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001075 *global-variable* *g:var*
1076Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1077access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1078place if you like.
1079
1080 *local-variable* *l:var*
1081Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1082But you can also prepend "l:" if you like.
1083
1084 *script-variable* *s:var*
1085In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1086accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1087
1088They can be used in:
1089- commands executed while the script is sourced
1090- functions defined in the script
1091- autocommands defined in the script
1092- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1093 defined in the script (recursively)
1094- user defined commands defined in the script
1095Thus not in:
1096- other scripts sourced from this one
1097- mappings
1098- etc.
1099
1100script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1101Take this example:
1102
1103 let s:counter = 0
1104 function MyCounter()
1105 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1106 echo s:counter
1107 endfunction
1108 command Tick call MyCounter()
1109
1110You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1111that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1112"Tick" was defined is used.
1113
1114Another example that does the same: >
1115
1116 let s:counter = 0
1117 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1118
1119When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001120script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001121defined.
1122
1123The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1124function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1125
1126 let s:counter = 0
1127 function StartCounting(incr)
1128 if a:incr
1129 function MyCounter()
1130 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1131 endfunction
1132 else
1133 function MyCounter()
1134 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1135 endfunction
1136 endif
1137 endfunction
1138
1139This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1140when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1141called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1142
1143When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1144They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1145maintain a counter: >
1146
1147 if !exists("s:counter")
1148 let s:counter = 1
1149 echo "script executed for the first time"
1150 else
1151 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1152 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1153 endif
1154
1155Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1156variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1157
1158
1159Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1160
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001161 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1162v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1163 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1164 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1165
1166 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1167v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1168 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1169
1170 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1171v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1172 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1173
1174 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001175v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1176 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1177 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1178 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001179 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1180 highlighted text is used.
1181 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1182
1183 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1184v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1185 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1186
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001187 *v:char* *char-variable*
1188v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr'.
1189
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001190 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1191v:charconvert_from
1192 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1193 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1194
1195 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1196v:charconvert_to
1197 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1198 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1199
1200 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1201v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1202 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1203 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1204 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1205 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1206 possible to append this variable directly after the
1207 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1208 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1209 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1210 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1211 in 'printexpr'.
1212
1213 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1214v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1215 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1216 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1217 can be used.
1218
1219 *v:count* *count-variable*
1220v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1221 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1222 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1223< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1224 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001225 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001226 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1227
1228 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1229v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1230 used.
1231
1232 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1233v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1234 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1235 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1236 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1237 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1238 command.
1239 See |multi-lang|.
1240
1241 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1242v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1243 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1244 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1245 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1246 Example: >
1247 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1248<
1249 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1250v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1251 Example: >
1252 :let v:errmsg = ""
1253 :silent! next
1254 :if v:errmsg != ""
1255 : ... handle error
1256< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1257
1258 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1259v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1260 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1261 Example: >
1262 :try
1263 : throw "oops"
1264 :catch /.*/
1265 : echo "caught" v:exception
1266 :endtry
1267< Output: "caught oops".
1268
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001269 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1270v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1271 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1272 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1273 deleted file no longer exists
1274 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1275 changed and buffer is modified
1276 changed file contents has changed
1277 mode mode of file changed
1278 time only file timestamp changed
1279
1280 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1281v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1282 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1283 do with the affected buffer:
1284 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1285 the file was deleted).
1286 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1287 was no autocommand. Except that when
1288 only the timestamp changed nothing
1289 will happen.
1290 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1291 everything that needs to be done.
1292 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1293 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1294
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001295 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001296v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001297 option used for ~
1298 'charconvert' file to be converted
1299 'diffexpr' original file
1300 'patchexpr' original file
1301 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001302 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001303
1304 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1305v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1306 evaluating:
1307 option used for ~
1308 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1309 'diffexpr' output of diff
1310 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1311 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1312 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1313 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1314 file and different from v:fname_in.
1315
1316 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1317v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1318 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1319
1320 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1321v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1322 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1323
1324 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1325v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1326 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001327 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001328
1329 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1330v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001331 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001332
1333 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1334v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001335 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001336
1337 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1338v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001339 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001340
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001341 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1342v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1343 events. Values:
1344 i Insert mode
1345 r Replace mode
1346 v Virtual Replace mode
1347
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001348 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001349v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001350 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1351 Read-only.
1352
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001353 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1354v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1355 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1356 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1357 The value is system dependent.
1358 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1359 command.
1360 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1361 in a different language than what is used for character
1362 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1363
1364 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1365v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1366 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1367 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1368 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1369 command. See |multi-lang|.
1370
1371 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001372v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar57657d82006-04-21 22:12:41 +00001373 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel' and
1374 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1375 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001376
1377 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1378v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1379 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1380 you want to cancel Visual mode and then use the count. >
1381 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1382< Read-only.
1383
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001384 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1385v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1386 See |profiling|.
1387
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001388 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1389v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1390 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1391 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1392 Read-only.
1393
1394 *v:register* *register-variable*
1395v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1396 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1397
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001398 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1399v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1400 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1401 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1402 typed command.
1403 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1404 hit-enter prompt.
1405
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001406 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1407v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1408 Read-only.
1409
1410 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1411v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1412 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1413 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1414 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1415 executed. Read-only.
1416 Example: >
1417 :!mv foo bar
1418 :if v:shell_error
1419 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1420 :endif
1421< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1422
1423 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1424v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1425
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001426 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1427v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1428 the swap file found. Read-only.
1429
1430 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1431v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1432 for handling an existing swap file:
1433 'o' Open read-only
1434 'e' Edit anyway
1435 'r' Recover
1436 'd' Delete swapfile
1437 'q' Quit
1438 'a' Abort
1439 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1440 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1441 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1442
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001443 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001444v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001445 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1446 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1447 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001448 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001449
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001450 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1451v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1452 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1453 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1454 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1455 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1456 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1457 terminal.
1458 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1459 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1460 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1461 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1462 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1463
1464 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1465v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1466 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1467 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1468 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1469
1470 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1471v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1472 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1473 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1474 Example: >
1475 :try
1476 : throw "oops"
1477 :catch /.*/
1478 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1479 :endtry
1480< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1481
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001482 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001483v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
1484 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001485 |filter()|. Read-only.
1486
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001487 *v:version* *version-variable*
1488v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1489 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1490 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1491 compatibility.
1492 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1493 if has("patch123")
1494< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1495 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1496 completely different.
1497
1498 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1499v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1500
1501==============================================================================
15024. Builtin Functions *functions*
1503
1504See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1505
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001506(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001507
1508USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1509
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001510add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001511append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001512append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001513argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001514argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001515argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001516argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001517browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1518 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001519browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001520bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001521buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1522bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001523bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1524bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1525bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1526byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001527byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001528call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1529 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001530changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001531char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001532cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001533col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00001534complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001535complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1536complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001537confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1538 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001539copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001540count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1541 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001542cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1543 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001544cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1545 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1546cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001547deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001548delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1549did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001550diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1551diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001552empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001553escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001554eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001555eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001556executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1557exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001558extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
1559 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001560expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00001561feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001562filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001563filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001564filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1565 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001566finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001567 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001568findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001569 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001570fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001571foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1572foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001573foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001574foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001575foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001576foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001577function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001578garbagecollect() none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001579get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001580get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001581getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1582 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001583getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001584getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1585getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001586getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1587getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001588getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001589getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001590getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1591getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001592getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001593getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001594getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001595getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1596getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001597getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001598getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001599getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001600getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001601getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001602gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1603 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001604getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1605getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001606getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001607glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1608globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1609has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001610has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001611hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1612 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001613histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1614histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1615histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1616histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1617hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1618hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1619hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001620iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1621indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001622index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1623 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001624input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1625 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001626inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001627inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001628inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1629inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001630inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001631insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001632isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001633islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001634items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001635join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001636keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001637len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1638libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001639libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1640line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1641line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001642lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001643localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001644map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001645maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1646 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1647mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1648 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001649match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001650 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001651matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001652matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001653 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001654matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1655 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001656matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1657 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001658max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1659min({list}) Number minumum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001660mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1661 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001662mode() String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001663nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1664nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001665pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001666prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00001667printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001668pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001669range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1670 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001671readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1672 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001673reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1674reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001675remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1676 String send expression
1677remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1678remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1679 Number check for reply string
1680remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1681remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1682 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001683remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001684remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001685rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1686repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1687resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001688reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001689search( {pattern} [, {flags}]) Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001690searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1691 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001692searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001693 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001694searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001695 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001696searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001697 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001698server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1699 Number send reply string
1700serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1701setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1702setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1703setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001704setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1705 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001706setpos( {expr}, {list}) none set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001707setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001708setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001709settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1710 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001711setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001712simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001713sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001714soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001715spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001716spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1717 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001718split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001719 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001720str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert string to number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001721strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001722stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1723 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001724string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001725strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1726strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1727 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001728strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1729 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001730strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001731submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001732substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1733 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001734synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001735synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1736 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1737synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001738system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001739tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1740tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1741tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1742 Number number of current window in tab page
1743taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00001744tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001745tempname() String name for a temporary file
1746tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1747toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001748tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1749 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001750type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001751values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001752virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1753visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1754winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1755wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1756winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1757winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001758winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001759winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001760winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1761winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001762winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001763writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1764 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001765
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001766add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001767 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1768 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001769 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1770 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001771< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001772 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001773 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001774
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001775
1776append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001777 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1778 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001779 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1780 the current buffer.
1781 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001782 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1783 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001784 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001785 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001786<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001787 *argc()*
1788argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1789 current window. See |arglist|.
1790
1791 *argidx()*
1792argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1793 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1794
1795 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001796argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001797 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1798 Example: >
1799 :let i = 0
1800 :while i < argc()
1801 : let f = escape(argv(i), '. ')
1802 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1803 : let i = i + 1
1804 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001805< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
1806 returned.
1807
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001808 *browse()*
1809browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1810 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1811 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1812 The input fields are:
1813 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1814 {title} title for the requester
1815 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1816 {default} default file name
1817 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1818 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1819
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001820 *browsedir()*
1821browsedir({title}, {initdir})
1822 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
1823 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1824 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
1825 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
1826 to be used.
1827 The input fields are:
1828 {title} title for the requester
1829 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1830 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1831 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1832
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001833bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
1834 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1835 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001836 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001837 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001838 exactly. The name can be:
1839 - Relative to the current directory.
1840 - A full path.
1841 - The name of a buffer with 'filetype' set to "nofile".
1842 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001843 Unlisted buffers will be found.
1844 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
1845 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
1846 long name to be able to find them.
1847 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
1848 file name.
1849 *buffer_exists()*
1850 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
1851
1852buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
1853 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1854 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001855 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001856
1857bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
1858 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1859 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001860 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001861
1862bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
1863 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
1864 ":ls" command.
1865 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
1866 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
1867 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
1868 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
1869 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
1870 match an empty string is returned.
1871 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
1872 alternate buffer.
1873 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
1874 or middle of the buffer name is accepted.
1875 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
1876 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
1877 buffers are searched for.
1878 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
1879 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
1880 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
1881< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
1882 string is returned. >
1883 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
1884 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
1885 bufname("%") name of current buffer
1886 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
1887< *buffer_name()*
1888 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
1889
1890 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001891bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
1892 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001893 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001894 above.
1895 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
1896 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
1897 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001898 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
1899 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
1900< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
1901 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
1902 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
1903 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
1904 *buffer_number()*
1905 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
1906 *last_buffer_nr()*
1907 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
1908
1909bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
1910 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
1911 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
1912 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
1913 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
1914
1915 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
1916
1917< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
1918 |:wincmd|.
1919
1920
1921byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
1922 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
1923 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
1924 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
1925 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
1926 one.
1927 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
1928 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
1929 feature}
1930
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00001931byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
1932 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
1933 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
1934 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
1935 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
1936 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
1937 Example : >
1938 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
1939< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
1940 same: >
1941 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
1942 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
1943< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
1944 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
1945 is returned.
1946
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001947call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001948 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001949 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001950 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001951 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
1952 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001953 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
1954 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001955
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001956changenr() *changenr()*
1957 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
1958 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
1959 with the |:undo| command.
1960 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
1961 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
1962 one less than the number of the undone change.
1963
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001964char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
1965 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
1966 char2nr(" ") returns 32
1967 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
1968< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00001969 char2nr("?") returns 225
1970 char2nr("?"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001971< nr2char() does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001972
1973cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
1974 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
1975 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
1976 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
1977 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
1978 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
1979 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00001980 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001981
1982 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001983col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001984 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
1985 . the cursor position
1986 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
1987 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
1988 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
1989 returned)
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001990 To get the line number use |col()|. To get both use
1991 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001992 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
1993 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
1994 Examples: >
1995 col(".") column of cursor
1996 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
1997 col("'t") column of mark t
1998 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
1999< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
2000 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2001 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2002 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2003 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2004 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2005 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2006 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2007<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002008
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002009complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2010 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2011 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
2012 with an expression argument |:map-<expr>| or CTRL-R =
2013 |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O.
2014 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2015 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2016 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2017 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2018 match.
2019 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2020 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2021 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2022 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2023 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2024 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2025 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2026 Example: >
2027 inoremap <expr> <F5> ListMonths()
2028
2029 func! ListMonths()
2030 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2031 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2032 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2033 return ''
2034 endfunc
2035< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2036 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2037
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002038complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2039 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2040 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2041 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2042 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2043 the list.
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002044 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
2045 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002046
2047complete_check() *complete_check()*
2048 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2049 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2050 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2051 zero otherwise.
2052 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2053 'completefunc' option.
2054
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002055 *confirm()*
2056confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2057 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2058 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2059 choice this is 1.
2060 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2061 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2062 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2063 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2064 used (and translated).
2065 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2066 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2067 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2068 by '\n', e.g. >
2069 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2070< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2071 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2072 not need to be the first letter: >
2073 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2074< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2075 the default shortcut key.
2076 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2077 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2078 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2079 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
2080 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2081 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2082 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2083 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2084 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2085 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2086 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2087
2088 An example: >
2089 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2090 :if choice == 0
2091 : echo "make up your mind!"
2092 :elseif choice == 3
2093 : echo "tasteful"
2094 :else
2095 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2096 :endif
2097< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2098 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
2099 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
2100 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2101 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2102 the horizontal layout is always used.
2103
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002104 *copy()*
2105copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2106 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002107 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2108 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002109 copy, and vise versa. But the items are identical, thus
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002110 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002111 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002112
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002113count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002114 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002115 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002116 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002117 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002118 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2119
2120
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002121 *cscope_connection()*
2122cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2123 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2124 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2125 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2126 if there are no cscope connections;
2127 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2128
2129 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2130 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2131
2132 {num} Description of existence check
2133 ----- ------------------------------
2134 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2135 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2136 {dbpath}.
2137 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2138 {dbpath}.
2139 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2140 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2141 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2142 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2143
2144 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2145
2146 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2147
2148 # pid database name prepend path
2149 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2150<
2151 Invocation Return Val ~
2152 ---------- ---------- >
2153 cscope_connection() 1
2154 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2155 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2156 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2157 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2158 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2159 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2160 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2161<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002162cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2163cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002164 Positions the cursor at the column {col} in the line {lnum}.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002165 The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002166 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002167 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2168 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002169 Does not change the jumplist.
2170 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2171 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2172 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002173 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002174 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2175 line.
2176 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002177 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2178 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
2179 position within a Tab or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002180
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002181
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002182deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002183 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2184 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002185 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2186 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
2187 copy, and vise versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002188 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002189 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2190 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2191 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2192 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2193 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2194 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002195 *E724*
2196 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002197 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2198 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002199 Also see |copy()|.
2200
2201delete({fname}) *delete()*
2202 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002203 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2204 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002205 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002206
2207 *did_filetype()*
2208did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2209 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2210 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2211 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2212 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2213 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2214 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2215 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2216 file.
2217
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002218diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2219 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2220 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2221 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2222 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2223 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2224 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2225 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2226
2227diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2228 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2229 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2230 diff change zero is returned.
2231 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2232 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2233 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2234 line.
2235 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2236 syntax information about the highlighting.
2237
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002238empty({expr}) *empty()*
2239 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002240 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
2241 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2242 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2243 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002244
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002245escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2246 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2247 backslash. Example: >
2248 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2249< results in: >
2250 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002251
2252< *eval()*
2253eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2254 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2255 This works for Numbers, Strings and composites of them.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002256 Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002257
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002258eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2259 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2260 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2261 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2262 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2263
2264executable({expr}) *executable()*
2265 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2266 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002267 arguments.
2268 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2269 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2270 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2271 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2272 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2273 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2274 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2275 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2276 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2277 extension.
2278 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2279 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002280 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2281 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2282 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002283 The result is a Number:
2284 1 exists
2285 0 does not exist
2286 -1 not implemented on this system
2287
2288 *exists()*
2289exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2290 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2291 which contains one of these:
2292 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2293 not if it really works)
2294 +option-name Vim option that works.
2295 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2296 done by comparing with an empty
2297 string)
2298 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2299 or user defined function (see
2300 |user-functions|).
2301 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002302 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002303 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2304 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
2305 that this may cause functions to be
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002306 invoked cause an error message for an
2307 invalid expression.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002308 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2309 command or command modifier |:command|.
2310 Returns:
2311 1 for match with start of a command
2312 2 full match with a command
2313 3 matches several user commands
2314 To check for a supported command
2315 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002316 :2match The |:2match| command.
2317 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002318 #event autocommand defined for this event
2319 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2320 pattern (the pattern is taken
2321 literally and compared to the
2322 autocommand patterns character by
2323 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002324 #group autocommand group exists
2325 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2326 event.
2327 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002328 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002329 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002330 ##event autocommand for this event is
2331 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002332 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2333
2334 Examples: >
2335 exists("&shortname")
2336 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2337 exists("*strftime")
2338 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2339 exists("bufcount")
2340 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002341 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002342 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002343 exists("#filetypeindent")
2344 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2345 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002346 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002347< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2348 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002349 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2350 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2351 the future, thus don't count on it!
2352 Working example: >
2353 exists(":make")
2354< NOT working example: >
2355 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002356
2357< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2358 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002359 exists(bufcount)
2360< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002361 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002362
2363expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2364 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2365 The result is a String.
2366
2367 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2368 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2369 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2370
2371 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2372 for a non-existing file is not included.
2373
2374 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2375 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2376 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2377
2378 % current file name
2379 # alternate file name
2380 #n alternate file name n
2381 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2382 <afile> autocmd file name
2383 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2384 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2385 <sfile> sourced script file name
2386 <cword> word under the cursor
2387 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2388 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2389 message |server2client()|
2390 Modifiers:
2391 :p expand to full path
2392 :h head (last path component removed)
2393 :t tail (last path component only)
2394 :r root (one extension removed)
2395 :e extension only
2396
2397 Example: >
2398 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2399< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2400 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2401 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2402< Use this: >
2403 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2404< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2405 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2406 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2407 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2408 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2409<
2410 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2411 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2412 to modify normal file names.
2413
2414 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2415 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2416 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2417 '/' added.
2418
2419 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2420 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2421 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2422 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002423 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2424 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2425 files in the current directory and below: >
2426 :echo expand("**/README")
2427<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002428 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2429 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2430 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2431 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2432 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2433 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2434 "$FOOBAR".
2435
2436 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2437 getting the raw output of an external command.
2438
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002439extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002440 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2441 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002442
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002443 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002444 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2445 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2446 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2447 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002448 Examples: >
2449 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2450 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002451< Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2452 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002453 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002454<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002455 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002456 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2457 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2458 used to decide what to do:
2459 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2460 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002461 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002462 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2463
2464 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2465 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2466 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2467 Returns {expr1}.
2468
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002469
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002470feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2471 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002472 come from a mapping or were typed by user. They are added to
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002473 the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
2474 being executed these characters come after them.
2475 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2476 {string}.
2477 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2478 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
2479 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the Enter key. But
2480 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2481 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2482 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002483 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2484 'n' Do not remap keys.
2485 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2486 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2487 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002488 Return value is always 0.
2489
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002490filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2491 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2492 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2493 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2494 expression, which is used as a String.
2495 *file_readable()*
2496 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2497
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002498
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002499filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002500 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002501 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002502 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002503 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002504 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002505 Examples: >
2506 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2507< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2508 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2509< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2510 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002511< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002512
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002513 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2514 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2515 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2516
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002517 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2518 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002519 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002520
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002521< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002522 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2523 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002524
2525
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002526finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002527 Find directory {name} in {path}. Returns the path of the
2528 first found match. When the found directory is below the
2529 current directory a relative path is returned. Otherwise a
2530 full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002531 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2532 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002533 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002534 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002535 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002536 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2537
2538findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2539 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002540 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2541 Example: >
2542 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2543< Searches from the current directory upwards until it finds
2544 the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002545
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002546filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2547 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2548 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2549 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If (file) is a
2550 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2551
2552fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2553 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2554 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2555 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2556 Example: >
2557 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2558< results in: >
2559 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2560< Note: Environment variables and "~" don't work in {fname}, use
2561 |expand()| first then.
2562
2563foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2564 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2565 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2566 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2567
2568foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2569 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2570 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2571 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2572
2573foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2574 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2575 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2576 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2577 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2578 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2579 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2580 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2581 previous line is usually available.
2582
2583 *foldtext()*
2584foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2585 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2586 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2587 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2588 The returned string looks like this: >
2589 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2590< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2591 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2592 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2593 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2594 options is removed.
2595 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2596
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002597foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2598 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2599 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2600 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2601 returned.
2602 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2603 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2604 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2605 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2606
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002607 *foreground()*
2608foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2609 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2610 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2611 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2612 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2613 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2614 Win32 console version}
2615
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002616
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002617function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002618 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002619 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2620
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002621
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002622garbagecollect() *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002623 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002624 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2625 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2626 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2627 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2628 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002629 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2630 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2631 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002632
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002633get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002634 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002635 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2636 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002637get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002638 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002639 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2640 {default} is omitted.
2641
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002642 *getbufline()*
2643getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002644 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2645 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2646 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002647
2648 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2649
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002650 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2651 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002652
2653 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002654 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002655
2656 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2657 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002658 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002659 returned.
2660
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002661 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002662 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002663
2664 Example: >
2665 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002666
2667getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2668 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2669 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2670 must be used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002671 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2672 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2673 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002674 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2675 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2676 returned, there is no error message.
2677 Examples: >
2678 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2679 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2680<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002681getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002682 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002683 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2684 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002685 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002686 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002687 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
2688
2689 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
2690 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
2691 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2692 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
2693 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00002694 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
2695 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
2696 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
2697 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002698
2699 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00002700 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
2701 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002702
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002703 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
2704 user that a character has to be typed.
2705 There is no mapping for the character.
2706 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
2707 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
2708 sequence. Examples: >
2709 getchar() == "\<Del>"
2710 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
2711< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
2712 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
2713 :function FindChar()
2714 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
2715 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
2716 : normal l
2717 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
2718 : break
2719 : endif
2720 : endwhile
2721 :endfunction
2722
2723getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
2724 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
2725 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
2726 These values are added together:
2727 2 shift
2728 4 control
2729 8 alt (meta)
2730 16 mouse double click
2731 32 mouse triple click
2732 64 mouse quadruple click
2733 128 Macintosh only: command
2734 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
2735 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
2736 with no modifier.
2737
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002738getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
2739 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
2740 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
2741 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
2742 Example: >
2743 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002744< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002745
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002746getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002747 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
2748 byte count. The first column is 1.
2749 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2750 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002751 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
2752
2753getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
2754 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
2755 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002756 : normal Ex command
2757 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
2758 / forward search command
2759 ? backward search command
2760 @ |input()| command
2761 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002762 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2763 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
2764 otherwise.
2765 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002766
2767 *getcwd()*
2768getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
2769 working directory.
2770
2771getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
2772 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
2773 given file {fname}.
2774 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
2775 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
2776
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002777getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
2778 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
2779 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
2780 |hl-Normal|.
2781 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
2782 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
2783 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
2784 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00002785 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002786 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
2787 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002788 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
2789 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002790
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002791getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
2792 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
2793 permissions of the given file {fname}.
2794 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
2795 empty string is returned.
2796 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
2797 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
2798 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
2799 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
2800 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
2801 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
2802< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
2803 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00002804
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002805getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
2806 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
2807 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
2808 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
2809 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
2810 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
2811
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002812getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
2813 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
2814 file of the given file {fname}.
2815 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
2816 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
2817 results:
2818 Normal file "file"
2819 Directory "dir"
2820 Symbolic link "link"
2821 Block device "bdev"
2822 Character device "cdev"
2823 Socket "socket"
2824 FIFO "fifo"
2825 All other "other"
2826 Example: >
2827 getftype("/home")
2828< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
2829 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
2830 "file" are returned.
2831
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002832 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002833getline({lnum} [, {end}])
2834 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
2835 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002836 getline(1)
2837< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
2838 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
2839 To get the line under the cursor: >
2840 getline(".")
2841< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2842 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
2843
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002844 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
2845 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002846 including line {end}.
2847 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
2848 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002849 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002850 Example: >
2851 :let start = line('.')
2852 :let end = search("^$") - 1
2853 :let lines = getline(start, end)
2854
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002855getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
2856 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
2857 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
2858 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002859 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
2860 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002861
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002862getqflist() *getqflist()*
2863 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
2864 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
2865 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
2866 bufname() to get the name
2867 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
2868 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00002869 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
2870 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002871 nr error number
2872 text description of the error
2873 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
2874 valid non-zero: recognized error message
2875
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00002876 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
2877 returned.
2878
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002879 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
2880 do something with them: >
2881 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
2882 :for d in getqflist()
2883 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
2884 :endfor
2885
2886
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002887getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002888 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002889 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002890 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
2891< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002892 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002893 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
2894 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
2895 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002896 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2897
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002898
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002899getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
2900 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
2901 The value will be one of:
2902 "v" for |characterwise| text
2903 "V" for |linewise| text
2904 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
2905 0 for an empty or unknown register
2906 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
2907 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2908
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00002909gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
2910 Get the value of an option or local window variable {varname}
2911 in window {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
2912 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
2913 use |getwinvar()|.
2914 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
2915 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
2916 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
2917 or buffer-local variable.
2918 Note that the name without "w:" must be used.
2919 Examples: >
2920 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
2921 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
2922
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002923 *getwinposx()*
2924getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
2925 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
2926 -1 if the information is not available.
2927
2928 *getwinposy()*
2929getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
2930 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
2931 information is not available.
2932
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00002933getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
2934 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002935 Examples: >
2936 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
2937 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
2938<
2939 *glob()*
2940glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. The result is a String.
2941 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2942 characters.
2943 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
2944 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
2945
2946 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
2947 any external command. Example: >
2948 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
2949 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
2950< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
2951 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
2952
2953 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
2954 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
2955
2956globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
2957 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
2958 the results. Example: >
2959 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
2960< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
2961 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
2962 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
2963 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
2964 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
2965 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
2966 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
2967 error message.
2968 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
2969 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
2970
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002971 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
2972 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
2973 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
2974 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
2975<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002976 *has()*
2977has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
2978 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
2979 string. See |feature-list| below.
2980 Also see |exists()|.
2981
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002982
2983has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002984 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
2985 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002986
2987
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002988hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002989 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
2990 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
2991 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
2992 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002993 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002994 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
2995 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002996 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
2997 buffer are checked for a match.
2998 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
2999 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3000 n Normal mode
3001 v Visual mode
3002 o Operator-pending mode
3003 i Insert mode
3004 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3005 c Command-line mode
3006 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3007
3008 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
3009 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
3010 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3011 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3012 :endif
3013< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3014 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3015
3016histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3017 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3018 one of: *hist-names*
3019 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3020 "search" or "/" search pattern history
3021 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
3022 "input" or "@" input line history
3023 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3024 shifted to become the newest entry.
3025 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3026 otherwise 0 is returned.
3027
3028 Example: >
3029 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3030 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3031< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3032
3033histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003034 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003035 for the possible values of {history}.
3036
3037 If the parameter {item} is given as String, this is seen
3038 as regular expression. All entries matching that expression
3039 will be removed from the history (if there are any).
3040 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
3041 If {item} is a Number, it will be interpreted as index, see
3042 |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will be removed
3043 if it exists.
3044
3045 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3046 otherwise 0 is returned.
3047
3048 Examples:
3049 Clear expression register history: >
3050 :call histdel("expr")
3051<
3052 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3053 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3054<
3055 The following three are equivalent: >
3056 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3057 :call histdel("search", -1)
3058 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3059<
3060 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3061 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3062 :call histdel("search", -1)
3063 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3064
3065histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3066 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3067 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3068 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3069 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3070 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3071
3072 Examples:
3073 Redo the second last search from history. >
3074 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3075
3076< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3077 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3078 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3079<
3080histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3081 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3082 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3083 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3084
3085 Example: >
3086 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3087<
3088hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3089 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3090 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3091 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3092 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3093 item.
3094 *highlight_exists()*
3095 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3096
3097 *hlID()*
3098hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3099 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3100 zero is returned.
3101 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
3102 group. For example, to get the background color of the
3103 "Comment" group: >
3104 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3105< *highlightID()*
3106 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3107
3108hostname() *hostname()*
3109 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003110 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003111 256 characters long are truncated.
3112
3113iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3114 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3115 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3116 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3117 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3118 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3119 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3120 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3121 can be done.
3122 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3123 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3124 UTF-8 and use: >
3125 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3126< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3127 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3128 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3129 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3130
3131 *indent()*
3132indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3133 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3134 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3135 |getline()|.
3136 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3137
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003138
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003139index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003140 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003141 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003142 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3143 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003144 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3145 case must match.
3146 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3147 Example: >
3148 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003149 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003150
3151
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003152input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003153 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3154 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3155 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003156 prompt to start a new line.
3157 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3158 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
3159 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
3160 for lines typed for input().
3161 Example: >
3162 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3163 : echo "Cheers!"
3164 :endif
3165<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003166 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3167 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003168 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3169
3170< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3171 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
3172 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
3173 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
3174 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
3175 more information. Example: >
3176 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3177<
3178 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3179 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003180 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3181 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3182 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3183 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3184 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3185 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3186 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3187
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003188 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003189 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3190 :function GetFoo()
3191 : call inputsave()
3192 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3193 : call inputrestore()
3194 :endfunction
3195
3196inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3197 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3198 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3199 Example: >
3200 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3201 :if n != ""
3202 : let &sw = n
3203 :endif
3204< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3205 omitted an empty string is returned.
3206 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3207 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003208 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003209
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003210inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003211 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3212 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3213 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003214 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3215 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3216 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3217 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3218 is returned.
3219 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3220 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3221 the start of the string. Example: >
3222 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3223 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3224
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003225inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3226 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3227 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3228 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3229 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3230
3231inputsave() *inputsave()*
3232 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3233 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3234 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3235 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3236 many inputrestore() calls.
3237 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3238
3239inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3240 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3241 two exceptions:
3242 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3243 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3244 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3245 |history| stack.
3246 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3247 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003248 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003249
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003250insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003251 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003252 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3253 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3254 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3255 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003256 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003257 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3258 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3259 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003260< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003261 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003262 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003263
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003264isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3265 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3266 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3267 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3268 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3269
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003270islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003271 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3272 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003273 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3274 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003275 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3276 :lockvar 1 alist
3277 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3278 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3279
3280< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003281 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003282
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003283items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003284 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3285 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3286 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3287 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003288
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003289
3290join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3291 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3292 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3293 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3294 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3295 add it there too: >
3296 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003297< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003298 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3299 The opposite function is |split()|.
3300
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003301keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003302 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003303 arbitrary order.
3304
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003305 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003306len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3307 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3308 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003309 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003310 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003311 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3312 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003313 Otherwise an error is given.
3314
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003315 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3316libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3317 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3318 with single argument {argument}.
3319 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3320 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3321 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3322 limited.
3323 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3324 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3325 to Vim.
3326 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3327 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3328 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3329 null-terminated string.
3330 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3331
3332 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3333 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3334 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3335 very probably crash.
3336
3337 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3338 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3339 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3340 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3341 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3342 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3343 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3344 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3345 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3346 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3347
3348 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3349 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3350 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3351 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3352 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3353 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3354 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3355 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3356 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3357 feature is present}
3358 Examples: >
3359 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3360 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3361<
3362 *libcallnr()*
3363libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3364 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3365 int instead of a string.
3366 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3367 feature is present}
3368 Example (not very useful...): >
3369 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3370 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3371<
3372 *line()*
3373line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3374 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3375 . the cursor position
3376 $ the last line in the current buffer
3377 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3378 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003379 w0 first line visible in current window
3380 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003381 Note that a mark in another file can be used.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003382 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3383 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003384 Examples: >
3385 line(".") line number of the cursor
3386 line("'t") line number of mark t
3387 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3388< *last-position-jump*
3389 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3390 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3391 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003392
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003393line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3394 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3395 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3396 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3397 line returns 1.
3398 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3399 below the last line: >
3400 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3401< This is the file size plus one.
3402 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3403 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3404 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3405
3406lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3407 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3408 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3409 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3410 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3411 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3412 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3413
3414localtime() *localtime()*
3415 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3416 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3417
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003418
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003419map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003420 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003421 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3422 {string}.
3423 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003424 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003425 Example: >
3426 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003427< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003428
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003429 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003430 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003431 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3432 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003433
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003434 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3435 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003436 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003437
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003438< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003439 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3440 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003441
3442
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003443maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003444 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3445 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003446 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003447 "n" Normal
3448 "v" Visual
3449 "o" Operator-pending
3450 "i" Insert
3451 "c" Cmd-line
3452 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3453 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003454 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003455 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3456 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003457 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3458 command. The returned String has special characters
3459 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3460 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3461 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003462 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3463 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3464 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3465
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003466
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003467mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003468 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3469 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3470 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003471 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3472 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003473 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3474 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3475
3476 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3477 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3478 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3479 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3480 mapcheck("b") no no no
3481
3482 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3483 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3484 mapping for {name} exactly.
3485 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3486 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3487 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3488 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3489 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3490 then the global mappings.
3491 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3492 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3493 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3494 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3495 :endif
3496< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3497 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3498
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003499match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003500 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3501 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003502 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003503 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3504 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3505 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003506 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003507 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3508 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003509 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003510 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003511< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003512 *strpbrk()*
3513 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3514 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3515< *strcasestr()*
3516 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3517 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3518 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3519<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003520 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003521 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003522 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003523 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003524 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3525< result is again "4". >
3526 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3527< result is again "4". >
3528 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3529< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003530 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003531 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3532 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3533 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3534 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003535 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3536 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003537 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
3538 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003539
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003540 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003541 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003542 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3543 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3544< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003545 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
3546 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003547
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003548 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3549 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
3550 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
3551 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3552
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003553
3554matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003555 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003556 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
3557 Return a |List| with two elements:
3558 The name of the highlight group used
3559 The pattern used.
3560 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
3561 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
3562 This is usef to save and restore a |:match|.
3563
3564
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003565matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003566 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3567 the match. Example: >
3568 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3569< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003570 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3571 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3572 do it with matchend(): >
3573 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3574 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3575< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3576
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003577 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3578 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3579< results in "7". >
3580 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3581< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003582 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003583
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003584matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003585 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003586 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3587 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003588 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
3589 empty string is used. Example: >
3590 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
3591< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003592 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
3593
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003594matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003595 Same as match(), but return the matched string. Example: >
3596 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
3597< results in "ing".
3598 When there is no match "" is returned.
3599 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3600 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
3601< results in "ing". >
3602 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
3603< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003604 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003605 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003606
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003607 *max()*
3608max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
3609 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3610 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003611 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003612
3613 *min()*
3614min({list}) Return the minumum value of all items in {list}.
3615 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3616 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003617 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003618
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003619 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003620mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
3621 Create directory {name}.
3622 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
3623 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
3624 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
3625 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
3626 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
3627 for others.
3628 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3629 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
3630 :if exists("*mkdir")
3631<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003632 *mode()*
3633mode() Return a string that indicates the current mode:
3634 n Normal
3635 v Visual by character
3636 V Visual by line
3637 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
3638 s Select by character
3639 S Select by line
3640 CTRL-S Select blockwise
3641 i Insert
3642 R Replace
3643 c Command-line
3644 r Hit-enter prompt
3645 This is useful in the 'statusline' option. In most other
3646 places it always returns "c" or "n".
3647
3648nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
3649 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
3650 that is not blank. Example: >
3651 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
3652< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3653 below it, zero is returned.
3654 See also |prevnonblank()|.
3655
3656nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
3657 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
3658 value {expr}. Examples: >
3659 nr2char(64) returns "@"
3660 nr2char(32) returns " "
3661< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
3662 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
3663< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
3664 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
3665 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003666 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003667
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003668 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003669getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
3670 see |line()|.
3671 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
3672 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
3673 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
3674 is the buffer number of the mark.
3675 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
3676 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003677 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
3678 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
3679 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
3680 character.
3681 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
3682 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
3683 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00003684 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003685< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003686
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003687pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
3688 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
3689 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
3690 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
3691 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
3692 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
3693< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
3694 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
3695
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003696prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
3697 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
3698 that is not blank. Example: >
3699 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
3700< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3701 above it, zero is returned.
3702 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
3703
3704
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003705printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
3706 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
3707 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003708 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003709< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003710 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003711
3712 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003713 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003714 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
3715 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003716 %c single byte
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003717 %d decimal number
3718 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
3719 %x hex number
3720 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
3721 %X hex number using upper case letters
3722 %o octal number
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003723 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003724
3725 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
3726 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
3727 the result.
3728
3729 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003730 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003731
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003732 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003733
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003734 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003735 Zero or more of the following flags:
3736
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003737 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
3738 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
3739 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
3740 of the number is increased to force the first
3741 character of the output string to a zero (except
3742 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
3743 precision of zero).
3744 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
3745 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
3746 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003747
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003748 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
3749 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
3750 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
3751 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
3752 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003753
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003754 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
3755 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
3756 The converted value is padded on the right with
3757 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
3758 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003759
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003760 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
3761 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003762
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003763 + A sign must always be placed before a number
3764 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
3765 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003766
3767 field-width
3768 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003769 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
3770 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
3771 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
3772 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003773
3774 .precision
3775 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
3776 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
3777 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
3778 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
3779 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003780 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003781
3782 type
3783 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
3784 be applied, see below.
3785
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003786 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
3787 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
3788 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
3789 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
3790 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
3791 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003792 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003793< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003794 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003795
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003796 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003797
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003798 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
3799 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
3800 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
3801 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003802 conversions.
3803 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
3804 digits that must appear; if the converted value
3805 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
3806 zeros.
3807 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
3808 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
3809 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
3810 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
3811
3812 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
3813 resulting character is written.
3814
3815 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
3816 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
3817 specified are used.
3818
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003819 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
3820 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003821
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003822 Each argument can be Number or String and is converted
3823 automatically to fit the conversion specifier. Any other
3824 argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003825
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00003826 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003827 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
3828 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003829 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003830
3831
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003832pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
3833 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
3834 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00003835 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
3836 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003837
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00003838 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003839range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003840 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003841 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
3842 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
3843 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
3844 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
3845 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003846 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
3847 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
3848 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003849 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003850 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003851 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
3852 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003853 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003854 range(0) " []
3855 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003856<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003857 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003858readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003859 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
3860 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003861 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
3862 NL appears somewhere).
3863 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
3864 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
3865 added.
3866 - No CR characters are removed.
3867 Otherwise:
3868 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
3869 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
3870 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003871 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
3872 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
3873 lines of a file: >
3874 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
3875 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
3876 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003877< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
3878 are returned, or as many as there are.
3879 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003880 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
3881 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
3882 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003883 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
3884 the result is an empty list.
3885 Also see |writefile()|.
3886
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003887reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
3888 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
3889 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
3890 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
3891 Without an argument it returns the current time.
3892 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
3893 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003894 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003895 and {end}.
3896 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
3897 reltime().
3898 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3899
3900reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
3901 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
3902 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
3903 microseconds. Example: >
3904 let start = reltime()
3905 call MyFunction()
3906 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
3907< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
3908 The accuracy depends on the system.
3909 Also see |profiling|.
3910 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3911
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003912 *remote_expr()* *E449*
3913remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
3914 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
3915 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003916 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
3917 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
3918 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003919 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3920 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3921 remote_read() is stored there.
3922 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3923 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3924 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3925 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
3926 and the result will be the empty string.
3927 Examples: >
3928 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
3929 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
3930<
3931
3932remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
3933 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
3934 This works like: >
3935 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
3936< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
3937 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
3938 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00003939 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
3940 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003941 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3942 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3943 Win32 console version}
3944
3945
3946remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
3947 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
3948 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
3949 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
3950 name of a variable.
3951 Returns zero if none are available.
3952 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
3953 See also |clientserver|.
3954 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3955 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3956 Examples: >
3957 :let repl = ""
3958 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
3959
3960remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
3961 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
3962 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
3963 See also |clientserver|.
3964 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3965 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3966 Example: >
3967 :echo remote_read(id)
3968<
3969 *remote_send()* *E241*
3970remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00003971 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
3972 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
3973 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003974 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
3975 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
3976 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003977 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3978 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3979 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3980 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
3981 up the display.
3982 Examples: >
3983 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
3984 \ remote_read(serverid)
3985
3986 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
3987 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
3988 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
3989 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003990<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003991remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003992 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003993 return it.
3994 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
3995 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
3996 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
3997 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
3998 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003999 Example: >
4000 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004001 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004002remove({dict}, {key})
4003 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4004 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4005< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4006
4007 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004008
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004009rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4010 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4011 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4012 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4013 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
4014 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4015
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004016repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4017 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4018 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004019 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004020< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004021 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004022 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004023 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4024< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004025
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004026
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004027resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4028 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4029 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4030 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4031 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4032 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4033 stopped after 100 iterations.
4034 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4035 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4036 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4037 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4038 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4039
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004040 *reverse()*
4041reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
4042 {list}.
4043 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4044 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4045
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004046search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004047 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004048 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004049
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004050 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4051 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004052 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
4053 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004054 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004055 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4056 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004057 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4058 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4059 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4060
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004061 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4062 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4063 flag.
4064
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004065 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4066 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4067 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4068 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4069 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4070< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4071 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
4072
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004073 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4074 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004075 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4076 *search()-sub-match*
4077 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4078 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4079 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004080 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004081
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004082 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4083 flag is used.
4084
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004085 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4086 :let n = 1
4087 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4088 : exe "argument " . n
4089 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4090 : " first search to find match at start of file
4091 : normal G$
4092 : let flags = "w"
4093 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
4094 : s/foo/bar/g
4095 : let flags = "W"
4096 : endwhile
4097 : update " write the file if modified
4098 : let n = n + 1
4099 :endwhile
4100<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004101 Example for using some flags: >
4102 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4103< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4104 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4105 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4106 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4107 line:
4108 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4109 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4110 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4111 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4112 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4113
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004114
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004115searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4116 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004117
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004118 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4119 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4120 first match in the function.
4121
4122 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4123 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4124 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4125
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004126 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4127 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4128 Example: >
4129 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4130 echo getline('.')
4131 endif
4132<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004133 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004134searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004135 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4136 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4137 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004138 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4139 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4140 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4141 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4142 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4143 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004144
4145 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4146 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4147 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4148 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4149 typical use is: >
4150 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4151< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4152
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004153 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4154 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004155 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
4156 outer pair
4157 'm' return number of Matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004158 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004159
4160 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4161 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4162 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4163 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4164 or a string.
4165 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4166 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4167 and -1 returned.
4168
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004169 For {stopline} see |search()|.
4170
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004171 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4172 patterns are used like it's on.
4173
4174 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4175 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4176 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4177 if 1
4178 if 2
4179 endif 2
4180 endif 1
4181< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4182 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4183 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
4184 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
4185 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4186 "endif 2".
4187 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4188 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4189 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4190 the matching start.
4191
4192 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4193
4194 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4195 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4196
4197< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4198 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4199 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4200 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4201 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4202 match.
4203 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4204
4205 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4206
4207< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4208 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4209 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4210
4211 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4212 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4213<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004214 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004215searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004216 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4217 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4218 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004219 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4220 returns [0, 0].
4221>
4222 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4223<
4224 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4225
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004226searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *searchpos()*
4227 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004228 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4229 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4230 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4231 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004232 Example: >
4233 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4234
4235< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4236 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4237 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4238< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4239 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4240
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004241server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4242 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4243 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4244 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4245 Note:
4246 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004247 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004248 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4249 See also |clientserver|.
4250 Example: >
4251 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4252<
4253serverlist() *serverlist()*
4254 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4255 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4256 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4257 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4258 Example: >
4259 :echo serverlist()
4260<
4261setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4262 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4263 {val}.
4264 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4265 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4266 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4267 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4268 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4269 Examples: >
4270 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4271 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4272< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4273
4274setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4275 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
4276 {pos}. The first position is 1.
4277 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4278 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004279 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4280 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4281 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4282 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4283 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004284 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4285 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4286 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4287 line.
4288
4289setline({lnum}, {line}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004290 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {line}.
4291 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004292 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {line} will be
4293 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004294 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4295 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004296 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004297< When {line} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004298 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4299 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4300< This is equivalent to: >
4301 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4302 : call setline(n, l)
4303 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004304< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4305
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004306setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4307 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4308 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004309 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4310 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004311 Otherwise, same as setqflist().
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004312
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004313 *setpos()*
4314setpos({expr}, {list})
4315 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4316 . the cursor
4317 'x mark x
4318
4319 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4320 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4321
4322 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004323 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004324 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4325 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4326 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004327 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004328
4329 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4330 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4331
4332 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4333 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4334 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4335 character.
4336
4337 Also see |getpos()|
4338
4339
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004340setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004341 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4342 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4343 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4344 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004345
4346 filename name of a file
4347 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004348 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004349 col column number
4350 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004351 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004352 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004353 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004354 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004355
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004356 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4357 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4358 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004359 If the "filename" entry is not present or neither the "lnum"
4360 or "pattern" entries are present, then the item will not be
4361 handled as an error line.
4362 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4363 be used.
4364
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004365 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4366 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4367 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4368 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4369 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4370 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4371
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004372 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4373
4374 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4375 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4376 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4377
4378
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004379 *setreg()*
4380setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4381 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4382 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4383 then the value is appended.
4384 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4385 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4386 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4387 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4388 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4389 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4390 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
4391 in the longest line (counting a <TAB> as 1 character).
4392
4393 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4394 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4395 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4396 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4397
4398 Examples: >
4399 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4400 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4401 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4402
4403< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4404 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004405 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004406 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4407 ....
4408 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4409
4410< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4411 nothing: >
4412 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4413
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004414settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
4415 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
4416 {val}.
4417 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
4418 use |setwinvar()|.
4419 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004420 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4421 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4422 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4423 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004424 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
4425 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
4426 Examples: >
4427 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
4428 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
4429< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4430
4431setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4432 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004433 Examples: >
4434 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4435 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004436
4437simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4438 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4439 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4440 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4441 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4442 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4443 not removed either.
4444 Example: >
4445 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
4446< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
4447 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
4448 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
4449 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
4450 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
4451
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004452
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004453sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004454 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
4455 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4456 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
4457< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004458 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004459 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004460 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004461 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
4462 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004463 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
4464 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
4465 sorts before the second one. Example: >
4466 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
4467 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
4468 endfunc
4469 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004470<
4471
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004472 *soundfold()*
4473soundfold({word})
4474 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
4475 language in 'spellang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004476 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
4477 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004478 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
4479 the method can be quite slow.
4480
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004481 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004482spellbadword([{sentence}])
4483 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
4484 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
4485 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
4486 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
4487
4488 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
4489 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
4490 result is an empty string.
4491
4492 The return value is a list with two items:
4493 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
4494 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004495 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004496 "rare" rare word
4497 "local" word only valid in another region
4498 "caps" word should start with Capital
4499 Example: >
4500 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
4501< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
4502
4503 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
4504 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
4505 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004506
4507 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004508spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004509 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004510 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
4511 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
4512
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004513 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
4514 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
4515 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
4516
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004517 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
4518 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00004519 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
4520 replace a line.
4521
4522 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004523 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
4524 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004525
4526 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004527 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
4528 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004529
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004530
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004531split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004532 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
4533 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
4534 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004535 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004536 removing the matched characters.
4537 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
4538 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00004539 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
4540 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004541 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004542 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004543< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004544 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00004545< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
4546 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
4547< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004548 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
4549 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
4550< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004551
4552
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004553str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
4554 Convert string {expr} to a number.
4555 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
4556 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
4557 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
4558 with the default String to Number conversion.
4559 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
4560 different base the result will be zero.
4561 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004562
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004563
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004564strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
4565 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
4566 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
4567 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
4568 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
4569 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
4570 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
4571 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
4572 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
4573 Examples: >
4574 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
4575 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
4576 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
4577 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
4578 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
4579 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004580< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4581 :if exists("*strftime")
4582
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004583stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
4584 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4585 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004586 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
4587 This can be used to find a second match: >
4588 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
4589 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
4590< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004591 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004592 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004593 See also |strridx()|.
4594 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004595 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
4596 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
4597 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004598< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004599 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
4600 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
4601
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004602 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004603string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
4604 String or a composition of them, then the result can be parsed
4605 back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004606 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004607 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004608 Number 123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004609 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004610 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004611 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004612 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004613
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004614 *strlen()*
4615strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004616 {expr} in bytes.
4617 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
4618 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004619
4620 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004621<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004622 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
4623 For other types an error is given.
4624 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004625
4626strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
4627 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004628 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004629 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
4630 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
4631 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
4632 end of the {src}. >
4633 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
4634 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
4635 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
4636 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
4637< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
4638 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00004639 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004640<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004641strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
4642 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4643 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
4644 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
4645 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
4646 match: >
4647 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
4648 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
4649< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004650 For pattern searches use |match()|.
4651 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004652 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004653 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004654 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004655< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004656 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
4657 function strrchr().
4658
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004659strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
4660 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
4661 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
4662 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
4663 echo strtrans(@a)
4664< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
4665 starting a new line.
4666
4667submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
4668 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
4669 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
4670 the whole matched text is returned.
4671 Example: >
4672 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
4673< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
4674 A line break is included as a newline character.
4675
4676substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
4677 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
4678 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
4679 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
4680 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
4681 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00004682 'ignorecase' is still relevant.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004683 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
4684 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
4685 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
4686 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
4687 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
4688 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
4689 unmodified.
4690 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
4691 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
4692 Example: >
4693 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
4694< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
4695 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
4696< results in "TESTING".
4697
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004698synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004699 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004700 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004701 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
4702 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004703
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004704 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004705 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
4706
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004707 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
4708 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
4709 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
4710 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
4711 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
4712 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
4713 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
4714
4715 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
4716 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
4717<
4718synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
4719 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
4720 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
4721 about a syntax item.
4722 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
4723 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
4724 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
4725 used (GUI, cterm or term).
4726 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
4727 {what} result
4728 "name" the name of the syntax item
4729 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
4730 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
4731 term: empty string)
4732 "bg" background color (like "fg")
4733 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
4734 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
4735 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
4736 "bold" "1" if bold
4737 "italic" "1" if italic
4738 "reverse" "1" if reverse
4739 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
4740 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004741 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004742
4743 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
4744 cursor): >
4745 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
4746<
4747synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
4748 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
4749 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
4750 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
4751 ":highlight link" are followed.
4752
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004753system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
4754 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
4755 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
4756 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
4757 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004758 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004759 Note: newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail. The
4760 characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also cause
4761 trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004762 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
4763 The result is a String. Example: >
4764
4765 :let files = system("ls")
4766
4767< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
4768 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
4769 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
4770 The command executed is constructed using several options:
4771 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
4772 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
4773 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
4774 concatenated commands.
4775
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004776 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
4777 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
4778
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004779 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
4780 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00004781
4782 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
4783 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
4784 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004785 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
4786 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
4787
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004788
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004789tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004790 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004791 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
4792 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
4793 omitted the current tab page is used.
4794 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
4795 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
4796 tablist = []
4797 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
4798 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
4799 endfor
4800< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
4801
4802
4803tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004804 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4805 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
4806 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
4807 page is returned (the tab page count).
4808 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
4809
4810
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004811tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
4812 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
4813 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
4814 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
4815 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
4816 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
4817 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
4818 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
4819 Useful examples: >
4820 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
4821 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
4822< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
4823
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00004824 *tagfiles()*
4825tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
4826 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
4827
4828
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004829taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
4830 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00004831 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
4832 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004833 name Name of the tag.
4834 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004835 defined.
4836 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
4837 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004838 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004839 entry depends on the language specific
4840 kind values generated by the ctags
4841 tool.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004842 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004843 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004844 The "kind" entry is only available when using Exuberant ctags
4845 generated tags file. More entries may be present, depending
4846 on the content of the tags file: access, implementation,
4847 inherits and signature. Refer to the ctags documentation for
4848 information about these fields. For C code the fields
4849 "struct", "class" and "enum" may appear, they give the name of
4850 the entity the tag is contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004851
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004852 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
4853 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004854
4855 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
4856
4857 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
4858 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
4859 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
4860
4861 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
4862 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
4863 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
4864
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004865tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
4866 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
4867 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
4868 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
4869 :let tmpfile = tempname()
4870 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
4871< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
4872 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
4873 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
4874 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
4875 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
4876 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
4877
4878tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
4879 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
4880 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
4881 the string).
4882
4883toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
4884 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
4885 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
4886 the string).
4887
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00004888tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
4889 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
4890 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
4891 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
4892 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
4893 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
4894 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
4895
4896 Examples: >
4897 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
4898< returns "Hello THere" >
4899 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
4900< returns "{blob}"
4901
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004902 *type()*
4903type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004904 Number: 0
4905 String: 1
4906 Funcref: 2
4907 List: 3
4908 Dictionary: 4
4909 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004910 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
4911 :if type(myvar) == type("")
4912 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
4913 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004914 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004915
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004916values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004917 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
4918 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004919
4920
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004921virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
4922 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
4923 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
4924 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
4925 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
4926 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
4927 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
4928 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004929 For the use of {expr} see |col()|. Additionally you can use
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00004930 [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line and column number. When
4931 "lnum" or "col" is out of range then virtcol() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004932 When 'virtualedit' is used it can be [lnum, col, off], where
4933 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4934 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4935 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004936 For the byte position use |col()|.
4937 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
4938 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
4939 The accepted positions are:
4940 . the cursor position
4941 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
4942 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
4943 plus one)
4944 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4945 returned)
4946 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
4947 Examples: >
4948 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
4949 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
4950 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
4951< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
4952
4953visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
4954 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004955 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
4956 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
4957 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
4958 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
4959 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004960 Example: >
4961 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
4962< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
4963 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
4964 Visual mode that was used.
4965
4966 If an expression is supplied that results in a non-zero number
4967 or a non-empty string, then the Visual mode will be cleared
4968 and the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
4969 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared.
4970
4971 *winbufnr()*
4972winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004973 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004974 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
4975 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4976 Example: >
4977 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
4978<
4979 *wincol()*
4980wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
4981 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
4982 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
4983
4984winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
4985 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
4986 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
4987 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4988 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
4989 Examples: >
4990 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
4991<
4992 *winline()*
4993winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
4994 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
4995 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004996 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
4997 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004998
4999 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005000winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5001 window. The top window has number 1.
5002 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005003 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005004 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
5005 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
5006 If there is no previous window 0 is returned.
5007 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
5008 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005009
5010 *winrestcmd()*
5011winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
5012 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005013 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
5014 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005015 Example: >
5016 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5017 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
5018 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005019<
5020 *winrestview()*
5021winrestview({dict})
5022 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
5023 the view of the current window.
5024 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
5025 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
5026
5027 *winsaveview()*
5028winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
5029 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
5030 restore the view.
5031 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
5032 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
5033 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005034 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
5035 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005036 The return value includes:
5037 lnum cursor line number
5038 col cursor column
5039 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
5040 curswant column for vertical movement
5041 topline first line in the window
5042 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
5043 leftcol first column displayed
5044 skipcol columns skipped
5045 Note that no option values are saved.
5046
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005047
5048winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
5049 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
5050 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
5051 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5052 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
5053 Examples: >
5054 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
5055 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
5056 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
5057 :endif
5058<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005059 *writefile()*
5060writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005061 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005062 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
5063 Number.
5064 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
5065 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
5066 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
5067 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
5068 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
5069 to writefile().
5070 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
5071 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
5072 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
5073 fails.
5074 Also see |readfile()|.
5075 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5076 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5077 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5078<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005079
5080 *feature-list*
5081There are three types of features:
50821. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5083 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5084 :if has("cindent")
50852. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5086 Example: >
5087 :if has("gui_running")
5088< *has-patch*
50893. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5090 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5091 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5092 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
5093
5094all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5095amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5096arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5097arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00005098autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005099balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00005100balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005101beos BeOS version of Vim.
5102browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5103 work.
5104builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5105byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5106cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5107clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5108clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5109cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5110cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5111cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5112comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5113cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5114cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5115compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5116debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5117dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5118dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5119diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5120digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5121dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5122dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5123dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5124ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5125emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5126eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5127 true, of course!
5128ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5129extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5130 |'hlsearch'|
5131farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5132file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005133filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5134 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005135find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5136 |+find_in_path|.
5137fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5138 Windows this is not present).
5139folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5140footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5141fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5142gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5143gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5144gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005145gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5146gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
5147gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5148gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5149gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5150gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5151gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5152gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5153hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5154iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5155insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5156 Insert mode.
5157jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5158keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5159langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5160libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5161linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5162 support.
5163lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5164listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5165 and the argument list |arglist|.
5166localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5167mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5168macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5169menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5170mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5171modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5172mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5173mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5174mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5175mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5176mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5177mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
5178mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
5179multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
5180multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5181multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00005182mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005183netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00005184netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005185ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5186os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5187osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5188path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5189perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5190postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5191printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005192profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005193python Compiled with Python interface.
5194qnx QNX version of Vim.
5195quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00005196reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005197rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5198ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5199scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5200showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5201signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5202smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00005203sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005204statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5205 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5206sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00005207spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5208syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005209syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5210 current buffer.
5211system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5212tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5213 |tag-binary-search|.
5214tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5215 |tag-old-static|.
5216tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
5217 files |tag-any-white|.
5218tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
5219terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
5220termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
5221textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
5222tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
5223 or terminfo file.
5224title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
5225toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
5226unix Unix version of Vim.
5227user_commands User-defined commands.
5228viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
5229vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
5230vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
5231virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
5232visual Compiled with Visual mode.
5233visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
5234 |blockwise-operators|.
5235vms VMS version of Vim.
5236vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
5237wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
5238wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
5239windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
5240winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
5241win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
5242win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
5243win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
5244win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
5245win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
5246writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
5247xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
5248xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
5249xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
5250xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
5251xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
5252xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
5253 xterm screen.
5254x11 Compiled with X11 support.
5255
5256 *string-match*
5257Matching a pattern in a String
5258
5259A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
5260the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
5261everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
5262like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
5263line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
5264with ".". Example: >
5265 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
5266 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
5267 aa
5268 xx
5269 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
5270 a
5271 x
5272
5273Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
5274"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
5275"\n".
5276
5277==============================================================================
52785. Defining functions *user-functions*
5279
5280New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
5281functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
5282commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
5283
5284The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
5285builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
5286avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
5287the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
5288
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005289It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
5290|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005291
5292 *local-function*
5293A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
5294can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
5295and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
5296function from a mappings defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
5297instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
5298
5299 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
5300:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
5301
5302:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005303 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5304 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005305 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005306
5307:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
5308 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
5309 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005310<
5311 *:function-verbose*
5312When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
5313last defined. Example: >
5314
5315 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
5316 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
5317 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
5318<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00005319See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005320
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005321 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005322:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005323 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
5324 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
5325 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005326
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005327 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5328 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005329 :function dict.init(arg)
5330< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
5331 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
5332 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
5333 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
5334 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
5335 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005336 *E127* *E122*
5337 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
5338 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
5339 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
5340 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005341
5342 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
5343
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005344 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
5345 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
5346 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
5347 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
5348 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
5349 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
5350 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005351
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005352 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
5353 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005354
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005355 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005356 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005357 local variable "self" will then be set to the
5358 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005359
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00005360 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
5361 will not be changed by the function.
5362
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005363 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
5364:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
5365 by its own, without other commands.
5366
5367 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
5368:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005369 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5370 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005371 :delfunc dict.init
5372< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
5373 function is deleted if there are no more references to
5374 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005375 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
5376:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
5377 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
5378 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
5379 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
5380 the number 0 is returned.
5381 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
5382 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
5383
5384 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
5385 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
5386 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
5387 are executed first. This process applies to all
5388 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
5389 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
5390
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005391 *function-argument* *a:var*
5392An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
5393be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
5394 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740*
5395Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
5396arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
5397may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
5398as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005399can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
5400that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005401 *E742*
5402The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005403However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can changes their contents.
5404Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
5405it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
5406|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005407
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005408When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
5409to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
5410may be larger.
5411
5412It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
5413still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
5414until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
5415inside a function body.
5416
5417 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005418Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
5419will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
5420accessed with "g:".
5421
5422Example: >
5423 :function Table(title, ...)
5424 : echohl Title
5425 : echo a:title
5426 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005427 : echo a:0 . " items:"
5428 : for s in a:000
5429 : echon ' ' . s
5430 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005431 :endfunction
5432
5433This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005434 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
5435 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005436
5437To return more than one value, pass the name of a global variable: >
5438 :function Compute(n1, n2, divname)
5439 : if a:n2 == 0
5440 : return "fail"
5441 : endif
5442 : let g:{a:divname} = a:n1 / a:n2
5443 : return "ok"
5444 :endfunction
5445
5446This function can then be called with: >
5447 :let success = Compute(13, 1324, "div")
5448 :if success == "ok"
5449 : echo div
5450 :endif
5451
5452An alternative is to return a command that can be executed. This also works
5453with local variables in a calling function. Example: >
5454 :function Foo()
5455 : execute Bar()
5456 : echo "line " . lnum . " column " . col
5457 :endfunction
5458
5459 :function Bar()
5460 : return "let lnum = " . line(".") . " | let col = " . col(".")
5461 :endfunction
5462
5463The names "lnum" and "col" could also be passed as argument to Bar(), to allow
5464the caller to set the names.
5465
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00005466 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005467:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
5468 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
5469 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
5470 used.
5471 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
5472 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
5473 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
5474 function.
5475 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
5476 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
5477 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
5478 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
5479 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
5480 this works:
5481 *function-range-example* >
5482 :function Mynumber(arg)
5483 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
5484 :endfunction
5485 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
5486<
5487 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
5488 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
5489 the range.
5490
5491 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
5492
5493 :function Cont() range
5494 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
5495 :endfunction
5496 :4,8call Cont()
5497<
5498 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
5499 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
5500
5501 *E132*
5502The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
5503option.
5504
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005505
5506AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005507 *autoload-functions*
5508When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005509only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
5510the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
5511
5512
5513Using an autocommand ~
5514
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005515This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
5516
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005517The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
5518You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
5519That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
5520again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
5521
5522Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
5523function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005524
5525 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
5526
5527The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
5528"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
5529
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005530
5531Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005532 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005533This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
5534
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005535Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
5536exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
5537like this: >
5538
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005539 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005540
5541When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
5542"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
5543"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
5544then define the function like this: >
5545
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005546 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005547 echo "Done!"
5548 endfunction
5549
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00005550The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005551exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
5552called.
5553
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005554It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
5555a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005556
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005557 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005558
5559Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
5560
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005561This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
5562
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005563 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005564
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005565However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
5566for an unknown variable.
5567
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005568When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
5569be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
5570
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005571 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
5572 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005573
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00005574Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
5575defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
5576function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005577And you will get an error message every time.
5578
5579Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
5580other and vise versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
5581Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005582
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005583Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
5584|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
5585
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005586==============================================================================
55876. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
5588
5589Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
5590This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
5591{} like this: >
5592 my_{adjective}_variable
5593
5594When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
5595that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
5596name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
5597"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
5598"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
5599
5600One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
5601value. For example, the statement >
5602 echo my_{&background}_message
5603
5604would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
5605on the current value of 'background'.
5606
5607You can use multiple brace pairs: >
5608 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
5609..or even nest them: >
5610 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
5611where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
5612
5613However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005614variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005615 :let foo='a + b'
5616 :echo c{foo}d
5617.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
5618
5619 *curly-braces-function-names*
5620You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
5621Example: >
5622 :let func_end='whizz'
5623 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
5624
5625This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
5626
5627==============================================================================
56287. Commands *expression-commands*
5629
5630:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
5631 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
5632 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
5633 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
5634 is created.
5635
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005636:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
5637 Set a list item to the result of the expression
5638 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
5639 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
5640 the index can be repeated.
5641 This cannot be used to add an item to a list.
5642
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005643 *E711* *E719*
5644:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005645 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
5646 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005647 correct number of items.
5648 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
5649 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
5650 When the selected range of items is partly past the
5651 end of the list, items will be added.
5652
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005653 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005654:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
5655:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
5656:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
5657 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
5658 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
5659
5660
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005661:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
5662 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
5663 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005664:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
5665 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
5666 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
5667 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005668
5669:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
5670 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
5671 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
5672 must be the name of a writable register (see
5673 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
5674 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
5675 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
5676 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
5677 characterwise.
5678 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
5679 :let @/ = ""
5680< This is different from searching for an empty string,
5681 that would match everywhere.
5682
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005683:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
5684 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
5685 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
5686
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005687:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-star*
5688 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005689 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
5690 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005691 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
5692 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00005693 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005694 Example: >
5695 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005696
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005697:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
5698 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
5699 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
5700
5701:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
5702:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
5703 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
5704 {expr1}.
5705
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005706:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005707:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5708:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
5709:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005710 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
5711 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
5712
5713:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005714:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5715:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
5716:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005717 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
5718 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
5719
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005720:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005721 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005722 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
5723 {name2}, etc.
5724 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005725 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005726 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
5727 command as mentioned above.
5728 Example: >
5729 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005730< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
5731 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
5732 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
5733 :let x = [0, 1]
5734 :let i = 0
5735 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
5736 :echo x
5737< The result is [0, 2].
5738
5739:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
5740:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
5741:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
5742 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005743 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005744
5745:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005746 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005747 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
5748 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
5749 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005750 Example: >
5751 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
5752<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005753:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
5754:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
5755:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
5756 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005757 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005758 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005759:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005760 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
5761 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005762 g: global variables
5763 b: local buffer variables
5764 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005765 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005766 s: script-local variables
5767 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005768 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005769
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005770:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
5771 variable is indicated before the value:
5772 <nothing> String
5773 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005774 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005775
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005776
5777:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108*
5778 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
5779 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005780 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005781 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
5782 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005783 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005784 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
5785 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005786< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005787 :unlet dict['two']
5788 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005789
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005790:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
5791 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
5792 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
5793 A locked variable can be deleted: >
5794 :lockvar v
5795 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
5796 :unlet v
5797< *E741*
5798 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
5799 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
5800
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005801 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
5802 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
5803 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005804 cannot add or remove items, but can
5805 still change their values.
5806 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005807 the items. If an item is a |List| or
5808 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005809 items, but can still change the
5810 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005811 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
5812 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
5813 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
5814 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
5815 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005816 *E743*
5817 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
5818 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
5819 loops.
5820
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005821 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
5822 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005823 locked when used through the other variable.
5824 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005825 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
5826 :let cl = l
5827 :lockvar l
5828 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
5829< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
5830 See |deepcopy()|.
5831
5832
5833:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
5834 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
5835 opposite of |:lockvar|.
5836
5837
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005838:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
5839:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5840 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5841
5842 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
5843 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
5844 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
5845 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
5846 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
5847 part was not executed either.
5848
5849 You can use this to remain compatible with older
5850 versions: >
5851 :if version >= 500
5852 : version-5-specific-commands
5853 :endif
5854< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
5855 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
5856 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
5857 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
5858 avoid problems: >
5859 :if version >= 600
5860 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
5861 :endif
5862<
5863 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
5864 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
5865
5866 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
5867:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5868 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
5869 executed.
5870
5871 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
5872:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
5873 is no extra ":endif".
5874
5875:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005876 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005877:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
5878 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5879 When an error is detected from a command inside the
5880 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005881 Example: >
5882 :let lnum = 1
5883 :while lnum <= line("$")
5884 :call FixLine(lnum)
5885 :let lnum = lnum + 1
5886 :endwhile
5887<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005888 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005889 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005890
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005891:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005892:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
5893 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005894 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005895 value of each item.
5896 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005897 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00005898 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
5899 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005900 :for item in copy(mylist)
5901< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
5902 next item in the list, before executing the commands
5903 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
5904 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
5905 it will not be found. Thus the following example
5906 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
5907 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005908 :call remove(mylist, 0)
5909 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005910< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
5911 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
5912 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005913 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
5914 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
5915 to allow multiple item types.
5916
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005917:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
5918:endfo[r]
5919 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
5920 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
5921 {var2}, etc. Example: >
5922 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
5923 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
5924 :endfor
5925<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005926 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005927:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
5928 to the start of the loop.
5929 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5930 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5931 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5932 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5933 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5934 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005935
5936 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005937:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
5938 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
5939 ":endfor".
5940 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5941 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5942 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5943 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5944 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5945 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005946
5947:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
5948:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
5949 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
5950 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
5951 or autocommand invocations.
5952
5953 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
5954 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
5955 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
5956 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
5957 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
5958 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
5959 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
5960 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
5961 Example: >
5962 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
5963 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
5964<
5965 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
5966 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
5967 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
5968 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
5969 processing is not terminated.
5970
5971 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
5972 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
5973 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
5974 other errors are converted to a value of the form
5975 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
5976 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
5977 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
5978 the error number.
5979 Examples: >
5980 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
5981 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
5982<
5983 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
5984:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
5985 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
5986 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
5987 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
5988 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
5989 commands are skipped.
5990 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
5991 Examples: >
5992 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
5993 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
5994 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
5995 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
5996 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
5997 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
5998 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
5999 :catch " same as /.*/
6000<
6001 Another character can be used instead of / around the
6002 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
6003 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
6004 {pattern}.
6005 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
6006 an error message because it may vary in different
6007 locales.
6008
6009 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
6010:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
6011 are executed whenever the part between the matching
6012 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
6013 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
6014 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
6015 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
6016
6017 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
6018:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
6019 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
6020 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
6021 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
6022 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
6023 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
6024 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
6025 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
6026 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
6027 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
6028 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
6029 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
6030 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
6031 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
6032 is terminated.
6033 Example: >
6034 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
6035<
6036
6037 *:ec* *:echo*
6038:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
6039 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
6040 Also see |:comment|.
6041 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
6042 cursor to the first column.
6043 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6044 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6045 Example: >
6046 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
6047< A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
6048 To avoid that a command from before the ":echo" causes
6049 a redraw afterwards (redraws are often postponed until
6050 you type something), force a redraw with the |:redraw|
6051 command. Example: >
6052 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
6053<
6054 *:echon*
6055:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
6056 |:comment|.
6057 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6058 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6059 Example: >
6060 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
6061<
6062 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
6063 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
6064 command: >
6065 :!echo % --> filename
6066< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
6067 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
6068< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
6069 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
6070 :echo % --> nothing
6071< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
6072 :echo "%" --> %
6073< This just echoes the '%' character. >
6074 :echo expand("%") --> filename
6075< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
6076
6077 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6078:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6079 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6080 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6081 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6082< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6083 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6084
6085 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6086:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6087 message in the |message-history|.
6088 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6089 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6090 displayed, not interpreted.
6091 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6092 Example: >
6093 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
6094<
6095 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6096:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6097 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6098 script or function the line number will be added.
6099 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6100 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
6101 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6102 (see |try-echoerr|).
6103 Example: >
6104 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6105< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6106 And to get a beep: >
6107 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6108<
6109 *:exe* *:execute*
6110:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6111 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
6112 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
6113 used as the processed command, command line editing
6114 keys are not recognized.
6115 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6116 Examples: >
6117 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6118 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6119<
6120 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6121 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6122 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6123
6124< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6125 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6126 command: >
6127 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6128< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6129
6130 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006131 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6132 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006133 :execute 'while i > 5'
6134 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6135<
6136 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6137 completely in the executed string: >
6138 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6139<
6140
6141 *:comment*
6142 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6143 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6144 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6145 comment. Example: >
6146 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6147
6148==============================================================================
61498. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6150
6151The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6152explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6153
6154Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6155|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6156exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6157
6158
6159TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6160
6161Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6162use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6163a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6164 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6165|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6166a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6167be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6168which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6169clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6170
6171 :try
6172 : ...
6173 : ... TRY BLOCK
6174 : ...
6175 :catch /{pattern}/
6176 : ...
6177 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6178 : ...
6179 :catch /{pattern}/
6180 : ...
6181 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6182 : ...
6183 :finally
6184 : ...
6185 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6186 : ...
6187 :endtry
6188
6189The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6190appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6191from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6192 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6193is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6194script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6195 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6196lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6197patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6198after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6199executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
6200":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
6201(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
6202continues in the following line as usual.
6203 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
6204":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
6205that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
6206finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
6207the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
6208the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
6209see |try-nesting|.
6210 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
6211remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
6212not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
6213try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
6214a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
6215execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
6216exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6217 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
6218thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
6219clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
6220catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
6221following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
6222clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6223
6224The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
6225a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
6226try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
6227from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
6228sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
6229":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
6230":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
6231from the finally clause.
6232 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
6233try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
6234clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
6235":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
6236clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
6237":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
6238this pending exception or command is discarded.
6239
6240For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
6241
6242
6243NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
6244
6245Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
6246conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
6247clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
6248catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
6249of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
6250checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
6251try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
6252otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
6253nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
6254one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
6255the inner try conditional.
6256
6257When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
6258finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
6259An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
6260thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
6261implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
6262as usual.
6263
6264For examples see |throw-catch|.
6265
6266
6267EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
6268
6269Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
6270'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
6271script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
6272finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
6273a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
6274(see |debug-scripts|).
6275
6276
6277THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
6278
6279You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
6280and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
6281 :throw 4711
6282 :throw "string"
6283< *throw-expression*
6284You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
6285first, and the result is thrown: >
6286 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
6287 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
6288
6289An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
6290command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
6291The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
6292 Example: >
6293
6294 :function! Foo(arg)
6295 : try
6296 : throw a:arg
6297 : catch /foo/
6298 : endtry
6299 : return 1
6300 :endfunction
6301 :
6302 :function! Bar()
6303 : echo "in Bar"
6304 : return 4710
6305 :endfunction
6306 :
6307 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
6308
6309This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
6310executed. >
6311 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
6312however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
6313
6314Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
6315abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
6316exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
6317 Example: >
6318
6319 :if Foo("arrgh")
6320 : echo "then"
6321 :else
6322 : echo "else"
6323 :endif
6324
6325Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
6326
6327 *catch-order*
6328Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
6329commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
6330command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
6331gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
6332 Example: >
6333
6334 :function! Foo(value)
6335 : try
6336 : throw a:value
6337 : catch /^\d\+$/
6338 : echo "Number thrown"
6339 : catch /.*/
6340 : echo "String thrown"
6341 : endtry
6342 :endfunction
6343 :
6344 :call Foo(0x1267)
6345 :call Foo('string')
6346
6347The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
6348An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
6349specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
6350specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
6351
6352 : catch /.*/
6353 : echo "String thrown"
6354 : catch /^\d\+$/
6355 : echo "Number thrown"
6356
6357The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
6358never taken.
6359
6360 *throw-variables*
6361If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
6362in the variable |v:exception|: >
6363
6364 : catch /^\d\+$/
6365 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
6366
6367You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
6368|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
6369exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
6370 Example: >
6371
6372 :function! Caught()
6373 : if v:exception != ""
6374 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
6375 : else
6376 : echo 'Nothing caught'
6377 : endif
6378 :endfunction
6379 :
6380 :function! Foo()
6381 : try
6382 : try
6383 : try
6384 : throw 4711
6385 : finally
6386 : call Caught()
6387 : endtry
6388 : catch /.*/
6389 : call Caught()
6390 : throw "oops"
6391 : endtry
6392 : catch /.*/
6393 : call Caught()
6394 : finally
6395 : call Caught()
6396 : endtry
6397 :endfunction
6398 :
6399 :call Foo()
6400
6401This displays >
6402
6403 Nothing caught
6404 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
6405 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
6406 Nothing caught
6407
6408A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
6409number in the script or function where it has been used: >
6410
6411 :function! LineNumber()
6412 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
6413 :endfunction
6414 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
6415<
6416 *try-nested*
6417An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
6418a surrounding try conditional: >
6419
6420 :try
6421 : try
6422 : throw "foo"
6423 : catch /foobar/
6424 : echo "foobar"
6425 : finally
6426 : echo "inner finally"
6427 : endtry
6428 :catch /foo/
6429 : echo "foo"
6430 :endtry
6431
6432The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
6433clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
6434conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
6435
6436 *throw-from-catch*
6437You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
6438catch clause: >
6439
6440 :function! Foo()
6441 : throw "foo"
6442 :endfunction
6443 :
6444 :function! Bar()
6445 : try
6446 : call Foo()
6447 : catch /foo/
6448 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
6449 : throw "bar"
6450 : endtry
6451 :endfunction
6452 :
6453 :try
6454 : call Bar()
6455 :catch /.*/
6456 : echo "Caught" v:exception
6457 :endtry
6458
6459This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
6460
6461 *rethrow*
6462There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
6463"v:exception" instead: >
6464
6465 :function! Bar()
6466 : try
6467 : call Foo()
6468 : catch /.*/
6469 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
6470 : throw v:exception
6471 : endtry
6472 :endfunction
6473< *try-echoerr*
6474Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
6475exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
6476Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
6477denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
6478the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
6479
6480 :try
6481 : try
6482 : asdf
6483 : catch /.*/
6484 : echoerr v:exception
6485 : endtry
6486 :catch /.*/
6487 : echo v:exception
6488 :endtry
6489
6490This code displays
6491
6492 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
6493
6494
6495CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
6496
6497Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
6498user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
6499an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
6500a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
6501catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
6502a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
6503normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
6504(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
6505to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
6506clause has been executed.)
6507Example: >
6508
6509 :try
6510 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
6511 : set ts=17
6512 :
6513 : " Do the hard work here.
6514 :
6515 :finally
6516 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
6517 : unlet s:saved_ts
6518 :endtry
6519
6520This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
6521changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
6522that function or script part.
6523
6524 *break-finally*
6525Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
6526a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
6527 Example: >
6528
6529 :let first = 1
6530 :while 1
6531 : try
6532 : if first
6533 : echo "first"
6534 : let first = 0
6535 : continue
6536 : else
6537 : throw "second"
6538 : endif
6539 : catch /.*/
6540 : echo v:exception
6541 : break
6542 : finally
6543 : echo "cleanup"
6544 : endtry
6545 : echo "still in while"
6546 :endwhile
6547 :echo "end"
6548
6549This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
6550
6551 :function! Foo()
6552 : try
6553 : return 4711
6554 : finally
6555 : echo "cleanup\n"
6556 : endtry
6557 : echo "Foo still active"
6558 :endfunction
6559 :
6560 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
6561
6562This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
6563extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
6564return value.)
6565
6566 *except-from-finally*
6567Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
6568a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
6569cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
6570exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
6571 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
6572working correctly: >
6573
6574 :try
6575 : try
6576 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
6577 : while 1
6578 : endwhile
6579 : finally
6580 : unlet novar
6581 : endtry
6582 :catch /novar/
6583 :endtry
6584 :echo "Script still running"
6585 :sleep 1
6586
6587If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
6588think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
6589|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
6590
6591
6592CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
6593
6594If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
6595watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
6596presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
6597exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
6598the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
6599the error exception is.
6600 Error exceptions have the following format: >
6601
6602 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
6603or >
6604 Vim:{errmsg}
6605
6606{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
6607the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
6608when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
6609a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
6610a space.
6611
6612Examples:
6613
6614The command >
6615 :unlet novar
6616normally produces the error message >
6617 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6618which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6619 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
6620
6621The command >
6622 :dwim
6623normally produces the error message >
6624 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6625which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6626 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6627
6628You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
6629 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
6630or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
6631 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
6632
6633Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
6634 :function nofunc
6635and >
6636 :delfunction nofunc
6637both produce the error message >
6638 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6639which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6640 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6641or >
6642 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6643respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
6644command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
6645 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
6646
6647Some commands like >
6648 :let x = novar
6649produce multiple error messages, here: >
6650 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6651 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6652Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
6653one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
6654 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
6655
6656You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
6657 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
6658
6659You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
6660 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
6661
6662You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
6663 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
6664<
6665 *catch-text*
6666NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
6667 :catch /No such variable/
6668only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
6669a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
6670cite the message text in a comment: >
6671 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
6672
6673
6674IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
6675
6676You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
6677
6678 :try
6679 : write
6680 :catch
6681 :endtry
6682
6683But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
6684catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
6685be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
6686
6687 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
6688
6689There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
6690writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
6691then hide the error from the user.
6692 It is much better to use >
6693
6694 :try
6695 : write
6696 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6697 :endtry
6698
6699which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
6700intentionally.
6701
6702For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
6703even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
6704command: >
6705 :silent! nunmap k
6706This works also when a try conditional is active.
6707
6708
6709CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
6710
6711When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
6712the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
6713script is not terminated, then.
6714 Example: >
6715
6716 :function! TASK1()
6717 : sleep 10
6718 :endfunction
6719
6720 :function! TASK2()
6721 : sleep 20
6722 :endfunction
6723
6724 :while 1
6725 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
6726 : try
6727 : if command == ""
6728 : continue
6729 : elseif command == "END"
6730 : break
6731 : elseif command == "TASK1"
6732 : call TASK1()
6733 : elseif command == "TASK2"
6734 : call TASK2()
6735 : else
6736 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
6737 : continue
6738 : endif
6739 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6740 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
6741 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
6742 : endtry
6743 :endwhile
6744
6745You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
6746a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
6747
6748For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
6749your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
6750command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
6751
6752
6753CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
6754
6755The commands >
6756
6757 :catch /.*/
6758 :catch //
6759 :catch
6760
6761catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
6762explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
6763a script in order to catch unexpected things.
6764 Example: >
6765
6766 :try
6767 :
6768 : " do the hard work here
6769 :
6770 :catch /MyException/
6771 :
6772 : " handle known problem
6773 :
6774 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6775 : echo "Script interrupted"
6776 :catch /.*/
6777 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
6778 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
6779 :endtry
6780 :" end of script
6781
6782Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
6783strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
6784specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
6785 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
6786by pressing CTRL-C: >
6787
6788 :while 1
6789 : try
6790 : sleep 1
6791 : catch
6792 : endtry
6793 :endwhile
6794
6795
6796EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
6797
6798Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
6799
6800 :autocmd User x try
6801 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
6802 :autocmd User x catch
6803 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
6804 :autocmd User x endtry
6805 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
6806 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
6807 :
6808 :try
6809 : doautocmd User x
6810 :catch
6811 : echo v:exception
6812 :endtry
6813
6814This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
6815
6816 *except-autocmd-Pre*
6817For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
6818command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
6819of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
6820abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
6821 Example: >
6822
6823 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
6824 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
6825 :
6826 :try
6827 : write
6828 :catch
6829 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
6830 :endtry
6831
6832Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
6833you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
6834autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
6835script displays: >
6836
6837 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
6838<
6839 *except-autocmd-Post*
6840For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
6841command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
6842an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
6843is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
6844 Example: >
6845
6846 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
6847 :
6848 :try
6849 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6850 :catch
6851 : echo v:exception
6852 :endtry
6853
6854This just displays: >
6855
6856 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
6857
6858If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
6859fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
6860 Example: >
6861
6862 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
6863 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
6864 :
6865 :try
6866 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6867 :catch
6868 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6869 :endtry
6870<
6871You can also use ":silent!": >
6872
6873 :let x = "ok"
6874 :let v:errmsg = ""
6875 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
6876 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
6877 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
6878 :try
6879 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6880 :catch
6881 :endtry
6882 :echo x
6883
6884This displays "after fail".
6885
6886If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
6887autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
6888
6889 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
6890 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
6891 :
6892 :try
6893 : write
6894 :catch
6895 : echo v:exception
6896 :endtry
6897<
6898 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
6899For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
6900autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
6901of the command.
6902 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
6903had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
6904some way. >
6905
6906 :if !exists("cnt")
6907 : let cnt = 0
6908 :
6909 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
6910 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
6911 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
6912 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6913 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6914 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
6915 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
6916 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6917 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6918 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
6919 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6920 :endif
6921 :
6922 :try
6923 : write
6924 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
6925 : if &modified
6926 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
6927 : else
6928 : echo "Error after writing"
6929 : endif
6930 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6931 : echo "Error on writing"
6932 :endtry
6933
6934When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
6935first >
6936 File successfully written!
6937then >
6938 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
6939then >
6940 Error after writing
6941etc.
6942
6943 *except-autocmd-ill*
6944You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
6945The following code is ill-formed: >
6946
6947 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
6948 :
6949 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
6950 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
6951 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
6952 :
6953 :write
6954
6955
6956EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
6957
6958Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
6959pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
6960similar things in Vim.
6961 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
6962class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
6963string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
6964 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
6965it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
6966for an error when writing "myfile".
6967 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
6968base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
6969parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
6970 Example: >
6971
6972 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
6973 : if a:a < 0
6974 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
6975 : endif
6976 :endfunction
6977 :
6978 :function! Add(a, b)
6979 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
6980 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
6981 : let c = a:a + a:b
6982 : if c < 0
6983 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
6984 : endif
6985 : return c
6986 :endfunction
6987 :
6988 :function! Div(a, b)
6989 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
6990 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
6991 : if (a:b == 0)
6992 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
6993 : endif
6994 : return a:a / a:b
6995 :endfunction
6996 :
6997 :function! Write(file)
6998 : try
6999 : execute "write" a:file
7000 : catch /^Vim(write):/
7001 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
7002 : endtry
7003 :endfunction
7004 :
7005 :try
7006 :
7007 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
7008 :
7009 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
7010 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7011 : echo "Range error in" function
7012 :
7013 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
7014 : echo "Math error"
7015 :
7016 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
7017 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
7018 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7019 : if file !~ '^/'
7020 : let file = dir . "/" . file
7021 : endif
7022 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
7023 :
7024 :catch /^EXCEPT/
7025 : echo "Unspecified error"
7026 :
7027 :endtry
7028
7029The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
7030a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
7031exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
7032 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
7033failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
7034
7035
7036PECULIARITIES
7037 *except-compat*
7038The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
7039exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
7040and/or a catch clause.
7041
7042In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
7043continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
7044after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
7045functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
7046or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
7047(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
7048
7049This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
7050immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
7051conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
7052be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
7053termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
7054catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
7055by specifying a finally clause.)
7056
7057When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
7058behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
7059scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
7060
7061However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
7062commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
7063conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
7064script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
7065error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
7066messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
7067|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
7068not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
7069where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
7070error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
7071scripts.
7072
7073 *except-syntax-err*
7074Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
7075the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
7076clauses, however, is executed.
7077 Example: >
7078
7079 :try
7080 : try
7081 : throw 4711
7082 : catch /\(/
7083 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7084 : catch
7085 : echo "inner catch-all"
7086 : finally
7087 : echo "inner finally"
7088 : endtry
7089 :catch
7090 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7091 : finally
7092 : echo "outer finally"
7093 :endtry
7094
7095This displays: >
7096 inner finally
7097 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7098 outer finally
7099The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7100
7101 *except-single-line*
7102The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7103a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7104"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7105 Example: >
7106 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7107raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7108argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7109error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7110displayed.
7111
7112 *except-several-errors*
7113When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7114usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7115 Example: >
7116 echo novar
7117causes >
7118 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7119 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7120The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7121 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7122< *except-syntax-error*
7123But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7124the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7125 Example: >
7126 unlet novar #
7127causes >
7128 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7129 E488: Trailing characters
7130The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7131 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7132This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7133not intended by the user. Example: >
7134 try
7135 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7136 catch /.*/
7137 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7138 endtry
7139This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7140a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7141
7142==============================================================================
71439. Examples *eval-examples*
7144
7145Printing in Hex ~
7146>
7147 :" The function Nr2Hex() returns the Hex string of a number.
7148 :func Nr2Hex(nr)
7149 : let n = a:nr
7150 : let r = ""
7151 : while n
7152 : let r = '0123456789ABCDEF'[n % 16] . r
7153 : let n = n / 16
7154 : endwhile
7155 : return r
7156 :endfunc
7157
7158 :" The function String2Hex() converts each character in a string to a two
7159 :" character Hex string.
7160 :func String2Hex(str)
7161 : let out = ''
7162 : let ix = 0
7163 : while ix < strlen(a:str)
7164 : let out = out . Nr2Hex(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7165 : let ix = ix + 1
7166 : endwhile
7167 : return out
7168 :endfunc
7169
7170Example of its use: >
7171 :echo Nr2Hex(32)
7172result: "20" >
7173 :echo String2Hex("32")
7174result: "3332"
7175
7176
7177Sorting lines (by Robert Webb) ~
7178
7179Here is a Vim script to sort lines. Highlight the lines in Vim and type
7180":Sort". This doesn't call any external programs so it'll work on any
7181platform. The function Sort() actually takes the name of a comparison
7182function as its argument, like qsort() does in C. So you could supply it
7183with different comparison functions in order to sort according to date etc.
7184>
7185 :" Function for use with Sort(), to compare two strings.
7186 :func! Strcmp(str1, str2)
7187 : if (a:str1 < a:str2)
7188 : return -1
7189 : elseif (a:str1 > a:str2)
7190 : return 1
7191 : else
7192 : return 0
7193 : endif
7194 :endfunction
7195
7196 :" Sort lines. SortR() is called recursively.
7197 :func! SortR(start, end, cmp)
7198 : if (a:start >= a:end)
7199 : return
7200 : endif
7201 : let partition = a:start - 1
7202 : let middle = partition
7203 : let partStr = getline((a:start + a:end) / 2)
7204 : let i = a:start
7205 : while (i <= a:end)
7206 : let str = getline(i)
7207 : exec "let result = " . a:cmp . "(str, partStr)"
7208 : if (result <= 0)
7209 : " Need to put it before the partition. Swap lines i and partition.
7210 : let partition = partition + 1
7211 : if (result == 0)
7212 : let middle = partition
7213 : endif
7214 : if (i != partition)
7215 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7216 : call setline(i, str2)
7217 : call setline(partition, str)
7218 : endif
7219 : endif
7220 : let i = i + 1
7221 : endwhile
7222
7223 : " Now we have a pointer to the "middle" element, as far as partitioning
7224 : " goes, which could be anywhere before the partition. Make sure it is at
7225 : " the end of the partition.
7226 : if (middle != partition)
7227 : let str = getline(middle)
7228 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7229 : call setline(middle, str2)
7230 : call setline(partition, str)
7231 : endif
7232 : call SortR(a:start, partition - 1, a:cmp)
7233 : call SortR(partition + 1, a:end, a:cmp)
7234 :endfunc
7235
7236 :" To Sort a range of lines, pass the range to Sort() along with the name of a
7237 :" function that will compare two lines.
7238 :func! Sort(cmp) range
7239 : call SortR(a:firstline, a:lastline, a:cmp)
7240 :endfunc
7241
7242 :" :Sort takes a range of lines and sorts them.
7243 :command! -nargs=0 -range Sort <line1>,<line2>call Sort("Strcmp")
7244<
7245 *sscanf*
7246There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7247line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7248how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7249"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7250 :" Set up the match bit
7251 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7252 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7253 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7254 :"get each item out of the match
7255 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
7256 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
7257 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
7258
7259The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
7260"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
7261
7262==============================================================================
726310. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
7264
7265When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
7266evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
7267to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
7268recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
7269and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
7270only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
7271recognized.
7272
7273Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
7274missing: >
7275
7276 :if 1
7277 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
7278 :else
7279 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
7280 :endif
7281
7282==============================================================================
728311. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
7284
7285The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
7286options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
7287these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
7288these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00007289a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007290The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007291
7292These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
7293 - changing the buffer text
7294 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
7295 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
7296 - executing a shell command
7297 - reading or writing a file
7298 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00007299 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007300This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
7301
7302 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00007303:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007304 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
7305 'foldexpr'.
7306
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007307 *sandbox-option*
7308A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00007309have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007310restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
7311location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00007312- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007313- while executing in the sandbox
7314- value coming from a modeline
7315
7316Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
7317option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
7318
7319==============================================================================
732012. Textlock *textlock*
7321
7322In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
7323to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
7324is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
7325actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
7326happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
7327
7328This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
7329 - changing the buffer text
7330 - jumping to another buffer or window
7331 - editing another file
7332 - closing a window or quitting Vim
7333 - etc.
7334
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007335
7336 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: