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Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.0c. Last change: 2006 Apr 04
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 Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000152nested List: >
153 :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
195similar to -1. The difference is that there is no error if the items are not
196available. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000197 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
198 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
199 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000200
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000201The second index can be just before the first index. In that case the result
202is an empty list. If the second index is lower, this results in an error. >
203 :echo mylist[2:1] " result: []
204 :echo mylist[2:0] " error!
205
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000206NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
207using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
208mylist[s : e].
209
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000210
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000211List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000212 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000213When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
214variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
215change "bb": >
216 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
217 :let bb = aa
218 :call add(aa, 4)
219 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000220< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000221
222Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
223works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000224a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000225 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
226 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000227 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
229 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000230< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000231 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000232< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000233
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000234To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
237The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000238List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000239the same value. >
240 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
241 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
242 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000243< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000244 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000245< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000246
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000247Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
248same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000249exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
250different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
251variables. Example: >
252 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000253< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000254 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000255< 0
256
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000257Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
258can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a string: >
259
260 :let a = 5
261 :let b = "5"
262 echo a == b
263< 1 >
264 echo [a] == [b]
265< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000266
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000267
268List unpack ~
269
270To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
271square brackets, like list items: >
272 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
273
274When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
275this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
276and a variable name: >
277 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
278
279This works like: >
280 :let var1 = mylist[0]
281 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000282 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000283
284Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
285empty list then.
286
287
288List modification ~
289 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000290To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000291 :let list[4] = "four"
292 :let listlist[0][3] = item
293
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000294To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000295modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000296 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
297
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000298Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
299examples: >
300 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
301 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
302 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000303 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000304 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
305 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000306 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000307 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000308 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000309 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000310
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000311Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000312 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
313 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
314
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000315
316For loop ~
317
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000318The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
319to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000320 :for item in mylist
321 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000322 :endfor
323
324This works like: >
325 :let index = 0
326 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000327 : let item = mylist[index]
328 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000329 : let index = index + 1
330 :endwhile
331
332Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000333results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000334the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000335
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000336If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000337function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000338
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000339Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
340requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
341 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
342 : call Doit(lnum, col)
343 :endfor
344
345This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
346must remain the same to avoid an error.
347
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000348It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000349 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
350 : call Doit(i, j)
351 : if !empty(rest)
352 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
353 : endif
354 :endfor
355
356
357List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000358 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000359Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000360 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000361 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000362 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
363 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
364 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000365 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
366 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000367 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
368 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000369 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
370 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000371 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
372 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000373
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000374Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
375example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
376 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
377
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000378
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003791.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000380 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000381A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000382entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
383ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000384
385
386Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000387 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000388A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000389braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
390only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000391 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
392 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000393< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000394A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
395String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000396entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
397Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000398
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000399A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000400nested Dictionary: >
401 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
402
403An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
404
405
406Accessing entries ~
407
408The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
409 :let val = mydict["one"]
410 :let mydict["four"] = 4
411
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000412You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000413
414For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
415form can be used |expr-entry|: >
416 :let val = mydict.one
417 :let mydict.four = 4
418
419Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
420key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000421 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000422
423
424Dictionary to List conversion ~
425
426You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
427turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
428
429Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
430 :for key in keys(mydict)
431 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
432 :endfor
433
434The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
435 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
436
437To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
438 :for v in values(mydict)
439 : echo "value: " . v
440 :endfor
441
442If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000443a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000444 :for entry in items(mydict)
445 : echo entry[0] . ': ' . entry[1]
446 :endfor
447
448
449Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000450 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000451Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
452Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
453Dictionary: >
454 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
455 :let adict = onedict
456 :let adict['a'] = 11
457 :echo onedict['a']
458 11
459
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000460Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
461more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000462
463
464Dictionary modification ~
465 *dict-modification*
466To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
467use |:let| this way: >
468 :let dict[4] = "four"
469 :let dict['one'] = item
470
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000471Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
472Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
473 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
474 :unlet dict.aaa
475 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000476
477Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000478 :call extend(adict, bdict)
479This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
480in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000481Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
482expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
483adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000484
485Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +0000486 :call filter(dict 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000487This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000488
489
490Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000491 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000492When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
493special way with a dictionary. Example: >
494 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000495 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000496 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000497 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
498 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000499
500This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
501Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
502the function was invoked from.
503
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000504It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
505Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
506
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000507 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000508To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
509assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
511 :function mydict.len() dict
512 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000513 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000514 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000515
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000516The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
517that references this function. The function can only be used through a
518|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
519remaining that refers to it.
520
521It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000522
523
524Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000525 *E715*
526Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000527 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
528 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
529 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
530 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
531 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
532 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
533 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
534 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000535
536
5371.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000538 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000539If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
540function.
541
542When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
543start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
544stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
545
546When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
547start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
548stored in the session file |session-file|.
549
550variable name can be stored where ~
551my_var_6 not
552My_Var_6 session file
553MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
554
555
556It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
557|curly-braces-names|.
558
559==============================================================================
5602. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
561
562Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
563
564|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
565
566|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
567
568|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
569
570|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
571 expr5 != expr5 not equal
572 expr5 > expr5 greater than
573 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
574 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
575 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
576 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
577 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
578
579 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
580 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
581 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
582 matching case
583
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000584 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
585 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000586
587|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000588 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
589 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
590
591|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
592 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
593 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
594
595|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
596 - expr7 unary minus
597 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000598
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000599
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000600|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
601 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
602 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
603 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000604
605|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000606 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000607 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000608 [expr1, ...] |List|
609 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000610 &option option value
611 (expr1) nested expression
612 variable internal variable
613 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
614 $VAR environment variable
615 @r contents of register 'r'
616 function(expr1, ...) function call
617 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
618
619
620".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
621Example: >
622 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
623
624All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
625
626
627expr1 *expr1* *E109*
628-----
629
630expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
631
632The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
633non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
634otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
635Example: >
636 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
637
638Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
639other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
640Example: >
641 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
642
643To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
644 :echo lnum == 1
645 :\ ? "top"
646 :\ : lnum == 1000
647 :\ ? "last"
648 :\ : lnum
649
650
651expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
652---------------
653
654 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
655The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
656are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
657
658 input output ~
659n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
660zero zero zero zero
661zero non-zero non-zero zero
662non-zero zero non-zero zero
663non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
664
665The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
666
667 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
668
669Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
670
671 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
672
673Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
674arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
675
676 let a = 1
677 echo a || b
678
679This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
680so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
681
682 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
683
684This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
685only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
686
687
688expr4 *expr4*
689-----
690
691expr5 {cmp} expr5
692
693Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
694if it evaluates to true.
695
696 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
697 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
698 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
699 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
700 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
701 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000702 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000703 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
704equal == ==# ==?
705not equal != !=# !=?
706greater than > ># >?
707greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
708smaller than < <# <?
709smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
710regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
711regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000712same instance is
713different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000714
715Examples:
716"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
717"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
718"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
719
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000720 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000721A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
722"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
723Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000724
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000725 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000726A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
727equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000728recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
729
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000730 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000731A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
732equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000733
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000734When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
735referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
736the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
737using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000738different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
739is false.
740
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000741When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
742and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
743because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
744
745When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
746results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
747necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
748
749When using the operators with a trailing '#", or the short version and
750'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp().
751
752When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
753'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp().
754
755The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
756argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
757This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
758matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
759portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
760single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
761Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
762(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
763can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
764 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
765 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
766
767
768expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
769---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000770expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000771expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
772expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000773
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000774For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000775result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000776
777expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
778expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
779expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000780
781For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
782
783Note the difference between "+" and ".":
784 "123" + "456" = 579
785 "123" . "456" = "123456"
786
787When the righthand side of '/' is zero, the result is 0x7fffffff.
788When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
789
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000790None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000791
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000792
793expr7 *expr7*
794-----
795! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
796- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
797+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
798
799For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
800For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
801For '+' the number is unchanged.
802
803A String will be converted to a Number first.
804
805These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
806 !-1 == 0
807 !!8 == 1
808 --9 == 9
809
810
811expr8 *expr8*
812-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000813expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000814
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000815If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
816expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000817Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000818
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000819Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
820text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
821cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000822 :let c = getline(line("."))[col(".") - 1]
823
824If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000825String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
826compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
827
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000828If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000829for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
830error. Example: >
831 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
832
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000833Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
834|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
835error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000836
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000837
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000838expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000839
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000840If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
841from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000842expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
843encodings.
844
845If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
846string minus one is used.
847
848A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
849the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
850
851If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
852expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
853
854Examples: >
855 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
856 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
857 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
858 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
859
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000860If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
861the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
862just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000863 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
864 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
865 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
866
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000867Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
868error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000869
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000870
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000871expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000872
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000873If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
874name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
875expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000876
877The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
878but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
879
880There must not be white space before or after the dot.
881
882Examples: >
883 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
884 :echo dict.one
885 :echo dict .2
886
887Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
888always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
889
890
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000891expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000892
893When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
894
895
896
897 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000898number
899------
900number number constant *expr-number*
901
902Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
903
904
905string *expr-string* *E114*
906------
907"string" string constant *expr-quote*
908
909Note that double quotes are used.
910
911A string constant accepts these special characters:
912\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
913\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
914\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
915\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
916\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
917\X.. same as \x..
918\X. same as \x.
919\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
920 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
921\U.... same as \u....
922\b backspace <BS>
923\e escape <Esc>
924\f formfeed <FF>
925\n newline <NL>
926\r return <CR>
927\t tab <Tab>
928\\ backslash
929\" double quote
930\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
931
932Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
933
934
935literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
936---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000937'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000938
939Note that single quotes are used.
940
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000941This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000942meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000943
944Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
945to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
946 if a =~ "\\s*"
947 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000948
949
950option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
951------
952&option option value, local value if possible
953&g:option global option value
954&l:option local option value
955
956Examples: >
957 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
958 if &insertmode
959
960Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
961and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
962anyway.
963
964
965register *expr-register*
966--------
967@r contents of register 'r'
968
969The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
970Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +0000971register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
972registers.
973
974When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
975evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000976
977
978nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
979-------
980(expr1) nested expression
981
982
983environment variable *expr-env*
984--------------------
985$VAR environment variable
986
987The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
988result is an empty string.
989 *expr-env-expand*
990Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
991expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
992are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
993the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
994fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
995does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
996 :echo $version
997 :echo expand("$version")
998The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
999variable (if your shell supports it).
1000
1001
1002internal variable *expr-variable*
1003-----------------
1004variable internal variable
1005See below |internal-variables|.
1006
1007
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001008function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001009-------------
1010function(expr1, ...) function call
1011See below |functions|.
1012
1013
1014==============================================================================
10153. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1016 *E461*
1017An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1018cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1019|curly-braces-names|.
1020
1021An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001022An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1023|:unlet|.
1024Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1025been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001026
1027There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1028specified by what is prepended:
1029
1030 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1031|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1032|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001033|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001034|global-variable| g: Global.
1035|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1036|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1037|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1038|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1039
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001040The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1041delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001042 :for k in keys(s:)
1043 : unlet s:[k]
1044 :endfor
1045<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001046 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1047A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1048Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1049This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1050|:bdelete|.
1051
1052One local buffer variable is predefined:
1053 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1054b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1055 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1056 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1057 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1058 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1059 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1060 : call My_Update()
1061 :endif
1062<
1063 *window-variable* *w:var*
1064A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1065is deleted when the window is closed.
1066
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001067 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1068A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1069It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1070without the +windows feature}
1071
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001072 *global-variable* *g:var*
1073Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1074access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1075place if you like.
1076
1077 *local-variable* *l:var*
1078Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1079But you can also prepend "l:" if you like.
1080
1081 *script-variable* *s:var*
1082In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1083accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1084
1085They can be used in:
1086- commands executed while the script is sourced
1087- functions defined in the script
1088- autocommands defined in the script
1089- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1090 defined in the script (recursively)
1091- user defined commands defined in the script
1092Thus not in:
1093- other scripts sourced from this one
1094- mappings
1095- etc.
1096
1097script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1098Take this example:
1099
1100 let s:counter = 0
1101 function MyCounter()
1102 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1103 echo s:counter
1104 endfunction
1105 command Tick call MyCounter()
1106
1107You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1108that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1109"Tick" was defined is used.
1110
1111Another example that does the same: >
1112
1113 let s:counter = 0
1114 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1115
1116When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001117script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001118defined.
1119
1120The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1121function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1122
1123 let s:counter = 0
1124 function StartCounting(incr)
1125 if a:incr
1126 function MyCounter()
1127 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1128 endfunction
1129 else
1130 function MyCounter()
1131 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1132 endfunction
1133 endif
1134 endfunction
1135
1136This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1137when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1138called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1139
1140When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1141They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1142maintain a counter: >
1143
1144 if !exists("s:counter")
1145 let s:counter = 1
1146 echo "script executed for the first time"
1147 else
1148 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1149 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1150 endif
1151
1152Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1153variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1154
1155
1156Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1157
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001158 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1159v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1160 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1161 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1162
1163 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1164v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1165 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1166
1167 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1168v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1169 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1170
1171 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001172v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1173 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1174 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1175 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001176 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1177 highlighted text is used.
1178 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1179
1180 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1181v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1182 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1183
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001184 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1185v:charconvert_from
1186 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1187 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1188
1189 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1190v:charconvert_to
1191 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1192 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1193
1194 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1195v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1196 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1197 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1198 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1199 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1200 possible to append this variable directly after the
1201 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1202 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1203 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1204 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1205 in 'printexpr'.
1206
1207 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1208v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1209 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1210 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1211 can be used.
1212
1213 *v:count* *count-variable*
1214v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1215 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1216 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1217< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1218 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001219 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001220 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1221
1222 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1223v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1224 used.
1225
1226 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1227v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1228 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1229 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1230 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1231 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1232 command.
1233 See |multi-lang|.
1234
1235 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1236v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1237 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1238 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1239 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1240 Example: >
1241 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1242<
1243 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1244v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1245 Example: >
1246 :let v:errmsg = ""
1247 :silent! next
1248 :if v:errmsg != ""
1249 : ... handle error
1250< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1251
1252 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1253v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1254 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1255 Example: >
1256 :try
1257 : throw "oops"
1258 :catch /.*/
1259 : echo "caught" v:exception
1260 :endtry
1261< Output: "caught oops".
1262
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001263 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1264v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1265 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1266 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1267 deleted file no longer exists
1268 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1269 changed and buffer is modified
1270 changed file contents has changed
1271 mode mode of file changed
1272 time only file timestamp changed
1273
1274 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1275v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1276 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1277 do with the affected buffer:
1278 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1279 the file was deleted).
1280 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1281 was no autocommand. Except that when
1282 only the timestamp changed nothing
1283 will happen.
1284 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1285 everything that needs to be done.
1286 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1287 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1288
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001289 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001290v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001291 option used for ~
1292 'charconvert' file to be converted
1293 'diffexpr' original file
1294 'patchexpr' original file
1295 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001296 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001297
1298 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1299v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1300 evaluating:
1301 option used for ~
1302 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1303 'diffexpr' output of diff
1304 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1305 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1306 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1307 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1308 file and different from v:fname_in.
1309
1310 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1311v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1312 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1313
1314 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1315v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1316 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1317
1318 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1319v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1320 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001321 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001322
1323 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1324v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001325 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001326
1327 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1328v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001329 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001330
1331 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1332v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001333 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001334
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001335 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1336v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1337 events. Values:
1338 i Insert mode
1339 r Replace mode
1340 v Virtual Replace mode
1341
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001342 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001343v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001344 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1345 Read-only.
1346
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001347 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1348v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1349 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1350 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1351 The value is system dependent.
1352 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1353 command.
1354 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1355 in a different language than what is used for character
1356 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1357
1358 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1359v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1360 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1361 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1362 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1363 command. See |multi-lang|.
1364
1365 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001366v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00001367 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'. Only valid
1368 while one of these expressions is being evaluated. Read-only
1369 when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001370
1371 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1372v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1373 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1374 you want to cancel Visual mode and then use the count. >
1375 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1376< Read-only.
1377
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001378 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1379v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1380 See |profiling|.
1381
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001382 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1383v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1384 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1385 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1386 Read-only.
1387
1388 *v:register* *register-variable*
1389v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1390 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1391
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001392 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1393v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1394 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1395 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1396 typed command.
1397 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1398 hit-enter prompt.
1399
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001400 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1401v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1402 Read-only.
1403
1404 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1405v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1406 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1407 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1408 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1409 executed. Read-only.
1410 Example: >
1411 :!mv foo bar
1412 :if v:shell_error
1413 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1414 :endif
1415< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1416
1417 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1418v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1419
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001420 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1421v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1422 the swap file found. Read-only.
1423
1424 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1425v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1426 for handling an existing swap file:
1427 'o' Open read-only
1428 'e' Edit anyway
1429 'r' Recover
1430 'd' Delete swapfile
1431 'q' Quit
1432 'a' Abort
1433 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1434 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1435 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1436
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001437 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001438v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001439 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1440 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1441 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001442 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001443
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001444 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1445v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1446 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1447 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1448 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1449 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1450 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1451 terminal.
1452 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1453 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1454 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1455 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1456 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1457
1458 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1459v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1460 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1461 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1462 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1463
1464 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1465v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1466 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1467 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1468 Example: >
1469 :try
1470 : throw "oops"
1471 :catch /.*/
1472 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1473 :endtry
1474< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1475
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001476 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001477v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
1478 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001479 |filter()|. Read-only.
1480
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001481 *v:version* *version-variable*
1482v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1483 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1484 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1485 compatibility.
1486 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1487 if has("patch123")
1488< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1489 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1490 completely different.
1491
1492 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1493v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1494
1495==============================================================================
14964. Builtin Functions *functions*
1497
1498See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1499
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001500(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001501
1502USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1503
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001504add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001505append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001506append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001507argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001508argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001509argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001510argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001511browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1512 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001513browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001514bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001515buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1516bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001517bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1518bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1519bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1520byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001521byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001522call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1523 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001524changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001525char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001526cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001527col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00001528complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001529complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1530complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001531confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1532 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001533copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001534count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1535 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001536cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1537 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001538cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1539 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1540cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001541deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001542delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1543did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001544diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1545diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001546empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001547escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001548eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001549eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001550executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1551exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
1552expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
1553filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001554filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1555 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001556finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
1557 String Find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001558findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001559 String Find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001560filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
1561fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001562foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1563foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001564foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001565foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001566foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001567function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001568get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001569get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001570getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1571 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001572getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1573getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001574getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
1575getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1576getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001577getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001578getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001579getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1580getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001581getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001582getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001583getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001584getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1585getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001586getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001587getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001588getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001589getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001590getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001591getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1592getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1593getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in window {nr}
1594glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1595globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1596has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001597has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001598hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1599 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001600histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1601histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1602histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1603histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1604hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1605hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1606hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001607iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1608indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001609index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1610 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001611input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1612 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001613inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001614inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1615inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001616inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001617insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001618isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001619islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001620items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001621join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001622keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001623len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1624libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001625libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1626line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1627line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001628lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001629localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001630map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001631maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1632 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1633mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1634 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001635match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001636 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001637matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001638matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001639 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001640matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1641 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001642matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1643 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001644max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1645min({list}) Number minumum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001646mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1647 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001648mode() String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001649nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1650nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001651pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001652prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00001653printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001654pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001655range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1656 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001657readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1658 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001659reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1660reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001661remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1662 String send expression
1663remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1664remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1665 Number check for reply string
1666remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1667remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1668 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001669remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001670remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001671rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1672repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1673resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001674reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001675search( {pattern} [, {flags}]) Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001676searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1677 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001678searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001679 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001680searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001681 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001682searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001683 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001684server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1685 Number send reply string
1686serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1687setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1688setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1689setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001690setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1691 Number modify location list using {list}
1692setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001693setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001694setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001695simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001696sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001697soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001698spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001699spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1700 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001701split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001702 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001703str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert string to number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001704strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001705stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1706 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001707string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001708strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1709strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1710 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001711strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1712 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001713strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001714submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001715substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1716 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001717synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001718synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1719 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1720synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001721system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001722tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1723tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1724tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1725 Number number of current window in tab page
1726taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00001727tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001728tempname() String name for a temporary file
1729tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1730toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001731tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1732 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001733type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001734values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001735virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1736visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1737winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1738wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1739winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1740winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001741winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001742winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001743winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1744winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001745winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001746writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1747 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001748
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001749add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001750 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1751 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001752 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1753 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001754< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001755 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001756 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001757
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001758
1759append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001760 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1761 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001762 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1763 the current buffer.
1764 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001765 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1766 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001767 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001768 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001769<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001770 *argc()*
1771argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1772 current window. See |arglist|.
1773
1774 *argidx()*
1775argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1776 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1777
1778 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001779argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001780 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1781 Example: >
1782 :let i = 0
1783 :while i < argc()
1784 : let f = escape(argv(i), '. ')
1785 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1786 : let i = i + 1
1787 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001788< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
1789 returned.
1790
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001791 *browse()*
1792browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1793 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1794 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1795 The input fields are:
1796 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1797 {title} title for the requester
1798 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1799 {default} default file name
1800 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1801 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1802
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001803 *browsedir()*
1804browsedir({title}, {initdir})
1805 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
1806 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1807 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
1808 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
1809 to be used.
1810 The input fields are:
1811 {title} title for the requester
1812 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1813 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1814 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1815
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001816bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
1817 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1818 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001819 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001820 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001821 exactly. The name can be:
1822 - Relative to the current directory.
1823 - A full path.
1824 - The name of a buffer with 'filetype' set to "nofile".
1825 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001826 Unlisted buffers will be found.
1827 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
1828 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
1829 long name to be able to find them.
1830 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
1831 file name.
1832 *buffer_exists()*
1833 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
1834
1835buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
1836 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1837 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001838 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001839
1840bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
1841 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1842 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001843 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001844
1845bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
1846 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
1847 ":ls" command.
1848 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
1849 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
1850 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
1851 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
1852 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
1853 match an empty string is returned.
1854 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
1855 alternate buffer.
1856 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
1857 or middle of the buffer name is accepted.
1858 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
1859 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
1860 buffers are searched for.
1861 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
1862 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
1863 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
1864< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
1865 string is returned. >
1866 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
1867 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
1868 bufname("%") name of current buffer
1869 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
1870< *buffer_name()*
1871 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
1872
1873 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001874bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
1875 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001876 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001877 above.
1878 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
1879 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
1880 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001881 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
1882 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
1883< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
1884 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
1885 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
1886 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
1887 *buffer_number()*
1888 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
1889 *last_buffer_nr()*
1890 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
1891
1892bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
1893 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
1894 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
1895 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
1896 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
1897
1898 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
1899
1900< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
1901 |:wincmd|.
1902
1903
1904byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
1905 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
1906 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
1907 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
1908 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
1909 one.
1910 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
1911 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
1912 feature}
1913
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00001914byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
1915 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
1916 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
1917 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
1918 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
1919 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
1920 Example : >
1921 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
1922< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
1923 same: >
1924 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
1925 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
1926< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
1927 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
1928 is returned.
1929
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001930call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001931 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001932 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001933 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001934 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
1935 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001936 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
1937 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001938
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001939changenr() *changenr()*
1940 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
1941 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
1942 with the |:undo| command.
1943 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
1944 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
1945 one less than the number of the undone change.
1946
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001947char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
1948 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
1949 char2nr(" ") returns 32
1950 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
1951< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00001952 char2nr("?") returns 225
1953 char2nr("?"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001954< nr2char() does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001955
1956cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
1957 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
1958 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
1959 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
1960 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
1961 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
1962 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00001963 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001964
1965 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001966col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001967 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
1968 . the cursor position
1969 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
1970 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
1971 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
1972 returned)
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001973 To get the line number use |col()|. To get both use
1974 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001975 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
1976 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
1977 Examples: >
1978 col(".") column of cursor
1979 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
1980 col("'t") column of mark t
1981 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
1982< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
1983 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
1984 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
1985 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
1986 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
1987 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
1988 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
1989 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
1990<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001991
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00001992complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
1993 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
1994 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
1995 with an expression argument |:map-<expr>| or CTRL-R =
1996 |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O.
1997 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
1998 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
1999 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2000 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2001 match.
2002 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2003 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2004 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2005 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2006 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2007 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2008 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2009 Example: >
2010 inoremap <expr> <F5> ListMonths()
2011
2012 func! ListMonths()
2013 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2014 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2015 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2016 return ''
2017 endfunc
2018< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2019 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2020
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002021complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2022 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2023 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2024 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2025 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2026 the list.
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002027 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
2028 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002029
2030complete_check() *complete_check()*
2031 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2032 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2033 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2034 zero otherwise.
2035 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2036 'completefunc' option.
2037
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002038 *confirm()*
2039confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2040 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2041 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2042 choice this is 1.
2043 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2044 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2045 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2046 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2047 used (and translated).
2048 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2049 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2050 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2051 by '\n', e.g. >
2052 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2053< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2054 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2055 not need to be the first letter: >
2056 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2057< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2058 the default shortcut key.
2059 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2060 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2061 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2062 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
2063 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2064 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2065 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2066 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2067 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2068 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2069 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2070
2071 An example: >
2072 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2073 :if choice == 0
2074 : echo "make up your mind!"
2075 :elseif choice == 3
2076 : echo "tasteful"
2077 :else
2078 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2079 :endif
2080< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2081 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
2082 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
2083 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2084 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2085 the horizontal layout is always used.
2086
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002087 *copy()*
2088copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2089 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002090 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2091 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002092 copy, and vise versa. But the items are identical, thus
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002093 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002094 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002095
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002096count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002097 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002098 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002099 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002100 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002101 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2102
2103
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002104 *cscope_connection()*
2105cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2106 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2107 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2108 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2109 if there are no cscope connections;
2110 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2111
2112 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2113 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2114
2115 {num} Description of existence check
2116 ----- ------------------------------
2117 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2118 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2119 {dbpath}.
2120 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2121 {dbpath}.
2122 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2123 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2124 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2125 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2126
2127 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2128
2129 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2130
2131 # pid database name prepend path
2132 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2133<
2134 Invocation Return Val ~
2135 ---------- ---------- >
2136 cscope_connection() 1
2137 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2138 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2139 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2140 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2141 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2142 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2143 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2144<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002145cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2146cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002147 Positions the cursor at the column {col} in the line {lnum}.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002148 The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002149 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002150 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2151 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002152 Does not change the jumplist.
2153 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2154 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2155 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002156 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002157 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2158 line.
2159 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002160 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2161 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
2162 position within a Tab or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002163
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002164
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002165deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002166 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2167 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002168 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2169 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
2170 copy, and vise versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002171 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002172 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2173 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2174 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2175 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2176 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2177 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002178 *E724*
2179 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002180 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2181 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002182 Also see |copy()|.
2183
2184delete({fname}) *delete()*
2185 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002186 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2187 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002188 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002189
2190 *did_filetype()*
2191did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2192 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2193 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2194 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2195 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2196 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2197 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2198 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2199 file.
2200
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002201diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2202 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2203 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2204 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2205 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2206 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2207 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2208 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2209
2210diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2211 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2212 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2213 diff change zero is returned.
2214 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2215 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2216 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2217 line.
2218 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2219 syntax information about the highlighting.
2220
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002221empty({expr}) *empty()*
2222 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002223 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
2224 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2225 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2226 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002227
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002228escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2229 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2230 backslash. Example: >
2231 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2232< results in: >
2233 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002234
2235< *eval()*
2236eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2237 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2238 This works for Numbers, Strings and composites of them.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002239 Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002240
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002241eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2242 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2243 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2244 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2245 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2246
2247executable({expr}) *executable()*
2248 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2249 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002250 arguments.
2251 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2252 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2253 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2254 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2255 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2256 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2257 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2258 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2259 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2260 extension.
2261 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2262 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002263 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2264 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2265 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002266 The result is a Number:
2267 1 exists
2268 0 does not exist
2269 -1 not implemented on this system
2270
2271 *exists()*
2272exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2273 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2274 which contains one of these:
2275 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2276 not if it really works)
2277 +option-name Vim option that works.
2278 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2279 done by comparing with an empty
2280 string)
2281 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2282 or user defined function (see
2283 |user-functions|).
2284 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002285 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002286 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2287 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
2288 that this may cause functions to be
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002289 invoked cause an error message for an
2290 invalid expression.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002291 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2292 command or command modifier |:command|.
2293 Returns:
2294 1 for match with start of a command
2295 2 full match with a command
2296 3 matches several user commands
2297 To check for a supported command
2298 always check the return value to be 2.
2299 #event autocommand defined for this event
2300 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2301 pattern (the pattern is taken
2302 literally and compared to the
2303 autocommand patterns character by
2304 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002305 #group autocommand group exists
2306 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2307 event.
2308 #group#event#pattern
2309 autocommand defined for this group,
2310 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002311 ##event autocommand for this event is
2312 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002313 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2314
2315 Examples: >
2316 exists("&shortname")
2317 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2318 exists("*strftime")
2319 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2320 exists("bufcount")
2321 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002322 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002323 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002324 exists("#filetypeindent")
2325 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2326 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002327 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002328< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2329 name.
2330 Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2331 variable itself! For example: >
2332 exists(bufcount)
2333< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
2334 but gets the contents of "bufcount", and checks if that
2335 exists.
2336
2337expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2338 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2339 The result is a String.
2340
2341 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2342 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2343 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2344
2345 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2346 for a non-existing file is not included.
2347
2348 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2349 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2350 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2351
2352 % current file name
2353 # alternate file name
2354 #n alternate file name n
2355 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2356 <afile> autocmd file name
2357 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2358 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2359 <sfile> sourced script file name
2360 <cword> word under the cursor
2361 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2362 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2363 message |server2client()|
2364 Modifiers:
2365 :p expand to full path
2366 :h head (last path component removed)
2367 :t tail (last path component only)
2368 :r root (one extension removed)
2369 :e extension only
2370
2371 Example: >
2372 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2373< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2374 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2375 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2376< Use this: >
2377 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2378< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2379 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2380 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2381 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2382 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2383<
2384 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2385 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2386 to modify normal file names.
2387
2388 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2389 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2390 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2391 '/' added.
2392
2393 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2394 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2395 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2396 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002397 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2398 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2399 files in the current directory and below: >
2400 :echo expand("**/README")
2401<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002402 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2403 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2404 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2405 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2406 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2407 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2408 "$FOOBAR".
2409
2410 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2411 getting the raw output of an external command.
2412
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002413extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002414 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2415 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002416
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002417 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002418 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2419 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2420 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2421 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002422 Examples: >
2423 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2424 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002425< Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2426 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002427 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002428<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002429 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002430 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2431 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2432 used to decide what to do:
2433 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2434 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00002435 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002436 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2437
2438 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2439 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2440 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2441 Returns {expr1}.
2442
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002443
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002444filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2445 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2446 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2447 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2448 expression, which is used as a String.
2449 *file_readable()*
2450 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2451
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002452
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002453filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002454 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002455 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002456 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002457 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002458 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002459 Examples: >
2460 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2461< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2462 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2463< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2464 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002465< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002466
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002467 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2468 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2469 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2470
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002471 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2472 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002473 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002474
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002475< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002476 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2477 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002478
2479
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002480finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002481 Find directory {name} in {path}. Returns the path of the
2482 first found match. When the found directory is below the
2483 current directory a relative path is returned. Otherwise a
2484 full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002485 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2486 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002487 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002488 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002489 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002490 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2491
2492findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2493 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002494 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2495 Example: >
2496 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2497< Searches from the current directory upwards until it finds
2498 the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002499
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002500filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2501 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2502 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2503 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If (file) is a
2504 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2505
2506fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2507 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2508 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2509 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2510 Example: >
2511 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2512< results in: >
2513 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2514< Note: Environment variables and "~" don't work in {fname}, use
2515 |expand()| first then.
2516
2517foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2518 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2519 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2520 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2521
2522foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2523 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2524 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2525 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2526
2527foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2528 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2529 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2530 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2531 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2532 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2533 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2534 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2535 previous line is usually available.
2536
2537 *foldtext()*
2538foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2539 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2540 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2541 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2542 The returned string looks like this: >
2543 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2544< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2545 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2546 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2547 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2548 options is removed.
2549 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2550
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002551foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2552 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2553 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2554 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2555 returned.
2556 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2557 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2558 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2559 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2560
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002561 *foreground()*
2562foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2563 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2564 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2565 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2566 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2567 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2568 Win32 console version}
2569
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002570
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002571function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002572 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002573 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2574
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002575
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002576garbagecollect() *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002577 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002578 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2579 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2580 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2581 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2582 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002583 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2584 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2585 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002586
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002587get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002588 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002589 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2590 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002591get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002592 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002593 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2594 {default} is omitted.
2595
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002596 *getbufline()*
2597getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002598 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2599 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2600 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002601
2602 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2603
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002604 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2605 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002606
2607 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002608 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002609
2610 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2611 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002612 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002613 returned.
2614
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002615 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002616 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002617
2618 Example: >
2619 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002620
2621getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2622 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2623 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2624 must be used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002625 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2626 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2627 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002628 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2629 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2630 returned, there is no error message.
2631 Examples: >
2632 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2633 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2634<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002635getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
2636 Get a single character from the user. If it is an 8-bit
2637 character, the result is a number. Otherwise a String is
2638 returned with the encoded character. For a special key it's a
2639 sequence of bytes starting with 0x80 (decimal: 128).
2640 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2641 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
2642 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
2643 not consumed. If a normal character is
2644 available, it is returned, otherwise a
2645 non-zero value is returned.
2646 If a normal character available, it is returned as a Number.
2647 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2648 The returned value is zero if no character is available.
2649 The returned value is a string of characters for special keys
2650 and when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used.
2651 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
2652 user that a character has to be typed.
2653 There is no mapping for the character.
2654 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
2655 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
2656 sequence. Examples: >
2657 getchar() == "\<Del>"
2658 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
2659< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
2660 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
2661 :function FindChar()
2662 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
2663 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
2664 : normal l
2665 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
2666 : break
2667 : endif
2668 : endwhile
2669 :endfunction
2670
2671getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
2672 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
2673 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
2674 These values are added together:
2675 2 shift
2676 4 control
2677 8 alt (meta)
2678 16 mouse double click
2679 32 mouse triple click
2680 64 mouse quadruple click
2681 128 Macintosh only: command
2682 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
2683 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
2684 with no modifier.
2685
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002686getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
2687 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
2688 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
2689 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
2690 Example: >
2691 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002692< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002693
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002694getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002695 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
2696 byte count. The first column is 1.
2697 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2698 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002699 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
2700
2701getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
2702 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
2703 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002704 : normal Ex command
2705 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
2706 / forward search command
2707 ? backward search command
2708 @ |input()| command
2709 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002710 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2711 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
2712 otherwise.
2713 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002714
2715 *getcwd()*
2716getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
2717 working directory.
2718
2719getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
2720 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
2721 given file {fname}.
2722 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
2723 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
2724
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002725getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
2726 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
2727 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
2728 |hl-Normal|.
2729 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
2730 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
2731 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
2732 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
2733 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not you your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002734 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
2735 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002736 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
2737 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002738
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002739getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
2740 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
2741 permissions of the given file {fname}.
2742 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
2743 empty string is returned.
2744 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
2745 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
2746 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
2747 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
2748 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
2749 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
2750< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
2751 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00002752
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002753getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
2754 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
2755 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
2756 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
2757 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
2758 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
2759
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002760getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
2761 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
2762 file of the given file {fname}.
2763 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
2764 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
2765 results:
2766 Normal file "file"
2767 Directory "dir"
2768 Symbolic link "link"
2769 Block device "bdev"
2770 Character device "cdev"
2771 Socket "socket"
2772 FIFO "fifo"
2773 All other "other"
2774 Example: >
2775 getftype("/home")
2776< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
2777 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
2778 "file" are returned.
2779
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002780 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002781getline({lnum} [, {end}])
2782 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
2783 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002784 getline(1)
2785< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
2786 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
2787 To get the line under the cursor: >
2788 getline(".")
2789< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2790 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
2791
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002792 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
2793 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002794 including line {end}.
2795 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
2796 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002797 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002798 Example: >
2799 :let start = line('.')
2800 :let end = search("^$") - 1
2801 :let lines = getline(start, end)
2802
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002803getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
2804 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
2805 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
2806 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002807 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
2808 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002809
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002810getqflist() *getqflist()*
2811 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
2812 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
2813 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
2814 bufname() to get the name
2815 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
2816 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00002817 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
2818 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002819 nr error number
2820 text description of the error
2821 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
2822 valid non-zero: recognized error message
2823
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00002824 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
2825 returned.
2826
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002827 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
2828 do something with them: >
2829 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
2830 :for d in getqflist()
2831 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
2832 :endfor
2833
2834
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002835getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002836 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002837 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002838 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
2839< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002840 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002841 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
2842 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
2843 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002844 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2845
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002846
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002847getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
2848 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
2849 The value will be one of:
2850 "v" for |characterwise| text
2851 "V" for |linewise| text
2852 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
2853 0 for an empty or unknown register
2854 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
2855 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2856
2857 *getwinposx()*
2858getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
2859 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
2860 -1 if the information is not available.
2861
2862 *getwinposy()*
2863getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
2864 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
2865 information is not available.
2866
2867getwinvar({nr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
2868 The result is the value of option or local window variable
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00002869 {varname} in window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current
2870 window is used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002871 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
2872 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
2873 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002874 Note that the name without "w:" must be used.
2875 Examples: >
2876 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
2877 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
2878<
2879 *glob()*
2880glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. The result is a String.
2881 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2882 characters.
2883 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
2884 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
2885
2886 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
2887 any external command. Example: >
2888 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
2889 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
2890< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
2891 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
2892
2893 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
2894 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
2895
2896globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
2897 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
2898 the results. Example: >
2899 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
2900< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
2901 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
2902 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
2903 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
2904 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
2905 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
2906 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
2907 error message.
2908 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
2909 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
2910
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002911 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
2912 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
2913 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
2914 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
2915<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002916 *has()*
2917has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
2918 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
2919 string. See |feature-list| below.
2920 Also see |exists()|.
2921
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002922
2923has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002924 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
2925 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002926
2927
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002928hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002929 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
2930 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
2931 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
2932 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002933 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002934 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
2935 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002936 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
2937 buffer are checked for a match.
2938 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
2939 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
2940 n Normal mode
2941 v Visual mode
2942 o Operator-pending mode
2943 i Insert mode
2944 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
2945 c Command-line mode
2946 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
2947
2948 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
2949 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
2950 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
2951 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
2952 :endif
2953< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
2954 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
2955
2956histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
2957 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
2958 one of: *hist-names*
2959 "cmd" or ":" command line history
2960 "search" or "/" search pattern history
2961 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
2962 "input" or "@" input line history
2963 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
2964 shifted to become the newest entry.
2965 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
2966 otherwise 0 is returned.
2967
2968 Example: >
2969 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
2970 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
2971< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
2972
2973histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002974 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002975 for the possible values of {history}.
2976
2977 If the parameter {item} is given as String, this is seen
2978 as regular expression. All entries matching that expression
2979 will be removed from the history (if there are any).
2980 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
2981 If {item} is a Number, it will be interpreted as index, see
2982 |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will be removed
2983 if it exists.
2984
2985 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
2986 otherwise 0 is returned.
2987
2988 Examples:
2989 Clear expression register history: >
2990 :call histdel("expr")
2991<
2992 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
2993 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
2994<
2995 The following three are equivalent: >
2996 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
2997 :call histdel("search", -1)
2998 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
2999<
3000 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3001 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3002 :call histdel("search", -1)
3003 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3004
3005histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3006 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3007 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3008 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3009 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3010 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3011
3012 Examples:
3013 Redo the second last search from history. >
3014 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3015
3016< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3017 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3018 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3019<
3020histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3021 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3022 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3023 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3024
3025 Example: >
3026 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3027<
3028hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3029 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3030 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3031 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3032 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3033 item.
3034 *highlight_exists()*
3035 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3036
3037 *hlID()*
3038hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3039 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3040 zero is returned.
3041 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
3042 group. For example, to get the background color of the
3043 "Comment" group: >
3044 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3045< *highlightID()*
3046 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3047
3048hostname() *hostname()*
3049 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003050 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003051 256 characters long are truncated.
3052
3053iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3054 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3055 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3056 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3057 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3058 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3059 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3060 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3061 can be done.
3062 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3063 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3064 UTF-8 and use: >
3065 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3066< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3067 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3068 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3069 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3070
3071 *indent()*
3072indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3073 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3074 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3075 |getline()|.
3076 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3077
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003078
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003079index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003080 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003081 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003082 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3083 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003084 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3085 case must match.
3086 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3087 Example: >
3088 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003089 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003090
3091
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003092input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003093 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3094 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3095 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003096 prompt to start a new line.
3097 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3098 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
3099 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
3100 for lines typed for input().
3101 Example: >
3102 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3103 : echo "Cheers!"
3104 :endif
3105<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003106 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3107 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003108 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3109
3110< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3111 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
3112 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
3113 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
3114 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
3115 more information. Example: >
3116 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3117<
3118 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3119 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003120 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3121 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3122 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3123 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3124 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3125 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3126 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3127
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003128 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003129 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3130 :function GetFoo()
3131 : call inputsave()
3132 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3133 : call inputrestore()
3134 :endfunction
3135
3136inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3137 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3138 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3139 Example: >
3140 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3141 :if n != ""
3142 : let &sw = n
3143 :endif
3144< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3145 omitted an empty string is returned.
3146 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3147 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003148 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003149
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003150inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003151 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3152 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3153 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003154 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3155 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3156 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3157 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3158 is returned.
3159 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3160 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3161 the start of the string. Example: >
3162 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3163 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3164
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003165inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3166 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3167 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3168 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3169 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3170
3171inputsave() *inputsave()*
3172 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3173 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3174 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3175 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3176 many inputrestore() calls.
3177 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3178
3179inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3180 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3181 two exceptions:
3182 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3183 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3184 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3185 |history| stack.
3186 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3187 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003188 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003189
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003190insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003191 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003192 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3193 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3194 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3195 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003196 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003197 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3198 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3199 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003200< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003201 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003202 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003203
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003204isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3205 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3206 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3207 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3208 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3209
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003210islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003211 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3212 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003213 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3214 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003215 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3216 :lockvar 1 alist
3217 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3218 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3219
3220< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
3221 message. Use |exists()| to check for existance.
3222
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003223items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003224 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3225 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3226 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3227 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003228
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003229
3230join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3231 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3232 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3233 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3234 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3235 add it there too: >
3236 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003237< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003238 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3239 The opposite function is |split()|.
3240
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003241keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003242 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003243 arbitrary order.
3244
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003245 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003246len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3247 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3248 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003249 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003250 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003251 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3252 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003253 Otherwise an error is given.
3254
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003255 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3256libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3257 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3258 with single argument {argument}.
3259 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3260 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3261 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3262 limited.
3263 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3264 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3265 to Vim.
3266 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3267 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3268 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3269 null-terminated string.
3270 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3271
3272 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3273 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3274 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3275 very probably crash.
3276
3277 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3278 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3279 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3280 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3281 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3282 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3283 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3284 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3285 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3286 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3287
3288 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3289 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3290 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3291 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3292 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3293 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3294 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3295 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3296 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3297 feature is present}
3298 Examples: >
3299 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3300 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3301<
3302 *libcallnr()*
3303libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3304 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3305 int instead of a string.
3306 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3307 feature is present}
3308 Example (not very useful...): >
3309 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3310 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3311<
3312 *line()*
3313line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3314 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3315 . the cursor position
3316 $ the last line in the current buffer
3317 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3318 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003319 w0 first line visible in current window
3320 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003321 Note that a mark in another file can be used.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003322 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3323 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003324 Examples: >
3325 line(".") line number of the cursor
3326 line("'t") line number of mark t
3327 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3328< *last-position-jump*
3329 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3330 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3331 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003332
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003333line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3334 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3335 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3336 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3337 line returns 1.
3338 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3339 below the last line: >
3340 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3341< This is the file size plus one.
3342 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3343 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3344 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3345
3346lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3347 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3348 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3349 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3350 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3351 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3352 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3353
3354localtime() *localtime()*
3355 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3356 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3357
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003358
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003359map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003360 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003361 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3362 {string}.
3363 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003364 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003365 Example: >
3366 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003367< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003368
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003369 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003370 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003371 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3372 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003373
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003374 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3375 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003376 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003377
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003378< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003379 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3380 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003381
3382
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003383maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003384 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3385 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003386 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003387 "n" Normal
3388 "v" Visual
3389 "o" Operator-pending
3390 "i" Insert
3391 "c" Cmd-line
3392 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3393 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003394 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003395 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3396 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003397 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3398 command. The returned String has special characters
3399 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3400 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3401 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003402 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3403 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3404 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3405
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003406
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003407mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003408 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3409 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3410 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003411 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3412 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003413 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3414 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3415
3416 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3417 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3418 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3419 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3420 mapcheck("b") no no no
3421
3422 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3423 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3424 mapping for {name} exactly.
3425 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3426 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3427 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3428 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3429 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3430 then the global mappings.
3431 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3432 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3433 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3434 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3435 :endif
3436< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3437 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3438
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003439match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003440 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3441 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003442 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003443 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3444 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3445 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003446 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003447 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3448 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003449 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003450 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003451< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003452 *strpbrk()*
3453 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3454 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3455< *strcasestr()*
3456 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3457 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3458 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3459<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003460 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003461 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003462 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003463 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003464 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3465< result is again "4". >
3466 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3467< result is again "4". >
3468 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3469< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003470 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003471 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3472 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3473 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3474 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003475 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3476 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003477 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
3478 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003479
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003480 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003481 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003482 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3483 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3484< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003485 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
3486 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003487
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003488 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3489 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
3490 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
3491 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3492
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003493
3494matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
3495 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
3496 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
3497 Return a |List| with two elements:
3498 The name of the highlight group used
3499 The pattern used.
3500 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
3501 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
3502 This is usef to save and restore a |:match|.
3503
3504
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003505matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003506 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3507 the match. Example: >
3508 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3509< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003510 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3511 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3512 do it with matchend(): >
3513 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3514 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3515< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3516
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003517 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3518 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3519< results in "7". >
3520 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3521< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003522 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003523
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003524matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003525 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003526 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3527 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
3528 in |:substitute|.
3529 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
3530
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003531matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003532 Same as match(), but return the matched string. Example: >
3533 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
3534< results in "ing".
3535 When there is no match "" is returned.
3536 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3537 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
3538< results in "ing". >
3539 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
3540< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003541 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003542 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003543
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003544 *max()*
3545max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
3546 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3547 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003548 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003549
3550 *min()*
3551min({list}) Return the minumum value of all items in {list}.
3552 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3553 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003554 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003555
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003556 *mkdir()* *E749*
3557mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
3558 Create directory {name}.
3559 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
3560 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
3561 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
3562 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
3563 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
3564 for others.
3565 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3566 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
3567 :if exists("*mkdir")
3568<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003569 *mode()*
3570mode() Return a string that indicates the current mode:
3571 n Normal
3572 v Visual by character
3573 V Visual by line
3574 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
3575 s Select by character
3576 S Select by line
3577 CTRL-S Select blockwise
3578 i Insert
3579 R Replace
3580 c Command-line
3581 r Hit-enter prompt
3582 This is useful in the 'statusline' option. In most other
3583 places it always returns "c" or "n".
3584
3585nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
3586 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
3587 that is not blank. Example: >
3588 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
3589< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3590 below it, zero is returned.
3591 See also |prevnonblank()|.
3592
3593nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
3594 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
3595 value {expr}. Examples: >
3596 nr2char(64) returns "@"
3597 nr2char(32) returns " "
3598< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
3599 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
3600< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
3601 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
3602 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003603 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003604
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003605 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003606getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
3607 see |line()|.
3608 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
3609 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
3610 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
3611 is the buffer number of the mark.
3612 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
3613 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003614 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
3615 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
3616 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
3617 character.
3618 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
3619 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
3620 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00003621 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003622< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003623
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003624pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
3625 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
3626 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
3627 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
3628 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
3629 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
3630< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
3631 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
3632
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003633prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
3634 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
3635 that is not blank. Example: >
3636 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
3637< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3638 above it, zero is returned.
3639 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
3640
3641
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003642printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
3643 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
3644 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003645 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003646< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003647 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003648
3649 Often used items are:
3650 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003651 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
3652 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003653 %c single byte
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003654 %d decimal number
3655 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
3656 %x hex number
3657 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
3658 %X hex number using upper case letters
3659 %o octal number
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003660 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003661
3662 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
3663 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
3664 the result.
3665
3666 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003667 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003668
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003669 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003670
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003671 flags
3672 Zero or more of the following flags:
3673
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003674 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
3675 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
3676 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
3677 of the number is increased to force the first
3678 character of the output string to a zero (except
3679 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
3680 precision of zero).
3681 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
3682 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
3683 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003684
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003685 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
3686 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
3687 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
3688 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
3689 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003690
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003691 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
3692 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
3693 The converted value is padded on the right with
3694 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
3695 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003696
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003697 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
3698 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003699
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003700 + A sign must always be placed before a number
3701 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
3702 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003703
3704 field-width
3705 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003706 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
3707 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
3708 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
3709 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003710
3711 .precision
3712 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
3713 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
3714 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
3715 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
3716 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003717 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003718
3719 type
3720 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
3721 be applied, see below.
3722
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003723 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
3724 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
3725 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
3726 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
3727 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
3728 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003729 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003730< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003731 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003732
3733 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003734
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003735 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
3736 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
3737 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
3738 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003739 conversions.
3740 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
3741 digits that must appear; if the converted value
3742 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
3743 zeros.
3744 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
3745 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
3746 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
3747 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
3748
3749 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
3750 resulting character is written.
3751
3752 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
3753 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
3754 specified are used.
3755
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003756 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
3757 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003758
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003759 Each argument can be Number or String and is converted
3760 automatically to fit the conversion specifier. Any other
3761 argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003762
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00003763 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003764 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
3765 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003766 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003767
3768
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003769pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
3770 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
3771 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00003772 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
3773 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003774
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00003775 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003776range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003777 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003778 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
3779 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
3780 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
3781 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
3782 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003783 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
3784 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
3785 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003786 Examples: >
3787 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
3788 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
3789 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
3790 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003791 range(0) " []
3792 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003793<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003794 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003795readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003796 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
3797 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003798 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
3799 NL appears somewhere).
3800 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
3801 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
3802 added.
3803 - No CR characters are removed.
3804 Otherwise:
3805 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
3806 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
3807 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003808 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
3809 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
3810 lines of a file: >
3811 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
3812 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
3813 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003814< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
3815 are returned, or as many as there are.
3816 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003817 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
3818 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
3819 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003820 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
3821 the result is an empty list.
3822 Also see |writefile()|.
3823
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003824reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
3825 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
3826 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
3827 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
3828 Without an argument it returns the current time.
3829 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
3830 specified in the argument.
3831 With two arguments it returns the time passed betweein {start}
3832 and {end}.
3833 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
3834 reltime().
3835 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3836
3837reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
3838 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
3839 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
3840 microseconds. Example: >
3841 let start = reltime()
3842 call MyFunction()
3843 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
3844< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
3845 The accuracy depends on the system.
3846 Also see |profiling|.
3847 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3848
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003849 *remote_expr()* *E449*
3850remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
3851 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
3852 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003853 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
3854 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
3855 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003856 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3857 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3858 remote_read() is stored there.
3859 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3860 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3861 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3862 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
3863 and the result will be the empty string.
3864 Examples: >
3865 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
3866 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
3867<
3868
3869remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
3870 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
3871 This works like: >
3872 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
3873< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
3874 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
3875 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00003876 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
3877 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003878 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3879 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3880 Win32 console version}
3881
3882
3883remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
3884 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
3885 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
3886 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
3887 name of a variable.
3888 Returns zero if none are available.
3889 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
3890 See also |clientserver|.
3891 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3892 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3893 Examples: >
3894 :let repl = ""
3895 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
3896
3897remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
3898 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
3899 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
3900 See also |clientserver|.
3901 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3902 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3903 Example: >
3904 :echo remote_read(id)
3905<
3906 *remote_send()* *E241*
3907remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00003908 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
3909 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
3910 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003911 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
3912 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
3913 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003914 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3915 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3916 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3917 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
3918 up the display.
3919 Examples: >
3920 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
3921 \ remote_read(serverid)
3922
3923 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
3924 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
3925 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
3926 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003927<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003928remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003929 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003930 return it.
3931 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
3932 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
3933 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
3934 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
3935 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003936 Example: >
3937 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003938 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003939remove({dict}, {key})
3940 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
3941 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
3942< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
3943
3944 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003945
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003946rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
3947 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
3948 should also work to move files across file systems. The
3949 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
3950 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
3951 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3952
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003953repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
3954 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
3955 result. Example: >
3956 :let seperator = repeat('-', 80)
3957< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003958 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003959 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003960 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
3961< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003962
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003963
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003964resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
3965 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
3966 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
3967 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
3968 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
3969 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
3970 stopped after 100 iterations.
3971 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
3972 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
3973 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
3974 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
3975 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
3976
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003977 *reverse()*
3978reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
3979 {list}.
3980 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
3981 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
3982
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003983search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003984 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003985 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003986
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003987 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
3988 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00003989 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
3990 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003991 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00003992 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
3993 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003994 'w' wrap around the end of the file
3995 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
3996 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
3997
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003998 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
3999 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4000 flag.
4001
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004002 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4003 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4004 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4005 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4006 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4007< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4008 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
4009
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004010 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4011 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004012 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4013 *search()-sub-match*
4014 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4015 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4016 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004017 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004018
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004019 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4020 flag is used.
4021
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004022 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4023 :let n = 1
4024 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4025 : exe "argument " . n
4026 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4027 : " first search to find match at start of file
4028 : normal G$
4029 : let flags = "w"
4030 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
4031 : s/foo/bar/g
4032 : let flags = "W"
4033 : endwhile
4034 : update " write the file if modified
4035 : let n = n + 1
4036 :endwhile
4037<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004038 Example for using some flags: >
4039 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4040< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4041 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4042 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4043 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4044 line:
4045 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4046 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4047 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4048 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4049 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4050
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004051
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004052searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4053 Search for the declaration of {name}.
4054
4055 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4056 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4057 first match in the function.
4058
4059 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4060 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4061 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4062
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004063 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4064 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4065 Example: >
4066 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4067 echo getline('.')
4068 endif
4069<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004070 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004071searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004072 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4073 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4074 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004075 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4076 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4077 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4078 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4079 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4080 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004081
4082 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4083 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4084 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4085 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4086 typical use is: >
4087 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4088< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4089
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004090 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4091 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004092 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
4093 outer pair
4094 'm' return number of Matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004095 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004096
4097 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4098 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4099 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4100 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4101 or a string.
4102 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4103 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4104 and -1 returned.
4105
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004106 For {stopline} see |search()|.
4107
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004108 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4109 patterns are used like it's on.
4110
4111 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4112 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4113 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4114 if 1
4115 if 2
4116 endif 2
4117 endif 1
4118< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4119 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4120 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
4121 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
4122 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4123 "endif 2".
4124 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4125 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4126 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4127 the matching start.
4128
4129 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4130
4131 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4132 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4133
4134< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4135 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4136 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4137 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4138 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4139 match.
4140 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4141
4142 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4143
4144< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4145 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4146 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4147
4148 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4149 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4150<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004151 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004152searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004153 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4154 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4155 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004156 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4157 returns [0, 0].
4158>
4159 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4160<
4161 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4162
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004163searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *searchpos()*
4164 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004165 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4166 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4167 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4168 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004169 Example: >
4170 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4171
4172< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4173 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4174 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4175< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4176 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4177
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004178server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4179 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4180 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4181 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4182 Note:
4183 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004184 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004185 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4186 See also |clientserver|.
4187 Example: >
4188 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4189<
4190serverlist() *serverlist()*
4191 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4192 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4193 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4194 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4195 Example: >
4196 :echo serverlist()
4197<
4198setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4199 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4200 {val}.
4201 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4202 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4203 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4204 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4205 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4206 Examples: >
4207 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4208 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4209< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4210
4211setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4212 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
4213 {pos}. The first position is 1.
4214 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4215 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004216 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4217 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4218 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4219 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4220 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004221 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4222 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4223 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4224 line.
4225
4226setline({lnum}, {line}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004227 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {line}.
4228 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004229 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {line} will be
4230 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004231 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4232 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004233 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004234< When {line} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004235 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4236 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4237< This is equivalent to: >
4238 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4239 : call setline(n, l)
4240 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004241< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4242
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004243setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4244 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4245 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004246 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4247 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004248 Otherwise, same as setqflist().
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004249
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004250 *setpos()*
4251setpos({expr}, {list})
4252 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4253 . the cursor
4254 'x mark x
4255
4256 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4257 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4258
4259 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
4260 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
4261 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4262 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4263 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004264 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004265
4266 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4267 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4268
4269 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4270 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4271 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4272 character.
4273
4274 Also see |getpos()|
4275
4276
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004277setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004278 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4279 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4280 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4281 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004282
4283 filename name of a file
4284 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004285 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004286 col column number
4287 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
4288 when zero: "col" is byte index
4289 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004290 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004291 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004292
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004293 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4294 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4295 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004296 If the "filename" entry is not present or neither the "lnum"
4297 or "pattern" entries are present, then the item will not be
4298 handled as an error line.
4299 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4300 be used.
4301
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004302 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4303 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4304 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4305 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4306 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4307 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4308
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004309 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4310
4311 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4312 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4313 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4314
4315
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004316 *setreg()*
4317setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4318 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4319 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4320 then the value is appended.
4321 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4322 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4323 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4324 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4325 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4326 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4327 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
4328 in the longest line (counting a <TAB> as 1 character).
4329
4330 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4331 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4332 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4333 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4334
4335 Examples: >
4336 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4337 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4338 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4339
4340< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4341 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004342 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004343 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4344 ....
4345 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4346
4347< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4348 nothing: >
4349 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4350
4351setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4352 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {nr} to
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004353 {val}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004354 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4355 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4356 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4357 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
4358 Examples: >
4359 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4360 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
4361< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4362
4363simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4364 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4365 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4366 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4367 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4368 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4369 not removed either.
4370 Example: >
4371 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
4372< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
4373 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
4374 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
4375 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
4376 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
4377
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004378
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004379sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004380 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
4381 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4382 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
4383< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004384 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004385 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004386 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004387 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
4388 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004389 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
4390 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
4391 sorts before the second one. Example: >
4392 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
4393 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
4394 endfunc
4395 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004396<
4397
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004398 *soundfold()*
4399soundfold({word})
4400 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
4401 language in 'spellang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004402 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
4403 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004404 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
4405 the method can be quite slow.
4406
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004407 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004408spellbadword([{sentence}])
4409 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
4410 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
4411 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
4412 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
4413
4414 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
4415 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
4416 result is an empty string.
4417
4418 The return value is a list with two items:
4419 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
4420 - The type of the spelling error:
4421 "bad" spelling mistake
4422 "rare" rare word
4423 "local" word only valid in another region
4424 "caps" word should start with Capital
4425 Example: >
4426 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
4427< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
4428
4429 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
4430 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
4431 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004432
4433 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004434spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004435 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004436 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
4437 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
4438
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004439 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
4440 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
4441 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
4442
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004443 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
4444 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00004445 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
4446 replace a line.
4447
4448 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004449 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
4450 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004451
4452 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004453 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
4454 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004455
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004456
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004457split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004458 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
4459 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
4460 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004461 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004462 removing the matched characters.
4463 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
4464 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00004465 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
4466 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004467 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004468 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004469< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004470 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00004471< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
4472 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
4473< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004474 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
4475 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
4476< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004477
4478
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004479str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
4480 Convert string {expr} to a number.
4481 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
4482 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
4483 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
4484 with the default String to Number conversion.
4485 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
4486 different base the result will be zero.
4487 Text after the number is silently ignored.
4488
4489
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004490strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
4491 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
4492 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
4493 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
4494 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
4495 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
4496 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
4497 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
4498 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
4499 Examples: >
4500 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
4501 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
4502 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
4503 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
4504 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
4505 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004506< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4507 :if exists("*strftime")
4508
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004509stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
4510 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4511 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004512 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
4513 This can be used to find a second match: >
4514 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
4515 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
4516< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004517 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004518 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004519 See also |strridx()|.
4520 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004521 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
4522 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
4523 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004524< *strstr()* *strchr()*
4525 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
4526 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
4527
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004528 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004529string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
4530 String or a composition of them, then the result can be parsed
4531 back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004532 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004533 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004534 Number 123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004535 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004536 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004537 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004538 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004539
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004540 *strlen()*
4541strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004542 {expr} in bytes.
4543 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
4544 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004545
4546 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004547<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004548 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
4549 For other types an error is given.
4550 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004551
4552strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
4553 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004554 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004555 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
4556 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
4557 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
4558 end of the {src}. >
4559 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
4560 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
4561 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
4562 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
4563< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
4564 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
4565 strpart(getline(line(".")), col(".") - 1, 3)
4566<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004567strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
4568 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4569 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
4570 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
4571 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
4572 match: >
4573 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
4574 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
4575< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004576 For pattern searches use |match()|.
4577 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004578 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004579 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004580 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004581< *strrchr()*
4582 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
4583 function strrchr().
4584
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004585strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
4586 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
4587 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
4588 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
4589 echo strtrans(@a)
4590< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
4591 starting a new line.
4592
4593submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
4594 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
4595 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
4596 the whole matched text is returned.
4597 Example: >
4598 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
4599< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
4600 A line break is included as a newline character.
4601
4602substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
4603 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
4604 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
4605 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
4606 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
4607 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
4608 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
4609 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
4610 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
4611 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
4612 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
4613 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
4614 unmodified.
4615 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
4616 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
4617 Example: >
4618 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
4619< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
4620 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
4621< results in "TESTING".
4622
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004623synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004624 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004625 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004626 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
4627 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004628
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004629 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004630 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
4631
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004632 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
4633 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
4634 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
4635 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
4636 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
4637 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
4638 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
4639
4640 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
4641 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
4642<
4643synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
4644 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
4645 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
4646 about a syntax item.
4647 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
4648 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
4649 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
4650 used (GUI, cterm or term).
4651 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
4652 {what} result
4653 "name" the name of the syntax item
4654 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
4655 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
4656 term: empty string)
4657 "bg" background color (like "fg")
4658 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
4659 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
4660 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
4661 "bold" "1" if bold
4662 "italic" "1" if italic
4663 "reverse" "1" if reverse
4664 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
4665 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004666 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004667
4668 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
4669 cursor): >
4670 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
4671<
4672synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
4673 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
4674 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
4675 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
4676 ":highlight link" are followed.
4677
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004678system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
4679 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
4680 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
4681 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
4682 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004683 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004684 Note: newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail. The
4685 characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also cause
4686 trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004687 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
4688 The result is a String. Example: >
4689
4690 :let files = system("ls")
4691
4692< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
4693 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
4694 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
4695 The command executed is constructed using several options:
4696 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
4697 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
4698 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
4699 concatenated commands.
4700
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004701 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
4702 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
4703
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004704 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
4705 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00004706
4707 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
4708 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
4709 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004710 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
4711 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
4712
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004713
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004714tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004715 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004716 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
4717 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
4718 omitted the current tab page is used.
4719 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
4720 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
4721 tablist = []
4722 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
4723 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
4724 endfor
4725< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
4726
4727
4728tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004729 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4730 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
4731 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
4732 page is returned (the tab page count).
4733 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
4734
4735
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004736tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
4737 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
4738 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
4739 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
4740 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
4741 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
4742 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
4743 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
4744 Useful examples: >
4745 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
4746 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
4747< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
4748
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00004749 *tagfiles()*
4750tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
4751 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
4752
4753
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004754taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
4755 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00004756 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
4757 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004758 name Name of the tag.
4759 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004760 defined.
4761 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
4762 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004763 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004764 entry depends on the language specific
4765 kind values generated by the ctags
4766 tool.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004767 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004768 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004769 The "kind" entry is only available when using Exuberant ctags
4770 generated tags file. More entries may be present, depending
4771 on the content of the tags file: access, implementation,
4772 inherits and signature. Refer to the ctags documentation for
4773 information about these fields. For C code the fields
4774 "struct", "class" and "enum" may appear, they give the name of
4775 the entity the tag is contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004776
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004777 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
4778 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004779
4780 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
4781
4782 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
4783 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
4784 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
4785
4786 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
4787 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
4788 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
4789
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004790tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
4791 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
4792 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
4793 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
4794 :let tmpfile = tempname()
4795 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
4796< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
4797 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
4798 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
4799 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
4800 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
4801 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
4802
4803tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
4804 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
4805 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
4806 the string).
4807
4808toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
4809 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
4810 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
4811 the string).
4812
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00004813tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
4814 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
4815 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
4816 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
4817 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
4818 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
4819 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
4820
4821 Examples: >
4822 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
4823< returns "Hello THere" >
4824 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
4825< returns "{blob}"
4826
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004827 *type()*
4828type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004829 Number: 0
4830 String: 1
4831 Funcref: 2
4832 List: 3
4833 Dictionary: 4
4834 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004835 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
4836 :if type(myvar) == type("")
4837 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
4838 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004839 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004840
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004841values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004842 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
4843 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004844
4845
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004846virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
4847 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
4848 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
4849 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
4850 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
4851 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
4852 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
4853 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004854 For the use of {expr} see |col()|. Additionally you can use
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00004855 [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line and column number. When
4856 "lnum" or "col" is out of range then virtcol() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004857 When 'virtualedit' is used it can be [lnum, col, off], where
4858 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4859 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4860 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004861 For the byte position use |col()|.
4862 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
4863 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
4864 The accepted positions are:
4865 . the cursor position
4866 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
4867 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
4868 plus one)
4869 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4870 returned)
4871 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
4872 Examples: >
4873 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
4874 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
4875 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
4876< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
4877
4878visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
4879 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
4880 used. Initially it returns an empty string, but once Visual
4881 mode has been used, it returns "v", "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a
4882 single CTRL-V character) for character-wise, line-wise, or
4883 block-wise Visual mode respectively.
4884 Example: >
4885 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
4886< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
4887 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
4888 Visual mode that was used.
4889
4890 If an expression is supplied that results in a non-zero number
4891 or a non-empty string, then the Visual mode will be cleared
4892 and the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
4893 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared.
4894
4895 *winbufnr()*
4896winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004897 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004898 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
4899 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4900 Example: >
4901 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
4902<
4903 *wincol()*
4904wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
4905 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
4906 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
4907
4908winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
4909 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
4910 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
4911 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4912 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
4913 Examples: >
4914 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
4915<
4916 *winline()*
4917winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
4918 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
4919 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004920 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
4921 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004922
4923 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004924winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4925 window. The top window has number 1.
4926 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004927 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004928 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
4929 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
4930 If there is no previous window 0 is returned.
4931 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
4932 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004933
4934 *winrestcmd()*
4935winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
4936 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004937 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
4938 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004939 Example: >
4940 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
4941 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
4942 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004943<
4944 *winrestview()*
4945winrestview({dict})
4946 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
4947 the view of the current window.
4948 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
4949 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
4950
4951 *winsaveview()*
4952winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
4953 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
4954 restore the view.
4955 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
4956 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
4957 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004958 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
4959 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004960 The return value includes:
4961 lnum cursor line number
4962 col cursor column
4963 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
4964 curswant column for vertical movement
4965 topline first line in the window
4966 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
4967 leftcol first column displayed
4968 skipcol columns skipped
4969 Note that no option values are saved.
4970
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004971
4972winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
4973 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
4974 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
4975 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4976 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
4977 Examples: >
4978 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
4979 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
4980 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
4981 :endif
4982<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004983 *writefile()*
4984writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004985 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004986 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
4987 Number.
4988 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
4989 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
4990 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
4991 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
4992 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
4993 to writefile().
4994 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
4995 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
4996 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
4997 fails.
4998 Also see |readfile()|.
4999 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5000 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5001 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5002<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005003
5004 *feature-list*
5005There are three types of features:
50061. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5007 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5008 :if has("cindent")
50092. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5010 Example: >
5011 :if has("gui_running")
5012< *has-patch*
50133. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5014 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5015 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5016 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
5017
5018all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5019amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5020arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5021arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00005022autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005023balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00005024balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005025beos BeOS version of Vim.
5026browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5027 work.
5028builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5029byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5030cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5031clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5032clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5033cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5034cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5035cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5036comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5037cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5038cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5039compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5040debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5041dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5042dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5043diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5044digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5045dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5046dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5047dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5048ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5049emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5050eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5051 true, of course!
5052ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5053extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5054 |'hlsearch'|
5055farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5056file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005057filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5058 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005059find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5060 |+find_in_path|.
5061fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5062 Windows this is not present).
5063folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5064footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5065fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5066gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5067gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5068gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005069gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5070gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
5071gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5072gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5073gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5074gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5075gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5076gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5077hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5078iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5079insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5080 Insert mode.
5081jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5082keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5083langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5084libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5085linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5086 support.
5087lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5088listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5089 and the argument list |arglist|.
5090localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5091mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5092macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5093menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5094mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5095modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5096mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5097mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5098mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5099mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5100mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5101mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
5102mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
5103multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
5104multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5105multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00005106mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005107netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00005108netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005109ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5110os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5111osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5112path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5113perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5114postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5115printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005116profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005117python Compiled with Python interface.
5118qnx QNX version of Vim.
5119quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
5120rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5121ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5122scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5123showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5124signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5125smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00005126sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005127statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5128 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5129sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00005130spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5131syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005132syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5133 current buffer.
5134system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5135tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5136 |tag-binary-search|.
5137tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5138 |tag-old-static|.
5139tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
5140 files |tag-any-white|.
5141tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
5142terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
5143termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
5144textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
5145tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
5146 or terminfo file.
5147title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
5148toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
5149unix Unix version of Vim.
5150user_commands User-defined commands.
5151viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
5152vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
5153vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
5154virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
5155visual Compiled with Visual mode.
5156visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
5157 |blockwise-operators|.
5158vms VMS version of Vim.
5159vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
5160wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
5161wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
5162windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
5163winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
5164win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
5165win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
5166win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
5167win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
5168win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
5169writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
5170xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
5171xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
5172xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
5173xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
5174xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
5175xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
5176 xterm screen.
5177x11 Compiled with X11 support.
5178
5179 *string-match*
5180Matching a pattern in a String
5181
5182A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
5183the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
5184everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
5185like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
5186line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
5187with ".". Example: >
5188 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
5189 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
5190 aa
5191 xx
5192 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
5193 a
5194 x
5195
5196Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
5197"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
5198"\n".
5199
5200==============================================================================
52015. Defining functions *user-functions*
5202
5203New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
5204functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
5205commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
5206
5207The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
5208builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
5209avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
5210the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
5211
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005212It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
5213|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005214
5215 *local-function*
5216A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
5217can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
5218and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
5219function from a mappings defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
5220instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
5221
5222 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
5223:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
5224
5225:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005226 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5227 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005228 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005229
5230:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
5231 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
5232 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005233<
5234 *:function-verbose*
5235When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
5236last defined. Example: >
5237
5238 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
5239 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
5240 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
5241<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00005242See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005243
5244 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005245:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005246 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
5247 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
5248 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005249
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005250 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5251 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005252 :function dict.init(arg)
5253< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
5254 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
5255 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
5256 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
5257 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
5258 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005259 *E127* *E122*
5260 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
5261 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
5262 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
5263 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005264
5265 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
5266
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005267 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
5268 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
5269 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
5270 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
5271 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
5272 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
5273 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005274
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005275 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
5276 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005277
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005278 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005279 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005280 local variable "self" will then be set to the
5281 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005282
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00005283 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
5284 will not be changed by the function.
5285
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005286 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
5287:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
5288 by its own, without other commands.
5289
5290 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
5291:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005292 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5293 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005294 :delfunc dict.init
5295< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
5296 function is deleted if there are no more references to
5297 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005298 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
5299:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
5300 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
5301 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
5302 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
5303 the number 0 is returned.
5304 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
5305 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
5306
5307 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
5308 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
5309 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
5310 are executed first. This process applies to all
5311 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
5312 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
5313
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005314 *function-argument* *a:var*
5315An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
5316be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
5317 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740*
5318Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
5319arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
5320may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
5321as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005322can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
5323that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005324 *E742*
5325The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005326However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can changes their contents.
5327Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
5328it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
5329|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005330
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005331When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
5332to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
5333may be larger.
5334
5335It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
5336still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
5337until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
5338inside a function body.
5339
5340 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005341Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
5342will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
5343accessed with "g:".
5344
5345Example: >
5346 :function Table(title, ...)
5347 : echohl Title
5348 : echo a:title
5349 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005350 : echo a:0 . " items:"
5351 : for s in a:000
5352 : echon ' ' . s
5353 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005354 :endfunction
5355
5356This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005357 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
5358 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005359
5360To return more than one value, pass the name of a global variable: >
5361 :function Compute(n1, n2, divname)
5362 : if a:n2 == 0
5363 : return "fail"
5364 : endif
5365 : let g:{a:divname} = a:n1 / a:n2
5366 : return "ok"
5367 :endfunction
5368
5369This function can then be called with: >
5370 :let success = Compute(13, 1324, "div")
5371 :if success == "ok"
5372 : echo div
5373 :endif
5374
5375An alternative is to return a command that can be executed. This also works
5376with local variables in a calling function. Example: >
5377 :function Foo()
5378 : execute Bar()
5379 : echo "line " . lnum . " column " . col
5380 :endfunction
5381
5382 :function Bar()
5383 : return "let lnum = " . line(".") . " | let col = " . col(".")
5384 :endfunction
5385
5386The names "lnum" and "col" could also be passed as argument to Bar(), to allow
5387the caller to set the names.
5388
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00005389 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005390:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
5391 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
5392 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
5393 used.
5394 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
5395 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
5396 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
5397 function.
5398 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
5399 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
5400 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
5401 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
5402 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
5403 this works:
5404 *function-range-example* >
5405 :function Mynumber(arg)
5406 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
5407 :endfunction
5408 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
5409<
5410 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
5411 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
5412 the range.
5413
5414 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
5415
5416 :function Cont() range
5417 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
5418 :endfunction
5419 :4,8call Cont()
5420<
5421 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
5422 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
5423
5424 *E132*
5425The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
5426option.
5427
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005428
5429AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005430 *autoload-functions*
5431When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005432only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
5433the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
5434
5435
5436Using an autocommand ~
5437
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005438This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
5439
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005440The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
5441You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
5442That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
5443again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
5444
5445Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
5446function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005447
5448 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
5449
5450The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
5451"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
5452
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005453
5454Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005455 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005456This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
5457
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005458Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
5459exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
5460like this: >
5461
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005462 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005463
5464When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
5465"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
5466"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
5467then define the function like this: >
5468
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005469 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005470 echo "Done!"
5471 endfunction
5472
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00005473The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005474exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
5475called.
5476
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005477It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
5478a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005479
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005480 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005481
5482Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
5483
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005484This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
5485
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005486 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005487
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005488However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
5489for an unknown variable.
5490
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005491When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
5492be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
5493
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005494 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
5495 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005496
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00005497Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
5498defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
5499function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005500And you will get an error message every time.
5501
5502Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
5503other and vise versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
5504Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005505
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005506Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
5507|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
5508
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005509==============================================================================
55106. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
5511
5512Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
5513This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
5514{} like this: >
5515 my_{adjective}_variable
5516
5517When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
5518that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
5519name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
5520"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
5521"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
5522
5523One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
5524value. For example, the statement >
5525 echo my_{&background}_message
5526
5527would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
5528on the current value of 'background'.
5529
5530You can use multiple brace pairs: >
5531 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
5532..or even nest them: >
5533 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
5534where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
5535
5536However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005537variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005538 :let foo='a + b'
5539 :echo c{foo}d
5540.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
5541
5542 *curly-braces-function-names*
5543You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
5544Example: >
5545 :let func_end='whizz'
5546 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
5547
5548This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
5549
5550==============================================================================
55517. Commands *expression-commands*
5552
5553:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
5554 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
5555 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
5556 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
5557 is created.
5558
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005559:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
5560 Set a list item to the result of the expression
5561 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
5562 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
5563 the index can be repeated.
5564 This cannot be used to add an item to a list.
5565
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005566 *E711* *E719*
5567:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005568 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
5569 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005570 correct number of items.
5571 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
5572 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
5573 When the selected range of items is partly past the
5574 end of the list, items will be added.
5575
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005576 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005577:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
5578:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
5579:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
5580 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
5581 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
5582
5583
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005584:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
5585 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
5586 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005587:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
5588 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
5589 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
5590 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005591
5592:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
5593 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
5594 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
5595 must be the name of a writable register (see
5596 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
5597 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
5598 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
5599 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
5600 characterwise.
5601 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
5602 :let @/ = ""
5603< This is different from searching for an empty string,
5604 that would match everywhere.
5605
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005606:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
5607 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
5608 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
5609
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005610:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-star*
5611 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005612 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
5613 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005614 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
5615 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00005616 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005617 Example: >
5618 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005619
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005620:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
5621 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
5622 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
5623
5624:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
5625:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
5626 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
5627 {expr1}.
5628
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005629:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005630:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5631:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
5632:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005633 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
5634 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
5635
5636:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005637:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5638:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
5639:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005640 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
5641 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
5642
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005643:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005644 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005645 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
5646 {name2}, etc.
5647 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005648 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005649 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
5650 command as mentioned above.
5651 Example: >
5652 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005653< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
5654 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
5655 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
5656 :let x = [0, 1]
5657 :let i = 0
5658 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
5659 :echo x
5660< The result is [0, 2].
5661
5662:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
5663:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
5664:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
5665 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005666 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005667
5668:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005669 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005670 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
5671 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
5672 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005673 Example: >
5674 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
5675<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005676:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
5677:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
5678:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
5679 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005680 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005681 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005682:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005683 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
5684 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005685 g: global variables
5686 b: local buffer variables
5687 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005688 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005689 s: script-local variables
5690 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005691 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005692
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005693:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
5694 variable is indicated before the value:
5695 <nothing> String
5696 # Number
5697 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005698
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005699
5700:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108*
5701 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
5702 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005703 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005704 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
5705 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005706 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005707 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
5708 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005709< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005710 :unlet dict['two']
5711 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005712
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005713:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
5714 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
5715 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
5716 A locked variable can be deleted: >
5717 :lockvar v
5718 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
5719 :unlet v
5720< *E741*
5721 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
5722 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
5723
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005724 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
5725 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
5726 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005727 cannot add or remove items, but can
5728 still change their values.
5729 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005730 the items. If an item is a |List| or
5731 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005732 items, but can still change the
5733 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005734 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
5735 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
5736 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
5737 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
5738 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005739 *E743*
5740 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
5741 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
5742 loops.
5743
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005744 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
5745 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005746 locked when used through the other variable.
5747 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005748 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
5749 :let cl = l
5750 :lockvar l
5751 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
5752< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
5753 See |deepcopy()|.
5754
5755
5756:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
5757 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
5758 opposite of |:lockvar|.
5759
5760
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005761:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
5762:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5763 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5764
5765 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
5766 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
5767 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
5768 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
5769 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
5770 part was not executed either.
5771
5772 You can use this to remain compatible with older
5773 versions: >
5774 :if version >= 500
5775 : version-5-specific-commands
5776 :endif
5777< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
5778 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
5779 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
5780 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
5781 avoid problems: >
5782 :if version >= 600
5783 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
5784 :endif
5785<
5786 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
5787 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
5788
5789 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
5790:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5791 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
5792 executed.
5793
5794 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
5795:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
5796 is no extra ":endif".
5797
5798:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005799 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005800:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
5801 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5802 When an error is detected from a command inside the
5803 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005804 Example: >
5805 :let lnum = 1
5806 :while lnum <= line("$")
5807 :call FixLine(lnum)
5808 :let lnum = lnum + 1
5809 :endwhile
5810<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005811 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005812 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005813
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005814:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005815:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
5816 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005817 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005818 value of each item.
5819 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005820 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00005821 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
5822 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005823 :for item in copy(mylist)
5824< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
5825 next item in the list, before executing the commands
5826 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
5827 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
5828 it will not be found. Thus the following example
5829 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
5830 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005831 :call remove(mylist, 0)
5832 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005833< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
5834 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
5835 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005836 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
5837 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
5838 to allow multiple item types.
5839
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005840:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
5841:endfo[r]
5842 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
5843 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
5844 {var2}, etc. Example: >
5845 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
5846 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
5847 :endfor
5848<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005849 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005850:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
5851 to the start of the loop.
5852 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5853 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5854 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5855 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5856 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5857 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005858
5859 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005860:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
5861 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
5862 ":endfor".
5863 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5864 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5865 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5866 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5867 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5868 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005869
5870:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
5871:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
5872 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
5873 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
5874 or autocommand invocations.
5875
5876 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
5877 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
5878 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
5879 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
5880 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
5881 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
5882 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
5883 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
5884 Example: >
5885 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
5886 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
5887<
5888 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
5889 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
5890 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
5891 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
5892 processing is not terminated.
5893
5894 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
5895 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
5896 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
5897 other errors are converted to a value of the form
5898 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
5899 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
5900 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
5901 the error number.
5902 Examples: >
5903 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
5904 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
5905<
5906 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
5907:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
5908 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
5909 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
5910 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
5911 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
5912 commands are skipped.
5913 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
5914 Examples: >
5915 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
5916 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
5917 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
5918 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
5919 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
5920 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
5921 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
5922 :catch " same as /.*/
5923<
5924 Another character can be used instead of / around the
5925 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
5926 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
5927 {pattern}.
5928 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
5929 an error message because it may vary in different
5930 locales.
5931
5932 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
5933:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
5934 are executed whenever the part between the matching
5935 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
5936 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
5937 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
5938 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
5939
5940 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
5941:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
5942 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
5943 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
5944 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
5945 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
5946 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
5947 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
5948 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
5949 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
5950 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
5951 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
5952 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
5953 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
5954 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
5955 is terminated.
5956 Example: >
5957 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
5958<
5959
5960 *:ec* *:echo*
5961:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
5962 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
5963 Also see |:comment|.
5964 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
5965 cursor to the first column.
5966 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5967 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5968 Example: >
5969 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
5970< A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
5971 To avoid that a command from before the ":echo" causes
5972 a redraw afterwards (redraws are often postponed until
5973 you type something), force a redraw with the |:redraw|
5974 command. Example: >
5975 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
5976<
5977 *:echon*
5978:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
5979 |:comment|.
5980 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5981 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5982 Example: >
5983 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
5984<
5985 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
5986 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
5987 command: >
5988 :!echo % --> filename
5989< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
5990 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
5991< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
5992 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
5993 :echo % --> nothing
5994< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
5995 :echo "%" --> %
5996< This just echoes the '%' character. >
5997 :echo expand("%") --> filename
5998< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
5999
6000 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6001:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6002 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6003 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6004 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6005< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6006 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6007
6008 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6009:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6010 message in the |message-history|.
6011 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6012 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6013 displayed, not interpreted.
6014 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6015 Example: >
6016 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
6017<
6018 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6019:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6020 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6021 script or function the line number will be added.
6022 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6023 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
6024 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6025 (see |try-echoerr|).
6026 Example: >
6027 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6028< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6029 And to get a beep: >
6030 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6031<
6032 *:exe* *:execute*
6033:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6034 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
6035 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
6036 used as the processed command, command line editing
6037 keys are not recognized.
6038 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6039 Examples: >
6040 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6041 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6042<
6043 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6044 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6045 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6046
6047< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6048 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6049 command: >
6050 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6051< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6052
6053 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006054 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6055 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006056 :execute 'while i > 5'
6057 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6058<
6059 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6060 completely in the executed string: >
6061 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6062<
6063
6064 *:comment*
6065 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6066 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6067 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6068 comment. Example: >
6069 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6070
6071==============================================================================
60728. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6073
6074The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6075explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6076
6077Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6078|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6079exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6080
6081
6082TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6083
6084Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6085use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6086a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6087 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6088|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6089a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6090be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6091which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6092clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6093
6094 :try
6095 : ...
6096 : ... TRY BLOCK
6097 : ...
6098 :catch /{pattern}/
6099 : ...
6100 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6101 : ...
6102 :catch /{pattern}/
6103 : ...
6104 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6105 : ...
6106 :finally
6107 : ...
6108 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6109 : ...
6110 :endtry
6111
6112The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6113appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6114from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6115 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6116is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6117script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6118 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6119lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6120patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6121after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6122executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
6123":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
6124(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
6125continues in the following line as usual.
6126 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
6127":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
6128that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
6129finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
6130the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
6131the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
6132see |try-nesting|.
6133 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
6134remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
6135not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
6136try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
6137a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
6138execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
6139exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6140 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
6141thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
6142clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
6143catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
6144following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
6145clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6146
6147The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
6148a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
6149try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
6150from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
6151sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
6152":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
6153":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
6154from the finally clause.
6155 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
6156try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
6157clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
6158":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
6159clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
6160":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
6161this pending exception or command is discarded.
6162
6163For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
6164
6165
6166NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
6167
6168Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
6169conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
6170clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
6171catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
6172of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
6173checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
6174try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
6175otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
6176nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
6177one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
6178the inner try conditional.
6179
6180When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
6181finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
6182An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
6183thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
6184implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
6185as usual.
6186
6187For examples see |throw-catch|.
6188
6189
6190EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
6191
6192Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
6193'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
6194script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
6195finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
6196a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
6197(see |debug-scripts|).
6198
6199
6200THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
6201
6202You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
6203and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
6204 :throw 4711
6205 :throw "string"
6206< *throw-expression*
6207You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
6208first, and the result is thrown: >
6209 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
6210 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
6211
6212An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
6213command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
6214The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
6215 Example: >
6216
6217 :function! Foo(arg)
6218 : try
6219 : throw a:arg
6220 : catch /foo/
6221 : endtry
6222 : return 1
6223 :endfunction
6224 :
6225 :function! Bar()
6226 : echo "in Bar"
6227 : return 4710
6228 :endfunction
6229 :
6230 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
6231
6232This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
6233executed. >
6234 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
6235however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
6236
6237Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
6238abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
6239exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
6240 Example: >
6241
6242 :if Foo("arrgh")
6243 : echo "then"
6244 :else
6245 : echo "else"
6246 :endif
6247
6248Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
6249
6250 *catch-order*
6251Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
6252commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
6253command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
6254gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
6255 Example: >
6256
6257 :function! Foo(value)
6258 : try
6259 : throw a:value
6260 : catch /^\d\+$/
6261 : echo "Number thrown"
6262 : catch /.*/
6263 : echo "String thrown"
6264 : endtry
6265 :endfunction
6266 :
6267 :call Foo(0x1267)
6268 :call Foo('string')
6269
6270The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
6271An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
6272specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
6273specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
6274
6275 : catch /.*/
6276 : echo "String thrown"
6277 : catch /^\d\+$/
6278 : echo "Number thrown"
6279
6280The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
6281never taken.
6282
6283 *throw-variables*
6284If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
6285in the variable |v:exception|: >
6286
6287 : catch /^\d\+$/
6288 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
6289
6290You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
6291|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
6292exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
6293 Example: >
6294
6295 :function! Caught()
6296 : if v:exception != ""
6297 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
6298 : else
6299 : echo 'Nothing caught'
6300 : endif
6301 :endfunction
6302 :
6303 :function! Foo()
6304 : try
6305 : try
6306 : try
6307 : throw 4711
6308 : finally
6309 : call Caught()
6310 : endtry
6311 : catch /.*/
6312 : call Caught()
6313 : throw "oops"
6314 : endtry
6315 : catch /.*/
6316 : call Caught()
6317 : finally
6318 : call Caught()
6319 : endtry
6320 :endfunction
6321 :
6322 :call Foo()
6323
6324This displays >
6325
6326 Nothing caught
6327 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
6328 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
6329 Nothing caught
6330
6331A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
6332number in the script or function where it has been used: >
6333
6334 :function! LineNumber()
6335 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
6336 :endfunction
6337 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
6338<
6339 *try-nested*
6340An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
6341a surrounding try conditional: >
6342
6343 :try
6344 : try
6345 : throw "foo"
6346 : catch /foobar/
6347 : echo "foobar"
6348 : finally
6349 : echo "inner finally"
6350 : endtry
6351 :catch /foo/
6352 : echo "foo"
6353 :endtry
6354
6355The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
6356clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
6357conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
6358
6359 *throw-from-catch*
6360You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
6361catch clause: >
6362
6363 :function! Foo()
6364 : throw "foo"
6365 :endfunction
6366 :
6367 :function! Bar()
6368 : try
6369 : call Foo()
6370 : catch /foo/
6371 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
6372 : throw "bar"
6373 : endtry
6374 :endfunction
6375 :
6376 :try
6377 : call Bar()
6378 :catch /.*/
6379 : echo "Caught" v:exception
6380 :endtry
6381
6382This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
6383
6384 *rethrow*
6385There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
6386"v:exception" instead: >
6387
6388 :function! Bar()
6389 : try
6390 : call Foo()
6391 : catch /.*/
6392 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
6393 : throw v:exception
6394 : endtry
6395 :endfunction
6396< *try-echoerr*
6397Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
6398exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
6399Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
6400denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
6401the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
6402
6403 :try
6404 : try
6405 : asdf
6406 : catch /.*/
6407 : echoerr v:exception
6408 : endtry
6409 :catch /.*/
6410 : echo v:exception
6411 :endtry
6412
6413This code displays
6414
6415 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
6416
6417
6418CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
6419
6420Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
6421user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
6422an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
6423a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
6424catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
6425a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
6426normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
6427(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
6428to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
6429clause has been executed.)
6430Example: >
6431
6432 :try
6433 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
6434 : set ts=17
6435 :
6436 : " Do the hard work here.
6437 :
6438 :finally
6439 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
6440 : unlet s:saved_ts
6441 :endtry
6442
6443This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
6444changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
6445that function or script part.
6446
6447 *break-finally*
6448Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
6449a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
6450 Example: >
6451
6452 :let first = 1
6453 :while 1
6454 : try
6455 : if first
6456 : echo "first"
6457 : let first = 0
6458 : continue
6459 : else
6460 : throw "second"
6461 : endif
6462 : catch /.*/
6463 : echo v:exception
6464 : break
6465 : finally
6466 : echo "cleanup"
6467 : endtry
6468 : echo "still in while"
6469 :endwhile
6470 :echo "end"
6471
6472This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
6473
6474 :function! Foo()
6475 : try
6476 : return 4711
6477 : finally
6478 : echo "cleanup\n"
6479 : endtry
6480 : echo "Foo still active"
6481 :endfunction
6482 :
6483 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
6484
6485This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
6486extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
6487return value.)
6488
6489 *except-from-finally*
6490Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
6491a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
6492cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
6493exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
6494 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
6495working correctly: >
6496
6497 :try
6498 : try
6499 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
6500 : while 1
6501 : endwhile
6502 : finally
6503 : unlet novar
6504 : endtry
6505 :catch /novar/
6506 :endtry
6507 :echo "Script still running"
6508 :sleep 1
6509
6510If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
6511think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
6512|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
6513
6514
6515CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
6516
6517If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
6518watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
6519presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
6520exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
6521the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
6522the error exception is.
6523 Error exceptions have the following format: >
6524
6525 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
6526or >
6527 Vim:{errmsg}
6528
6529{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
6530the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
6531when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
6532a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
6533a space.
6534
6535Examples:
6536
6537The command >
6538 :unlet novar
6539normally produces the error message >
6540 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6541which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6542 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
6543
6544The command >
6545 :dwim
6546normally produces the error message >
6547 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6548which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6549 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6550
6551You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
6552 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
6553or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
6554 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
6555
6556Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
6557 :function nofunc
6558and >
6559 :delfunction nofunc
6560both produce the error message >
6561 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6562which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6563 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6564or >
6565 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6566respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
6567command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
6568 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
6569
6570Some commands like >
6571 :let x = novar
6572produce multiple error messages, here: >
6573 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6574 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6575Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
6576one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
6577 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
6578
6579You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
6580 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
6581
6582You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
6583 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
6584
6585You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
6586 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
6587<
6588 *catch-text*
6589NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
6590 :catch /No such variable/
6591only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
6592a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
6593cite the message text in a comment: >
6594 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
6595
6596
6597IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
6598
6599You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
6600
6601 :try
6602 : write
6603 :catch
6604 :endtry
6605
6606But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
6607catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
6608be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
6609
6610 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
6611
6612There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
6613writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
6614then hide the error from the user.
6615 It is much better to use >
6616
6617 :try
6618 : write
6619 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6620 :endtry
6621
6622which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
6623intentionally.
6624
6625For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
6626even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
6627command: >
6628 :silent! nunmap k
6629This works also when a try conditional is active.
6630
6631
6632CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
6633
6634When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
6635the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
6636script is not terminated, then.
6637 Example: >
6638
6639 :function! TASK1()
6640 : sleep 10
6641 :endfunction
6642
6643 :function! TASK2()
6644 : sleep 20
6645 :endfunction
6646
6647 :while 1
6648 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
6649 : try
6650 : if command == ""
6651 : continue
6652 : elseif command == "END"
6653 : break
6654 : elseif command == "TASK1"
6655 : call TASK1()
6656 : elseif command == "TASK2"
6657 : call TASK2()
6658 : else
6659 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
6660 : continue
6661 : endif
6662 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6663 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
6664 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
6665 : endtry
6666 :endwhile
6667
6668You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
6669a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
6670
6671For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
6672your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
6673command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
6674
6675
6676CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
6677
6678The commands >
6679
6680 :catch /.*/
6681 :catch //
6682 :catch
6683
6684catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
6685explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
6686a script in order to catch unexpected things.
6687 Example: >
6688
6689 :try
6690 :
6691 : " do the hard work here
6692 :
6693 :catch /MyException/
6694 :
6695 : " handle known problem
6696 :
6697 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6698 : echo "Script interrupted"
6699 :catch /.*/
6700 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
6701 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
6702 :endtry
6703 :" end of script
6704
6705Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
6706strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
6707specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
6708 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
6709by pressing CTRL-C: >
6710
6711 :while 1
6712 : try
6713 : sleep 1
6714 : catch
6715 : endtry
6716 :endwhile
6717
6718
6719EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
6720
6721Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
6722
6723 :autocmd User x try
6724 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
6725 :autocmd User x catch
6726 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
6727 :autocmd User x endtry
6728 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
6729 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
6730 :
6731 :try
6732 : doautocmd User x
6733 :catch
6734 : echo v:exception
6735 :endtry
6736
6737This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
6738
6739 *except-autocmd-Pre*
6740For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
6741command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
6742of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
6743abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
6744 Example: >
6745
6746 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
6747 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
6748 :
6749 :try
6750 : write
6751 :catch
6752 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
6753 :endtry
6754
6755Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
6756you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
6757autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
6758script displays: >
6759
6760 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
6761<
6762 *except-autocmd-Post*
6763For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
6764command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
6765an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
6766is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
6767 Example: >
6768
6769 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
6770 :
6771 :try
6772 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6773 :catch
6774 : echo v:exception
6775 :endtry
6776
6777This just displays: >
6778
6779 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
6780
6781If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
6782fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
6783 Example: >
6784
6785 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
6786 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
6787 :
6788 :try
6789 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6790 :catch
6791 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6792 :endtry
6793<
6794You can also use ":silent!": >
6795
6796 :let x = "ok"
6797 :let v:errmsg = ""
6798 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
6799 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
6800 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
6801 :try
6802 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6803 :catch
6804 :endtry
6805 :echo x
6806
6807This displays "after fail".
6808
6809If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
6810autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
6811
6812 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
6813 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
6814 :
6815 :try
6816 : write
6817 :catch
6818 : echo v:exception
6819 :endtry
6820<
6821 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
6822For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
6823autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
6824of the command.
6825 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
6826had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
6827some way. >
6828
6829 :if !exists("cnt")
6830 : let cnt = 0
6831 :
6832 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
6833 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
6834 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
6835 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6836 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6837 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
6838 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
6839 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6840 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6841 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
6842 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6843 :endif
6844 :
6845 :try
6846 : write
6847 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
6848 : if &modified
6849 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
6850 : else
6851 : echo "Error after writing"
6852 : endif
6853 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6854 : echo "Error on writing"
6855 :endtry
6856
6857When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
6858first >
6859 File successfully written!
6860then >
6861 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
6862then >
6863 Error after writing
6864etc.
6865
6866 *except-autocmd-ill*
6867You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
6868The following code is ill-formed: >
6869
6870 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
6871 :
6872 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
6873 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
6874 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
6875 :
6876 :write
6877
6878
6879EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
6880
6881Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
6882pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
6883similar things in Vim.
6884 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
6885class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
6886string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
6887 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
6888it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
6889for an error when writing "myfile".
6890 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
6891base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
6892parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
6893 Example: >
6894
6895 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
6896 : if a:a < 0
6897 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
6898 : endif
6899 :endfunction
6900 :
6901 :function! Add(a, b)
6902 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
6903 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
6904 : let c = a:a + a:b
6905 : if c < 0
6906 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
6907 : endif
6908 : return c
6909 :endfunction
6910 :
6911 :function! Div(a, b)
6912 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
6913 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
6914 : if (a:b == 0)
6915 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
6916 : endif
6917 : return a:a / a:b
6918 :endfunction
6919 :
6920 :function! Write(file)
6921 : try
6922 : execute "write" a:file
6923 : catch /^Vim(write):/
6924 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
6925 : endtry
6926 :endfunction
6927 :
6928 :try
6929 :
6930 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
6931 :
6932 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
6933 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6934 : echo "Range error in" function
6935 :
6936 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
6937 : echo "Math error"
6938 :
6939 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
6940 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
6941 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6942 : if file !~ '^/'
6943 : let file = dir . "/" . file
6944 : endif
6945 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
6946 :
6947 :catch /^EXCEPT/
6948 : echo "Unspecified error"
6949 :
6950 :endtry
6951
6952The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
6953a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
6954exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
6955 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
6956failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
6957
6958
6959PECULIARITIES
6960 *except-compat*
6961The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
6962exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
6963and/or a catch clause.
6964
6965In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
6966continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
6967after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
6968functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
6969or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
6970(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
6971
6972This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
6973immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
6974conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
6975be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
6976termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
6977catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
6978by specifying a finally clause.)
6979
6980When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
6981behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
6982scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
6983
6984However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
6985commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
6986conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
6987script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
6988error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
6989messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
6990|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
6991not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
6992where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
6993error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
6994scripts.
6995
6996 *except-syntax-err*
6997Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
6998the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
6999clauses, however, is executed.
7000 Example: >
7001
7002 :try
7003 : try
7004 : throw 4711
7005 : catch /\(/
7006 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7007 : catch
7008 : echo "inner catch-all"
7009 : finally
7010 : echo "inner finally"
7011 : endtry
7012 :catch
7013 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7014 : finally
7015 : echo "outer finally"
7016 :endtry
7017
7018This displays: >
7019 inner finally
7020 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7021 outer finally
7022The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7023
7024 *except-single-line*
7025The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7026a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7027"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7028 Example: >
7029 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7030raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7031argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7032error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7033displayed.
7034
7035 *except-several-errors*
7036When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7037usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7038 Example: >
7039 echo novar
7040causes >
7041 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7042 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7043The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7044 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7045< *except-syntax-error*
7046But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7047the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7048 Example: >
7049 unlet novar #
7050causes >
7051 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7052 E488: Trailing characters
7053The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7054 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7055This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7056not intended by the user. Example: >
7057 try
7058 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7059 catch /.*/
7060 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7061 endtry
7062This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7063a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7064
7065==============================================================================
70669. Examples *eval-examples*
7067
7068Printing in Hex ~
7069>
7070 :" The function Nr2Hex() returns the Hex string of a number.
7071 :func Nr2Hex(nr)
7072 : let n = a:nr
7073 : let r = ""
7074 : while n
7075 : let r = '0123456789ABCDEF'[n % 16] . r
7076 : let n = n / 16
7077 : endwhile
7078 : return r
7079 :endfunc
7080
7081 :" The function String2Hex() converts each character in a string to a two
7082 :" character Hex string.
7083 :func String2Hex(str)
7084 : let out = ''
7085 : let ix = 0
7086 : while ix < strlen(a:str)
7087 : let out = out . Nr2Hex(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7088 : let ix = ix + 1
7089 : endwhile
7090 : return out
7091 :endfunc
7092
7093Example of its use: >
7094 :echo Nr2Hex(32)
7095result: "20" >
7096 :echo String2Hex("32")
7097result: "3332"
7098
7099
7100Sorting lines (by Robert Webb) ~
7101
7102Here is a Vim script to sort lines. Highlight the lines in Vim and type
7103":Sort". This doesn't call any external programs so it'll work on any
7104platform. The function Sort() actually takes the name of a comparison
7105function as its argument, like qsort() does in C. So you could supply it
7106with different comparison functions in order to sort according to date etc.
7107>
7108 :" Function for use with Sort(), to compare two strings.
7109 :func! Strcmp(str1, str2)
7110 : if (a:str1 < a:str2)
7111 : return -1
7112 : elseif (a:str1 > a:str2)
7113 : return 1
7114 : else
7115 : return 0
7116 : endif
7117 :endfunction
7118
7119 :" Sort lines. SortR() is called recursively.
7120 :func! SortR(start, end, cmp)
7121 : if (a:start >= a:end)
7122 : return
7123 : endif
7124 : let partition = a:start - 1
7125 : let middle = partition
7126 : let partStr = getline((a:start + a:end) / 2)
7127 : let i = a:start
7128 : while (i <= a:end)
7129 : let str = getline(i)
7130 : exec "let result = " . a:cmp . "(str, partStr)"
7131 : if (result <= 0)
7132 : " Need to put it before the partition. Swap lines i and partition.
7133 : let partition = partition + 1
7134 : if (result == 0)
7135 : let middle = partition
7136 : endif
7137 : if (i != partition)
7138 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7139 : call setline(i, str2)
7140 : call setline(partition, str)
7141 : endif
7142 : endif
7143 : let i = i + 1
7144 : endwhile
7145
7146 : " Now we have a pointer to the "middle" element, as far as partitioning
7147 : " goes, which could be anywhere before the partition. Make sure it is at
7148 : " the end of the partition.
7149 : if (middle != partition)
7150 : let str = getline(middle)
7151 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7152 : call setline(middle, str2)
7153 : call setline(partition, str)
7154 : endif
7155 : call SortR(a:start, partition - 1, a:cmp)
7156 : call SortR(partition + 1, a:end, a:cmp)
7157 :endfunc
7158
7159 :" To Sort a range of lines, pass the range to Sort() along with the name of a
7160 :" function that will compare two lines.
7161 :func! Sort(cmp) range
7162 : call SortR(a:firstline, a:lastline, a:cmp)
7163 :endfunc
7164
7165 :" :Sort takes a range of lines and sorts them.
7166 :command! -nargs=0 -range Sort <line1>,<line2>call Sort("Strcmp")
7167<
7168 *sscanf*
7169There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7170line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7171how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7172"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7173 :" Set up the match bit
7174 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7175 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7176 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7177 :"get each item out of the match
7178 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
7179 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
7180 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
7181
7182The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
7183"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
7184
7185==============================================================================
718610. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
7187
7188When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
7189evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
7190to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
7191recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
7192and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
7193only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
7194recognized.
7195
7196Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
7197missing: >
7198
7199 :if 1
7200 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
7201 :else
7202 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
7203 :endif
7204
7205==============================================================================
720611. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
7207
7208The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
7209options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
7210these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
7211these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00007212a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007213The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007214
7215These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
7216 - changing the buffer text
7217 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
7218 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
7219 - executing a shell command
7220 - reading or writing a file
7221 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00007222 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007223This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
7224
7225 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00007226:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007227 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
7228 'foldexpr'.
7229
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007230 *sandbox-option*
7231A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00007232have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007233restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
7234location. Insecure in this context are:
7235- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directlry
7236- while executing in the sandbox
7237- value coming from a modeline
7238
7239Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
7240option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
7241
7242==============================================================================
724312. Textlock *textlock*
7244
7245In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
7246to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
7247is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
7248actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
7249happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
7250
7251This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
7252 - changing the buffer text
7253 - jumping to another buffer or window
7254 - editing another file
7255 - closing a window or quitting Vim
7256 - etc.
7257
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007258
7259 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: