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Bram Moolenaarc95a3022016-06-12 23:01:46 +02001*repeat.txt* For Vim version 7.4. Last change: 2016 Jun 11
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Repeating commands, Vim scripts and debugging *repeating*
8
9Chapter 26 of the user manual introduces repeating |usr_26.txt|.
10
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +0100111. Single repeats |single-repeat|
122. Multiple repeats |multi-repeat|
133. Complex repeats |complex-repeat|
144. Using Vim scripts |using-scripts|
155. Using Vim packages |packages|
166. Creating Vim packages |package-create|
177. Debugging scripts |debug-scripts|
188. Profiling |profiling|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000019
20==============================================================================
211. Single repeats *single-repeat*
22
23 *.*
24. Repeat last change, with count replaced with [count].
25 Also repeat a yank command, when the 'y' flag is
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +000026 included in 'cpoptions'. Does not repeat a
27 command-line command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000028
29Simple changes can be repeated with the "." command. Without a count, the
30count of the last change is used. If you enter a count, it will replace the
Bram Moolenaar92dff182014-02-11 19:15:50 +010031last one. |v:count| and |v:count1| will be set.
32
33If the last change included a specification of a numbered register, the
34register number will be incremented. See |redo-register| for an example how
35to use this.
36
37Note that when repeating a command that used a Visual selection, the same SIZE
38of area is used, see |visual-repeat|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000039
40 *@:*
41@: Repeat last command-line [count] times.
42 {not available when compiled without the
43 |+cmdline_hist| feature}
44
45
46==============================================================================
472. Multiple repeats *multi-repeat*
48
49 *:g* *:global* *E147* *E148*
50:[range]g[lobal]/{pattern}/[cmd]
51 Execute the Ex command [cmd] (default ":p") on the
52 lines within [range] where {pattern} matches.
53
54:[range]g[lobal]!/{pattern}/[cmd]
55 Execute the Ex command [cmd] (default ":p") on the
56 lines within [range] where {pattern} does NOT match.
57
58 *:v* *:vglobal*
59:[range]v[global]/{pattern}/[cmd]
60 Same as :g!.
61
Bram Moolenaarc81e5e72007-05-05 18:24:42 +000062Instead of the '/' which surrounds the {pattern}, you can use any other
Bram Moolenaare2db6952013-07-24 19:53:36 +020063single byte character, but not an alphabetic character, '\', '"' or '|'.
Bram Moolenaarc81e5e72007-05-05 18:24:42 +000064This is useful if you want to include a '/' in the search pattern or
65replacement string.
66
67For the definition of a pattern, see |pattern|.
68
Bram Moolenaar32efaf62014-11-05 17:02:17 +010069NOTE [cmd] may contain a range; see |collapse| and |edit-paragraph-join| for
70examples.
71
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000072The global commands work by first scanning through the [range] lines and
73marking each line where a match occurs (for a multi-line pattern, only the
74start of the match matters).
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +020075In a second scan the [cmd] is executed for each marked line, as if the cursor
76was in that line. For ":v" and ":g!" the command is executed for each not
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000077marked line. If a line is deleted its mark disappears.
78The default for [range] is the whole buffer (1,$). Use "CTRL-C" to interrupt
79the command. If an error message is given for a line, the command for that
80line is aborted and the global command continues with the next marked or
81unmarked line.
82
83To repeat a non-Ex command, you can use the ":normal" command: >
84 :g/pat/normal {commands}
85Make sure that {commands} ends with a whole command, otherwise Vim will wait
86for you to type the rest of the command for each match. The screen will not
87have been updated, so you don't know what you are doing. See |:normal|.
88
89The undo/redo command will undo/redo the whole global command at once.
90The previous context mark will only be set once (with "''" you go back to
91where the cursor was before the global command).
92
93The global command sets both the last used search pattern and the last used
94substitute pattern (this is vi compatible). This makes it easy to globally
95replace a string:
96 :g/pat/s//PAT/g
97This replaces all occurrences of "pat" with "PAT". The same can be done with:
98 :%s/pat/PAT/g
99Which is two characters shorter!
100
Bram Moolenaar864207d2008-06-24 22:14:38 +0000101When using "global" in Ex mode, a special case is using ":visual" as a
102command. This will move to a matching line, go to Normal mode to let you
103execute commands there until you use |Q| to return to Ex mode. This will be
104repeated for each matching line. While doing this you cannot use ":global".
105To abort this type CTRL-C twice.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +0000106
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000107==============================================================================
1083. Complex repeats *complex-repeat*
109
110 *q* *recording*
111q{0-9a-zA-Z"} Record typed characters into register {0-9a-zA-Z"}
112 (uppercase to append). The 'q' command is disabled
113 while executing a register, and it doesn't work inside
Bram Moolenaara0ed84a2015-11-19 17:56:13 +0100114 a mapping and |:normal|.
115
116 Note: If the register being used for recording is also
117 used for |y| and |p| the result is most likely not
118 what is expected, because the put will paste the
119 recorded macro and the yank will overwrite the
120 recorded macro. {Vi: no recording}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000121
122q Stops recording. (Implementation note: The 'q' that
123 stops recording is not stored in the register, unless
124 it was the result of a mapping) {Vi: no recording}
125
126 *@*
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +0200127@{0-9a-z".=*+} Execute the contents of register {0-9a-z".=*+} [count]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000128 times. Note that register '%' (name of the current
129 file) and '#' (name of the alternate file) cannot be
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +0100130 used.
131 The register is executed like a mapping, that means
132 that the difference between 'wildchar' and 'wildcharm'
133 applies.
134 For "@=" you are prompted to enter an expression. The
135 result of the expression is then executed.
136 See also |@:|. {Vi: only named registers}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000137
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +0000138 *@@* *E748*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000139@@ Repeat the previous @{0-9a-z":*} [count] times.
140
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +0200141:[addr]*{0-9a-z".=+} *:@* *:star*
142:[addr]@{0-9a-z".=*+} Execute the contents of register {0-9a-z".=*+} as an Ex
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000143 command. First set cursor at line [addr] (default is
144 current line). When the last line in the register does
145 not have a <CR> it will be added automatically when
146 the 'e' flag is present in 'cpoptions'.
147 Note that the ":*" command is only recognized when the
148 '*' flag is present in 'cpoptions'. This is NOT the
149 default when 'nocompatible' is used.
150 For ":@=" the last used expression is used. The
151 result of evaluating the expression is executed as an
152 Ex command.
153 Mappings are not recognized in these commands.
154 {Vi: only in some versions} Future: Will execute the
155 register for each line in the address range.
156
157 *:@:*
158:[addr]@: Repeat last command-line. First set cursor at line
159 [addr] (default is current line). {not in Vi}
160
161 *:@@*
162:[addr]@@ Repeat the previous :@{0-9a-z"}. First set cursor at
163 line [addr] (default is current line). {Vi: only in
164 some versions}
165
166==============================================================================
1674. Using Vim scripts *using-scripts*
168
169For writing a Vim script, see chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
170
171 *:so* *:source* *load-vim-script*
172:so[urce] {file} Read Ex commands from {file}. These are commands that
173 start with a ":".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +0000174 Triggers the |SourcePre| autocommand.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000175
176:so[urce]! {file} Read Vim commands from {file}. These are commands
177 that are executed from Normal mode, like you type
178 them.
179 When used after |:global|, |:argdo|, |:windo|,
180 |:bufdo|, in a loop or when another command follows
181 the display won't be updated while executing the
182 commands.
183 {not in Vi}
184
185 *:ru* *:runtime*
Bram Moolenaar8dcf2592016-03-12 22:47:14 +0100186:ru[ntime][!] [where] {file} ..
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000187 Read Ex commands from {file} in each directory given
Bram Moolenaar8dcf2592016-03-12 22:47:14 +0100188 by 'runtimepath' and/or 'packpath'. There is no error
189 for non-existing files.
190
191 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000192 :runtime syntax/c.vim
193
194< There can be multiple {file} arguments, separated by
195 spaces. Each {file} is searched for in the first
196 directory from 'runtimepath', then in the second
197 directory, etc. Use a backslash to include a space
198 inside {file} (although it's better not to use spaces
199 in file names, it causes trouble).
200
201 When [!] is included, all found files are sourced.
202 When it is not included only the first found file is
203 sourced.
204
Bram Moolenaar8dcf2592016-03-12 22:47:14 +0100205 When [where] is omitted only 'runtimepath' is used.
206 Other values:
207 START search under "start" in 'packpath'
208 OPT search under "opt" in 'packpath'
209 PACK search under "start" and "opt" in
210 'packpath'
211 ALL first use 'runtimepath', then search
212 under "start" and "opt" in 'packpath'
213
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000214 When {file} contains wildcards it is expanded to all
215 matching files. Example: >
216 :runtime! plugin/*.vim
217< This is what Vim uses to load the plugin files when
Bram Moolenaar13fcaaf2005-04-15 21:13:42 +0000218 starting up. This similar command: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000219 :runtime plugin/*.vim
220< would source the first file only.
221
222 When 'verbose' is one or higher, there is a message
223 when no file could be found.
224 When 'verbose' is two or higher, there is a message
225 about each searched file.
226 {not in Vi}
227
Bram Moolenaarbe82c252016-03-06 14:44:08 +0100228 *:pa* *:packadd* *E919*
Bram Moolenaar328da0d2016-03-04 22:22:32 +0100229:pa[ckadd][!] {name} Search for an optional plugin directory in 'packpath'
230 and source any plugin files found. The directory must
231 match:
232 pack/*/opt/{name} ~
233 The directory is added to 'runtimepath' if it wasn't
234 there yet.
Bram Moolenaar26852122016-05-24 20:02:38 +0200235 If the directory pack/*/opt/{name}/after exists it is
236 added at the end of 'runtimepath'.
Bram Moolenaardae8d212016-02-27 22:40:16 +0100237
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100238 Note that {name} is the directory name, not the name
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +0200239 of the .vim file. All the files matching the pattern
240 pack/*/opt/{name}/plugin/**/*.vim ~
241 will be sourced. This allows for using subdirectories
242 below "plugin", just like with plugins in
243 'runtimepath'.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100244
Bram Moolenaar328da0d2016-03-04 22:22:32 +0100245 If the filetype detection was not enabled yet (this
246 is usually done with a "syntax enable" or "filetype
247 on" command in your .vimrc file), this will also look
248 for "{name}/ftdetect/*.vim" files.
249
250 When the optional ! is added no plugin files or
251 ftdetect scripts are loaded, only the matching
252 directories are added to 'runtimepath'. This is
253 useful in your .vimrc. The plugins will then be
254 loaded during initialization, see |load-plugins|.
255
256 Also see |pack-add|.
257
Bram Moolenaare18c0b32016-03-20 21:08:34 +0100258 *:packl* *:packloadall*
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +0200259:packl[oadall][!] Load all packages in the "start" directory under each
260 entry in 'packpath'.
261
262 First all the directories found are added to
263 'runtimepath', then the plugins found in the
264 directories are sourced. This allows for a plugin to
265 depend on something of another plugin, e.g. an
266 "autoload" directory. See |packload-two-steps| for
267 how this can be useful.
268
Bram Moolenaare18c0b32016-03-20 21:08:34 +0100269 This is normally done automatically during startup,
270 after loading your .vimrc file. With this command it
271 can be done earlier.
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +0200272
Bram Moolenaar8dcf2592016-03-12 22:47:14 +0100273 Packages will be loaded only once. After this command
274 it won't happen again. When the optional ! is added
275 this command will load packages even when done before.
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +0200276
Bram Moolenaar7db8f6f2016-03-29 23:12:46 +0200277 An error only causes sourcing the script where it
Bram Moolenaare18c0b32016-03-20 21:08:34 +0100278 happens to be aborted, further plugins will be loaded.
Bram Moolenaar8dcf2592016-03-12 22:47:14 +0100279 See |packages|.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100280
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000281:scripte[ncoding] [encoding] *:scripte* *:scriptencoding* *E167*
282 Specify the character encoding used in the script.
283 The following lines will be converted from [encoding]
284 to the value of the 'encoding' option, if they are
285 different. Examples: >
286 scriptencoding iso-8859-5
287 scriptencoding cp932
288<
289 When [encoding] is empty, no conversion is done. This
290 can be used to restrict conversion to a sequence of
291 lines: >
292 scriptencoding euc-jp
293 ... lines to be converted ...
294 scriptencoding
295 ... not converted ...
296
297< When conversion isn't supported by the system, there
298 is no error message and no conversion is done.
299
300 Don't use "ucs-2" or "ucs-4", scripts cannot be in
301 these encodings (they would contain NUL bytes).
302 When a sourced script starts with a BOM (Byte Order
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +0200303 Mark) in utf-8 format Vim will recognize it, no need
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000304 to use ":scriptencoding utf-8" then.
305
306 When compiled without the |+multi_byte| feature this
307 command is ignored.
308 {not in Vi}
309
Bram Moolenaar8feef4f2015-01-07 16:57:10 +0100310 *:scr* *:scriptnames*
311:scr[iptnames] List all sourced script names, in the order they were
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000312 first sourced. The number is used for the script ID
313 |<SID>|.
314 {not in Vi} {not available when compiled without the
315 |+eval| feature}
316
317 *:fini* *:finish* *E168*
318:fini[sh] Stop sourcing a script. Can only be used in a Vim
319 script file. This is a quick way to skip the rest of
320 the file. If it is used after a |:try| but before the
321 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
322 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
323 are executed first. This process applies to all
324 nested ":try"s in the script. The outermost ":endtry"
325 then stops sourcing the script. {not in Vi}
326
327All commands and command sequences can be repeated by putting them in a named
328register and then executing it. There are two ways to get the commands in the
329register:
330- Use the record command "q". You type the commands once, and while they are
331 being executed they are stored in a register. Easy, because you can see
332 what you are doing. If you make a mistake, "p"ut the register into the
333 file, edit the command sequence, and then delete it into the register
334 again. You can continue recording by appending to the register (use an
335 uppercase letter).
336- Delete or yank the command sequence into the register.
337
338Often used command sequences can be put under a function key with the ':map'
339command.
340
341An alternative is to put the commands in a file, and execute them with the
342':source!' command. Useful for long command sequences. Can be combined with
343the ':map' command to put complicated commands under a function key.
344
345The ':source' command reads Ex commands from a file line by line. You will
346have to type any needed keyboard input. The ':source!' command reads from a
347script file character by character, interpreting each character as if you
348typed it.
349
350Example: When you give the ":!ls" command you get the |hit-enter| prompt. If
351you ':source' a file with the line "!ls" in it, you will have to type the
352<Enter> yourself. But if you ':source!' a file with the line ":!ls" in it,
353the next characters from that file are read until a <CR> is found. You will
354not have to type <CR> yourself, unless ":!ls" was the last line in the file.
355
356It is possible to put ':source[!]' commands in the script file, so you can
357make a top-down hierarchy of script files. The ':source' command can be
358nested as deep as the number of files that can be opened at one time (about
35915). The ':source!' command can be nested up to 15 levels deep.
360
361You can use the "<sfile>" string (literally, this is not a special key) inside
362of the sourced file, in places where a file name is expected. It will be
363replaced by the file name of the sourced file. For example, if you have a
364"other.vimrc" file in the same directory as your ".vimrc" file, you can source
365it from your ".vimrc" file with this command: >
366 :source <sfile>:h/other.vimrc
367
368In script files terminal-dependent key codes are represented by
369terminal-independent two character codes. This means that they can be used
370in the same way on different kinds of terminals. The first character of a
371key code is 0x80 or 128, shown on the screen as "~@". The second one can be
372found in the list |key-notation|. Any of these codes can also be entered
373with CTRL-V followed by the three digit decimal code. This does NOT work for
374the <t_xx> termcap codes, these can only be used in mappings.
375
376 *:source_crnl* *W15*
377MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: Files that are read with ":source" normally have
378<CR><NL> <EOL>s. These always work. If you are using a file with <NL> <EOL>s
379(for example, a file made on Unix), this will be recognized if 'fileformats'
380is not empty and the first line does not end in a <CR>. This fails if the
381first line has something like ":map <F1> :help^M", where "^M" is a <CR>. If
382the first line ends in a <CR>, but following ones don't, you will get an error
383message, because the <CR> from the first lines will be lost.
384
Bram Moolenaar520470a2005-06-16 21:59:56 +0000385Mac Classic: Files that are read with ":source" normally have <CR> <EOL>s.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000386These always work. If you are using a file with <NL> <EOL>s (for example, a
387file made on Unix), this will be recognized if 'fileformats' is not empty and
388the first line does not end in a <CR>. Be careful not to use a file with <NL>
389linebreaks which has a <CR> in first line.
390
391On other systems, Vim expects ":source"ed files to end in a <NL>. These
392always work. If you are using a file with <CR><NL> <EOL>s (for example, a
393file made on MS-DOS), all lines will have a trailing <CR>. This may cause
394problems for some commands (e.g., mappings). There is no automatic <EOL>
395detection, because it's common to start with a line that defines a mapping
396that ends in a <CR>, which will confuse the automaton.
397
398 *line-continuation*
399Long lines in a ":source"d Ex command script file can be split by inserting
400a line continuation symbol "\" (backslash) at the start of the next line.
401There can be white space before the backslash, which is ignored.
402
403Example: the lines >
404 :set comments=sr:/*,mb:*,el:*/,
405 \://,
406 \b:#,
407 \:%,
408 \n:>,
409 \fb:-
410are interpreted as if they were given in one line:
411 :set comments=sr:/*,mb:*,el:*/,://,b:#,:%,n:>,fb:-
412
413All leading whitespace characters in the line before a backslash are ignored.
414Note however that trailing whitespace in the line before it cannot be
415inserted freely; it depends on the position where a command is split up
416whether additional whitespace is allowed or not.
417
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100418When a space is required it's best to put it right after the backslash. A
419space at the end of a line is hard to see and may be accidentally deleted. >
420 :syn match Comment
421 \ "very long regexp"
422 \ keepend
423
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000424There is a problem with the ":append" and ":insert" commands: >
425 :1append
426 \asdf
427 .
428The backslash is seen as a line-continuation symbol, thus this results in the
429command: >
430 :1appendasdf
431 .
432To avoid this, add the 'C' flag to the 'cpoptions' option: >
433 :set cpo+=C
434 :1append
435 \asdf
436 .
437 :set cpo-=C
438
439Note that when the commands are inside a function, you need to add the 'C'
440flag when defining the function, it is not relevant when executing it. >
441 :set cpo+=C
442 :function Foo()
443 :1append
444 \asdf
445 .
446 :endfunction
447 :set cpo-=C
448
449Rationale:
450 Most programs work with a trailing backslash to indicate line
451 continuation. Using this in Vim would cause incompatibility with Vi.
452 For example for this Vi mapping: >
453 :map xx asdf\
454< Therefore the unusual leading backslash is used.
455
456==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +01004575. Using Vim packages *packages*
458
459A Vim package is a directory that contains one or more plugins. The
460advantages over normal plugins:
461- A package can be downloaded as an archive and unpacked in its own directory.
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100462 Thus the files are not mixed with files of other plugins. That makes it
463 easy to update and remove.
Bram Moolenaar91715872016-03-03 17:13:03 +0100464- A package can be a git, mercurial, etc. repository. That makes it really
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100465 easy to update.
466- A package can contain multiple plugins that depend on each other.
467- A package can contain plugins that are automatically loaded on startup and
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100468 ones that are only loaded when needed with `:packadd`.
469
470
471Using a package and loading automatically ~
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100472
473Let's assume your Vim files are in the "~/.vim" directory and you want to add a
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100474package from a zip archive "/tmp/foopack.zip":
475 % mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/foo
476 % cd ~/.vim/pack/foo
477 % unzip /tmp/foopack.zip
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100478
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100479The directory name "foo" is arbitrary, you can pick anything you like.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100480
481You would now have these files under ~/.vim:
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100482 pack/foo/README.txt
Bram Moolenaaraf1a0e32016-03-09 22:19:26 +0100483 pack/foo/start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim
484 pack/foo/start/foobar/syntax/some.vim
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100485 pack/foo/opt/foodebug/plugin/debugger.vim
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100486
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100487When Vim starts up, after processing your .vimrc, it scans all directories in
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +0200488'packpath' for plugins under the "pack/*/start" directory. First all those
489directories are added to 'runtimepath'. Then all the plugins are loaded.
490See |packload-two-steps| for how these two steps can be useful.
Bram Moolenaarf3654822016-03-04 22:12:23 +0100491
Bram Moolenaaraf1a0e32016-03-09 22:19:26 +0100492In the example Vim will find "pack/foo/start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim" and adds
493"~/.vim/pack/foo/start/foobar" to 'runtimepath'.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100494
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100495If the "foobar" plugin kicks in and sets the 'filetype' to "some", Vim will
496find the syntax/some.vim file, because its directory is in 'runtimepath'.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100497
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100498Vim will also load ftdetect files, if there are any.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100499
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +0100500Note that the files under "pack/foo/opt" are not loaded automatically, only the
Bram Moolenaaraf1a0e32016-03-09 22:19:26 +0100501ones under "pack/foo/start". See |pack-add| below for how the "opt" directory
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100502is used.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100503
Bram Moolenaar8dcf2592016-03-12 22:47:14 +0100504Loading packages automatically will not happen if loading plugins is disabled,
505see |load-plugins|.
506
507To load packages earlier, so that 'runtimepath' gets updated: >
508 :packloadall
509This also works when loading plugins is disabled. The automatic loading will
510only happen once.
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100511
Bram Moolenaar26852122016-05-24 20:02:38 +0200512If the package has an "after" directory, that directory is added to the end of
513'runtimepath', so that anything there will be loaded later.
514
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100515
516Using a single plugin and loading it automatically ~
517
518If you don't have a package but a single plugin, you need to create the extra
519directory level:
Bram Moolenaaraf1a0e32016-03-09 22:19:26 +0100520 % mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/foo/start/foobar
521 % cd ~/.vim/pack/foo/start/foobar
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100522 % unzip /tmp/someplugin.zip
523
524You would now have these files:
Bram Moolenaaraf1a0e32016-03-09 22:19:26 +0100525 pack/foo/start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim
526 pack/foo/start/foobar/syntax/some.vim
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100527
528From here it works like above.
529
530
531Optional plugins ~
532 *pack-add*
533To load an optional plugin from a pack use the `:packadd` command: >
534 :packadd foodebug
535This searches for "pack/*/opt/foodebug" in 'packpath' and will find
536~/.vim/pack/foo/opt/foodebug/plugin/debugger.vim and source it.
537
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +0100538This could be done if some conditions are met. For example, depending on
539whether Vim supports a feature or a dependency is missing.
540
541You can also load an optional plugin at startup, by putting this command in
542your |.vimrc|: >
543 :packadd! foodebug
Bram Moolenaarc95a3022016-06-12 23:01:46 +0200544The extra "!" is so that the plugin isn't loaded if Vim was started with
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +0100545|--noplugin|.
Bram Moolenaar5f148ec2016-03-07 22:59:26 +0100546
547It is perfectly normal for a package to only have files in the "opt"
548directory. You then need to load each plugin when you want to use it.
549
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +0100550
551Where to put what ~
552
553Since color schemes, loaded with `:colorscheme`, are found below
554"pack/*/start" and "pack/*/opt", you could put them anywhere. We recommend
555you put them below "pack/*/opt", for example
556".vim/pack/mycolors/opt/dark/colors/very_dark.vim".
557
558Filetype plugins should go under "pack/*/start", so that they are always
559found. Unless you have more than one plugin for a file type and want to
560select which one to load with `:packadd`. E.g. depending on the compiler
561version: >
562 if foo_compiler_version > 34
563 packadd foo_new
564 else
565 packadd foo_old
566 endif
567
568The "after" directory is most likely not useful in a package. It's not
569disallowed though.
570
Bram Moolenaarf6fee0e2016-02-21 23:02:49 +0100571==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +01005726. Creating Vim packages *package-create*
573
574This assumes you write one or more plugins that you distribute as a package.
575
576If you have two unrelated plugins you would use two packages, so that Vim
577users can chose what they include or not. Or you can decide to use one
578package with optional plugins, and tell the user to add the ones he wants with
579`:packadd`.
580
581Decide how you want to distribute the package. You can create an archive or
582you could use a repository. An archive can be used by more users, but is a
583bit harder to update to a new version. A repository can usually be kept
584up-to-date easily, but it requires a program like "git" to be available.
585You can do both, github can automatically create an archive for a release.
586
587Your directory layout would be like this:
588 start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim " always loaded, defines commands
589 start/foobar/plugin/bar.vim " always loaded, defines commands
590 start/foobar/autoload/foo.vim " loaded when foo command used
591 start/foobar/doc/foo.txt " help for foo.vim
592 start/foobar/doc/tags " help tags
593 opt/fooextra/plugin/extra.vim " optional plugin, defines commands
594 opt/fooextra/autoload/extra.vim " loaded when extra command used
595 opt/fooextra/doc/extra.txt " help for extra.vim
596 opt/fooextra/doc/tags " help tags
597
598This allows for the user to do: >
599 mkdir ~/.vim/pack/myfoobar
600 cd ~/.vim/pack/myfoobar
601 git clone https://github.com/you/foobar.git
602
603Here "myfoobar" is a name that the user can choose, the only condition is that
604it differs from other packages.
605
606In your documentation you explain what the plugins do, and tell the user how
607to load the optional plugin: >
608 :packadd! fooextra
609
610You could add this packadd command in one of your plugins, to be executed when
611the optional plugin is needed.
612
613Run the `:helptags` command to generate the doc/tags file. Including this
614generated file in the package means that the user can drop the package in his
615pack directory and the help command works right away. Don't forget to re-run
616the command after changing the plugin help: >
617 :helptags path/start/foobar/doc
618 :helptags path/opt/fooextra/doc
619
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +0200620
621Dependencies between plugins ~
622 *packload-two-steps*
Bram Moolenaarc95a3022016-06-12 23:01:46 +0200623Suppose you have two plugins that depend on the same functionality. You can
Bram Moolenaar03413f42016-04-12 21:07:15 +0200624put the common functionality in an autoload directory, so that it will be
625found automatically. Your package would have these files:
626
627 pack/foo/start/one/plugin/one.vim >
628 call foolib#getit()
629< pack/foo/start/two/plugin/two.vim >
630 call foolib#getit()
631< pack/foo/start/lib/autoload/foolib.vim >
632 func foolib#getit()
633
634This works, because loading packages will first add all found directories to
635'runtimepath' before sourcing the plugins.
636
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +0100637==============================================================================
6387. Debugging scripts *debug-scripts*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000639
640Besides the obvious messages that you can add to your scripts to find out what
641they are doing, Vim offers a debug mode. This allows you to step through a
642sourced file or user function and set breakpoints.
643
644NOTE: The debugging mode is far from perfect. Debugging will have side
645effects on how Vim works. You cannot use it to debug everything. For
646example, the display is messed up by the debugging messages.
647{Vi does not have a debug mode}
648
649An alternative to debug mode is setting the 'verbose' option. With a bigger
650number it will give more verbose messages about what Vim is doing.
651
652
653STARTING DEBUG MODE *debug-mode*
654
655To enter debugging mode use one of these methods:
6561. Start Vim with the |-D| argument: >
657 vim -D file.txt
658< Debugging will start as soon as the first vimrc file is sourced. This is
659 useful to find out what is happening when Vim is starting up. A side
660 effect is that Vim will switch the terminal mode before initialisations
661 have finished, with unpredictable results.
662 For a GUI-only version (Windows, Macintosh) the debugging will start as
663 soon as the GUI window has been opened. To make this happen early, add a
664 ":gui" command in the vimrc file.
665 *:debug*
6662. Run a command with ":debug" prepended. Debugging will only be done while
667 this command executes. Useful for debugging a specific script or user
668 function. And for scripts and functions used by autocommands. Example: >
669 :debug edit test.txt.gz
670
6713. Set a breakpoint in a sourced file or user function. You could do this in
672 the command line: >
673 vim -c "breakadd file */explorer.vim" .
674< This will run Vim and stop in the first line of the "explorer.vim" script.
675 Breakpoints can also be set while in debugging mode.
676
677In debugging mode every executed command is displayed before it is executed.
678Comment lines, empty lines and lines that are not executed are skipped. When
679a line contains two commands, separated by "|", each command will be displayed
680separately.
681
682
683DEBUG MODE
684
685Once in debugging mode, the usual Ex commands can be used. For example, to
686inspect the value of a variable: >
687 echo idx
688When inside a user function, this will print the value of the local variable
689"idx". Prepend "g:" to get the value of a global variable: >
690 echo g:idx
691All commands are executed in the context of the current function or script.
692You can also set options, for example setting or resetting 'verbose' will show
693what happens, but you might want to set it just before executing the lines you
694are interested in: >
695 :set verbose=20
696
697Commands that require updating the screen should be avoided, because their
698effect won't be noticed until after leaving debug mode. For example: >
699 :help
700won't be very helpful.
701
702There is a separate command-line history for debug mode.
703
704The line number for a function line is relative to the start of the function.
705If you have trouble figuring out where you are, edit the file that defines
706the function in another Vim, search for the start of the function and do
707"99j". Replace "99" with the line number.
708
709Additionally, these commands can be used:
710 *>cont*
711 cont Continue execution until the next breakpoint is hit.
712 *>quit*
713 quit Abort execution. This is like using CTRL-C, some
714 things might still be executed, doesn't abort
715 everything. Still stops at the next breakpoint.
716 *>next*
717 next Execute the command and come back to debug mode when
718 it's finished. This steps over user function calls
719 and sourced files.
720 *>step*
721 step Execute the command and come back to debug mode for
722 the next command. This steps into called user
723 functions and sourced files.
724 *>interrupt*
725 interrupt This is like using CTRL-C, but unlike ">quit" comes
726 back to debug mode for the next command that is
727 executed. Useful for testing |:finally| and |:catch|
728 on interrupt exceptions.
729 *>finish*
730 finish Finish the current script or user function and come
731 back to debug mode for the command after the one that
732 sourced or called it.
Bram Moolenaarf1f60f82016-01-16 15:40:53 +0100733 *>bt*
734 *>backtrace*
735 *>where*
736 backtrace Show the call stacktrace for current debugging session.
737 bt
738 where
739 *>frame*
Bram Moolenaar38a55632016-02-15 22:07:32 +0100740 frame N Goes to N backtrace level. + and - signs make movement
Bram Moolenaarf1f60f82016-01-16 15:40:53 +0100741 relative. E.g., ":frame +3" goes three frames up.
742 *>up*
743 up Goes one level up from call stacktrace.
744 *>down*
745 down Goes one level down from call stacktrace.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000746
747About the additional commands in debug mode:
748- There is no command-line completion for them, you get the completion for the
749 normal Ex commands only.
Bram Moolenaardae8d212016-02-27 22:40:16 +0100750- You can shorten them, up to a single character, unless more than one command
Bram Moolenaarf1f60f82016-01-16 15:40:53 +0100751 starts with the same letter. "f" stands for "finish", use "fr" for "frame".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000752- Hitting <CR> will repeat the previous one. When doing another command, this
753 is reset (because it's not clear what you want to repeat).
754- When you want to use the Ex command with the same name, prepend a colon:
755 ":cont", ":next", ":finish" (or shorter).
756
Bram Moolenaarf1f60f82016-01-16 15:40:53 +0100757The backtrace shows the hierarchy of function calls, e.g.:
758 >bt ~
759 3 function One[3] ~
760 2 Two[3] ~
761 ->1 Three[3] ~
762 0 Four ~
763 line 1: let four = 4 ~
764
765The "->" points to the current frame. Use "up", "down" and "frame N" to
766select another frame.
767
768In the current frame you can evaluate the local function variables. There is
769no way to see the command at the current line yet.
770
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000771
772DEFINING BREAKPOINTS
773 *:breaka* *:breakadd*
774:breaka[dd] func [lnum] {name}
775 Set a breakpoint in a function. Example: >
776 :breakadd func Explore
777< Doesn't check for a valid function name, thus the breakpoint
778 can be set before the function is defined.
779
780:breaka[dd] file [lnum] {name}
781 Set a breakpoint in a sourced file. Example: >
782 :breakadd file 43 .vimrc
783
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +0000784:breaka[dd] here
785 Set a breakpoint in the current line of the current file.
786 Like doing: >
787 :breakadd file <cursor-line> <current-file>
788< Note that this only works for commands that are executed when
789 sourcing the file, not for a function defined in that file.
790
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000791The [lnum] is the line number of the breakpoint. Vim will stop at or after
792this line. When omitted line 1 is used.
793
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000794 *:debug-name*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000795{name} is a pattern that is matched with the file or function name. The
796pattern is like what is used for autocommands. There must be a full match (as
797if the pattern starts with "^" and ends in "$"). A "*" matches any sequence
798of characters. 'ignorecase' is not used, but "\c" can be used in the pattern
799to ignore case |/\c|. Don't include the () for the function name!
800
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000801The match for sourced scripts is done against the full file name. If no path
802is specified the current directory is used. Examples: >
803 breakadd file explorer.vim
804matches "explorer.vim" in the current directory. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000805 breakadd file *explorer.vim
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000806matches ".../plugin/explorer.vim", ".../plugin/iexplorer.vim", etc. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000807 breakadd file */explorer.vim
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000808matches ".../plugin/explorer.vim" and "explorer.vim" in any other directory.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000809
810The match for functions is done against the name as it's shown in the output
811of ":function". For local functions this means that something like "<SNR>99_"
812is prepended.
813
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +0000814Note that functions are first loaded and later executed. When they are loaded
815the "file" breakpoints are checked, when they are executed the "func"
816breakpoints.
817
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000818
819DELETING BREAKPOINTS
820 *:breakd* *:breakdel* *E161*
821:breakd[el] {nr}
822 Delete breakpoint {nr}. Use |:breaklist| to see the number of
823 each breakpoint.
824
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +0000825:breakd[el] *
826 Delete all breakpoints.
827
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000828:breakd[el] func [lnum] {name}
829 Delete a breakpoint in a function.
830
831:breakd[el] file [lnum] {name}
832 Delete a breakpoint in a sourced file.
833
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +0000834:breakd[el] here
835 Delete a breakpoint at the current line of the current file.
836
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000837When [lnum] is omitted, the first breakpoint in the function or file is
838deleted.
839The {name} must be exactly the same as what was typed for the ":breakadd"
840command. "explorer", "*explorer.vim" and "*explorer*" are different.
841
842
843LISTING BREAKPOINTS
844 *:breakl* *:breaklist*
845:breakl[ist]
846 List all breakpoints.
847
848
849OBSCURE
850
851 *:debugg* *:debuggreedy*
852:debugg[reedy]
853 Read debug mode commands from the normal input stream, instead
854 of getting them directly from the user. Only useful for test
855 scripts. Example: >
856 echo 'q^Mq' | vim -e -s -c debuggreedy -c 'breakadd file script.vim' -S script.vim
857
858:0debugg[reedy]
859 Undo ":debuggreedy": get debug mode commands directly from the
860 user, don't use typeahead for debug commands.
861
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000862==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaar4f3f6682016-03-26 23:01:59 +01008638. Profiling *profile* *profiling*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000864
Bram Moolenaar996343d2010-07-04 22:20:21 +0200865Profiling means that Vim measures the time that is spent on executing
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000866functions and/or scripts. The |+profile| feature is required for this.
867It is only included when Vim was compiled with "huge" features.
868{Vi does not have profiling}
869
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +0000870You can also use the |reltime()| function to measure time. This only requires
871the |+reltime| feature, which is present more often.
872
Bram Moolenaar16ea3672013-07-28 16:02:18 +0200873For profiling syntax highlighting see |:syntime|.
874
Bram Moolenaar76f3b1a2014-03-27 22:30:07 +0100875For example, to profile the one_script.vim script file: >
876 :profile start /tmp/one_script_profile
877 :profile file one_script.vim
878 :source one_script.vim
879 :exit
880
Bram Moolenaar16ea3672013-07-28 16:02:18 +0200881
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000882:prof[ile] start {fname} *:prof* *:profile* *E750*
883 Start profiling, write the output in {fname} upon exit.
Bram Moolenaar0a63ded2015-04-15 13:31:24 +0200884 "~/" and environment variables in {fname} will be expanded.
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +0000885 If {fname} already exists it will be silently overwritten.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000886 The variable |v:profiling| is set to one.
887
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +0000888:prof[ile] pause
889 Don't profile until the following ":profile continue". Can be
890 used when doing something that should not be counted (e.g., an
891 external command). Does not nest.
892
893:prof[ile] continue
894 Continue profiling after ":profile pause".
895
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000896:prof[ile] func {pattern}
897 Profile function that matches the pattern {pattern}.
898 See |:debug-name| for how {pattern} is used.
899
900:prof[ile][!] file {pattern}
901 Profile script file that matches the pattern {pattern}.
902 See |:debug-name| for how {pattern} is used.
903 This only profiles the script itself, not the functions
904 defined in it.
905 When the [!] is added then all functions defined in the script
Bram Moolenaar76f3b1a2014-03-27 22:30:07 +0100906 will also be profiled.
907 Note that profiling only starts when the script is loaded
908 after this command. A :profile command in the script itself
909 won't work.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000910
911
Bram Moolenaard9fba312005-06-26 22:34:35 +0000912:profd[el] ... *:profd* *:profdel*
913 Stop profiling for the arguments specified. See |:breakdel|
914 for the arguments.
915
916
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000917You must always start with a ":profile start fname" command. The resulting
918file is written when Vim exits. Here is an example of the output, with line
919numbers prepended for the explanation:
920
921 1 FUNCTION Test2() ~
922 2 Called 1 time ~
923 3 Total time: 0.155251 ~
924 4 Self time: 0.002006 ~
925 5 ~
926 6 count total (s) self (s) ~
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000927 7 9 0.000096 for i in range(8) ~
928 8 8 0.153655 0.000410 call Test3() ~
929 9 8 0.000070 endfor ~
930 10 " Ask a question ~
931 11 1 0.001341 echo input("give me an answer: ") ~
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000932
933The header (lines 1-4) gives the time for the whole function. The "Total"
934time is the time passed while the function was executing. The "Self" time is
935the "Total" time reduced by time spent in:
936- other user defined functions
937- sourced scripts
938- executed autocommands
939- external (shell) commands
940
941Lines 7-11 show the time spent in each executed line. Lines that are not
942executed do not count. Thus a comment line is never counted.
943
944The Count column shows how many times a line was executed. Note that the
945"for" command in line 7 is executed one more time as the following lines.
946That is because the line is also executed to detect the end of the loop.
947
948The time Vim spends waiting for user input isn't counted at all. Thus how
949long you take to respond to the input() prompt is irrelevant.
950
951Profiling should give a good indication of where time is spent, but keep in
952mind there are various things that may clobber the results:
953
954- The accuracy of the time measured depends on the gettimeofday() system
955 function. It may only be as accurate as 1/100 second, even though the times
956 are displayed in micro seconds.
957
958- Real elapsed time is measured, if other processes are busy they may cause
959 delays at unpredictable moments. You may want to run the profiling several
960 times and use the lowest results.
961
962- If you have several commands in one line you only get one time. Split the
963 line to see the time for the individual commands.
964
965- The time of the lines added up is mostly less than the time of the whole
966 function. There is some overhead in between.
967
968- Functions that are deleted before Vim exits will not produce profiling
969 information. You can check the |v:profiling| variable if needed: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000970 :if !v:profiling
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000971 : delfunc MyFunc
972 :endif
973<
Bram Moolenaar8cd06ca2005-02-28 22:44:58 +0000974- Profiling may give weird results on multi-processor systems, when sleep
975 mode kicks in or the processor frequency is reduced to save power.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +0000976
Bram Moolenaarc81e5e72007-05-05 18:24:42 +0000977- The "self" time is wrong when a function is used recursively.
978
979
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000980 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: