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Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.3. Last change: 2010 Oct 18
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000040There are six types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number. |expr-number| *Number*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000043 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000045Float A floating point number. |floating-point-format| *Float*
46 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
47 Examples: 123.456 1.15e-6 -1.1e3
48
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000049String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000050 |expr-string| Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000051
52Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
53 Example: function("strlen")
54
55List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
56 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000057
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000058Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
59 value. |Dictionary|
60 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
61
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000062The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
63are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000064
65Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020066the Number. Examples:
67 Number 123 --> String "123" ~
68 Number 0 --> String "0" ~
69 Number -1 --> String "-1" ~
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +020070 *octal*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000071Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
72to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020073the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples:
74 String "456" --> Number 456 ~
75 String "6bar" --> Number 6 ~
76 String "foo" --> Number 0 ~
77 String "0xf1" --> Number 241 ~
78 String "0100" --> Number 64 ~
79 String "-8" --> Number -8 ~
80 String "+8" --> Number 0 ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000081
82To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
83 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000084< 64 ~
85
86To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
87base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000088
89For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
90
91Note that in the command >
92 :if "foo"
93"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
94use strlen(): >
95 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000096< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
97List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000099 *E805* *E806* *E808*
100When mixing Number and Float the Number is converted to Float. Otherwise
101there is no automatic conversion of Float. You can use str2float() for String
102to Float, printf() for Float to String and float2nr() for Float to Number.
103
104 *E706* *sticky-type-checking*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000105You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
106to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000107equivalent though, as well are Float and Number. Consider this sequence of
108commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000110 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000111 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error! l is still a Number
112 :let l = 4.4 " changes type from Number to Float
113 :let l = "string" " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000114
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001161.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000117 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000118A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000119in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
120around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000121
122 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
123 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000124< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000125A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
126cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000127
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000128A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
129Dictionary entry. Example: >
130 :function dict.init() dict
131 : let self.val = 0
132 :endfunction
133
134The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
135function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
136
137A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
138 :call Fn()
139 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000140
141The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000142 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
145arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000146 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000147
148
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001491.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000150 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000151A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000152can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000153position in the sequence.
154
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000155
156List creation ~
157 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000158A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000159Examples: >
160 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
161 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000162
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000163An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000164List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000165 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166
167An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
168
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000169
170List index ~
171 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000172An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000173after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
174 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000175 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000176
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000177When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000178 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000179<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000180A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
181the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000182 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
183
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000184To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000185is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000186 :echo get(mylist, idx)
187 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
188
189
190List concatenation ~
191
192Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
193 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000194 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000195
196To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
197it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
198
199
200Sublist ~
201
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000202A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
203separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000204 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000205
206Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000207similar to -1. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000208 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
209 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
210 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000211
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000212If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
213before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
214message.
215
216If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
217length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000218 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
219 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
220
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000221NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000222using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000223mylist[s : e].
224
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000225
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000226List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000227 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
229variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
230change "bb": >
231 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
232 :let bb = aa
233 :call add(aa, 4)
234 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
237Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
238works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000239a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000240 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
241 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000242 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000243 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
244 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000245< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000246 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000247< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000248
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000249To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000250copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000251
252The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000253List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000254the same value. >
255 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
256 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
257 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000258< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000259 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000260< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000261
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
263same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000264exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
265different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
266variables. Example: >
267 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000268< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000269 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000270< 0
271
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000272Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000273can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000274
275 :let a = 5
276 :let b = "5"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000277 :echo a == b
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000278< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000279 :echo [a] == [b]
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000280< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000281
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000282
283List unpack ~
284
285To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
286square brackets, like list items: >
287 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
288
289When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
290this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
291and a variable name: >
292 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
293
294This works like: >
295 :let var1 = mylist[0]
296 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000297 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000298
299Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
300empty list then.
301
302
303List modification ~
304 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000305To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306 :let list[4] = "four"
307 :let listlist[0][3] = item
308
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000309To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000310modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000311 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
312
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000313Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
314examples: >
315 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
316 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
317 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000318 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000319 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
320 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000321 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000322 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000323 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000324 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000326Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000327 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
328 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
329
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000330
331For loop ~
332
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000333The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
334to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000335 :for item in mylist
336 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000337 :endfor
338
339This works like: >
340 :let index = 0
341 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000342 : let item = mylist[index]
343 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000344 : let index = index + 1
345 :endwhile
346
347Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000348results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000349the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000350
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000351If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000352function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000353
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000354Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
356 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
357 : call Doit(lnum, col)
358 :endfor
359
360This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
361must remain the same to avoid an error.
362
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000363It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
365 : call Doit(i, j)
366 : if !empty(rest)
367 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
368 : endif
369 :endfor
370
371
372List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000373 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000375 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000377 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
378 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
379 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000380 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
381 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000382 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
383 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000384 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
385 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000386 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
387 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000388
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000389Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
390example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
391 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
392
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000393
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003941.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000397entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
398ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000399
400
401Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000402 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
405only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000406 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
407 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
410String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000411entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000412Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000413
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000414A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000415nested Dictionary: >
416 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
417
418An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
419
420
421Accessing entries ~
422
423The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
424 :let val = mydict["one"]
425 :let mydict["four"] = 4
426
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000427You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000428
429For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
430form can be used |expr-entry|: >
431 :let val = mydict.one
432 :let mydict.four = 4
433
434Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
435key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000436 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000437
438
439Dictionary to List conversion ~
440
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000441You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000442turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
443
444Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
445 :for key in keys(mydict)
446 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
447 :endfor
448
449The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
450 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
451
452To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
453 :for v in values(mydict)
454 : echo "value: " . v
455 :endfor
456
457If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000458a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000459 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
460 : echo key . ': ' . value
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000461 :endfor
462
463
464Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000465 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000466Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
467Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
468Dictionary: >
469 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
470 :let adict = onedict
471 :let adict['a'] = 11
472 :echo onedict['a']
473 11
474
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000475Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
476more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000477
478
479Dictionary modification ~
480 *dict-modification*
481To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
482use |:let| this way: >
483 :let dict[4] = "four"
484 :let dict['one'] = item
485
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000486Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
487Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
488 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
489 :unlet dict.aaa
490 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000491
492Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :call extend(adict, bdict)
494This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
495in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000496Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
497expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
498adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000499
500Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000501 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000502This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000503
504
505Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000507When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000508special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
513 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000514
515This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
516Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
517the function was invoked from.
518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
520Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
521
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000522 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
524assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000525 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
526 :function mydict.len() dict
527 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000528 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000529 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000531The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000532that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000533|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
534remaining that refers to it.
535
536It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000537
Bram Moolenaar1affd722010-08-04 17:49:30 +0200538If you get an error for a numbered function, you can find out what it is with
539a trick. Assuming the function is 42, the command is: >
540 :function {42}
541
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000542
543Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000544 *E715*
545Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000546 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
547 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
548 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
549 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
550 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
551 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
552 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
553 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000554
555
5561.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000557 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000558If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
559function.
560
561When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
562start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
563stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
564
565When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
566start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
567stored in the session file |session-file|.
568
569variable name can be stored where ~
570my_var_6 not
571My_Var_6 session file
572MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
573
574
575It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
576|curly-braces-names|.
577
578==============================================================================
5792. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
580
581Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
582
583|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
584
585|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
586
587|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
588
589|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
590 expr5 != expr5 not equal
591 expr5 > expr5 greater than
592 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
593 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
594 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
595 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
596 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
597
598 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
599 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
600 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
601 matching case
602
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000603 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
604 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000605
606|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000607 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
608 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
609
610|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
611 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
612 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
613
614|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
615 - expr7 unary minus
616 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000617
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000618
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000619|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
620 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
621 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
622 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000623
624|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000625 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000626 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000627 [expr1, ...] |List|
628 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000629 &option option value
630 (expr1) nested expression
631 variable internal variable
632 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
633 $VAR environment variable
634 @r contents of register 'r'
635 function(expr1, ...) function call
636 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
637
638
639".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
640Example: >
641 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
642
643All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
644
645
646expr1 *expr1* *E109*
647-----
648
649expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
650
651The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
652non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
653otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
654Example: >
655 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
656
657Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
658other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
659Example: >
660 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
661
662To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
663 :echo lnum == 1
664 :\ ? "top"
665 :\ : lnum == 1000
666 :\ ? "last"
667 :\ : lnum
668
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000669You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
670use in a variable such as "a:1".
671
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000672
673expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
674---------------
675
676 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
677The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
678are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
679
680 input output ~
681n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
682zero zero zero zero
683zero non-zero non-zero zero
684non-zero zero non-zero zero
685non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
686
687The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
688
689 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
690
691Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
692
693 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
694
695Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
696arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
697
698 let a = 1
699 echo a || b
700
701This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
702so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
703
704 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
705
706This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
707only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
708
709
710expr4 *expr4*
711-----
712
713expr5 {cmp} expr5
714
715Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
716if it evaluates to true.
717
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000718 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000719 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
720 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
721 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
722 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
723 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000724 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000725 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
726equal == ==# ==?
727not equal != !=# !=?
728greater than > ># >?
729greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
730smaller than < <# <?
731smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
732regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
733regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000734same instance is
735different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000736
737Examples:
738"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
739"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
740"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
741
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000742 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000743A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
744"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
745Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000746
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000747 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000748A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
749equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000750recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
751
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000752 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000753A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
754equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000755
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000756When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000757referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000758the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
759using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000760different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000761is false.
762
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000763When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000764and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000765because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
766
767When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
768results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
769necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
770
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000771When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000772'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000773
774When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000775'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
776
777'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000778
779The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
780argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
781This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
782matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
783portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
784single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
785Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
786(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
787can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
788 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
789 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
790
791
792expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
793---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000794expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000795expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
796expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000797
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000798For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000799result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000800
801expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
802expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
803expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000804
805For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
806
807Note the difference between "+" and ".":
808 "123" + "456" = 579
809 "123" . "456" = "123456"
810
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000811Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
812 1 . 90 + 90.0
813As: >
814 (1 . 90) + 90.0
815That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
816190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
817 1 . 90 * 90.0
818Should be read as: >
819 1 . (90 * 90.0)
820Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
821attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
822
823When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
824 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
825 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
826 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
827 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
828
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000829When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
830
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000831None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000832
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000833. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
834
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000835
836expr7 *expr7*
837-----
838! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
839- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
840+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
841
842For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
843For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
844For '+' the number is unchanged.
845
846A String will be converted to a Number first.
847
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000848These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000849 !-1 == 0
850 !!8 == 1
851 --9 == 9
852
853
854expr8 *expr8*
855-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000856expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000857
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000858If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
859expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100860Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see |byteidx()| for
861an alternative.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000862
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000863Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
864text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
865cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000866 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000867
868If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000869String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
870compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
871
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000872If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000873for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000874error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000875 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
876
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000877Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
878|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
879error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000880
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000881
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000882expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000883
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000884If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
885from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100886expr1b are used as a Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see
887|byteidx()| for computing the indexes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000888
889If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
890string minus one is used.
891
892A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
893the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
894
895If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
896expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
897
898Examples: >
899 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
900 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
901 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
902 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100903<
904 *sublist* *slice*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000905If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000906the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000907just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000908 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
909 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
910 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
911
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000912Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
913error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000914
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000915
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000916expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000917
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000918If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
919name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
920expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000921
922The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
923but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
924
925There must not be white space before or after the dot.
926
927Examples: >
928 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
929 :echo dict.one
930 :echo dict .2
931
932Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
933always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
934
935
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000936expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000937
938When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
939
940
941
942 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000943number
944------
945number number constant *expr-number*
946
947Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
948
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000949 *floating-point-format*
950Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
951
952 [-+]{N}.{M}
953 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
954
955{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
956contain digits.
957[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
958{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
959Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
960locale is.
961{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
962
963Examples:
964 123.456
965 +0.0001
966 55.0
967 -0.123
968 1.234e03
969 1.0E-6
970 -3.1416e+88
971
972These are INVALID:
973 3. empty {M}
974 1e40 missing .{M}
975
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000976 *float-pi* *float-e*
977A few useful values to copy&paste: >
978 :let pi = 3.14159265359
979 :let e = 2.71828182846
980
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000981Rationale:
982Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
983the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
984resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000985could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000986incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
987for floating point numbers.
988
989 *floating-point-precision*
990The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
991means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
992runtime.
993
994The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
995printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
996function. Example: >
997 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
998< 7.853981633974483e-01
999
1000
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001001
1002string *expr-string* *E114*
1003------
1004"string" string constant *expr-quote*
1005
1006Note that double quotes are used.
1007
1008A string constant accepts these special characters:
1009\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1010\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1011\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1012\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1013\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1014\X.. same as \x..
1015\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001016\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001017 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1018\U.... same as \u....
1019\b backspace <BS>
1020\e escape <Esc>
1021\f formfeed <FF>
1022\n newline <NL>
1023\r return <CR>
1024\t tab <Tab>
1025\\ backslash
1026\" double quote
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02001027\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W. This is for use
1028 in mappings, the 0x80 byte is escaped. Don't use <Char-xxxx> to get a
1029 utf-8 character, use \uxxxx as mentioned above.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001030
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001031Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1032encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1033of 'encoding'.
1034
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001035Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1036
1037
1038literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1039---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001040'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001041
1042Note that single quotes are used.
1043
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001044This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001045meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001046
1047Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001048to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001049 if a =~ "\\s*"
1050 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001051
1052
1053option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1054------
1055&option option value, local value if possible
1056&g:option global option value
1057&l:option local option value
1058
1059Examples: >
1060 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1061 if &insertmode
1062
1063Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1064and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1065anyway.
1066
1067
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001068register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001069--------
1070@r contents of register 'r'
1071
1072The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1073Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001074register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001075registers.
1076
1077When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1078evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001079
1080
1081nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1082-------
1083(expr1) nested expression
1084
1085
1086environment variable *expr-env*
1087--------------------
1088$VAR environment variable
1089
1090The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1091result is an empty string.
1092 *expr-env-expand*
1093Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1094expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1095are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1096the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1097fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1098does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1099 :echo $version
1100 :echo expand("$version")
1101The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1102variable (if your shell supports it).
1103
1104
1105internal variable *expr-variable*
1106-----------------
1107variable internal variable
1108See below |internal-variables|.
1109
1110
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001111function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001112-------------
1113function(expr1, ...) function call
1114See below |functions|.
1115
1116
1117==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +020011183. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E461*
1119
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001120An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1121cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1122|curly-braces-names|.
1123
1124An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001125An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1126|:unlet|.
1127Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1128been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001129
1130There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1131specified by what is prepended:
1132
1133 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1134|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1135|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001136|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001137|global-variable| g: Global.
1138|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1139|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1140|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001141|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001142
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001143The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1144delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001145 :for k in keys(s:)
1146 : unlet s:[k]
1147 :endfor
1148<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001149 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1150A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1151Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1152This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1153|:bdelete|.
1154
1155One local buffer variable is predefined:
1156 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1157b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1158 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1159 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1160 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1161 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001162 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1163 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001164 :endif
1165<
1166 *window-variable* *w:var*
1167A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1168is deleted when the window is closed.
1169
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001170 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1171A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1172It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001173without the |+windows| feature}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001174
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001175 *global-variable* *g:var*
1176Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001177access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001178place if you like.
1179
1180 *local-variable* *l:var*
1181Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001182But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1183you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1184refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1185same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001186
1187 *script-variable* *s:var*
1188In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1189accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1190
1191They can be used in:
1192- commands executed while the script is sourced
1193- functions defined in the script
1194- autocommands defined in the script
1195- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1196 defined in the script (recursively)
1197- user defined commands defined in the script
1198Thus not in:
1199- other scripts sourced from this one
1200- mappings
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001201- menus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001202- etc.
1203
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001204Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1205Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001206
1207 let s:counter = 0
1208 function MyCounter()
1209 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1210 echo s:counter
1211 endfunction
1212 command Tick call MyCounter()
1213
1214You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1215that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1216"Tick" was defined is used.
1217
1218Another example that does the same: >
1219
1220 let s:counter = 0
1221 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1222
1223When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001224script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001225defined.
1226
1227The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1228function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1229
1230 let s:counter = 0
1231 function StartCounting(incr)
1232 if a:incr
1233 function MyCounter()
1234 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1235 endfunction
1236 else
1237 function MyCounter()
1238 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1239 endfunction
1240 endif
1241 endfunction
1242
1243This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1244when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1245called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1246
1247When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1248They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1249maintain a counter: >
1250
1251 if !exists("s:counter")
1252 let s:counter = 1
1253 echo "script executed for the first time"
1254 else
1255 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1256 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1257 endif
1258
1259Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1260variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1261
1262
1263Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1264
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001265 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1266v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1267 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1268 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1269
1270 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1271v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1272 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1273
1274 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1275v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1276 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1277
1278 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001279v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1280 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1281 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1282 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001283 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1284 highlighted text is used.
1285 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1286
1287 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1288v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1289 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1290
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001291 *v:char* *char-variable*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001292v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr' and used for the typed
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02001293 character when using <expr> in an abbreviation |:map-<expr>|.
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001294
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001295 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1296v:charconvert_from
1297 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1298 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1299
1300 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1301v:charconvert_to
1302 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1303 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1304
1305 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1306v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1307 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1308 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1309 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1310 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1311 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001312 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001313 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1314 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1315 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1316 in 'printexpr'.
1317
1318 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1319v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1320 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1321 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1322 can be used.
1323
1324 *v:count* *count-variable*
1325v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001326 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001327 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1328< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1329 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001330 When there are two counts, as in "3d2w", they are multiplied,
1331 just like what happens in the command, "d6w" for the example.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001332 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001333 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1334
1335 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1336v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1337 used.
1338
1339 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1340v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1341 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1342 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1343 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1344 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1345 command.
1346 See |multi-lang|.
1347
1348 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001349v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001350 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1351 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1352 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1353 Example: >
1354 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +02001355< Note: if another deadly signal is caught when v:dying is one,
1356 VimLeave autocommands will not be executed.
1357
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001358 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1359v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1360 Example: >
1361 :let v:errmsg = ""
1362 :silent! next
1363 :if v:errmsg != ""
1364 : ... handle error
1365< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1366
1367 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1368v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1369 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1370 Example: >
1371 :try
1372 : throw "oops"
1373 :catch /.*/
1374 : echo "caught" v:exception
1375 :endtry
1376< Output: "caught oops".
1377
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001378 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1379v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1380 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1381 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1382 deleted file no longer exists
1383 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1384 changed and buffer is modified
1385 changed file contents has changed
1386 mode mode of file changed
1387 time only file timestamp changed
1388
1389 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1390v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1391 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1392 do with the affected buffer:
1393 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1394 the file was deleted).
1395 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1396 was no autocommand. Except that when
1397 only the timestamp changed nothing
1398 will happen.
1399 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1400 everything that needs to be done.
1401 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1402 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1403
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001404 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001405v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001406 option used for ~
1407 'charconvert' file to be converted
1408 'diffexpr' original file
1409 'patchexpr' original file
1410 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001411 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001412
1413 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1414v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1415 evaluating:
1416 option used for ~
1417 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1418 'diffexpr' output of diff
1419 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1420 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001421 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001422 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1423 file and different from v:fname_in.
1424
1425 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1426v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1427 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1428
1429 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1430v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1431 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1432
1433 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1434v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1435 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001436 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001437
1438 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1439v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001440 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001441
1442 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1443v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001444 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001445
1446 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1447v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001448 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001449
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001450 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1451v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1452 events. Values:
1453 i Insert mode
1454 r Replace mode
1455 v Virtual Replace mode
1456
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001457 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001458v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001459 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1460 Read-only.
1461
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001462 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1463v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1464 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1465 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1466 The value is system dependent.
1467 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1468 command.
1469 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1470 in a different language than what is used for character
1471 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1472
1473 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1474v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1475 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1476 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1477 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1478 command. See |multi-lang|.
1479
1480 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02001481v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr|, 'formatexpr' and
1482 'indentexpr' expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'
1483 and 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these
1484 expressions is being evaluated. Read-only when in the
1485 |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001486
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001487 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1488v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1489 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1490 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1491
1492 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1493v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1494 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1495 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1496
1497 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1498v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1499 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1500 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1501
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001502 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1503v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1504 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1505 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1506 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
1507 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1508 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1509 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1510 than String this will cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001511 {only when compiled with the |+viminfo| feature}
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001512
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001513 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1514v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1515 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1516 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1517 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1518 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1519 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1520< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1521 don't expect it to be empty.
1522 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1523 commands.
1524 Read-only.
1525
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001526 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1527v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1528 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001529 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1530 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001531 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1532< Read-only.
1533
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001534 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001535v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001536 See |profiling|.
1537
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001538 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1539v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1540 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1541 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1542 Read-only.
1543
1544 *v:register* *register-variable*
1545v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1546 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1547
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001548 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1549v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1550 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1551 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1552 typed command.
1553 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1554 hit-enter prompt.
1555
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001556 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1557v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1558 Read-only.
1559
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001560
1561v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1562 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1563 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1564 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1565 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1566 function. |function-search-undo|.
1567 Read-write.
1568
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001569 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1570v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1571 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1572 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1573 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1574 executed. Read-only.
1575 Example: >
1576 :!mv foo bar
1577 :if v:shell_error
1578 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1579 :endif
1580< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1581
1582 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1583v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1584
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001585 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1586v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1587 the swap file found. Read-only.
1588
1589 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1590v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1591 for handling an existing swap file:
1592 'o' Open read-only
1593 'e' Edit anyway
1594 'r' Recover
1595 'd' Delete swapfile
1596 'q' Quit
1597 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001598 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001599 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1600 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1601
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001602 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001603v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001604 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001605 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001606 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001607 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001608
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001609 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1610v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001611 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001612 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1613 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1614 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1615 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1616 terminal.
1617 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1618 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1619 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1620 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1621 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1622
1623 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1624v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1625 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1626 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1627 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1628
1629 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1630v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001631 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001632 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1633 Example: >
1634 :try
1635 : throw "oops"
1636 :catch /.*/
1637 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1638 :endtry
1639< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1640
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001641 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001642v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001643 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001644 |filter()|. Read-only.
1645
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001646 *v:version* *version-variable*
1647v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1648 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1649 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1650 compatibility.
1651 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1652 if has("patch123")
1653< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1654 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1655 completely different.
1656
1657 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1658v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1659
1660==============================================================================
16614. Builtin Functions *functions*
1662
1663See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1664
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001665(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001666
1667USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1668
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001669abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001670acos( {expr}) Float arc cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001671add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001672append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001673append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001674argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001675argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001676argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001677argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001678asin( {expr}) Float arc sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001679atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001680atan2( {expr}, {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001681browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1682 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001683browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001684bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001685buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1686bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001687bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1688bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1689bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1690byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001691byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001692call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1693 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001694ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1695changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001696char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001697cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001698clearmatches() none clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001699col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001700complete( {startcol}, {matches}) none set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001701complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001702complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001703confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1704 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001705copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001706cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001707cosh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001708count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1709 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001710cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1711 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001712cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1713 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1714cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001715deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001716delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1717did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001718diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1719diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001720empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001721escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001722eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001723eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001724executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1725exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001726extend( {expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001727 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001728exp( {expr}) Float exponential of {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001729expand( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001730feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001731filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001732filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001733filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1734 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001735finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001736 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001737findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001738 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001739float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1740floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001741fmod( {expr1}, {expr2}) Float remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001742fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001743fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001744foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1745foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001746foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001747foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001748foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001749foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001750function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00001751garbagecollect( [at_exit]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001752get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001753get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001754getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1755 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001756getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001757getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1758getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001759getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1760getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001761getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001762getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001763getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1764getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001765getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001766getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001767getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001768getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1769getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001770getloclist( {nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001771getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001772getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001773getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001774getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001775getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001776getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001777gettabvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in tab {nr}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001778gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1779 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001780getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1781getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001782getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001783glob( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1784globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {flag}])
1785 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001786has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001787has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001788haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001789hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1790 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001791histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1792histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1793histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1794histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1795hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1796hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1797hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001798iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1799indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001800index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1801 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001802input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1803 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001804inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001805inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001806inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1807inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001808inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001809insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001810isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001811islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001812items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001813join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001814keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001815len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1816libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001817libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1818line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1819line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001820lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001821localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001822log( {expr}) Float natural logarithm (base e) of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001823log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001824map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001825maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1826 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1827mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1828 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001829match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001830 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001831matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1832 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001833matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001834matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001835matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001836 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001837matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1838 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001839matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1840 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001841max( {list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1842min( {list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
1843mkdir( {name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001844 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001845mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01001846mzeval( {expr}) any evaluate |MzScheme| expression
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001847nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1848nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001849pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001850pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001851prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001852printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1853pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001854range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1855 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001856readfile( {fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001857 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001858reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1859reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001860remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1861 String send expression
1862remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1863remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1864 Number check for reply string
1865remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1866remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1867 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001868remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001869remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001870rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1871repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1872resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001873reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001874round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001875search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1876 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001877searchdecl( {name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001878 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001879searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001880 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001881searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001882 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001883searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001884 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001885server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1886 Number send reply string
1887serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1888setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1889setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1890setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001891setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1892 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001893setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001894setpos( {expr}, {list}) Number set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001895setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001896setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001897settabvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in tab page {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001898settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1899 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001900setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001901shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1902 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001903 command argument
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001904simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001905sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001906sinh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001907sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001908soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001909spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001910spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1911 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001912split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001913 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001914sqrt( {expr} Float squar root of {expr}
1915str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1916str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001917strchars( {expr}) Number character length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02001918strdisplaywidth( {expr} [, {col}]) Number display length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001919strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001920stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1921 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001922string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001923strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1924strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1925 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001926strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1927 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001928strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001929strwidth( {expr}) Number display cell length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001930submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001931substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1932 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001933synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001934synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1935 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1936synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02001937synconcealed( {lnum}, {col}) List info about concealing
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001938synstack( {lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001939system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001940tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1941tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1942tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1943 Number number of current window in tab page
1944taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001945tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001946tempname() String name for a temporary file
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001947tan( {expr}) Float tangent of {expr}
1948tanh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001949tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1950toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001951tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1952 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001953trunc( {expr} Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001954type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02001955undofile( {name}) String undo file name for {name}
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02001956undotree() List undo file tree
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001957values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001958virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1959visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1960winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1961wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1962winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1963winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001964winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001965winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001966winrestview( {dict}) none restore view of current window
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001967winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001968winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001969writefile( {list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001970 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001971
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001972abs({expr}) *abs()*
1973 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
1974 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
1975 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
1976 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
1977 Examples: >
1978 echo abs(1.456)
1979< 1.456 >
1980 echo abs(-5.456)
1981< 5.456 >
1982 echo abs(-4)
1983< 4
1984 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1985
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001986
1987acos({expr}) *acos()*
1988 Return the arc cosine of {expr} measured in radians, as a
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02001989 |Float| in the range of [0, pi].
1990 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001991 [-1, 1].
1992 Examples: >
1993 :echo acos(0)
1994< 1.570796 >
1995 :echo acos(-0.5)
1996< 2.094395
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001997 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001998
1999
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002000add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002001 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
2002 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002003 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
2004 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002005< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002006 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002007 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002008
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002009
2010append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002011 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
2012 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002013 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
2014 the current buffer.
2015 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002016 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002017 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002018 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002019 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002020<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002021 *argc()*
2022argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
2023 current window. See |arglist|.
2024
2025 *argidx()*
2026argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
2027 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
2028
2029 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002030argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002031 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
2032 Example: >
2033 :let i = 0
2034 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002035 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002036 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
2037 : let i = i + 1
2038 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002039< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
2040 returned.
2041
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002042asin({expr}) *asin()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002043 Return the arc sine of {expr} measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002044 in the range of [-pi/2, pi/2].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002045 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002046 [-1, 1].
2047 Examples: >
2048 :echo asin(0.8)
2049< 0.927295 >
2050 :echo asin(-0.5)
2051< -0.523599
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002052 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002053
2054
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002055atan({expr}) *atan()*
2056 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
2057 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
2058 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2059 Examples: >
2060 :echo atan(100)
2061< 1.560797 >
2062 :echo atan(-4.01)
2063< -1.326405
2064 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2065
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002066
2067atan2({expr1}, {expr2}) *atan2()*
2068 Return the arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}, measured in
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002069 radians, as a |Float| in the range [-pi, pi].
2070 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002071 Examples: >
2072 :echo atan2(-1, 1)
2073< -0.785398 >
2074 :echo atan2(1, -1)
2075< 2.356194
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002076 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002077
2078
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002079 *browse()*
2080browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2081 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2082 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2083 The input fields are:
2084 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2085 {title} title for the requester
2086 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2087 {default} default file name
2088 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2089 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2090
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002091 *browsedir()*
2092browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2093 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2094 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2095 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2096 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2097 to be used.
2098 The input fields are:
2099 {title} title for the requester
2100 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2101 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2102 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2103
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002104bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2105 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2106 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002107 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002108 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002109 exactly. The name can be:
2110 - Relative to the current directory.
2111 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002112 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002113 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002114 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2115 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2116 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2117 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002118 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2119 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2120 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002121 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2122 file name.
2123 *buffer_exists()*
2124 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2125
2126buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2127 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2128 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002129 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002130
2131bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2132 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2133 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002134 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002135
2136bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2137 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2138 ":ls" command.
2139 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2140 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2141 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002142 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002143 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2144 match an empty string is returned.
2145 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2146 alternate buffer.
2147 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002148 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2149 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2150 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002151 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2152 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2153 buffers are searched for.
2154 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2155 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2156 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2157< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2158 string is returned. >
2159 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2160 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2161 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2162 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2163< *buffer_name()*
2164 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2165
2166 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002167bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2168 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002169 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002170 above.
2171 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2172 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2173 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002174 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2175 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2176< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2177 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2178 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2179 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2180 *buffer_number()*
2181 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2182 *last_buffer_nr()*
2183 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2184
2185bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2186 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2187 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002188 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002189 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2190
2191 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2192
2193< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2194 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002195 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002196
2197
2198byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2199 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2200 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2201 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2202 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2203 one.
2204 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2205 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2206 feature}
2207
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002208byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2209 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2210 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2211 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2212 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2213 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2214 Example : >
2215 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2216< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2217 same: >
2218 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2219 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2220< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2221 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2222 is returned.
2223
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002224call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002225 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002226 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002227 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002228 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2229 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002230 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2231 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002232
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002233ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2234 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2235 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2236 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2237 Examples: >
2238 echo ceil(1.456)
2239< 2.0 >
2240 echo ceil(-5.456)
2241< -5.0 >
2242 echo ceil(4.0)
2243< 4.0
2244 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2245
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002246changenr() *changenr()*
2247 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2248 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2249 with the |:undo| command.
2250 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2251 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2252 one less than the number of the undone change.
2253
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002254char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
2255 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2256 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2257 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
2258< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002259 char2nr("á") returns 225
2260 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002261< |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002262
2263cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2264 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2265 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2266 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2267 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2268 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2269 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002270 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002271
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002272clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2273 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2274 |:match| commands.
2275
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002276 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002277col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002278 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2279 . the cursor position
2280 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
2281 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
2282 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2283 returned)
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002284 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2285 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002286 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002287 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002288 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002289 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002290 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2291 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2292 Examples: >
2293 col(".") column of cursor
2294 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2295 col("'t") column of mark t
2296 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002297< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002298 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2299 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002300 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2301 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2302 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2303 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2304 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2305 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2306 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2307<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002308
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002309complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2310 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2311 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002312 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2313 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002314 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2315 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2316 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2317 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2318 match.
2319 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2320 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2321 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002322 inserting anything that would cause completion to stop.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002323 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2324 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2325 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2326 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002327 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002328
2329 func! ListMonths()
2330 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2331 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2332 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2333 return ''
2334 endfunc
2335< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2336 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2337
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002338complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2339 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2340 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2341 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2342 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2343 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002344 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002345 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002346
2347complete_check() *complete_check()*
2348 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2349 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2350 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2351 zero otherwise.
2352 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2353 'completefunc' option.
2354
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002355 *confirm()*
2356confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2357 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2358 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2359 choice this is 1.
2360 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2361 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002362
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002363 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2364 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2365 used (and translated).
2366 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2367 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002368
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002369 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2370 by '\n', e.g. >
2371 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2372< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2373 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2374 not need to be the first letter: >
2375 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2376< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2377 the default shortcut key.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002378
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002379 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2380 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2381 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2382 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002383
2384 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2385 is only used for the icon of the GTK, Mac, Motif and Win32
2386 GUI. It can be one of these values: "Error", "Question",
2387 "Info", "Warning" or "Generic". Only the first character is
2388 relevant. When {type} is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2389
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002390 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2391 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2392
2393 An example: >
2394 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2395 :if choice == 0
2396 : echo "make up your mind!"
2397 :elseif choice == 3
2398 : echo "tasteful"
2399 :else
2400 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2401 :endif
2402< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2403 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002404 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002405 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2406 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2407 the horizontal layout is always used.
2408
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002409 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002410copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002411 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002412 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2413 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002414 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2415 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002416 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002417
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002418cos({expr}) *cos()*
2419 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2420 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2421 Examples: >
2422 :echo cos(100)
2423< 0.862319 >
2424 :echo cos(-4.01)
2425< -0.646043
2426 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2427
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002428
2429cosh({expr}) *cosh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002430 Return the hyperbolic cosine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002431 [1, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002432 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002433 Examples: >
2434 :echo cosh(0.5)
2435< 1.127626 >
2436 :echo cosh(-0.5)
2437< -1.127626
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002438 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002439
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002440
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002441count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002442 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002443 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002444 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002445 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002446 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2447
2448
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002449 *cscope_connection()*
2450cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2451 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2452 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2453 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2454 if there are no cscope connections;
2455 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2456
2457 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2458 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2459
2460 {num} Description of existence check
2461 ----- ------------------------------
2462 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2463 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2464 {dbpath}.
2465 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2466 {dbpath}.
2467 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2468 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2469 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2470 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2471
2472 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2473
2474 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2475
2476 # pid database name prepend path
2477 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2478<
2479 Invocation Return Val ~
2480 ---------- ---------- >
2481 cscope_connection() 1
2482 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2483 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2484 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2485 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2486 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2487 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2488 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2489<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002490cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2491cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002492 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2493 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002494 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002495 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2496 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002497 Does not change the jumplist.
2498 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2499 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2500 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002501 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002502 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2503 line.
2504 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002505 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2506 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002507 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00002508 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002509
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002510
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002511deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002512 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002513 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002514 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2515 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002516 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002517 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002518 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2519 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2520 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2521 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2522 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2523 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002524 *E724*
2525 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002526 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2527 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002528 Also see |copy()|.
2529
2530delete({fname}) *delete()*
2531 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002532 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2533 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002534 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002535
2536 *did_filetype()*
2537did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2538 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2539 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2540 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2541 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2542 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2543 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2544 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2545 file.
2546
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002547diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2548 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2549 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2550 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2551 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2552 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2553 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2554 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2555
2556diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2557 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2558 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2559 diff change zero is returned.
2560 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2561 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2562 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2563 line.
2564 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2565 syntax information about the highlighting.
2566
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002567empty({expr}) *empty()*
2568 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002569 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002570 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002571 For a long |List| this is much faster than comparing the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002572 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002573
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002574escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2575 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2576 backslash. Example: >
2577 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2578< results in: >
2579 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002580< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002581
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002582 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002583eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2584 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002585 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2586 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2587 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002588
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002589eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2590 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2591 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2592 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2593 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2594
2595executable({expr}) *executable()*
2596 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2597 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002598 arguments.
2599 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2600 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2601 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2602 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002603 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2604 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002605 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002606 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002607 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2608 extension.
2609 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2610 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002611 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2612 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2613 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002614 The result is a Number:
2615 1 exists
2616 0 does not exist
2617 -1 not implemented on this system
2618
2619 *exists()*
2620exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2621 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2622 which contains one of these:
2623 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2624 not if it really works)
2625 +option-name Vim option that works.
2626 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2627 done by comparing with an empty
2628 string)
2629 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2630 or user defined function (see
2631 |user-functions|).
2632 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002633 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002634 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2635 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002636 that evaluating an index may cause an
2637 error message for an invalid
2638 expression. E.g.: >
2639 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2640 :echo exists("l[5]")
2641< 0 >
2642 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2643< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2644 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002645 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2646 command or command modifier |:command|.
2647 Returns:
2648 1 for match with start of a command
2649 2 full match with a command
2650 3 matches several user commands
2651 To check for a supported command
2652 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002653 :2match The |:2match| command.
2654 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002655 #event autocommand defined for this event
2656 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2657 pattern (the pattern is taken
2658 literally and compared to the
2659 autocommand patterns character by
2660 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002661 #group autocommand group exists
2662 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2663 event.
2664 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002665 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002666 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002667 ##event autocommand for this event is
2668 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002669 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2670
2671 Examples: >
2672 exists("&shortname")
2673 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2674 exists("*strftime")
2675 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2676 exists("bufcount")
2677 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002678 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002679 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002680 exists("#filetypeindent")
2681 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2682 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002683 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002684< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2685 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002686 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2687 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2688 the future, thus don't count on it!
2689 Working example: >
2690 exists(":make")
2691< NOT working example: >
2692 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002693
2694< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2695 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002696 exists(bufcount)
2697< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002698 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002699
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002700exp({expr}) *exp()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002701 Return the exponential of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002702 [0, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002703 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002704 Examples: >
2705 :echo exp(2)
2706< 7.389056 >
2707 :echo exp(-1)
2708< 0.367879
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002709 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002710
2711
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002712expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2713 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2714 The result is a String.
2715
2716 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2717 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2718 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2719
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002720 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002721 for a non-existing file is not included.
2722
2723 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2724 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2725 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2726
2727 % current file name
2728 # alternate file name
2729 #n alternate file name n
2730 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2731 <afile> autocmd file name
2732 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2733 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2734 <sfile> sourced script file name
2735 <cword> word under the cursor
2736 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2737 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2738 message |server2client()|
2739 Modifiers:
2740 :p expand to full path
2741 :h head (last path component removed)
2742 :t tail (last path component only)
2743 :r root (one extension removed)
2744 :e extension only
2745
2746 Example: >
2747 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2748< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2749 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2750 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2751< Use this: >
2752 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2753< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2754 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2755 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2756 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2757 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2758<
2759 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2760 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2761 to modify normal file names.
2762
2763 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2764 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2765 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2766 '/' added.
2767
2768 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2769 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2770 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2771 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002772 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2773 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2774 files in the current directory and below: >
2775 :echo expand("**/README")
2776<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002777 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2778 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002779 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002780 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002781 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002782 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2783 "$FOOBAR".
2784
2785 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2786 getting the raw output of an external command.
2787
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002788extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002789 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2790 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002791
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002792 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002793 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2794 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2795 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2796 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002797 Examples: >
2798 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2799 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002800< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2801 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2802 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2803 (where N is the original length of the List).
2804 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002805 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002806 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002807<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002808 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002809 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2810 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2811 used to decide what to do:
2812 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2813 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002814 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002815 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2816
2817 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2818 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2819 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2820 Returns {expr1}.
2821
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002822
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002823feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2824 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002825 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002826 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002827 being executed these characters come after them.
2828 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2829 {string}.
2830 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2831 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002832 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002833 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2834 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2835 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002836 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2837 'n' Do not remap keys.
2838 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2839 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2840 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002841 Return value is always 0.
2842
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002843filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2844 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2845 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2846 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2847 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002848 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2849 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002850 *file_readable()*
2851 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2852
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002853
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002854filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2855 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2856 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002857 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002858 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2859
2860
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002861filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002862 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002863 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002864 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002865 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002866 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002867 Examples: >
2868 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2869< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2870 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2871< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2872 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002873< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002874
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002875 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2876 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2877 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2878
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002879 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2880 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002881 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002882
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002883< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002884 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2885 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002886
2887
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002888finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00002889 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2890 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2891 for the syntax of {path}.
2892 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2893 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2894 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002895 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2896 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002897 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002898 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002899 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002900 {only available when compiled with the |+file_in_path|
2901 feature}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002902
2903findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2904 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002905 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2906 Example: >
2907 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002908< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2909 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002910
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002911float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2912 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2913 decimal point.
2914 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2915 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2916 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2917 in -0x80000000.
2918 Examples: >
2919 echo float2nr(3.95)
2920< 3 >
2921 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2922< -23 >
2923 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2924< 2147483647 >
2925 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2926< -2147483647 >
2927 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2928< 0
2929 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2930
2931
2932floor({expr}) *floor()*
2933 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2934 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2935 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2936 Examples: >
2937 echo floor(1.856)
2938< 1.0 >
2939 echo floor(-5.456)
2940< -6.0 >
2941 echo floor(4.0)
2942< 4.0
2943 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2944
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002945
2946fmod({expr1}, {expr2}) *fmod()*
2947 Return the remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}, even if the
2948 division is not representable. Returns {expr1} - i * {expr2}
2949 for some integer i such that if {expr2} is non-zero, the
2950 result has the same sign as {expr1} and magnitude less than
2951 the magnitude of {expr2}. If {expr2} is zero, the value
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002952 returned is zero. The value returned is a |Float|.
2953 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002954 Examples: >
2955 :echo fmod(12.33, 1.22)
2956< 0.13 >
2957 :echo fmod(-12.33, 1.22)
2958< -0.13
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002959 {only available when compiled with |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002960
2961
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002962fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002963 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002964 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
2965 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002966 For most systems the characters escaped are
2967 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
2968 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002969 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
2970 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002971 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002972 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002973 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
2974< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002975 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002976
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002977fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2978 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2979 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2980 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2981 Example: >
2982 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2983< results in: >
2984 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002985< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002986 |expand()| first then.
2987
2988foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2989 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2990 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2991 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2992
2993foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2994 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2995 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2996 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2997
2998foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2999 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003000 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003001 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
3002 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
3003 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
3004 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
3005 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
3006 previous line is usually available.
3007
3008 *foldtext()*
3009foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
3010 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
3011 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
3012 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
3013 The returned string looks like this: >
3014 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003015< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003016 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
3017 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
3018 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
3019 options is removed.
3020 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3021
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00003022foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
3023 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
3024 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
3025 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
3026 returned.
3027 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
3028 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
3029 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
3030 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3031
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003032 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003033foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003034 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
3035 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
3036 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
3037 |remote_foreground()| instead.
3038 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3039 Win32 console version}
3040
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003041
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003042function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003043 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003044 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
3045
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003046
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003047garbagecollect([at_exit]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003048 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003049 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
3050 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
3051 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
3052 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
3053 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003054 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
3055 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
3056 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003057 When the optional "at_exit" argument is one, garbage
3058 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
3059 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003060
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003061get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003062 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003063 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
3064 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003065get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003066 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003067 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
3068 {default} is omitted.
3069
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003070 *getbufline()*
3071getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003072 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
3073 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
3074 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003075
3076 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3077
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003078 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
3079 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003080
3081 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003082 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003083
3084 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
3085 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003086 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003087 returned.
3088
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003089 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003090 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003091
3092 Example: >
3093 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003094
3095getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
3096 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
3097 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
3098 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003099 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
3100 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00003101 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
3102 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
3103 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003104 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3105 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
3106 returned, there is no error message.
3107 Examples: >
3108 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
3109 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
3110<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003111getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003112 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003113 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
3114 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003115 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003116 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003117 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
3118
3119 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
3120 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3121 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3122 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3123 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003124 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3125 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3126 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3127 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003128
3129 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003130 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3131 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003132
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003133 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3134 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3135 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3136 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3137 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003138 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003139 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3140 exe v:mouse_lnum
3141 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3142 endif
3143<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003144 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3145 user that a character has to be typed.
3146 There is no mapping for the character.
3147 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3148 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3149 sequence. Examples: >
3150 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3151 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3152< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3153 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3154 :function FindChar()
3155 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3156 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3157 : normal l
3158 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3159 : break
3160 : endif
3161 : endwhile
3162 :endfunction
3163
3164getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3165 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3166 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3167 These values are added together:
3168 2 shift
3169 4 control
3170 8 alt (meta)
3171 16 mouse double click
3172 32 mouse triple click
3173 64 mouse quadruple click
3174 128 Macintosh only: command
3175 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003176 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003177 without a modifier.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003178
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003179getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3180 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3181 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3182 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3183 Example: >
3184 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003185< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003186
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003187getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003188 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3189 byte count. The first column is 1.
3190 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3191 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003192 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3193
3194getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3195 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3196 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003197 : normal Ex command
3198 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3199 / forward search command
3200 ? backward search command
3201 @ |input()| command
3202 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003203 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3204 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
3205 otherwise.
3206 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003207
3208 *getcwd()*
3209getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3210 working directory.
3211
3212getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3213 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3214 given file {fname}.
3215 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3216 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003217 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3218 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003219
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003220getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3221 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3222 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3223 |hl-Normal|.
3224 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3225 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3226 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3227 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003228 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003229 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3230 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003231 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3232 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003233
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003234getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3235 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3236 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3237 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3238 empty string is returned.
3239 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3240 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3241 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3242 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
3243 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
3244 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
3245< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3246 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003247
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003248getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3249 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3250 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3251 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3252 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3253 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3254
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003255getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3256 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3257 file of the given file {fname}.
3258 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3259 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3260 results:
3261 Normal file "file"
3262 Directory "dir"
3263 Symbolic link "link"
3264 Block device "bdev"
3265 Character device "cdev"
3266 Socket "socket"
3267 FIFO "fifo"
3268 All other "other"
3269 Example: >
3270 getftype("/home")
3271< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3272 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3273 "file" are returned.
3274
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003275 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003276getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3277 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3278 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003279 getline(1)
3280< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3281 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3282 To get the line under the cursor: >
3283 getline(".")
3284< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3285 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3286
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003287 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3288 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003289 including line {end}.
3290 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3291 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003292 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003293 Example: >
3294 :let start = line('.')
3295 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3296 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3297
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003298< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3299
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003300getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3301 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3302 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3303 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003304 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003305 returned. Otherwise, same as |getqflist()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003306
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003307getmatches() *getmatches()*
3308 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3309 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3310 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3311 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3312 Example: >
3313 :echo getmatches()
3314< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3315 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3316 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3317 :let m = getmatches()
3318 :call clearmatches()
3319 :echo getmatches()
3320< [] >
3321 :call setmatches(m)
3322 :echo getmatches()
3323< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3324 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3325 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3326 :unlet m
3327<
3328
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003329getqflist() *getqflist()*
3330 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3331 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3332 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3333 bufname() to get the name
3334 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3335 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003336 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3337 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003338 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003339 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003340 text description of the error
3341 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3342 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3343
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003344 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003345 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3346 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003347
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003348 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3349 do something with them: >
3350 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3351 :for d in getqflist()
3352 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3353 :endfor
3354
3355
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003356getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003357 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003358 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003359 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3360< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003361 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003362 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3363 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3364 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003365 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3366
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003367
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003368getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3369 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3370 The value will be one of:
3371 "v" for |characterwise| text
3372 "V" for |linewise| text
3373 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3374 0 for an empty or unknown register
3375 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3376 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3377
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003378gettabvar({tabnr}, {varname}) *gettabvar()*
3379 Get the value of a tab-local variable {varname} in tab page
3380 {tabnr}. |t:var|
3381 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
3382 Note that the name without "t:" must be used.
3383
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003384gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003385 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3386 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3387 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3388 option.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003389 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3390 use |getwinvar()|.
3391 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3392 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3393 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3394 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003395 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3396 variables is returned.
3397 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003398 Examples: >
3399 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3400 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003401<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003402 *getwinposx()*
3403getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3404 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3405 -1 if the information is not available.
3406
3407 *getwinposy()*
3408getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003409 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003410 information is not available.
3411
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003412getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
3413 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003414 Examples: >
3415 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3416 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3417<
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003418glob({expr} [, {flag}]) *glob()*
3419 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003420 use of special characters.
3421 The result is a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003422 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
3423 characters.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003424 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3425 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3426 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3427 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003428 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
3429 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
3430
3431 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3432 any external command. Example: >
3433 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3434 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3435< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003436 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003437
3438 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3439 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3440
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003441globpath({path}, {expr} [, {flag}]) *globpath()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003442 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3443 the results. Example: >
3444 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3445< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3446 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003447 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003448 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3449 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3450 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3451 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3452 error message.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003453 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3454 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3455 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3456 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003457
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003458 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3459 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3460 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3461 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003462< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3463 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3464
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003465 *has()*
3466has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3467 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3468 string. See |feature-list| below.
3469 Also see |exists()|.
3470
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003471
3472has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003473 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3474 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003475
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003476haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3477 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003478 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003479
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003480hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003481 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3482 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3483 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3484 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003485 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003486 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3487 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003488 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3489 buffer are checked for a match.
3490 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3491 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3492 n Normal mode
3493 v Visual mode
3494 o Operator-pending mode
3495 i Insert mode
3496 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3497 c Command-line mode
3498 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3499
3500 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003501 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003502 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3503 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3504 :endif
3505< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3506 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3507
3508histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3509 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3510 one of: *hist-names*
3511 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3512 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003513 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003514 "input" or "@" input line history
3515 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3516 shifted to become the newest entry.
3517 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3518 otherwise 0 is returned.
3519
3520 Example: >
3521 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3522 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3523< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3524
3525histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003526 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003527 for the possible values of {history}.
3528
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003529 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3530 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3531 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003532 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003533 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3534 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3535 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003536
3537 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3538 otherwise 0 is returned.
3539
3540 Examples:
3541 Clear expression register history: >
3542 :call histdel("expr")
3543<
3544 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3545 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3546<
3547 The following three are equivalent: >
3548 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3549 :call histdel("search", -1)
3550 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3551<
3552 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3553 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3554 :call histdel("search", -1)
3555 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3556
3557histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3558 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3559 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3560 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3561 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3562 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3563
3564 Examples:
3565 Redo the second last search from history. >
3566 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3567
3568< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3569 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3570 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3571<
3572histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3573 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3574 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3575 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3576
3577 Example: >
3578 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3579<
3580hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3581 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3582 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3583 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3584 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3585 item.
3586 *highlight_exists()*
3587 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3588
3589 *hlID()*
3590hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3591 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3592 zero is returned.
3593 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003594 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003595 "Comment" group: >
3596 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3597< *highlightID()*
3598 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3599
3600hostname() *hostname()*
3601 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003602 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003603 256 characters long are truncated.
3604
3605iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3606 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3607 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003608 When the conversion completely fails an empty string is
3609 returned. When some characters could not be converted they
3610 are replaced with "?".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003611 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3612 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3613 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3614 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3615 can be done.
3616 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3617 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3618 UTF-8 and use: >
3619 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3620< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3621 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3622 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003623 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte| feature}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003624
3625 *indent()*
3626indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3627 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3628 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3629 |getline()|.
3630 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3631
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003632
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003633index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003634 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003635 value equal to {expr}. There is no automatic conversion, so
3636 the String "4" is different from the Number 4. And the number
3637 4 is different from the Float 4.0. The value of 'ignorecase'
3638 is not used here, case always matters.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003639 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3640 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003641 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3642 case must match.
3643 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3644 Example: >
3645 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003646 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003647
3648
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003649input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003650 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003651 the command-line. The {prompt} argument is either a prompt
3652 string, or a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used
3653 in the prompt to start a new line.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003654 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3655 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003656 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003657 for lines typed for input().
3658 Example: >
3659 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3660 : echo "Cheers!"
3661 :endif
3662<
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003663 If the optional {text} argument is present and not empty, this
3664 is used for the default reply, as if the user typed this.
3665 Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003666 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3667
3668< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3669 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003670 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003671 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003672 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003673 more information. Example: >
3674 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3675<
3676 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3677 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003678 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3679 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3680 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3681 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3682 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3683 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3684 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3685
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003686 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003687 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3688 :function GetFoo()
3689 : call inputsave()
3690 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3691 : call inputrestore()
3692 :endfunction
3693
3694inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003695 Like |input()|, but when the GUI is running and text dialogs
3696 are supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003697 Example: >
3698 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3699 :if n != ""
3700 : let &sw = n
3701 :endif
3702< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3703 omitted an empty string is returned.
3704 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3705 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003706 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003707
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003708inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003709 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3710 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3711 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003712 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003713 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003714 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3715 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3716 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003717 Make sure {textlist} has less than 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003718 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003719 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3720 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003721 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3722 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3723
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003724inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003725 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous |inputsave()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003726 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3727 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3728 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3729
3730inputsave() *inputsave()*
3731 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3732 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3733 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3734 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3735 many inputrestore() calls.
3736 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3737
3738inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3739 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3740 two exceptions:
3741 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3742 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3743 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3744 |history| stack.
3745 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3746 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003747 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003748
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003749insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003750 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003751 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003752 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003753 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3754 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003755 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003756 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3757 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3758 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003759< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003760 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003761 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003762
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003763isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3764 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3765 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3766 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3767 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3768
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003769islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003770 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3771 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003772 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3773 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003774 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3775 :lockvar 1 alist
3776 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3777 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3778
3779< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003780 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003781
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003782items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003783 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3784 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3785 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3786 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003787
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003788
3789join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3790 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3791 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3792 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3793 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3794 add it there too: >
3795 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003796< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003797 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3798 The opposite function is |split()|.
3799
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003800keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003801 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003802 arbitrary order.
3803
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003804 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003805len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3806 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3807 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003808 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003809 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003810 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3811 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003812 Otherwise an error is given.
3813
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003814 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3815libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3816 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3817 with single argument {argument}.
3818 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3819 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3820 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3821 limited.
3822 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3823 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3824 to Vim.
3825 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3826 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3827 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3828 null-terminated string.
3829 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3830
3831 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3832 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3833 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3834 very probably crash.
3835
3836 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3837 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3838 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3839 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3840 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3841 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3842 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3843 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3844 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3845 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3846
3847 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003848 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003849 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3850 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3851 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3852 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3853 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3854 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003855 {only in Win32 and some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003856 feature is present}
3857 Examples: >
3858 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003859<
3860 *libcallnr()*
3861libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003862 Just like |libcall()|, but used for a function that returns an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003863 int instead of a string.
3864 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3865 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003866 Examples: >
3867 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003868 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3869 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3870<
3871 *line()*
3872line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3873 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3874 . the cursor position
3875 $ the last line in the current buffer
3876 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3877 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003878 w0 first line visible in current window
3879 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00003880 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3881 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3882 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3883 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003884 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3885 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003886 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3887 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003888 Examples: >
3889 line(".") line number of the cursor
3890 line("'t") line number of mark t
3891 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3892< *last-position-jump*
3893 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3894 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003895 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003896
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003897line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3898 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3899 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3900 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3901 line returns 1.
3902 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3903 below the last line: >
3904 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3905< This is the file size plus one.
3906 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3907 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3908 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3909
3910lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3911 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3912 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3913 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3914 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3915 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3916 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3917
3918localtime() *localtime()*
3919 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3920 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3921
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003922
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003923log({expr}) *log()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003924 Return the natural logarithm (base e) of {expr} as a |Float|.
3925 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003926 (0, inf].
3927 Examples: >
3928 :echo log(10)
3929< 2.302585 >
3930 :echo log(exp(5))
3931< 5.0
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003932 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003933
3934
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003935log10({expr}) *log10()*
3936 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
3937 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3938 Examples: >
3939 :echo log10(1000)
3940< 3.0 >
3941 :echo log10(0.01)
3942< -2.0
3943 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3944
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003945map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003946 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003947 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3948 {string}.
3949 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar627b1d32009-11-17 11:20:35 +00003950 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
3951 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003952 Example: >
3953 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003954< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003955
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003956 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003957 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003958 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3959 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003960
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003961 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3962 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003963 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003964
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003965< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003966 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3967 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003968
3969
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003970maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003971 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3972 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003973 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003974 "n" Normal
3975 "v" Visual
3976 "o" Operator-pending
3977 "i" Insert
3978 "c" Cmd-line
3979 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3980 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003981 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003982 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3983 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003984 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3985 command. The returned String has special characters
3986 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3987 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3988 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003989 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3990 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3991 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3992
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003993
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003994mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003995 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3996 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3997 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003998 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3999 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004000 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
4001 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
4002
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004003 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004004 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
4005 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
4006 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
4007 mapcheck("b") no no no
4008
4009 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
4010 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
4011 mapping for {name} exactly.
4012 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
4013 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
4014 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
4015 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
4016 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4017 then the global mappings.
4018 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
4019 without being ambiguous. Example: >
4020 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
4021 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
4022 :endif
4023< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
4024 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
4025
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004026match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004027 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
4028 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004029 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004030 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004031 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
4032 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004033 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004034 If there is no match -1 is returned.
4035 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004036 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004037 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004038< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004039 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004040 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004041 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
4042< *strcasestr()*
4043 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
4044 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
4045 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
4046<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004047 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004048 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004049 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004050 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004051 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
4052< result is again "4". >
4053 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
4054< result is again "4". >
4055 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
4056< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004057 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004058 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
4059 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
4060 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
4061 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004062 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
4063 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004064 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
4065 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004066
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004067 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004068 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004069 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
4070 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
4071< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004072 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
4073 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004074
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004075 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
4076 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004077 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004078 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
4079
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004080 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
4081matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
4082 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
4083 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
4084 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
4085 match using |matchdelete()|.
4086
4087 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004088 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004089 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
4090 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
4091 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
4092 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
4093 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
4094 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
4095 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
4096 always overrule syntax highlighting.
4097
4098 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
4099 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
4100 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
4101 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
4102 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
4103 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
4104 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
4105
4106 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
4107 the |:match| commands.
4108
4109 Example: >
4110 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4111 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
4112< Deletion of the pattern: >
4113 :call matchdelete(m)
4114
4115< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004116 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004117 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004118
4119matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004120 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004121 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
4122 Return a |List| with two elements:
4123 The name of the highlight group used
4124 The pattern used.
4125 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
4126 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004127 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
4128 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
4129 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004130
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004131matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
4132 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004133 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004134 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
4135 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004136
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004137matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004138 Same as |match()|, but return the index of first character
4139 after the match. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004140 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
4141< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004142 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
4143 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
4144 do it with matchend(): >
4145 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4146 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4147< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4148
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004149 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004150 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4151< results in "7". >
4152 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4153< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004154 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004155
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004156matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004157 Same as |match()|, but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004158 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4159 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00004160 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4161 empty string is used. Example: >
4162 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4163< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004164 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4165
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004166matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004167 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004168 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4169< results in "ing".
4170 When there is no match "" is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004171 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004172 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4173< results in "ing". >
4174 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4175< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004176 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004177 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004178
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004179 *max()*
4180max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4181 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4182 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004183 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004184
4185 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004186min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004187 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4188 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004189 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004190
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004191 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004192mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4193 Create directory {name}.
4194 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4195 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4196 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4197 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004198 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004199 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4200 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4201 with 0755.
4202 Example: >
4203 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4204< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004205 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4206 :if exists("*mkdir")
4207<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004208 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004209mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004210 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4211 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4212 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4213 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004214
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004215 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004216 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004217 v Visual by character
4218 V Visual by line
4219 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4220 s Select by character
4221 S Select by line
4222 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4223 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004224 R Replace |R|
4225 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004226 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004227 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4228 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004229 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004230 rm The -- more -- prompt
4231 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4232 ! Shell or external command is executing
4233 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4234 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4235 "c" or "n".
4236 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004237
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004238mzeval({expr}) *mzeval()*
4239 Evaluate MzScheme expression {expr} and return its result
4240 convert to Vim data structures.
4241 Numbers and strings are returned as they are.
4242 Pairs (including lists and improper lists) and vectors are
4243 returned as Vim |Lists|.
4244 Hash tables are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with keys
4245 converted to strings.
4246 All other types are converted to string with display function.
4247 Examples: >
4248 :mz (define l (list 1 2 3))
4249 :mz (define h (make-hash)) (hash-set! h "list" l)
4250 :echo mzeval("l")
4251 :echo mzeval("h")
4252<
4253 {only available when compiled with the |+mzscheme| feature}
4254
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004255nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4256 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4257 that is not blank. Example: >
4258 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4259< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4260 below it, zero is returned.
4261 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4262
4263nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
4264 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4265 value {expr}. Examples: >
4266 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4267 nr2char(32) returns " "
4268< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
4269 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
4270< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
4271 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4272 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004273 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004274
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004275 *getpid()*
4276getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004277 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4278 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004279
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004280 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004281getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4282 see |line()|.
4283 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4284 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4285 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4286 is the buffer number of the mark.
4287 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4288 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004289 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4290 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004291 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004292 character.
4293 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4294 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4295 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004296 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004297< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004298
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004299pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4300 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4301 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4302 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4303 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4304 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4305< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4306 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4307
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004308pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4309 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4310 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4311 Examples: >
4312 :echo pow(3, 3)
4313< 27.0 >
4314 :echo pow(2, 16)
4315< 65536.0 >
4316 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4317< 2.0
4318 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4319
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004320prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4321 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4322 that is not blank. Example: >
4323 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4324< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4325 above it, zero is returned.
4326 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4327
4328
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004329printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4330 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4331 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004332 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004333< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004334 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004335
4336 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004337 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004338 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004339 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4340 %c single byte
4341 %d decimal number
4342 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4343 %x hex number
4344 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4345 %X hex number using upper case letters
4346 %o octal number
4347 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4348 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4349 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4350 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4351 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4352 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004353
4354 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4355 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4356 the result.
4357
4358 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004359 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004360
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004361 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004362
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004363 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004364 Zero or more of the following flags:
4365
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004366 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4367 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4368 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4369 of the number is increased to force the first
4370 character of the output string to a zero (except
4371 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4372 precision of zero).
4373 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4374 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4375 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004376
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004377 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4378 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4379 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4380 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4381 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004382
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004383 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4384 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4385 The converted value is padded on the right with
4386 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4387 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004388
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004389 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4390 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004391
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004392 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004393 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004394 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004395
4396 field-width
4397 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004398 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4399 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4400 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4401 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004402
4403 .precision
4404 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4405 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4406 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4407 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4408 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004409 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004410 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4411 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004412
4413 type
4414 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4415 be applied, see below.
4416
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004417 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4418 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004419 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004420 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4421 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4422 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004423 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004424< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004425 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004426
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004427 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004428
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004429 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4430 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004431 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4432 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4433 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004434 conversions.
4435 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4436 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4437 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4438 zeros.
4439 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4440 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4441 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4442 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4443
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004444 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004445 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4446 resulting character is written.
4447
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004448 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004449 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4450 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4451 specified are used.
4452
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004453 *printf-f* *E807*
4454 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4455 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4456 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4457 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4458 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4459 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4460 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4461 Example: >
4462 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4463< 12.12
4464 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4465 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4466
4467 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4468 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4469 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4470 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4471 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4472
4473 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4474 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4475 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4476 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4477 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4478 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4479 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4480 results in 1.0e7.
4481
4482 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004483 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4484 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004485
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004486 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4487 accepted and automatically converted.
4488 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4489 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4490 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004491
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004492 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004493 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4494 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004495 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004496
4497
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004498pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4499 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4500 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004501 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4502 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004503
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004504 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004505range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004506 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004507 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4508 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4509 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4510 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4511 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004512 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4513 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4514 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004515 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004516 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004517 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4518 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004519 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004520 range(0) " []
4521 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004522<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004523 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004524readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004525 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4526 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004527 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4528 NL appears somewhere).
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004529 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004530 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4531 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4532 added.
4533 - No CR characters are removed.
4534 Otherwise:
4535 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4536 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004537 - When 'encoding' is Unicode any UTF-8 byte order mark is
4538 removed from the text.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004539 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4540 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4541 lines of a file: >
4542 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4543 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4544 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004545< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4546 are returned, or as many as there are.
4547 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004548 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4549 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4550 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004551 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4552 the result is an empty list.
4553 Also see |writefile()|.
4554
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004555reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4556 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4557 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4558 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4559 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4560 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4561 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004562 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004563 and {end}.
4564 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4565 reltime().
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004566 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004567
4568reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4569 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4570 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4571 microseconds. Example: >
4572 let start = reltime()
4573 call MyFunction()
4574 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4575< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4576 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004577 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4578 can use split() to remove it. >
4579 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4580< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004581 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004582
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004583 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4584remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004585 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004586 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004587 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4588 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4589 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004590 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4591 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4592 remote_read() is stored there.
4593 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4594 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4595 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4596 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4597 and the result will be the empty string.
4598 Examples: >
4599 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4600 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4601<
4602
4603remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4604 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4605 This works like: >
4606 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4607< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4608 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4609 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004610 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4611 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004612 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4613 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4614 Win32 console version}
4615
4616
4617remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4618 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4619 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004620 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004621 name of a variable.
4622 Returns zero if none are available.
4623 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4624 See also |clientserver|.
4625 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4626 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4627 Examples: >
4628 :let repl = ""
4629 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4630
4631remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4632 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4633 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4634 See also |clientserver|.
4635 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4636 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4637 Example: >
4638 :echo remote_read(id)
4639<
4640 *remote_send()* *E241*
4641remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004642 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004643 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4644 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004645 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4646 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4647 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004648 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4649 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4650 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4651 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4652 up the display.
4653 Examples: >
4654 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4655 \ remote_read(serverid)
4656
4657 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4658 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4659 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4660 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004661<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004662remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004663 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004664 return the item.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004665 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004666 return a List with these items. When {idx} points to the same
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004667 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4668 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4669 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004670 Example: >
4671 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004672 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004673remove({dict}, {key})
4674 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4675 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4676< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4677
4678 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004679
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004680rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4681 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4682 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4683 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4684 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00004685 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004686 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4687
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004688repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4689 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4690 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004691 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004692< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004693 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004694 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004695 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4696< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004697
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004698
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004699resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4700 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4701 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4702 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4703 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4704 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4705 stopped after 100 iterations.
4706 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4707 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4708 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4709 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4710 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4711
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004712 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004713reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004714 {list}.
4715 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4716 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4717
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004718round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004719 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004720 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4721 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4722 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4723 Examples: >
4724 echo round(0.456)
4725< 0.0 >
4726 echo round(4.5)
4727< 5.0 >
4728 echo round(-4.5)
4729< -5.0
4730 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4731
4732
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004733search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004734 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004735 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004736
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004737 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4738 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004739 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004740 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004741 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004742 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4743 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004744 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4745 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4746 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4747
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004748 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4749 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4750 flag.
4751
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004752 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4753
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004754 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4755 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4756 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4757 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4758 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4759< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4760 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004761 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4762
4763 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004764 more than this many milli seconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004765 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4766 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4767 giving the argument.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004768 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004769
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004770 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4771 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004772 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4773 *search()-sub-match*
4774 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4775 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4776 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004777 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004778
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004779 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4780 flag is used.
4781
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004782 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4783 :let n = 1
4784 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4785 : exe "argument " . n
4786 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4787 : " first search to find match at start of file
4788 : normal G$
4789 : let flags = "w"
4790 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004791 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004792 : let flags = "W"
4793 : endwhile
4794 : update " write the file if modified
4795 : let n = n + 1
4796 :endwhile
4797<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004798 Example for using some flags: >
4799 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4800< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4801 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4802 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4803 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4804 line:
4805 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4806 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4807 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4808 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4809 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4810
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004811
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004812searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4813 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004814
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004815 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4816 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4817 first match in the function.
4818
4819 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4820 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4821 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4822
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004823 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4824 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4825 Example: >
4826 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4827 echo getline('.')
4828 endif
4829<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004830 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004831searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4832 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004833 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4834 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4835 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004836 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4837 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4838 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4839 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4840 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4841 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004842
4843 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4844 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4845 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4846 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4847 typical use is: >
4848 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4849< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4850
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004851 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4852 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004853 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004854 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
4855 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004856 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004857 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
4858 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004859
4860 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4861 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4862 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4863 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4864 or a string.
4865 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4866 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4867 and -1 returned.
4868
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004869 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004870
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004871 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4872 patterns are used like it's on.
4873
4874 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4875 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4876 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4877 if 1
4878 if 2
4879 endif 2
4880 endif 1
4881< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4882 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4883 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004884 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004885 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4886 "endif 2".
4887 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4888 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4889 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4890 the matching start.
4891
4892 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4893
4894 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4895 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4896
4897< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4898 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4899 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4900 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4901 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4902 match.
4903 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4904
4905 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4906
4907< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4908 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4909 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4910
4911 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4912 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4913<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004914 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004915searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4916 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004917 Same as |searchpair()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004918 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4919 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004920 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02004921 returns [0, 0]. >
4922
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004923 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4924<
4925 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4926
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004927searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004928 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004929 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4930 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4931 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4932 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004933 Example: >
4934 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4935
4936< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4937 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4938 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4939< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4940 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4941
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004942server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4943 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4944 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4945 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4946 Note:
4947 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004948 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004949 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4950 See also |clientserver|.
4951 Example: >
4952 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4953<
4954serverlist() *serverlist()*
4955 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4956 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4957 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4958 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4959 Example: >
4960 :echo serverlist()
4961<
4962setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4963 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4964 {val}.
4965 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4966 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4967 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4968 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4969 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4970 Examples: >
4971 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4972 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4973< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4974
4975setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4976 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004977 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004978 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4979 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004980 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4981 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4982 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4983 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4984 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004985 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4986 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4987 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4988 line.
4989
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004990setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
4991 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004992 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004993 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004994 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004995 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4996 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004997 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004998< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004999 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
5000 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
5001< This is equivalent to: >
5002 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
5003 : call setline(n, l)
5004 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005005< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
5006
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005007setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
5008 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
5009 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005010 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
5011 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005012 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
5013 Also see |location-list|.
5014
5015setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
5016 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005017 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005018 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005019
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005020 *setpos()*
5021setpos({expr}, {list})
5022 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
5023 . the cursor
5024 'x mark x
5025
5026 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
5027 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
5028
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005029 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005030 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005031 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
5032 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
5033 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005034 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005035
5036 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005037 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark. If "col" is
5038 smaller than 1 then 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005039
5040 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
5041 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005042 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005043 character.
5044
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00005045 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
5046 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
5047
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005048 Also see |getpos()|
5049
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005050 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
5051 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
5052
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005053
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005054setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005055 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
5056 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
5057 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
5058 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005059
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005060 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005061 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005062 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005063 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005064 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005065 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005066 col column number
5067 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005068 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005069 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005070 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005071 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005072
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005073 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
5074 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
5075 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005076 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
5077 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
5078 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005079 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
5080 be used.
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02005081 If you supply an empty {list}, the quickfix list will be
5082 cleared.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005083 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
5084 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005085
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005086 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
5087 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
5088 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
5089 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
5090 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
5091 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
5092
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005093 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
5094
5095 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
5096 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
5097 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
5098
5099
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005100 *setreg()*
5101setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
5102 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
5103 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
5104 then the value is appended.
Bram Moolenaarc6485bc2010-07-28 17:02:55 +02005105 {options} can also contain a register type specification:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005106 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
5107 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
5108 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
5109 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
5110 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
5111 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005112 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005113
5114 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
5115 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
5116 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
5117 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5118
5119 Examples: >
5120 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
5121 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
5122 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
5123
5124< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
5125 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005126 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005127 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
5128 ....
5129 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
5130
5131< You can also change the type of a register by appending
5132 nothing: >
5133 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
5134
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005135settabvar({tabnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabvar()*
5136 Set tab-local variable {varname} to {val} in tab page {tabnr}.
5137 |t:var|
5138 Note that the variable name without "t:" must be used.
5139 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
5140 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
5141 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
5142 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5143
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005144settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
5145 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
5146 {val}.
5147 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
5148 use |setwinvar()|.
5149 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005150 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
5151 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
5152 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
5153 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005154 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
5155 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
5156 Examples: >
5157 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
5158 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
5159< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5160
5161setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
5162 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005163 Examples: >
5164 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
5165 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005166
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005167shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005168 Escape {string} for use as a shell command argument.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005169 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005170 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005171 quotes within {string}.
5172 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
5173 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005174 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
5175 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005176 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5177 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005178 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005179 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5180 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5181 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5182 even when inside single quotes.
5183 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5184 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5185 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005186 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5187 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5188< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5189 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5190 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005191
5192
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005193simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5194 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5195 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5196 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5197 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5198 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5199 not removed either.
5200 Example: >
5201 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5202< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5203 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5204 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5205 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5206 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5207
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005208
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005209sin({expr}) *sin()*
5210 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5211 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5212 Examples: >
5213 :echo sin(100)
5214< -0.506366 >
5215 :echo sin(-4.01)
5216< 0.763301
5217 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5218
5219
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005220sinh({expr}) *sinh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005221 Return the hyperbolic sine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005222 [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005223 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005224 Examples: >
5225 :echo sinh(0.5)
5226< 0.521095 >
5227 :echo sinh(-0.9)
5228< -1.026517
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005229 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005230
5231
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005232sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005233 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5234 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5235 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5236< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005237 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005238 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005239 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005240 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5241 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005242 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 or
5243 bigger if the first one sorts after the second one, -1 or
5244 smaller if the first one sorts before the second one.
5245 Example: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005246 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5247 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5248 endfunc
5249 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005250< A shorter compare version for this specific simple case, which
5251 ignores overflow: >
5252 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5253 return a:i1 - a:i2
5254 endfunc
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005255<
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005256 *soundfold()*
5257soundfold({word})
5258 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005259 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005260 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5261 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005262 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5263 the method can be quite slow.
5264
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005265 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005266spellbadword([{sentence}])
5267 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5268 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5269 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5270 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5271
5272 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5273 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5274 result is an empty string.
5275
5276 The return value is a list with two items:
5277 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5278 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005279 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005280 "rare" rare word
5281 "local" word only valid in another region
5282 "caps" word should start with Capital
5283 Example: >
5284 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5285< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5286
5287 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5288 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5289 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005290
5291 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005292spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005293 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005294 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5295 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5296
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005297 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5298 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5299 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5300
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005301 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5302 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005303 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5304 replace a line.
5305
5306 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005307 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5308 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005309
5310 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005311 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5312 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005313
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005314
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005315split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005316 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5317 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5318 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005319 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005320 removing the matched characters.
5321 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5322 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005323 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5324 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005325 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005326 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005327< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005328 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005329< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5330 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5331< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005332 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5333 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5334< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005335
5336
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005337sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5338 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5339 |Float|.
5340 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5341 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5342 Examples: >
5343 :echo sqrt(100)
5344< 10.0 >
5345 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5346< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005347 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005348 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5349
5350
5351str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5352 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5353 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5354 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5355 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5356 write "1.0e40".
5357 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5358 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5359 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5360 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5361 |substitute()|: >
5362 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5363< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5364
5365
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005366str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5367 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5368 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5369 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5370 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5371 with the default String to Number conversion.
5372 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5373 different base the result will be zero.
5374 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005375
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005376
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005377strchars({expr}) *strchars()*
5378 The result is a Number, which is the number of characters
5379 String {expr} occupies. Composing characters are counted
5380 separately.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005381 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
5382
5383strdisplaywidth({expr}[, {col}]) *strdisplaywidth()*
5384 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5385 String {expr} occupies on the screen.
5386 When {col} is omitted zero is used. Otherwise it is the
5387 screen column where to start. This matters for Tab
5388 characters.
Bram Moolenaar4d32c2d2010-07-18 22:10:01 +02005389 The option settings of the current window are used. This
5390 matters for anything that's displayed differently, such as
5391 'tabstop' and 'display'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005392 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5393 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
5394 Also see |strlen()|, |strwidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005395
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005396strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5397 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5398 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5399 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5400 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5401 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5402 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5403 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5404 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5405 Examples: >
5406 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5407 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5408 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5409 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5410 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5411 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005412< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5413 :if exists("*strftime")
5414
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005415stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5416 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5417 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005418 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5419 This can be used to find a second match: >
5420 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
5421 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
5422< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005423 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005424 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005425 See also |strridx()|.
5426 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005427 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5428 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5429 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005430< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005431 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5432 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5433
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005434 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005435string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005436 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5437 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005438 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005439 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005440 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005441 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005442 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005443 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005444 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005445 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005446 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005447
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005448 *strlen()*
5449strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005450 {expr} in bytes.
5451 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5452 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005453
5454 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005455<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005456 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5457 For other types an error is given.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005458 Also see |len()|, |strchars()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and
5459 |strwidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005460
5461strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5462 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005463 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005464 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5465 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5466 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5467 end of the {src}. >
5468 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5469 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5470 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005471 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005472< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5473 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00005474 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005475<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005476strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5477 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5478 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5479 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5480 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5481 match: >
5482 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5483 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5484< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005485 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5486 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005487 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005488 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005489 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005490< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005491 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5492 function strrchr().
5493
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005494strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5495 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5496 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5497 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5498 echo strtrans(@a)
5499< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5500 starting a new line.
5501
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005502strwidth({expr}) *strwidth()*
5503 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5504 String {expr} occupies. A Tab character is counted as one
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005505 cell, alternatively use |strdisplaywidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005506 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5507 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005508 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005509
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005510submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
5511 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
5512 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
5513 the whole matched text is returned.
5514 Example: >
5515 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5516< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5517 A line break is included as a newline character.
5518
5519substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5520 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
5521 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
5522 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
5523 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
5524 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005525 'ignorecase' is still relevant. 'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005526 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
5527 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
5528 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005529 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005530 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
5531 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5532 unmodified.
5533 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5534 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5535 Example: >
5536 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5537< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5538 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5539< results in "TESTING".
5540
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005541synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005542 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005543 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005544 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5545 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005546
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005547 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005548 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5549
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005550 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005551 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005552 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5553 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5554 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5555 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5556 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5557
5558 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5559 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5560<
Bram Moolenaar7510fe72010-07-25 12:46:44 +02005561
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005562synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5563 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5564 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5565 about a syntax item.
5566 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005567 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005568 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5569 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5570 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5571 {what} result
5572 "name" the name of the syntax item
5573 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5574 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5575 term: empty string)
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005576 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005577 "font" font name (only available in the GUI)
5578 |highlight-font|
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005579 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005580 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5581 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5582 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005583 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005584 "bold" "1" if bold
5585 "italic" "1" if italic
5586 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5587 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005588 "standout" "1" if standout
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005589 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005590 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005591
5592 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5593 cursor): >
5594 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5595<
5596synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5597 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5598 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5599 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5600 ":highlight link" are followed.
5601
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02005602synconcealed({lnum}, {col}) *synconcealed()*
5603 The result is a List. The first item in the list is 0 if the
5604 character at the position {lnum} and {col} is not part of a
5605 concealable region, 1 if it is. The second item in the list is
5606 a string. If the first item is 1, the second item contains the
5607 text which will be displayed in place of the concealed text,
5608 depending on the current setting of 'conceallevel'. The third
5609 and final item in the list is a unique number representing the
5610 specific syntax region matched. This allows detection of the
5611 beginning of a new concealable region if there are two
5612 consecutive regions with the same replacement character.
5613 For an example use see $VIMRUNTIME/syntax/2html.vim .
5614
5615
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005616synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5617 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5618 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5619 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005620 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5621 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5622 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5623 transparent item.
5624 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5625 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5626 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5627 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5628 endfor
Bram Moolenaar0bc380a2010-07-10 13:52:13 +02005629< When the position specified with {lnum} and {col} is invalid
5630 nothing is returned. The position just after the last
5631 character in a line and the first column in an empty line are
5632 valid positions.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005633
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00005634system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5635 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5636 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5637 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5638 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005639 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005640 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5641 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5642 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5643 also cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005644 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005645
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005646 The result is a String. Example: >
5647 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005648
5649< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5650 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5651 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5652 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5653 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5654 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5655 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5656 concatenated commands.
5657
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005658 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5659 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5660
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005661 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5662 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00005663
5664 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5665 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5666 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005667 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5668 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5669
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005670
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005671tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005672 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005673 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5674 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5675 omitted the current tab page is used.
5676 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5677 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
5678 tablist = []
5679 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
5680 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
5681 endfor
5682< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5683
5684
5685tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005686 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5687 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5688 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5689 page is returned (the tab page count).
5690 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5691
5692
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005693tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
Bram Moolenaard04f4402010-08-15 13:30:34 +02005694 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {tabarg}.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005695 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5696 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5697 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5698 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5699 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5700 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5701 Useful examples: >
5702 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5703 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5704< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5705
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00005706 *tagfiles()*
5707tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5708 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5709
5710
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005711taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5712 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00005713 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5714 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005715 name Name of the tag.
5716 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005717 defined. It is either relative to the
5718 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005719 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5720 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005721 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005722 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005723 kind values. Only available when
5724 using a tags file generated by
5725 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005726 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005727 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005728 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5729 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5730 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5731 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5732 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5733 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005734
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00005735 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5736 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005737
5738 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5739
5740 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
5741 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
5742 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
5743
5744 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5745 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5746 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5747
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005748tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5749 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005750 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005751 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5752 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5753 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005754< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory |tempfile|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005755 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5756 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5757
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005758
5759tan({expr}) *tan()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005760 Return the tangent of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005761 in the range [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005762 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005763 Examples: >
5764 :echo tan(10)
5765< 0.648361 >
5766 :echo tan(-4.01)
5767< -1.181502
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005768 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005769
5770
5771tanh({expr}) *tanh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005772 Return the hyperbolic tangent of {expr} as a |Float| in the
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005773 range [-1, 1].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005774 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005775 Examples: >
5776 :echo tanh(0.5)
5777< 0.462117 >
5778 :echo tanh(-1)
5779< -0.761594
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005780 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005781
5782
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005783tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
5784 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
5785 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
5786 the string).
5787
5788toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
5789 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
5790 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
5791 the string).
5792
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00005793tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
5794 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
5795 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
5796 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
5797 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
5798 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
5799 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
5800
5801 Examples: >
5802 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
5803< returns "Hello THere" >
5804 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
5805< returns "{blob}"
5806
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005807trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005808 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005809 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
5810 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5811 Examples: >
5812 echo trunc(1.456)
5813< 1.0 >
5814 echo trunc(-5.456)
5815< -5.0 >
5816 echo trunc(4.0)
5817< 4.0
5818 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5819
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005820 *type()*
5821type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005822 Number: 0
5823 String: 1
5824 Funcref: 2
5825 List: 3
5826 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005827 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005828 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005829 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
5830 :if type(myvar) == type("")
5831 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
5832 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005833 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005834 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005835
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02005836undofile({name}) *undofile()*
5837 Return the name of the undo file that would be used for a file
5838 with name {name} when writing. This uses the 'undodir'
5839 option, finding directories that exist. It does not check if
Bram Moolenaar860cae12010-06-05 23:22:07 +02005840 the undo file exists.
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02005841 {name} is always expanded to the full path, since that is what
5842 is used internally.
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02005843 Useful in combination with |:wundo| and |:rundo|.
5844 When compiled without the +persistent_undo option this always
5845 returns an empty string.
5846
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02005847undotree() *undotree()*
5848 Return the current state of the undo tree in a dictionary with
5849 the following items:
5850 "seq_last" The highest undo sequence number used.
5851 "seq_cur" The sequence number of the current position in
5852 the undo tree. This differs from "seq_last"
5853 when some changes were undone.
5854 "time_cur" Time last used for |:earlier| and related
5855 commands. Use |strftime()| to convert to
5856 something readable.
5857 "save_last" Number of the last file write. Zero when no
5858 write yet.
Bram Moolenaar730cde92010-06-27 05:18:54 +02005859 "save_cur" Number of the current position in the undo
5860 tree.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02005861 "synced" Non-zero when the last undo block was synced.
5862 This happens when waiting from input from the
5863 user. See |undo-blocks|.
5864 "entries" A list of dictionaries with information about
5865 undo blocks.
5866
5867 The first item in the "entries" list is the oldest undo item.
5868 Each List item is a Dictionary with these items:
5869 "seq" Undo sequence number. Same as what appears in
5870 |:undolist|.
5871 "time" Timestamp when the change happened. Use
5872 |strftime()| to convert to something readable.
5873 "newhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
5874 that was added. This marks the last change
5875 and where further changes will be added.
5876 "curhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
5877 that was undone. This marks the current
5878 position in the undo tree, the block that will
5879 be used by a redo command. When nothing was
5880 undone after the last change this item will
5881 not appear anywhere.
5882 "save" Only appears on the last block before a file
5883 write. The number is the write count. The
5884 first write has number 1, the last one the
5885 "save_last" mentioned above.
5886 "alt" Alternate entry. This is again a List of undo
5887 blocks. Each item may again have an "alt"
5888 item.
5889
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005890values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005891 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005892 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005893
5894
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005895virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
5896 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
5897 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
5898 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
5899 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
5900 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
5901 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
5902 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00005903 For the byte position use |col()|.
5904 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
5905 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005906 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005907 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005908 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005909 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
5910 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
5911 The accepted positions are:
5912 . the cursor position
5913 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
5914 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
5915 plus one)
5916 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
5917 returned)
5918 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
5919 Examples: >
5920 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
5921 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005922 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
5923< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005924 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
5925 all lines: >
5926 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
5927
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005928
5929visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
5930 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005931 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
5932 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
5933 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
5934 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
5935 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005936 Example: >
5937 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
5938< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
5939 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
5940 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005941 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
5942 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005943 *non-zero-arg*
5944 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
5945 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005946 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005947 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
5948 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
5949 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005950
5951 *winbufnr()*
5952winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005953 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005954 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
5955 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5956 Example: >
5957 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
5958<
5959 *wincol()*
5960wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
5961 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
5962 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
5963
5964winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
5965 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
5966 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
5967 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5968 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
5969 Examples: >
5970 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
5971<
5972 *winline()*
5973winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005974 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005975 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00005976 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
5977 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005978
5979 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005980winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5981 window. The top window has number 1.
5982 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005983 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005984 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
5985 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005986 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
5987 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005988 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
5989 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005990 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005991
5992 *winrestcmd()*
5993winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
5994 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005995 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
5996 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005997 Example: >
5998 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5999 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
6000 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006001<
6002 *winrestview()*
6003winrestview({dict})
6004 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
6005 the view of the current window.
6006 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
6007 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
6008
6009 *winsaveview()*
6010winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
6011 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
6012 restore the view.
6013 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
6014 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
6015 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00006016 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
6017 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006018 The return value includes:
6019 lnum cursor line number
6020 col cursor column
6021 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
6022 curswant column for vertical movement
6023 topline first line in the window
6024 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
6025 leftcol first column displayed
6026 skipcol columns skipped
6027 Note that no option values are saved.
6028
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006029
6030winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
6031 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
6032 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
6033 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6034 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
6035 Examples: >
6036 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
6037 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
6038 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
6039 :endif
6040<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006041 *writefile()*
6042writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006043 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006044 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
6045 Number.
6046 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
6047 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
6048 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
6049 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
6050 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
6051 to writefile().
6052 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
6053 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
6054 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
6055 fails.
6056 Also see |readfile()|.
6057 To copy a file byte for byte: >
6058 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
6059 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
6060<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006061
6062 *feature-list*
6063There are three types of features:
60641. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
6065 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
6066 :if has("cindent")
60672. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
6068 Example: >
6069 :if has("gui_running")
6070< *has-patch*
60713. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
6072 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
6073 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
6074 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006075< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
6076 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006077
6078all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
6079amiga Amiga version of Vim.
6080arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
6081arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00006082autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006083balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00006084balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006085beos BeOS version of Vim.
6086browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
6087 work.
6088builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
6089byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
6090cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
6091clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
6092clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
6093cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
6094cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
6095cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
6096comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
6097cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
6098cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
6099compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
6100debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
6101dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
6102dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
6103diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
6104digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
6105dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
6106dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
6107dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
6108ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
6109emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
6110eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
6111 true, of course!
6112ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
6113extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
6114 |'hlsearch'|
6115farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
6116file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006117filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
6118 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006119find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
6120 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006121float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006122fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
6123 Windows this is not present).
6124folding Compiled with |folding| support.
6125footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
6126fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
6127gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
6128gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
6129gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006130gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
6131gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006132gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006133gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
6134gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
6135gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
6136gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
6137gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
6138gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
6139hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
6140iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
6141insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
6142 Insert mode.
6143jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
6144keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
6145langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
6146libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
6147linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
6148 support.
6149lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
6150listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
6151 and the argument list |arglist|.
6152localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
Bram Moolenaar0ba04292010-07-14 23:23:17 +02006153lua Compiled with Lua interface |Lua|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006154mac Macintosh version of Vim.
6155macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
6156menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
6157mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
6158modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
6159mouse Compiled with support mouse.
6160mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
6161mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
6162mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
6163mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
6164mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006165mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006166mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar42022d52008-12-09 09:57:49 +00006167multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
6168multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006169multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
6170multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00006171mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006172netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaarb26e6322010-05-22 21:34:09 +02006173netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and connected.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006174ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
6175os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
6176osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
6177path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
6178perl Compiled with Perl interface.
Bram Moolenaar55debbe2010-05-23 23:34:36 +02006179persistent_undo Compiled with support for persistent undo history.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006180postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
6181printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006182profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006183python Compiled with Python interface.
6184qnx QNX version of Vim.
6185quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00006186reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006187rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
6188ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
6189scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
6190showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
6191signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
6192smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00006193sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaaref94eec2009-11-11 13:22:11 +00006194startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006195statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
6196 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
6197sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00006198spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
6199syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006200syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
6201 current buffer.
6202system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
6203tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
6204 |tag-binary-search|.
6205tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
6206 |tag-old-static|.
6207tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
6208 files |tag-any-white|.
6209tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
6210terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
6211termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
6212textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
6213tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
6214 or terminfo file.
6215title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
6216toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
6217unix Unix version of Vim.
6218user_commands User-defined commands.
6219viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +02006220vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place. |startup|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006221vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
6222virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
6223visual Compiled with Visual mode.
6224visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
6225 |blockwise-operators|.
6226vms VMS version of Vim.
6227vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
6228wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
6229wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
6230windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
6231winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
6232win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
6233win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
6234win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
6235win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
6236win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
6237writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
6238xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
6239xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
6240xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
6241xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
6242xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
6243xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
6244 xterm screen.
6245x11 Compiled with X11 support.
6246
6247 *string-match*
6248Matching a pattern in a String
6249
6250A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
6251the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
6252everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
6253like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
6254line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
6255with ".". Example: >
6256 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
6257 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
6258 aa
6259 xx
6260 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
6261 a
6262 x
6263
6264Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
6265"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
6266"\n".
6267
6268==============================================================================
62695. Defining functions *user-functions*
6270
6271New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
6272functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
6273commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
6274
6275The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
6276builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
6277avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
6278the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
6279
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006280It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
6281|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006282
6283 *local-function*
6284A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
6285can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
6286and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006287function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006288instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
6289
6290 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
6291:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
6292
6293:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006294 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6295 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006296 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006297
6298:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
6299 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
6300 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006301<
6302 *:function-verbose*
6303When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
6304last defined. Example: >
6305
6306 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
6307 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
6308 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
6309<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00006310See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006311
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006312 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006313:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006314 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
6315 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
6316 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006317
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006318 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6319 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006320 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006321< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006322 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006323 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006324 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
6325 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
6326 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006327 *E127* *E122*
6328 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
6329 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
6330 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
6331 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006332
6333 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
6334
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006335 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
6336 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
6337 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
6338 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
6339 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
6340 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
6341 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006342
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006343 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
6344 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006345
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006346 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006347 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006348 local variable "self" will then be set to the
6349 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006350
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006351 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006352 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006353 will not be changed by the function. This also
6354 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6355 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006356
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006357 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6358:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6359 by its own, without other commands.
6360
6361 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6362:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006363 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6364 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006365 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006366< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006367 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6368 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006369 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6370:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6371 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6372 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6373 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6374 the number 0 is returned.
6375 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6376 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6377
6378 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6379 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6380 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6381 are executed first. This process applies to all
6382 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6383 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6384
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006385 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006386An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006387be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006388 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006389Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6390arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6391may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6392as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006393can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6394that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006395 *E742*
6396The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006397However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006398Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6399it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6400|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006401
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006402When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6403to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6404may be larger.
6405
6406It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6407still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6408until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6409inside a function body.
6410
6411 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006412Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6413will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6414accessed with "g:".
6415
6416Example: >
6417 :function Table(title, ...)
6418 : echohl Title
6419 : echo a:title
6420 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006421 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6422 : for s in a:000
6423 : echon ' ' . s
6424 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006425 :endfunction
6426
6427This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006428 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6429 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006430
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006431To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6432 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006433 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006434 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006435 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006436 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006437 :endfunction
6438
6439This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006440 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006441 :if success == "ok"
6442 : echo div
6443 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006444<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00006445 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006446:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6447 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6448 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006449 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006450 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6451 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6452 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6453 function.
6454 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6455 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6456 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6457 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006458 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006459 this works:
6460 *function-range-example* >
6461 :function Mynumber(arg)
6462 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6463 :endfunction
6464 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6465<
6466 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6467 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6468 the range.
6469
6470 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6471
6472 :function Cont() range
6473 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6474 :endfunction
6475 :4,8call Cont()
6476<
6477 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6478 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6479
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006480 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6481 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6482 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6483< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6484
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006485 *E132*
6486The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6487option.
6488
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006489
6490AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006491 *autoload-functions*
6492When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006493only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6494the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6495
6496
6497Using an autocommand ~
6498
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006499This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6500
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006501The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6502You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006503That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006504again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6505
6506Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6507function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006508
6509 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6510
6511The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6512"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6513
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006514
6515Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006516 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006517This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6518
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006519Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6520exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6521like this: >
6522
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006523 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006524
6525When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6526"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6527"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6528then define the function like this: >
6529
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006530 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006531 echo "Done!"
6532 endfunction
6533
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00006534The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006535exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6536called.
6537
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006538It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6539a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006540
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006541 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006542
6543Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6544
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006545This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6546
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006547 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006548
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00006549However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6550for an unknown variable.
6551
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006552When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6553be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6554
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006555 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6556 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006557
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00006558Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6559defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6560function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006561And you will get an error message every time.
6562
6563Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006564other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006565Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006566
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006567Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6568|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6569
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006570==============================================================================
65716. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6572
6573Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
6574This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
6575{} like this: >
6576 my_{adjective}_variable
6577
6578When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6579that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6580name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6581"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6582"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6583
6584One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006585value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006586 echo my_{&background}_message
6587
6588would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6589on the current value of 'background'.
6590
6591You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6592 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6593..or even nest them: >
6594 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6595where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6596
6597However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006598variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006599 :let foo='a + b'
6600 :echo c{foo}d
6601.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6602
6603 *curly-braces-function-names*
6604You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6605Example: >
6606 :let func_end='whizz'
6607 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6608
6609This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6610
6611==============================================================================
66127. Commands *expression-commands*
6613
6614:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6615 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6616 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6617 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6618 is created.
6619
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006620:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6621 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6622 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6623 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6624 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006625 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6626 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6627 can do that like this: >
6628 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6629<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006630 *E711* *E719*
6631:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006632 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6633 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006634 correct number of items.
6635 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6636 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6637 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6638 end of the list, items will be added.
6639
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006640 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006641:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6642:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6643:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6644 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6645 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6646
6647
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006648:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6649 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6650 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006651:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6652 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6653 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6654 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006655
6656:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6657 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6658 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6659 must be the name of a writable register (see
6660 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6661 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6662 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6663 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6664 characterwise.
6665 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6666 :let @/ = ""
6667< This is different from searching for an empty string,
6668 that would match everywhere.
6669
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006670:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006671 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006672 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6673
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006674:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006675 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006676 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6677 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006678 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6679 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00006680 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006681 Example: >
6682 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006683
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006684:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6685 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6686 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6687
6688:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6689:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6690 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6691 {expr1}.
6692
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006693:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006694:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6695:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6696:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006697 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6698 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6699
6700:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006701:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6702:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6703:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006704 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6705 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6706
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006707:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006708 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006709 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6710 {name2}, etc.
6711 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006712 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006713 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6714 command as mentioned above.
6715 Example: >
6716 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006717< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6718 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6719 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6720 :let x = [0, 1]
6721 :let i = 0
6722 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6723 :echo x
6724< The result is [0, 2].
6725
6726:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6727:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6728:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
6729 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006730 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006731
6732:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006733 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006734 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
6735 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
6736 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006737 Example: >
6738 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
6739<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006740:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
6741:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
6742:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
6743 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006744 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +02006745
6746 *E121*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006747:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006748 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
6749 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006750 g: global variables
6751 b: local buffer variables
6752 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006753 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006754 s: script-local variables
6755 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006756 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006757
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006758:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
6759 variable is indicated before the value:
6760 <nothing> String
6761 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006762 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006763
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006764
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006765:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006766 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
6767 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006768 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006769 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
6770 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006771 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006772 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
6773 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006774< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006775 :unlet dict['two']
6776 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006777< This is especially useful to clean up used global
6778 variables and script-local variables (these are not
6779 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
6780 variables are automatically deleted when the function
6781 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006782
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006783:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
6784 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
6785 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
6786 A locked variable can be deleted: >
6787 :lockvar v
6788 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
6789 :unlet v
6790< *E741*
6791 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
6792 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
6793
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006794 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
6795 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
6796 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006797 cannot add or remove items, but can
6798 still change their values.
6799 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006800 the items. If an item is a |List| or
6801 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006802 items, but can still change the
6803 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006804 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
6805 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
6806 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
6807 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
6808 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006809 *E743*
6810 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
6811 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
6812 loops.
6813
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006814 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
6815 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006816 locked when used through the other variable.
6817 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006818 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
6819 :let cl = l
6820 :lockvar l
6821 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
6822< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
6823 See |deepcopy()|.
6824
6825
6826:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
6827 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
6828 opposite of |:lockvar|.
6829
6830
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006831:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
6832:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6833 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6834
6835 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
6836 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
6837 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
6838 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
6839 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
6840 part was not executed either.
6841
6842 You can use this to remain compatible with older
6843 versions: >
6844 :if version >= 500
6845 : version-5-specific-commands
6846 :endif
6847< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
6848 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
6849 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
6850 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
6851 avoid problems: >
6852 :if version >= 600
6853 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
6854 :endif
6855<
6856 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6857 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
6858
6859 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
6860:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6861 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
6862 executed.
6863
6864 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
6865:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
6866 is no extra ":endif".
6867
6868:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006869 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006870:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
6871 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6872 When an error is detected from a command inside the
6873 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006874 Example: >
6875 :let lnum = 1
6876 :while lnum <= line("$")
6877 :call FixLine(lnum)
6878 :let lnum = lnum + 1
6879 :endwhile
6880<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006881 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006882 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006883
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006884:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006885:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
6886 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006887 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006888 value of each item.
6889 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006890 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00006891 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
6892 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006893 :for item in copy(mylist)
6894< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
6895 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006896 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006897 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
6898 it will not be found. Thus the following example
6899 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006900 for item in mylist
6901 call remove(mylist, 0)
6902 endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006903< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
6904 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
6905 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006906 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
6907 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006908 to allow multiple item types: >
6909 for item in ["foo", ["bar"]]
6910 echo item
6911 unlet item " E706 without this
6912 endfor
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006913
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006914:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
6915:endfo[r]
6916 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
6917 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
6918 {var2}, etc. Example: >
6919 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
6920 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
6921 :endfor
6922<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006923 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006924:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
6925 to the start of the loop.
6926 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6927 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6928 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6929 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6930 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6931 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006932
6933 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006934:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
6935 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
6936 ":endfor".
6937 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6938 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6939 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6940 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6941 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6942 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006943
6944:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
6945:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
6946 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
6947 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
6948 or autocommand invocations.
6949
6950 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
6951 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
6952 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
6953 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
6954 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
6955 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
6956 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
6957 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
6958 Example: >
6959 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
6960 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
6961<
6962 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
6963 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
6964 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
6965 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
6966 processing is not terminated.
6967
6968 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
6969 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
6970 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
6971 other errors are converted to a value of the form
6972 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
6973 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
6974 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
6975 the error number.
6976 Examples: >
6977 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
6978 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
6979<
6980 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006981:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next |:catch|,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006982 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
6983 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
6984 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
6985 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
6986 commands are skipped.
6987 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
6988 Examples: >
6989 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
6990 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
6991 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
6992 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
6993 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
6994 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
6995 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
6996 :catch " same as /.*/
6997<
6998 Another character can be used instead of / around the
6999 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
7000 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
7001 {pattern}.
7002 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
7003 an error message because it may vary in different
7004 locales.
7005
7006 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
7007:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
7008 are executed whenever the part between the matching
7009 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
7010 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
7011 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
7012 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
7013
7014 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
7015:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
7016 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
7017 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
7018 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
7019 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
7020 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
7021 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
7022 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
7023 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
7024 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
7025 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
7026 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
7027 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
7028 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
7029 is terminated.
7030 Example: >
7031 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
7032<
7033
7034 *:ec* *:echo*
7035:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
7036 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
7037 Also see |:comment|.
7038 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
7039 cursor to the first column.
7040 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7041 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7042 Example: >
7043 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007044< *:echo-redraw*
7045 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
7046 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
7047 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
7048 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
7049 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
7050 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
7051 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007052 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
7053<
7054 *:echon*
7055:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
7056 |:comment|.
7057 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7058 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7059 Example: >
7060 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
7061<
7062 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
7063 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
7064 command: >
7065 :!echo % --> filename
7066< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
7067 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
7068< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
7069 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
7070 :echo % --> nothing
7071< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
7072 :echo "%" --> %
7073< This just echoes the '%' character. >
7074 :echo expand("%") --> filename
7075< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
7076
7077 *:echoh* *:echohl*
7078:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
7079 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
7080 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
7081 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
7082< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
7083 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
7084
7085 *:echom* *:echomsg*
7086:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
7087 message in the |message-history|.
7088 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
7089 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
7090 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007091 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
7092 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
7093 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
7094 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
7095 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007096 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7097 Example: >
7098 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007099< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
7100 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007101 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
7102:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
7103 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
7104 script or function the line number will be added.
7105 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007106 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007107 the message is raised as an error exception instead
7108 (see |try-echoerr|).
7109 Example: >
7110 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
7111< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
7112 And to get a beep: >
7113 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
7114<
7115 *:exe* *:execute*
7116:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007117 of {expr1} as an Ex command.
7118 Multiple arguments are concatenated, with a space in
7119 between. To avoid the extra space use the "."
7120 operator to concatenate strings into one argument.
7121 {expr1} is used as the processed command, command line
7122 editing keys are not recognized.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007123 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7124 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007125 :execute "buffer" nextbuf
7126 :execute "normal" count . "w"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007127<
7128 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
7129 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
7130 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
7131
7132< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
7133 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
7134 command: >
7135 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
7136< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
7137
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007138 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
7139 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007140 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
7141 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007142 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007143 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007144<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007145 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00007146 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
7147 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007148 :execute 'while i > 5'
7149 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
7150<
7151 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
7152 completely in the executed string: >
7153 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
7154<
7155
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007156 *:exe-comment*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007157 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
7158 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
7159 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
7160 comment. Example: >
7161 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
7162
7163==============================================================================
71648. Exception handling *exception-handling*
7165
7166The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
7167explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
7168
7169Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
7170|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
7171exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
7172
7173
7174TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
7175
7176Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
7177use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
7178a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
7179 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
7180|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
7181a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
7182be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
7183which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
7184clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
7185
7186 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007187 : ...
7188 : ... TRY BLOCK
7189 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007190 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007191 : ...
7192 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7193 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007194 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007195 : ...
7196 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7197 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007198 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007199 : ...
7200 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
7201 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007202 :endtry
7203
7204The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
7205appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
7206from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
7207 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
7208is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
7209script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
7210 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
7211lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
7212patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
7213after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
7214executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
7215":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
7216(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
7217continues in the following line as usual.
7218 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
7219":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
7220that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
7221finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
7222the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
7223the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
7224see |try-nesting|.
7225 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007226remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007227not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
7228try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
7229a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
7230execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
7231exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7232 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007233thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007234clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
7235catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
7236following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
7237clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7238
7239The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
7240a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
7241try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
7242from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
7243sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
7244":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
7245":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
7246from the finally clause.
7247 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
7248try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
7249clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
7250":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
7251clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
7252":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
7253this pending exception or command is discarded.
7254
7255For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
7256
7257
7258NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
7259
7260Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
7261conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
7262clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
7263catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
7264of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
7265checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
7266try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007267otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007268nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
7269one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
7270the inner try conditional.
7271
7272When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
7273finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
7274An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
7275thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
7276implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
7277as usual.
7278
7279For examples see |throw-catch|.
7280
7281
7282EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
7283
7284Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
7285'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
7286script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
7287finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
7288a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
7289(see |debug-scripts|).
7290
7291
7292THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
7293
7294You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
7295and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
7296 :throw 4711
7297 :throw "string"
7298< *throw-expression*
7299You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
7300first, and the result is thrown: >
7301 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
7302 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
7303
7304An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
7305command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
7306The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
7307 Example: >
7308
7309 :function! Foo(arg)
7310 : try
7311 : throw a:arg
7312 : catch /foo/
7313 : endtry
7314 : return 1
7315 :endfunction
7316 :
7317 :function! Bar()
7318 : echo "in Bar"
7319 : return 4710
7320 :endfunction
7321 :
7322 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
7323
7324This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
7325executed. >
7326 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
7327however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
7328
7329Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007330abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007331exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
7332 Example: >
7333
7334 :if Foo("arrgh")
7335 : echo "then"
7336 :else
7337 : echo "else"
7338 :endif
7339
7340Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
7341
7342 *catch-order*
7343Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
7344commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
7345command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
7346gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
7347 Example: >
7348
7349 :function! Foo(value)
7350 : try
7351 : throw a:value
7352 : catch /^\d\+$/
7353 : echo "Number thrown"
7354 : catch /.*/
7355 : echo "String thrown"
7356 : endtry
7357 :endfunction
7358 :
7359 :call Foo(0x1267)
7360 :call Foo('string')
7361
7362The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7363An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7364specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7365specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7366
7367 : catch /.*/
7368 : echo "String thrown"
7369 : catch /^\d\+$/
7370 : echo "Number thrown"
7371
7372The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7373never taken.
7374
7375 *throw-variables*
7376If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7377in the variable |v:exception|: >
7378
7379 : catch /^\d\+$/
7380 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7381
7382You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7383|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7384exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7385 Example: >
7386
7387 :function! Caught()
7388 : if v:exception != ""
7389 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7390 : else
7391 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7392 : endif
7393 :endfunction
7394 :
7395 :function! Foo()
7396 : try
7397 : try
7398 : try
7399 : throw 4711
7400 : finally
7401 : call Caught()
7402 : endtry
7403 : catch /.*/
7404 : call Caught()
7405 : throw "oops"
7406 : endtry
7407 : catch /.*/
7408 : call Caught()
7409 : finally
7410 : call Caught()
7411 : endtry
7412 :endfunction
7413 :
7414 :call Foo()
7415
7416This displays >
7417
7418 Nothing caught
7419 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7420 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7421 Nothing caught
7422
7423A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7424number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7425
7426 :function! LineNumber()
7427 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7428 :endfunction
7429 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7430<
7431 *try-nested*
7432An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7433a surrounding try conditional: >
7434
7435 :try
7436 : try
7437 : throw "foo"
7438 : catch /foobar/
7439 : echo "foobar"
7440 : finally
7441 : echo "inner finally"
7442 : endtry
7443 :catch /foo/
7444 : echo "foo"
7445 :endtry
7446
7447The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7448clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7449conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7450
7451 *throw-from-catch*
7452You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7453catch clause: >
7454
7455 :function! Foo()
7456 : throw "foo"
7457 :endfunction
7458 :
7459 :function! Bar()
7460 : try
7461 : call Foo()
7462 : catch /foo/
7463 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7464 : throw "bar"
7465 : endtry
7466 :endfunction
7467 :
7468 :try
7469 : call Bar()
7470 :catch /.*/
7471 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7472 :endtry
7473
7474This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7475
7476 *rethrow*
7477There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7478"v:exception" instead: >
7479
7480 :function! Bar()
7481 : try
7482 : call Foo()
7483 : catch /.*/
7484 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7485 : throw v:exception
7486 : endtry
7487 :endfunction
7488< *try-echoerr*
7489Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7490exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7491Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7492denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7493the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7494
7495 :try
7496 : try
7497 : asdf
7498 : catch /.*/
7499 : echoerr v:exception
7500 : endtry
7501 :catch /.*/
7502 : echo v:exception
7503 :endtry
7504
7505This code displays
7506
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007507 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007508
7509
7510CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7511
7512Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7513user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007514an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007515a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7516catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7517a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7518normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7519(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007520to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007521clause has been executed.)
7522Example: >
7523
7524 :try
7525 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7526 : set ts=17
7527 :
7528 : " Do the hard work here.
7529 :
7530 :finally
7531 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7532 : unlet s:saved_ts
7533 :endtry
7534
7535This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7536changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7537that function or script part.
7538
7539 *break-finally*
7540Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7541a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7542 Example: >
7543
7544 :let first = 1
7545 :while 1
7546 : try
7547 : if first
7548 : echo "first"
7549 : let first = 0
7550 : continue
7551 : else
7552 : throw "second"
7553 : endif
7554 : catch /.*/
7555 : echo v:exception
7556 : break
7557 : finally
7558 : echo "cleanup"
7559 : endtry
7560 : echo "still in while"
7561 :endwhile
7562 :echo "end"
7563
7564This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7565
7566 :function! Foo()
7567 : try
7568 : return 4711
7569 : finally
7570 : echo "cleanup\n"
7571 : endtry
7572 : echo "Foo still active"
7573 :endfunction
7574 :
7575 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7576
7577This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007578extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007579return value.)
7580
7581 *except-from-finally*
7582Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7583a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7584cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7585exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7586 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7587working correctly: >
7588
7589 :try
7590 : try
7591 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7592 : while 1
7593 : endwhile
7594 : finally
7595 : unlet novar
7596 : endtry
7597 :catch /novar/
7598 :endtry
7599 :echo "Script still running"
7600 :sleep 1
7601
7602If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7603think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7604|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7605
7606
7607CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7608
7609If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7610watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7611presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7612exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7613the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7614the error exception is.
7615 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7616
7617 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7618or >
7619 Vim:{errmsg}
7620
7621{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007622the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007623when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7624a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7625a space.
7626
7627Examples:
7628
7629The command >
7630 :unlet novar
7631normally produces the error message >
7632 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7633which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7634 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7635
7636The command >
7637 :dwim
7638normally produces the error message >
7639 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7640which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7641 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7642
7643You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7644 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7645or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7646 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7647
7648Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7649 :function nofunc
7650and >
7651 :delfunction nofunc
7652both produce the error message >
7653 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7654which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7655 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7656or >
7657 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7658respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7659command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7660 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7661
7662Some commands like >
7663 :let x = novar
7664produce multiple error messages, here: >
7665 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7666 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7667Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7668one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7669 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7670
7671You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7672 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7673
7674You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7675 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7676
7677You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7678 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7679<
7680 *catch-text*
7681NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7682 :catch /No such variable/
7683only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7684a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7685cite the message text in a comment: >
7686 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7687
7688
7689IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7690
7691You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7692
7693 :try
7694 : write
7695 :catch
7696 :endtry
7697
7698But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7699catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7700be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7701
7702 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7703
7704There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7705writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7706then hide the error from the user.
7707 It is much better to use >
7708
7709 :try
7710 : write
7711 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7712 :endtry
7713
7714which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7715intentionally.
7716
7717For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7718even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7719command: >
7720 :silent! nunmap k
7721This works also when a try conditional is active.
7722
7723
7724CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7725
7726When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007727the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007728script is not terminated, then.
7729 Example: >
7730
7731 :function! TASK1()
7732 : sleep 10
7733 :endfunction
7734
7735 :function! TASK2()
7736 : sleep 20
7737 :endfunction
7738
7739 :while 1
7740 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
7741 : try
7742 : if command == ""
7743 : continue
7744 : elseif command == "END"
7745 : break
7746 : elseif command == "TASK1"
7747 : call TASK1()
7748 : elseif command == "TASK2"
7749 : call TASK2()
7750 : else
7751 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
7752 : continue
7753 : endif
7754 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7755 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
7756 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
7757 : endtry
7758 :endwhile
7759
7760You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007761a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007762
7763For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
7764your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
7765command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
7766
7767
7768CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
7769
7770The commands >
7771
7772 :catch /.*/
7773 :catch //
7774 :catch
7775
7776catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
7777explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
7778a script in order to catch unexpected things.
7779 Example: >
7780
7781 :try
7782 :
7783 : " do the hard work here
7784 :
7785 :catch /MyException/
7786 :
7787 : " handle known problem
7788 :
7789 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7790 : echo "Script interrupted"
7791 :catch /.*/
7792 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
7793 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
7794 :endtry
7795 :" end of script
7796
7797Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
7798strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
7799specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
7800 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
7801by pressing CTRL-C: >
7802
7803 :while 1
7804 : try
7805 : sleep 1
7806 : catch
7807 : endtry
7808 :endwhile
7809
7810
7811EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
7812
7813Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
7814
7815 :autocmd User x try
7816 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
7817 :autocmd User x catch
7818 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
7819 :autocmd User x endtry
7820 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
7821 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
7822 :
7823 :try
7824 : doautocmd User x
7825 :catch
7826 : echo v:exception
7827 :endtry
7828
7829This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
7830
7831 *except-autocmd-Pre*
7832For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
7833command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
7834of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
7835abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
7836 Example: >
7837
7838 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
7839 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
7840 :
7841 :try
7842 : write
7843 :catch
7844 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
7845 :endtry
7846
7847Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
7848you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
7849autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
7850script displays: >
7851
7852 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
7853<
7854 *except-autocmd-Post*
7855For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
7856command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
7857an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
7858is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
7859 Example: >
7860
7861 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
7862 :
7863 :try
7864 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7865 :catch
7866 : echo v:exception
7867 :endtry
7868
7869This just displays: >
7870
7871 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
7872
7873If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
7874fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
7875 Example: >
7876
7877 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
7878 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
7879 :
7880 :try
7881 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7882 :catch
7883 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7884 :endtry
7885<
7886You can also use ":silent!": >
7887
7888 :let x = "ok"
7889 :let v:errmsg = ""
7890 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
7891 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
7892 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
7893 :try
7894 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7895 :catch
7896 :endtry
7897 :echo x
7898
7899This displays "after fail".
7900
7901If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
7902autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
7903
7904 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
7905 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
7906 :
7907 :try
7908 : write
7909 :catch
7910 : echo v:exception
7911 :endtry
7912<
7913 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
7914For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
7915autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
7916of the command.
7917 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007918had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007919some way. >
7920
7921 :if !exists("cnt")
7922 : let cnt = 0
7923 :
7924 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
7925 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
7926 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
7927 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7928 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7929 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
7930 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
7931 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7932 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7933 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
7934 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7935 :endif
7936 :
7937 :try
7938 : write
7939 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
7940 : if &modified
7941 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
7942 : else
7943 : echo "Error after writing"
7944 : endif
7945 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7946 : echo "Error on writing"
7947 :endtry
7948
7949When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
7950first >
7951 File successfully written!
7952then >
7953 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
7954then >
7955 Error after writing
7956etc.
7957
7958 *except-autocmd-ill*
7959You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
7960The following code is ill-formed: >
7961
7962 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
7963 :
7964 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
7965 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
7966 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
7967 :
7968 :write
7969
7970
7971EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
7972
7973Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
7974pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
7975similar things in Vim.
7976 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
7977class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
7978string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
7979 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
7980it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
7981for an error when writing "myfile".
7982 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
7983base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
7984parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
7985 Example: >
7986
7987 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
7988 : if a:a < 0
7989 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
7990 : endif
7991 :endfunction
7992 :
7993 :function! Add(a, b)
7994 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
7995 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
7996 : let c = a:a + a:b
7997 : if c < 0
7998 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
7999 : endif
8000 : return c
8001 :endfunction
8002 :
8003 :function! Div(a, b)
8004 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
8005 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
8006 : if (a:b == 0)
8007 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
8008 : endif
8009 : return a:a / a:b
8010 :endfunction
8011 :
8012 :function! Write(file)
8013 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008014 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008015 : catch /^Vim(write):/
8016 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
8017 : endtry
8018 :endfunction
8019 :
8020 :try
8021 :
8022 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
8023 :
8024 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
8025 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8026 : echo "Range error in" function
8027 :
8028 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
8029 : echo "Math error"
8030 :
8031 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
8032 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
8033 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8034 : if file !~ '^/'
8035 : let file = dir . "/" . file
8036 : endif
8037 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
8038 :
8039 :catch /^EXCEPT/
8040 : echo "Unspecified error"
8041 :
8042 :endtry
8043
8044The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
8045a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
8046exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
8047 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
8048failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
8049
8050
8051PECULIARITIES
8052 *except-compat*
8053The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
8054exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
8055and/or a catch clause.
8056
8057In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
8058continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
8059after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
8060functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
8061or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
8062(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
8063
8064This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
8065immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008066conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
8067be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008068termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
8069catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
8070by specifying a finally clause.)
8071
8072When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
8073behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
8074scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
8075
8076However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
8077commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
8078conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
8079script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
8080error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
8081messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008082|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
8083not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008084where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
8085error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
8086scripts.
8087
8088 *except-syntax-err*
8089Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
8090the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
8091clauses, however, is executed.
8092 Example: >
8093
8094 :try
8095 : try
8096 : throw 4711
8097 : catch /\(/
8098 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
8099 : catch
8100 : echo "inner catch-all"
8101 : finally
8102 : echo "inner finally"
8103 : endtry
8104 :catch
8105 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
8106 : finally
8107 : echo "outer finally"
8108 :endtry
8109
8110This displays: >
8111 inner finally
8112 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
8113 outer finally
8114The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
8115
8116 *except-single-line*
8117The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
8118a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
8119"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
8120 Example: >
8121 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
8122raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
8123argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
8124error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
8125displayed.
8126
8127 *except-several-errors*
8128When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
8129usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
8130 Example: >
8131 echo novar
8132causes >
8133 E121: Undefined variable: novar
8134 E15: Invalid expression: novar
8135The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8136 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
8137< *except-syntax-error*
8138But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
8139the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
8140 Example: >
8141 unlet novar #
8142causes >
8143 E108: No such variable: "novar"
8144 E488: Trailing characters
8145The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8146 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
8147This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
8148not intended by the user. Example: >
8149 try
8150 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
8151 catch /.*/
8152 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
8153 endtry
8154This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
8155a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
8156
8157==============================================================================
81589. Examples *eval-examples*
8159
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008160Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008161>
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01008162 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the binary string representation of a number.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008163 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008164 : let n = a:nr
8165 : let r = ""
8166 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008167 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
8168 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008169 : endwhile
8170 : return r
8171 :endfunc
8172
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008173 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
8174 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
8175 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008176 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008177 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
8178 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
8179 : endfor
8180 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008181 :endfunc
8182
8183Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008184 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
8185result: "100000" >
8186 :echo String2Bin("32")
8187result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008188
8189
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008190Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008191
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008192This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
8193
8194 :func SortBuffer()
8195 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
8196 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
8197 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008198 :endfunction
8199
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008200As a one-liner: >
8201 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008202
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008203
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008204scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008205 *sscanf*
8206There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
8207line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
8208how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
8209"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
8210 :" Set up the match bit
8211 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
8212 :"get the part matching the whole expression
8213 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
8214 :"get each item out of the match
8215 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
8216 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
8217 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
8218
8219The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
8220"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
8221
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008222
8223getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
8224 *scriptnames-dictionary*
8225The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
8226have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
8227(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
8228code can be used: >
8229 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
8230 let scriptnames_output = ''
8231 redir => scriptnames_output
8232 silent scriptnames
8233 redir END
8234
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008235 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008236 " "scripts" dictionary.
8237 let scripts = {}
8238 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
8239 " Only do non-blank lines.
8240 if line =~ '\S'
8241 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008242 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008243 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008244 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008245 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008246 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008247 endif
8248 endfor
8249 unlet scriptnames_output
8250
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008251==============================================================================
825210. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
8253
8254When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
8255evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
8256to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
8257recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
8258and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
8259only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
8260recognized.
8261
8262Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
8263missing: >
8264
8265 :if 1
8266 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
8267 :else
8268 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
8269 :endif
8270
8271==============================================================================
827211. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
8273
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02008274The 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and
8275'foldtext' options may be evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are
8276protected from these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some
8277safety for when these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when
8278the command from a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008279The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008280
8281These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
8282 - changing the buffer text
8283 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
8284 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008285 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008286 - executing a shell command
8287 - reading or writing a file
8288 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00008289 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008290This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
8291
8292 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00008293:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008294 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
8295 'foldexpr'.
8296
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008297 *sandbox-option*
8298A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00008299have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008300restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
8301location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00008302- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008303- while executing in the sandbox
8304- value coming from a modeline
8305
8306Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
8307option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
8308
8309==============================================================================
831012. Textlock *textlock*
8311
8312In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
8313to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
8314is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008315actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008316happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
8317
8318This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
8319 - changing the buffer text
8320 - jumping to another buffer or window
8321 - editing another file
8322 - closing a window or quitting Vim
8323 - etc.
8324
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008325
8326 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: