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Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00001*autocmd.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2006 Feb 01
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Automatic commands *autocommand*
8
9For a basic explanation, see section |40.3| in the user manual.
10
111. Introduction |autocmd-intro|
122. Defining autocommands |autocmd-define|
133. Removing autocommands |autocmd-remove|
144. Listing autocommands |autocmd-list|
155. Events |autocmd-events|
166. Patterns |autocmd-patterns|
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000177. Buffer-local autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|
188. Groups |autocmd-groups|
199. Executing autocommands |autocmd-execute|
2010. Using autocommands |autocmd-use|
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00002111. Disabling autocommands |autocmd-disable|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000022
23{Vi does not have any of these commands}
24{only when the |+autocmd| feature has not been disabled at compile time}
25
26==============================================================================
271. Introduction *autocmd-intro*
28
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +000029You can specify commands to be executed automatically when reading or writing
30a file, when entering or leaving a buffer or window, and when exiting Vim.
31For example, you can create an autocommand to set the 'cindent' option for
32files matching *.c. You can also use autocommands to implement advanced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000033features, such as editing compressed files (see |gzip-example|). The usual
34place to put autocommands is in your .vimrc or .exrc file.
35
36 *E203* *E204* *E143*
37WARNING: Using autocommands is very powerful, and may lead to unexpected side
38effects. Be careful not to destroy your text.
39- It's a good idea to do some testing on an expendable copy of a file first.
40 For example: If you use autocommands to decompress a file when starting to
41 edit it, make sure that the autocommands for compressing when writing work
42 correctly.
43- Be prepared for an error halfway through (e.g., disk full). Vim will mostly
44 be able to undo the changes to the buffer, but you may have to clean up the
45 changes to other files by hand (e.g., compress a file that has been
46 decompressed).
47- If the BufRead* events allow you to edit a compressed file, the FileRead*
48 events should do the same (this makes recovery possible in some rare cases).
49 It's a good idea to use the same autocommands for the File* and Buf* events
50 when possible.
51
52==============================================================================
532. Defining autocommands *autocmd-define*
54
55Note: The ":autocmd" command cannot be followed by another command, since any
56'|' is considered part of the command.
57
58 *:au* *:autocmd*
59:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
60 Add {cmd} to the list of commands that Vim will
61 execute automatically on {event} for a file matching
62 {pat}. Vim always adds the {cmd} after existing
63 autocommands, so that the autocommands execute in the
64 order in which they were given. See |autocmd-nested|
65 for [nested].
66
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000067The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> defines a buffer-local autocommand.
68See |autocmd-buflocal|.
69
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000070Note that special characters (e.g., "%", "<cword>") in the ":autocmd"
71arguments are not expanded when the autocommand is defined. These will be
72expanded when the Event is recognized, and the {cmd} is executed. The only
73exception is that "<sfile>" is expanded when the autocmd is defined. Example:
74>
75 :au BufNewFile,BufRead *.html so <sfile>:h/html.vim
76
77Here Vim expands <sfile> to the name of the file containing this line.
78
79When your .vimrc file is sourced twice, the autocommands will appear twice.
80To avoid this, put this command in your .vimrc file, before defining
81autocommands: >
82
83 :autocmd! " Remove ALL autocommands for the current group.
84
85If you don't want to remove all autocommands, you can instead use a variable
86to ensure that Vim includes the autocommands only once: >
87
88 :if !exists("autocommands_loaded")
89 : let autocommands_loaded = 1
90 : au ...
91 :endif
92
93When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
94with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group]. Note
95that [group] must have been defined before. You cannot define a new group
96with ":au group ..."; use ":augroup" for that.
97
98While testing autocommands, you might find the 'verbose' option to be useful: >
99 :set verbose=9
100This setting makes Vim echo the autocommands as it executes them.
101
102When defining an autocommand in a script, it will be able to call functions
103local to the script and use mappings local to the script. When the event is
104triggered and the command executed, it will run in the context of the script
105it was defined in. This matters if |<SID>| is used in a command.
106
107When executing the commands, the messages from one command overwrites a
108previous message. This is different from when executing the commands
109manually. Mostly the screen will not scroll up, thus there is no hit-enter
110prompt. When one command outputs two messages this can happen anyway.
111
112==============================================================================
1133. Removing autocommands *autocmd-remove*
114
115:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
116 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
117 {pat}, and add the command {cmd}. See
118 |autocmd-nested| for [nested].
119
120:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat}
121 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
122 {pat}.
123
124:au[tocmd]! [group] * {pat}
125 Remove all autocommands associated with {pat} for all
126 events.
127
128:au[tocmd]! [group] {event}
129 Remove ALL autocommands for {event}.
130
131:au[tocmd]! [group] Remove ALL autocommands.
132
133When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
134with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group].
135
136==============================================================================
1374. Listing autocommands *autocmd-list*
138
139:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat}
140 Show the autocommands associated with {event} and
141 {pat}.
142
143:au[tocmd] [group] * {pat}
144 Show the autocommands associated with {pat} for all
145 events.
146
147:au[tocmd] [group] {event}
148 Show all autocommands for {event}.
149
150:au[tocmd] [group] Show all autocommands.
151
152If you provide the [group] argument, Vim lists only the autocommands for
153[group]; otherwise, Vim lists the autocommands for ALL groups. Note that this
154argument behavior differs from that for defining and removing autocommands.
155
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000156In order to list buffer-local autocommands, use a pattern in the form <buffer>
157or <buffer=N>. See |autocmd-buflocal|.
158
Bram Moolenaarac6e65f2005-08-29 22:25:38 +0000159 *:autocmd-verbose*
160When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing an autocommand will also display where it
161was last defined. Example: >
162
163 :verbose autocmd BufEnter
164 FileExplorer BufEnter
165 * call s:LocalBrowse(expand("<amatch>"))
166 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/plugin/NetrwPlugin.vim
167<
168See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
169
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000170==============================================================================
1715. Events *autocmd-events* *E215* *E216*
172
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000173You can specify a comma-separated list of event names. No white space can be
174used in this list. The command applies to all the events in the list.
175
176For READING FILES there are four kinds of events possible:
177 BufNewFile starting to edit a non-existent file
178 BufReadPre BufReadPost starting to edit an existing file
179 FilterReadPre FilterReadPost read the temp file with filter output
180 FileReadPre FileReadPost any other file read
181Vim uses only one of these four kinds when reading a file. The "Pre" and
182"Post" events are both triggered, before and after reading the file.
183
184Note that the autocommands for the *ReadPre events and all the Filter events
185are not allowed to change the current buffer (you will get an error message if
186this happens). This is to prevent the file to be read into the wrong buffer.
187
188Note that the 'modified' flag is reset AFTER executing the BufReadPost
189and BufNewFile autocommands. But when the 'modified' option was set by the
190autocommands, this doesn't happen.
191
192You can use the 'eventignore' option to ignore a number of events or all
193events.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000194 *autocommand-events* *{event}*
195Vim recognizes the following events. Vim ignores the case of event names
196(e.g., you can use "BUFread" or "bufread" instead of "BufRead").
197
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000198First an overview by function with a short explanation. Then the list
199alpabetically with full explanations |autocmd-events-abc|.
200
201Name triggered by ~
202
203 Reading
204|BufNewFile| starting to edit a file that doesn't exist
205|BufReadPre| starting to edit a new buffer, before reading the file
206|BufRead| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
207|BufReadPost| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
208|BufReadCmd| before starting to edit a new buffer |Cmd-event|
209
210|FileReadPre| before reading a file with a ":read" command
211|FileReadPost| after reading a file with a ":read" command
212|FileReadCmd| before reading a file with a ":read" comman |Cmd-event|
213
214|FilterReadPre| before reading a file from a filter command
215|FilterReadPost| after reading a file from a filter command
216
217|StdinReadPre| before reading from stdin into the buffer
218|StdinReadPost| After reading from the stdin into the buffer
219
220 Writing
221|BufWrite| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
222|BufWritePre| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
223|BufWritePost| after writing the whole buffer to a file
224|BufWriteCmd| before writing the whole buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
225
226|FileWritePre| starting to write part of a buffer to a file
227|FileWritePost| after writing part of a buffer to a file
228|FileWriteCmd| before writing part of a buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
229
230|FileAppendPre| starting to append to a file
231|FileAppendPost| after appending to a file
232|FileAppendCmd| before appending to a file |Cmd-event|
233
234|FilterWritePre| starting to write a file for a filter command or diff
235|FilterWritePost| after writing a file for a filter command or diff
236
237 Buffers
238|BufAdd| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
239|BufCreate| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
240|BufDelete| before deleting a buffer from the buffer list
241|BufWipeout| before completely deleting a buffer
242
243|BufFilePre| before changing the name of the current buffer
244|BufFilePost| after changing the name of the current buffer
245
246|BufEnter| after entering a buffer
247|BufLeave| before leaving to another buffer
248|BufWinEnter| after a buffer is displayed in a window
249|BufWinLeave| before a buffer is removed from a window
250
251|BufUnload| before unloading a buffer
252|BufHidden| just after a buffer has become hidden
253|BufNew| just after creating a new buffer
254
255|SwapExists| detected an existing swap file
256
257 Options
258|FileType| when the 'filetype' option has been set
259|Syntax| when the 'syntax' option has been set
260|EncodingChanged| after the 'encoding' option has been changed
261|TermChanged| after the value of 'term' has changed
262
263 Startup and exit
264|VimEnter| after doing all the startup stuff
265|GUIEnter| after starting the GUI successfully
266|TermResponse| after the termainal response to |t_RV| is received
267
268|VimLeavePre| before exiting Vim, before writing the viminfo file
269|VimLeave| before exiting Vim, after writing the viminfo file
270
271 Various
272|FileChangedShell| Vim notices that a file changed since editing started
273|FileChangedRO| before making the first change to a read-only file
274
275|FuncUndefined| a user function is used but it isn't defined
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000276|SpellFileMissing| a spell file is used but it can't be found
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000277
278|FocusGained| Vim got input focus
279|FocusLost| Vim lost input focus
280|CursorHold| the user doesn't press a key for a while
281
282|WinEnter| after entering another window
283|WinLeave| before leaving a window
284|CmdwinEnter| after entering the command-line window
285|CmdwinLeave| before leaving the command-line window
286
287|InsertEnter| starting Insert mode
288|InsertChange| when typing <Insert> while in Insert or Replace mode
289|InsertLeave| when leaving Insert mode
290
291|ColorScheme| after loading a color scheme
292
293|RemoteReply| a reply from a server Vim was received
294
295|QuickFixCmdPre| before a quickfix command is run
296|QuickFixCmdPost| after a quickfix command is run
297
298|SessionLoadPost| after loading a session file
299
300|MenuPopup| just before showing the popup menu
301
302|User| to be used in combination with ":doautocmd"
303
304
305The alphabetical list of autocommand events: *autocmd-events-abc*
306
307 *BufCreate* *BufAdd*
308BufAdd or BufCreate Just after creating a new buffer which is
309 added to the buffer list, or adding a buffer
310 to the buffer list.
311 Also used just after a buffer in the buffer
312 list has been renamed.
313 The BufCreate event is for historic reasons.
314 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
315 current buffer "%" may be different from the
316 buffer being created "<afile>".
317 *BufDelete*
318BufDelete Before deleting a buffer from the buffer list.
319 The BufUnload may be called first (if the
320 buffer was loaded).
321 Also used just before a buffer in the buffer
322 list is renamed.
323 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
324 current buffer "%" may be different from the
325 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
326 *BufEnter*
327BufEnter After entering a buffer. Useful for setting
328 options for a file type. Also executed when
329 starting to edit a buffer, after the
330 BufReadPost autocommands.
331 *BufFilePost*
332BufFilePost After changing the name of the current buffer
333 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000334 *BufFilePre*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000335BufFilePre Before changing the name of the current buffer
336 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
337 *BufHidden*
338BufHidden Just after a buffer has become hidden. That
339 is, when there are no longer windows that show
340 the buffer, but the buffer is not unloaded or
341 deleted. Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when
342 exiting Vim.
343 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
344 current buffer "%" may be different from the
345 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
346 *BufLeave*
347BufLeave Before leaving to another buffer. Also when
348 leaving or closing the current window and the
349 new current window is not for the same buffer.
350 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
351 *BufNew*
352BufNew Just after creating a new buffer. Also used
353 just after a buffer has been renamed. When
354 the buffer is added to the buffer list BufAdd
355 will be triggered too.
356 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
357 current buffer "%" may be different from the
358 buffer being created "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000359 *BufNewFile*
360BufNewFile When starting to edit a file that doesn't
361 exist. Can be used to read in a skeleton
362 file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000363 *BufRead* *BufReadPost*
364BufRead or BufReadPost When starting to edit a new buffer, after
365 reading the file into the buffer, before
366 executing the modelines. See |BufWinEnter|
367 for when you need to do something after
368 processing the modelines.
369 This does NOT work for ":r file". Not used
370 when the file doesn't exist. Also used after
371 successfully recovering a file.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000372 *BufReadCmd*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000373BufReadCmd Before starting to edit a new buffer. Should
374 read the file into the buffer. |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000375 *BufReadPre* *E200* *E201*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000376BufReadPre When starting to edit a new buffer, before
377 reading the file into the buffer. Not used
378 if the file doesn't exist.
379 *BufUnload*
380BufUnload Before unloading a buffer. This is when the
381 text in the buffer is going to be freed. This
382 may be after a BufWritePost and before a
383 BufDelete. Also used for all buffers that are
384 loaded when Vim is going to exit.
385 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
386 current buffer "%" may be different from the
387 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
388 *BufWinEnter*
389BufWinEnter After a buffer is displayed in a window. This
390 can be when the buffer is loaded (after
391 processing the modelines), when a hidden
392 buffer is displayed in a window (and is no
393 longer hidden) or a buffer already visible in
394 a window is also displayed in another window.
395 *BufWinLeave*
396BufWinLeave Before a buffer is removed from a window.
397 Not when it's still visible in another window.
398 Also triggered when exiting. It's triggered
399 before BufUnload or BufHidden.
400 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
401 current buffer "%" may be different from the
402 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
403 *BufWipeout*
404BufWipeout Before completely deleting a buffer. The
405 BufUnload and BufDelete events may be called
406 first (if the buffer was loaded and was in the
407 buffer list). Also used just before a buffer
408 is renamed (also when it's not in the buffer
409 list).
410 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
411 current buffer "%" may be different from the
412 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000413 *BufWrite* *BufWritePre*
414BufWrite or BufWritePre Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000415 *BufWriteCmd*
416BufWriteCmd Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
417 Should do the writing of the file and reset
Bram Moolenaar1cd871b2004-12-19 22:46:22 +0000418 'modified' if successful, unless '+' is in
419 'cpo' and writing to another file |cpo-+|.
420 The buffer contents should not be changed.
421 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000422 *BufWritePost*
423BufWritePost After writing the whole buffer to a file
424 (should undo the commands for BufWritePre).
425 *CmdwinEnter*
426CmdwinEnter After entering the command-line window.
427 Useful for setting options specifically for
428 this special type of window. This is
429 triggered _instead_ of BufEnter and WinEnter.
430 <afile> is set to a single character,
431 indicating the type of command-line.
432 |cmdwin-char|
433 *CmdwinLeave*
434CmdwinLeave Before leaving the command-line window.
435 Useful to clean up any global setting done
436 with CmdwinEnter. This is triggered _instead_
437 of BufLeave and WinLeave.
438 <afile> is set to a single character,
439 indicating the type of command-line.
440 |cmdwin-char|
441 *ColorScheme*
442ColorScheme After loading a color scheme. |:colorscheme|
443 *CursorHold*
444CursorHold When the user doesn't press a key for the time
445 specified with 'updatetime'. Not re-triggered
446 until the user has pressed a key (i.e. doesn't
447 fire every 'updatetime' ms if you leave Vim to
448 make some coffee. :) See |CursorHold-example|
449 for previewing tags.
450 This event is only triggered in Normal mode.
Bram Moolenaare3226be2005-12-18 22:10:00 +0000451 While recording the CursorHold event is not
452 triggered. |q|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000453 Note: Interactive commands cannot be used for
454 this event. There is no hit-enter prompt,
455 the screen is updated directly (when needed).
456 Note: In the future there will probably be
457 another option to set the time.
458 Hint: to force an update of the status lines
459 use: >
460 :let &ro = &ro
461< {only on Amiga, Unix, Win32, MSDOS and all GUI
462 versions}
463 *EncodingChanged*
464EncodingChanged Fires off after the 'encoding' option has been
465 changed. Useful to set up fonts, for example.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000466 *FileAppendCmd*
467FileAppendCmd Before appending to a file. Should do the
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000468 appending to the file. Use the '[ and ']
469 marks for the range of lines.|Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000470 *FileAppendPost*
471FileAppendPost After appending to a file.
472 *FileAppendPre*
473FileAppendPre Before appending to a file. Use the '[ and ']
474 marks for the range of lines.
475 *FileChangedRO*
476FileChangedRO Before making the first change to a read-only
477 file. Can be used to check-out the file from
478 a source control system. Not triggered when
479 the change was caused by an autocommand.
480 This event is triggered when making the first
481 change in a buffer or the first change after
482 'readonly' was set,
483 just before the change is applied to the text.
484 WARNING: If the autocommand moves the cursor
485 the effect of the change is undefined.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000486 *FileChangedShell*
487FileChangedShell When Vim notices that the modification time of
488 a file has changed since editing started.
489 Also when the file attributes of the file
490 change. |timestamp|
491 Mostly triggered after executing a shell
492 command, but also with a |:checktime| command
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000493 or when Gvim regains input focus.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000494 This autocommand is triggered for each changed
495 file. It is not used when 'autoread' is set
496 and the buffer was not changed. If a
497 FileChangedShell autocommand is present the
498 warning message and prompt is not given.
499 This is useful for reloading related buffers
500 which are affected by a single command.
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000501 The |v:fcs_reason| variable is set to indicate
502 what happened and |v:fcs_choice| can be used
503 to tell Vim what to do next.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000504 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
505 current buffer "%" may be different from the
506 buffer that was changed "<afile>".
507 NOTE: The commands must not change the current
508 buffer, jump to another buffer or delete a
509 buffer. *E246*
510 NOTE: This event never nests, to avoid an
511 endless loop. This means that while executing
512 commands for the FileChangedShell event no
513 other FileChangedShell event will be
514 triggered.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000515 *FileEncoding*
516FileEncoding Obsolete. It still works and is equivalent
517 to |EncodingChanged|.
518 *FileReadCmd*
519FileReadCmd Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
520 Should do the reading of the file. |Cmd-event|
521 *FileReadPost*
522FileReadPost After reading a file with a ":read" command.
523 Note that Vim sets the '[ and '] marks to the
524 first and last line of the read. This can be
525 used to operate on the lines just read.
526 *FileReadPre*
527FileReadPre Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
528 *FileType*
529FileType When the 'filetype' option has been set.
530 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
531 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
532 the new value of 'filetype'.
533 See |filetypes|.
534 *FileWriteCmd*
535FileWriteCmd Before writing to a file, when not writing the
536 whole buffer. Should do the writing to the
537 file. Should not change the buffer. Use the
538 '[ and '] marks for the range of lines.
539 |Cmd-event|
540 *FileWritePost*
541FileWritePost After writing to a file, when not writing the
542 whole buffer.
543 *FileWritePre*
544FileWritePre Before writing to a file, when not writing the
545 whole buffer. Use the '[ and '] marks for the
546 range of lines.
547 *FilterReadPost*
548FilterReadPost After reading a file from a filter command.
549 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
550 the current buffer as with FilterReadPre.
551 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
552 *FilterReadPre* *E135*
553FilterReadPre Before reading a file from a filter command.
554 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
555 the current buffer, not the name of the
556 temporary file that is the output of the
557 filter command.
558 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
559 *FilterWritePost*
560FilterWritePost After writing a file for a filter command or
561 making a diff.
562 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
563 the current buffer as with FilterWritePre.
564 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
565 *FilterWritePre*
566FilterWritePre Before writing a file for a filter command or
567 making a diff.
568 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
569 the current buffer, not the name of the
570 temporary file that is the output of the
571 filter command.
572 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000573 *FocusGained*
574FocusGained When Vim got input focus. Only for the GUI
575 version and a few console versions where this
576 can be detected.
577 *FocusLost*
578FocusLost When Vim lost input focus. Only for the GUI
579 version and a few console versions where this
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000580 can be detected. May also happen when a
581 dialog pops up.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000582 *FuncUndefined*
583FuncUndefined When a user function is used but it isn't
584 defined. Useful for defining a function only
585 when it's used. Both <amatch> and <afile> are
586 set to the name of the function.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000587 See |autoload-functions|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000588 *GUIEnter*
589GUIEnter After starting the GUI successfully, and after
590 opening the window. It is triggered before
591 VimEnter when using gvim. Can be used to
592 position the window from a .gvimrc file: >
593 :autocmd GUIEnter * winpos 100 50
594< *InsertChange*
595InsertChange When typing <Insert> while in Insert or
596 Replace mode. The |v:insertmode| variable
597 indicates the new mode.
598 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
599 anything else that the user does not expect.
600 *InsertEnter*
601InsertEnter When starting Insert mode. Also for Replace
602 mode and Virtual Replace mode. The
603 |v:insertmode| variable indicates the mode.
604 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
605 anything else that the user does not expect.
606 *InsertLeave*
607InsertLeave When leaving Insert mode. Also when using
608 CTRL-O |i_CTRL-O|. But not for |i_CTRL-C|.
609 *MenuPopup*
610MenuPopup Just before showing the popup menu (under the
611 right mouse button). Useful for adjusting the
612 menu for what is under the cursor or mouse
613 pointer.
614 The pattern is matched against a single
615 character representing the mode:
616 n Normal
617 v Visual
618 o Operator-pending
619 i Insert
620 c Commmand line
621 *QuickFixCmdPre*
622QuickFixCmdPre Before a quickfix command is run (|:make|,
Bram Moolenaara6557602006-02-04 22:43:20 +0000623 |:lmake|, |:grep|, |:lgrep|, |:grepadd|,
624 |:lgrepadd|, |:vimgrep|, |:lvimgrep|,
625 |:vimgrepadd|, |:vimgrepadd|). The pattern is
626 matched against the command being run. When
627 |:grep| is used but 'grepprg' is set to
628 "internal" it still matches "grep".
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000629 This command cannot be used to set the
630 'makeprg' and 'grepprg' variables.
631 If this command causes an error, the quickfix
632 command is not executed.
633 *QuickFixCmdPost*
634QuickFixCmdPost Like QuickFixCmdPre, but after a quickfix
635 command is run.
636 *RemoteReply*
637RemoteReply When a reply from a Vim that functions as
638 server was received |server2client()|.
639 <amatch> is equal to the {serverid} from which
640 the reply was sent, and <afile> is the actual
641 reply string.
642 Note that even if an autocommand is defined,
643 the reply should be read with |remote_read()|
644 to consume it.
645 *SessionLoadPost*
646SessionLoadPost After loading the session file created using
647 the |:mksession| command.
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000648 *SpellFileMissing*
649SpellFileMissing When trying to load a spell checking file and
650 it can't be found. <amatch> is the language,
651 'encoding' also matters. See
652 |spell-SpellFileMissing|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000653 *StdinReadPost*
654StdinReadPost After reading from the stdin into the buffer,
655 before executing the modelines. Only used
656 when the "-" argument was used when Vim was
657 started |--|.
658 *StdinReadPre*
659StdinReadPre Before reading from stdin into the buffer.
660 Only used when the "-" argument was used when
661 Vim was started |--|.
662 *SwapExists*
663SwapExists Detected an existing swap file when starting
664 to edit a file. Only when it is possible to
665 select a way to handle the situation, when Vim
666 would ask the user what to do.
667 The |v:swapname| variable holds the name of
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +0000668 the swap file found, <afile> the file being
669 edited. |v:swapcommand| may contain a command
670 to be executed in the opened file.
671 The commands should set the |v:swapchoice|
672 variable to a string with one character to
673 tell Vim what should be done next:
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000674 'o' open read-only
675 'e' edit the file anyway
676 'r' recover
677 'd' delete the swap file
678 'q' quit, don't edit the file
679 'a' abort, like hitting CTRL-C
680 When set to an empty string the user will be
681 asked, as if there was no SwapExists autocmd.
682 Note: Do not try to change the buffer, the
683 results are unpredictable.
684 *Syntax*
685Syntax When the 'syntax' option has been set.
686 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
687 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
688 the new value of 'syntax'.
689 See |:syn-on|.
690 *TermChanged*
691TermChanged After the value of 'term' has changed. Useful
692 for re-loading the syntax file to update the
693 colors, fonts and other terminal-dependent
694 settings. Executed for all loaded buffers.
695 *TermResponse*
696TermResponse After the response to |t_RV| is received from
697 the terminal. The value of |v:termresponse|
698 can be used to do things depending on the
699 terminal version.
700 *User*
701User Never executed automatically. To be used for
702 autocommands that are only executed with
703 ":doautocmd".
704 *UserGettingBored*
705UserGettingBored When the user hits CTRL-C. Just kidding! :-)
706 *VimEnter*
707VimEnter After doing all the startup stuff, including
708 loading .vimrc files, executing the "-c cmd"
709 arguments, creating all windows and loading
710 the buffers in them.
711 *VimLeave*
712VimLeave Before exiting Vim, just after writing the
713 .viminfo file. Executed only once, like
714 VimLeavePre.
715 To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
716 *VimLeavePre*
717VimLeavePre Before exiting Vim, just before writing the
718 .viminfo file. This is executed only once,
719 if there is a match with the name of what
720 happens to be the current buffer when exiting.
721 Mostly useful with a "*" pattern. >
722 :autocmd VimLeavePre * call CleanupStuff()
723< To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000724 *WinEnter*
725WinEnter After entering another window. Not done for
726 the first window, when Vim has just started.
727 Useful for setting the window height.
728 If the window is for another buffer, Vim
729 executes the BufEnter autocommands after the
730 WinEnter autocommands.
731 Note: When using ":split fname" the WinEnter
732 event is triggered after the split but before
733 the file "fname" is loaded.
734 *WinLeave*
735WinLeave Before leaving a window. If the window to be
736 entered next is for a different buffer, Vim
737 executes the BufLeave autocommands before the
738 WinLeave autocommands (but not for ":new").
739 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000740
741==============================================================================
7426. Patterns *autocmd-patterns* *{pat}*
743
744The file pattern {pat} is tested for a match against the file name in one of
745two ways:
7461. When there is no '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against only
747 the tail part of the file name (without its leading directory path).
7482. When there is a '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against the
749 both short file name (as you typed it) and the full file name (after
750 expanding it to a full path and resolving symbolic links).
751
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000752The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> is used for buffer-local
753autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|. This pattern is not matched against the name
754of a buffer.
755
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000756Examples: >
757 :autocmd BufRead *.txt set et
758Set the 'et' option for all text files. >
759
760 :autocmd BufRead /vim/src/*.c set cindent
761Set the 'cindent' option for C files in the /vim/src directory. >
762
763 :autocmd BufRead /tmp/*.c set ts=5
764If you have a link from "/tmp/test.c" to "/home/nobody/vim/src/test.c", and
765you start editing "/tmp/test.c", this autocommand will match.
766
767Note: To match part of a path, but not from the root directory, use a '*' as
768the first character. Example: >
769 :autocmd BufRead */doc/*.txt set tw=78
770This autocommand will for example be executed for "/tmp/doc/xx.txt" and
771"/usr/home/piet/doc/yy.txt". The number of directories does not matter here.
772
773
774The file name that the pattern is matched against is after expanding
775wildcards. Thus is you issue this command: >
776 :e $ROOTDIR/main.$EXT
777The argument is first expanded to: >
778 /usr/root/main.py
779Before it's matched with the pattern of the autocommand. Careful with this
780when using events like FileReadCmd, the value of <amatch> may not be what you
781expect.
782
783
784Environment variables can be used in a pattern: >
785 :autocmd BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt set expandtab
786And ~ can be used for the home directory (if $HOME is defined): >
787 :autocmd BufWritePost ~/.vimrc so ~/.vimrc
788 :autocmd BufRead ~archive/* set readonly
789The environment variable is expanded when the autocommand is defined, not when
790the autocommand is executed. This is different from the command!
791
792 *file-pattern*
793The pattern is interpreted like mostly used in file names:
794 * matches any sequence of characters
795 ? matches any single character
796 \? matches a '?'
797 . matches a '.'
798 ~ matches a '~'
799 , separates patterns
800 \, matches a ','
801 { } like \( \) in a |pattern|
802 , inside { }: like \| in a |pattern|
803 \ special meaning like in a |pattern|
804 [ch] matches 'c' or 'h'
805 [^ch] match any character but 'c' and 'h'
806
807Note that for all systems the '/' character is used for path separator (even
808MS-DOS and OS/2). This was done because the backslash is difficult to use
809in a pattern and to make the autocommands portable across different systems.
810
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000811 *autocmd-changes*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000812Matching with the pattern is done when an event is triggered. Changing the
813buffer name in one of the autocommands, or even deleting the buffer, does not
814change which autocommands will be executed. Example: >
815
816 au BufEnter *.foo bdel
817 au BufEnter *.foo set modified
818
819This will delete the current buffer and then set 'modified' in what has become
820the current buffer instead. Vim doesn't take into account that "*.foo"
821doesn't match with that buffer name. It matches "*.foo" with the name of the
822buffer at the moment the event was triggered.
823
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000824However, buffer-local autocommands will not be executed for a buffer that has
825been wiped out with |:bwipe|. After deleting the buffer with |:bdel| the
826buffer actually still exists (it becomes unlisted), thus the autocommands are
827still executed.
828
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000829==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00008307. Buffer-local autocommands *autocmd-buflocal* *autocmd-buffer-local*
831 *<buffer=N>* *<buffer=abuf>* *E680*
832
833Buffer-local autocommands are attached to a specific buffer. They are useful
834if the buffer does not have a name and when the name does not match a specific
835pattern. But it also means they must be explicitly added to each buffer.
836
837Instead of a pattern buffer-local autocommands use one of these forms:
838 <buffer> current buffer
839 <buffer=99> buffer number 99
840 <buffer=abuf> using <abuf> (only when executing autocommands)
841 |<abuf>|
842
843Examples: >
844 :au CursorHold <buffer> echo 'hold'
845 :au CursorHold <buffer=33> echo 'hold'
846 :au CursorHold <buffer=abuf> echo 'hold'
847
848All the commands for autocommands also work with buffer-local autocommands,
849simply use the special string instead of the pattern. Examples: >
850 :au! * <buffer> " remove buffer-local autotommands for
851 " current buffer
852 :au! * <buffer=33> " remove buffer-local autotommands for
853 " buffer #33
854 :dobuf :au! CursorHold <buffer> " remove autocmd for given event for all
855 " buffers
856 :au * <buffer> " list buffer-local autocommands for
857 " current buffer
858
859Note that when an autocommand is defined for the current buffer, it is stored
860with the buffer number. Thus it uses the form "<buffer=12>", where 12 is the
861number of the current buffer. You will see this when listing autocommands,
862for example.
863
864To test for presence of buffer-local autocommands use the |exists()| function
865as follows: >
866 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer=12>") | ... | endif
867 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer>") | ... | endif " for current buffer
868
869When a buffer is wiped out its buffer-local autocommands are also gone, of
870course. Note that when deleting a buffer, e.g., with ":bdel", it is only
871unlisted, the autocommands are still present. In order to see the removal of
872buffer-local autocommands: >
873 :set verbose=6
874
875It is not possible to define buffer-local autocommands for a non-existent
876buffer.
877
878==============================================================================
8798. Groups *autocmd-groups*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000880
881Autocommands can be put together in a group. This is useful for removing or
882executing a group of autocommands. For example, all the autocommands for
883syntax highlighting are put in the "highlight" group, to be able to execute
884":doautoall highlight BufRead" when the GUI starts.
885
886When no specific group is selected, Vim uses the default group. The default
887group does not have a name. You cannot execute the autocommands from the
888default group separately; you can execute them only by executing autocommands
889for all groups.
890
891Normally, when executing autocommands automatically, Vim uses the autocommands
892for all groups. The group only matters when executing autocommands with
893":doautocmd" or ":doautoall", or when defining or deleting autocommands.
894
895The group name can contain any characters except white space. The group name
896"end" is reserved (also in uppercase).
897
898The group name is case sensitive. Note that this is different from the event
899name!
900
901 *:aug* *:augroup*
902:aug[roup] {name} Define the autocmd group name for the
903 following ":autocmd" commands. The name "end"
904 or "END" selects the default group.
905
906 *:augroup-delete* *E367*
907:aug[roup]! {name} Delete the autocmd group {name}. Don't use
908 this if there is still an autocommand using
909 this group! This is not checked.
910
911To enter autocommands for a specific group, use this method:
9121. Select the group with ":augroup {name}".
9132. Delete any old autocommands with ":au!".
9143. Define the autocommands.
9154. Go back to the default group with "augroup END".
916
917Example: >
918 :augroup uncompress
919 : au!
920 : au BufEnter *.gz %!gunzip
921 :augroup END
922
923This prevents having the autocommands defined twice (e.g., after sourcing the
924.vimrc file again).
925
926==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00009279. Executing autocommands *autocmd-execute*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000928
929Vim can also execute Autocommands non-automatically. This is useful if you
930have changed autocommands, or when Vim has executed the wrong autocommands
931(e.g., the file pattern match was wrong).
932
933Note that the 'eventignore' option applies here too. Events listed in this
934option will not cause any commands to be executed.
935
936 *:do* *:doau* *:doautocmd* *E217*
937:do[autocmd] [group] {event} [fname]
938 Apply the autocommands matching [fname] (default:
939 current file name) for {event} to the current buffer.
940 You can use this when the current file name does not
941 match the right pattern, after changing settings, or
942 to execute autocommands for a certain event.
943 It's possible to use this inside an autocommand too,
944 so you can base the autocommands for one extension on
945 another extension. Example: >
946 :au Bufenter *.cpp so ~/.vimrc_cpp
947 :au Bufenter *.cpp doau BufEnter x.c
948< Be careful to avoid endless loops. See
949 |autocmd-nested|.
950
951 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim executes
952 the autocommands for all groups. When the [group]
953 argument is included, Vim executes only the matching
954 autocommands for that group. Note: if you use an
955 undefined group name, Vim gives you an error message.
956
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +0000957 After applying the autocommands the modelines are
958 processed, so that their overrule the settings from
959 autocommands, like what happens when editing a file.
960
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000961 *:doautoa* *:doautoall*
962:doautoa[ll] [group] {event} [fname]
963 Like ":doautocmd", but apply the autocommands to each
964 loaded buffer. Note that {fname} is used to select
965 the autocommands, not the buffers to which they are
966 applied.
967 Careful: Don't use this for autocommands that delete a
968 buffer, change to another buffer or change the
969 contents of a buffer; the result is unpredictable.
970 This command is intended for autocommands that set
971 options, change highlighting, and things like that.
972
973==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000097410. Using autocommands *autocmd-use*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000975
976For WRITING FILES there are four possible sets of events. Vim uses only one
977of these sets for a write command:
978
979BufWriteCmd BufWritePre BufWritePost writing the whole buffer
980 FilterWritePre FilterWritePost writing to filter temp file
981FileAppendCmd FileAppendPre FileAppendPost appending to a file
982FileWriteCmd FileWritePre FileWritePost any other file write
983
984When there is a matching "*Cmd" autocommand, it is assumed it will do the
985writing. No further writing is done and the other events are not triggered.
986|Cmd-event|
987
988Note that the *WritePost commands should undo any changes to the buffer that
989were caused by the *WritePre commands; otherwise, writing the file will have
990the side effect of changing the buffer.
991
992Before executing the autocommands, the buffer from which the lines are to be
993written temporarily becomes the current buffer. Unless the autocommands
994change the current buffer or delete the previously current buffer, the
995previously current buffer is made the current buffer again.
996
997The *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands must not delete the buffer from
998which the lines are to be written.
999
1000The '[ and '] marks have a special position:
1001- Before the *ReadPre event the '[ mark is set to the line just above where
1002 the new lines will be inserted.
1003- Before the *ReadPost event the '[ mark is set to the first line that was
1004 just read, the '] mark to the last line.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001005- Before executing the *WriteCmd, *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands the '[
1006 mark is set to the first line that will be written, the '] mark to the last
1007 line.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001008Careful: '[ and '] change when using commands that change the buffer.
1009
1010In commands which expect a file name, you can use "<afile>" for the file name
1011that is being read |:<afile>| (you can also use "%" for the current file
1012name). "<abuf>" can be used for the buffer number of the currently effective
1013buffer. This also works for buffers that doesn't have a name. But it doesn't
1014work for files without a buffer (e.g., with ":r file").
1015
1016 *gzip-example*
1017Examples for reading and writing compressed files: >
1018 :augroup gzip
1019 : autocmd!
1020 : autocmd BufReadPre,FileReadPre *.gz set bin
1021 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz '[,']!gunzip
1022 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz set nobin
1023 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz execute ":doautocmd BufReadPost " . expand("%:r")
1024 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1025 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1026
1027 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !gunzip <afile>
1028 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !mv <afile>:r <afile>
1029 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1030 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1031 :augroup END
1032
1033The "gzip" group is used to be able to delete any existing autocommands with
1034":autocmd!", for when the file is sourced twice.
1035
1036("<afile>:r" is the file name without the extension, see |:_%:|)
1037
1038The commands executed for the BufNewFile, BufRead/BufReadPost, BufWritePost,
1039FileAppendPost and VimLeave events do not set or reset the changed flag of the
1040buffer. When you decompress the buffer with the BufReadPost autocommands, you
1041can still exit with ":q". When you use ":undo" in BufWritePost to undo the
1042changes made by BufWritePre commands, you can still do ":q" (this also makes
1043"ZZ" work). If you do want the buffer to be marked as modified, set the
1044'modified' option.
1045
1046To execute Normal mode commands from an autocommand, use the ":normal"
1047command. Use with care! If the Normal mode command is not finished, the user
1048needs to type characters (e.g., after ":normal m" you need to type a mark
1049name).
1050
1051If you want the buffer to be unmodified after changing it, reset the
1052'modified' option. This makes it possible to exit the buffer with ":q"
1053instead of ":q!".
1054
1055 *autocmd-nested* *E218*
1056By default, autocommands do not nest. If you use ":e" or ":w" in an
1057autocommand, Vim does not execute the BufRead and BufWrite autocommands for
1058those commands. If you do want this, use the "nested" flag for those commands
1059in which you want nesting. For example: >
1060 :autocmd FileChangedShell *.c nested e!
1061The nesting is limited to 10 levels to get out of recursive loops.
1062
1063It's possible to use the ":au" command in an autocommand. This can be a
1064self-modifying command! This can be useful for an autocommand that should
1065execute only once.
1066
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001067If you want to skip autocommands for one command, use the |:noautocmd| command
1068modifier or the 'eventignore' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001069
1070Note: When reading a file (with ":read file" or with a filter command) and the
1071last line in the file does not have an <EOL>, Vim remembers this. At the next
1072write (with ":write file" or with a filter command), if the same line is
1073written again as the last line in a file AND 'binary' is set, Vim does not
1074supply an <EOL>. This makes a filter command on the just read lines write the
1075same file as was read, and makes a write command on just filtered lines write
1076the same file as was read from the filter. For example, another way to write
1077a compressed file: >
1078
1079 :autocmd FileWritePre *.gz set bin|'[,']!gzip
1080 :autocmd FileWritePost *.gz undo|set nobin
1081<
1082 *autocommand-pattern*
1083You can specify multiple patterns, separated by commas. Here are some
1084examples: >
1085
1086 :autocmd BufRead * set tw=79 nocin ic infercase fo=2croq
1087 :autocmd BufRead .letter set tw=72 fo=2tcrq
1088 :autocmd BufEnter .letter set dict=/usr/lib/dict/words
1089 :autocmd BufLeave .letter set dict=
1090 :autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.c,*.h set tw=0 cin noic
1091 :autocmd BufEnter *.c,*.h abbr FOR for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i)<CR>{<CR>}<Esc>O
1092 :autocmd BufLeave *.c,*.h unabbr FOR
1093
1094For makefiles (makefile, Makefile, imakefile, makefile.unix, etc.): >
1095
1096 :autocmd BufEnter ?akefile* set include=^s\=include
1097 :autocmd BufLeave ?akefile* set include&
1098
1099To always start editing C files at the first function: >
1100
1101 :autocmd BufRead *.c,*.h 1;/^{
1102
1103Without the "1;" above, the search would start from wherever the file was
1104entered, rather than from the start of the file.
1105
1106 *skeleton* *template*
1107To read a skeleton (template) file when opening a new file: >
1108
1109 :autocmd BufNewFile *.c 0r ~/vim/skeleton.c
1110 :autocmd BufNewFile *.h 0r ~/vim/skeleton.h
1111 :autocmd BufNewFile *.java 0r ~/vim/skeleton.java
1112
1113To insert the current date and time in a *.html file when writing it: >
1114
1115 :autocmd BufWritePre,FileWritePre *.html ks|call LastMod()|'s
1116 :fun LastMod()
1117 : if line("$") > 20
1118 : let l = 20
1119 : else
1120 : let l = line("$")
1121 : endif
1122 : exe "1," . l . "g/Last modified: /s/Last modified: .*/Last modified: " .
1123 : \ strftime("%Y %b %d")
1124 :endfun
1125
1126You need to have a line "Last modified: <date time>" in the first 20 lines
1127of the file for this to work. Vim replaces <date time> (and anything in the
1128same line after it) with the current date and time. Explanation:
1129 ks mark current position with mark 's'
1130 call LastMod() call the LastMod() function to do the work
1131 's return the cursor to the old position
1132The LastMod() function checks if the file is shorter than 20 lines, and then
1133uses the ":g" command to find lines that contain "Last modified: ". For those
1134lines the ":s" command is executed to replace the existing date with the
1135current one. The ":execute" command is used to be able to use an expression
1136for the ":g" and ":s" commands. The date is obtained with the strftime()
1137function. You can change its argument to get another date string.
1138
1139When entering :autocmd on the command-line, completion of events and command
1140names may be done (with <Tab>, CTRL-D, etc.) where appropriate.
1141
1142Vim executes all matching autocommands in the order that you specify them.
1143It is recommended that your first autocommand be used for all files by using
1144"*" as the file pattern. This means that you can define defaults you like
1145here for any settings, and if there is another matching autocommand it will
1146override these. But if there is no other matching autocommand, then at least
1147your default settings are recovered (if entering this file from another for
1148which autocommands did match). Note that "*" will also match files starting
1149with ".", unlike Unix shells.
1150
1151 *autocmd-searchpat*
1152Autocommands do not change the current search patterns. Vim saves the current
1153search patterns before executing autocommands then restores them after the
1154autocommands finish. This means that autocommands do not affect the strings
1155highlighted with the 'hlsearch' option. Within autocommands, you can still
1156use search patterns normally, e.g., with the "n" command.
1157If you want an autocommand to set the search pattern, such that it is used
1158after the autocommand finishes, use the ":let @/ =" command.
1159The search-highlighting cannot be switched off with ":nohlsearch" in an
1160autocommand. Use the 'h' flag in the 'viminfo' option to disable search-
1161highlighting when starting Vim.
1162
1163 *Cmd-event*
1164When using one of the "*Cmd" events, the matching autocommands are expected to
1165do the file reading or writing. This can be used when working with a special
1166kind of file, for example on a remote system.
1167CAREFUL: If you use these events in a wrong way, it may have the effect of
1168making it impossible to read or write the matching files! Make sure you test
1169your autocommands properly. Best is to use a pattern that will never match a
1170normal file name, for example "ftp://*".
1171
1172When defining a BufReadCmd it will be difficult for Vim to recover a crashed
1173editing session. When recovering from the original file, Vim reads only those
1174parts of a file that are not found in the swap file. Since that is not
1175possible with a BufReadCmd, use the |:preserve| command to make sure the
1176original file isn't needed for recovery. You might want to do this only when
1177you expect the file to be modified.
1178
1179The |v:cmdarg| variable holds the "++enc=" and "++ff=" argument that are
1180effective. These should be used for the command that reads/writes the file.
1181The |v:cmdbang| variable is one when "!" was used, zero otherwise.
1182
1183See the $VIMRUNTIME/plugin/netrw.vim for examples.
1184
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001185==============================================================================
118611. Disabling autocommands *autocmd-disable*
1187
1188To disable autocommands for some time use the 'eventignore' option. Note that
1189this may cause unexpected behavior, make sure you restore 'eventignore'
1190afterwards, using a |:try| block with |:finally|.
1191
1192 *:noautocmd* *:noa*
1193To disable autocommands for just one command use the ":noautocmd" command
1194modifier. This will set 'eventignore' to "all" for the duration of the
1195following command. Example: >
1196
1197 :noautocmd w fname.gz
1198
1199This will write the file without triggering the autocommands defined by the
1200gzip plugin.
1201
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00001202
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001203 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: