blob: 0f339e1119017b5cb741cc5912efc538b00b0674 [file] [log] [blame]
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2006 Feb 14
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000040There are five types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number.
43 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
45String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
46 Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
47
48Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
49 Example: function("strlen")
50
51List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
52 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000053
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000054Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
55 value. |Dictionary|
56 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
57
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000058The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
59are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000060
61Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
62the Number. Examples: >
63 Number 123 --> String "123"
64 Number 0 --> String "0"
65 Number -1 --> String "-1"
66
67Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
68to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
69the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
70 String "456" --> Number 456
71 String "6bar" --> Number 6
72 String "foo" --> Number 0
73 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
74 String "0100" --> Number 64
75 String "-8" --> Number -8
76 String "+8" --> Number 0
77
78To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
79 :echo "0100" + 0
80
81For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
82
83Note that in the command >
84 :if "foo"
85"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
86use strlen(): >
87 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000088< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
89List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000090
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000091 *E706*
92You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
93to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000094equivalent though. Consider this sequence of commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000095 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000096 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000097 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000099
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001001.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000101 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000102A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000103in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
104around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000105
106 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
107 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000108< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:" or "b:". You cannot
110have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000111
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000112A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
113Dictionary entry. Example: >
114 :function dict.init() dict
115 : let self.val = 0
116 :endfunction
117
118The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
119function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
120
121A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
122 :call Fn()
123 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000124
125The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000126 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000127
128You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
129arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000130 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000131
132
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001331.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000134 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000135A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
136can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
137position in the sequence.
138
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000139
140List creation ~
141 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000142A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143Examples: >
144 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
145 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000146
147An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000148nested List: >
149 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000150
151An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
152
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000153
154List index ~
155 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000156An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000157after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
158 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000159 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000160
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000161When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000162 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000163<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000164A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
165the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
167
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000168To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000169is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000170 :echo get(mylist, idx)
171 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
172
173
174List concatenation ~
175
176Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
177 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000178 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000179
180To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
181it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
182
183
184Sublist ~
185
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000186A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
187separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000188 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000189
190Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
191similar to -1. The difference is that there is no error if the items are not
192available. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000193 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
194 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
195 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000196
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000197The second index can be just before the first index. In that case the result
198is an empty list. If the second index is lower, this results in an error. >
199 :echo mylist[2:1] " result: []
200 :echo mylist[2:0] " error!
201
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000202NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
203using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
204mylist[s : e].
205
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000206
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000207List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000208 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000209When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
210variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
211change "bb": >
212 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
213 :let bb = aa
214 :call add(aa, 4)
215 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000216< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000217
218Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
219works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000220a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000221 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
222 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000223 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000224 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
225 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000226< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000227 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000228< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000229
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000230To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000231copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000232
233The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000234List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000235the same value. >
236 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
237 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
238 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000239< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000240 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000241< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000242
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000243Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
244same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000245exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
246different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
247variables. Example: >
248 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000249< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000250 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000251< 0
252
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000253Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
254can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a string: >
255
256 :let a = 5
257 :let b = "5"
258 echo a == b
259< 1 >
260 echo [a] == [b]
261< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000263
264List unpack ~
265
266To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
267square brackets, like list items: >
268 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
269
270When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
271this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
272and a variable name: >
273 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
274
275This works like: >
276 :let var1 = mylist[0]
277 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000278 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000279
280Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
281empty list then.
282
283
284List modification ~
285 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000286To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000287 :let list[4] = "four"
288 :let listlist[0][3] = item
289
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000290To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000291modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000292 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
293
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000294Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
295examples: >
296 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
297 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
298 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000299 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000300 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
301 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000302 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000303 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000304 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000305 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000307Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000308 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
309 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
310
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000311
312For loop ~
313
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000314The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
315to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000316 :for item in mylist
317 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000318 :endfor
319
320This works like: >
321 :let index = 0
322 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000323 : let item = mylist[index]
324 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325 : let index = index + 1
326 :endwhile
327
328Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000329results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000330the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000331
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000332If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000333function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000334
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000335Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
336requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
337 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
338 : call Doit(lnum, col)
339 :endfor
340
341This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
342must remain the same to avoid an error.
343
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000344It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000345 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
346 : call Doit(i, j)
347 : if !empty(rest)
348 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
349 : endif
350 :endfor
351
352
353List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000354 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000356 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000357 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000358 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
359 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
360 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000361 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
362 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000363 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
364 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000365 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
366 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000367 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
368 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000369
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000370Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
371example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
372 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
373
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003751.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000376 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000377A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000378entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
379ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000380
381
382Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000383 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000384A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000385braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
386only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000387 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
388 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000389< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000390A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
391String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000392entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
393Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000394
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396nested Dictionary: >
397 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
398
399An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
400
401
402Accessing entries ~
403
404The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
405 :let val = mydict["one"]
406 :let mydict["four"] = 4
407
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409
410For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
411form can be used |expr-entry|: >
412 :let val = mydict.one
413 :let mydict.four = 4
414
415Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
416key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000417 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000418
419
420Dictionary to List conversion ~
421
422You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
423turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
424
425Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
426 :for key in keys(mydict)
427 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
428 :endfor
429
430The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
431 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
432
433To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
434 :for v in values(mydict)
435 : echo "value: " . v
436 :endfor
437
438If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000439a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000440 :for entry in items(mydict)
441 : echo entry[0] . ': ' . entry[1]
442 :endfor
443
444
445Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000446 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000447Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
448Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
449Dictionary: >
450 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
451 :let adict = onedict
452 :let adict['a'] = 11
453 :echo onedict['a']
454 11
455
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000456Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
457more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000458
459
460Dictionary modification ~
461 *dict-modification*
462To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
463use |:let| this way: >
464 :let dict[4] = "four"
465 :let dict['one'] = item
466
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000467Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
468Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
469 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
470 :unlet dict.aaa
471 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000472
473Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000474 :call extend(adict, bdict)
475This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
476in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000477Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
478expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
479adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000480
481Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +0000482 :call filter(dict 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000483This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000484
485
486Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000487 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000488When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
489special way with a dictionary. Example: >
490 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000491 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000492 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
494 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000495
496This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
497Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
498the function was invoked from.
499
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000500It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
501Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
502
503 *numbered-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000504To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
505assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
507 :function mydict.len() dict
508 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
513that references this function. The function can only be used through a
514|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
515remaining that refers to it.
516
517It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000518
519
520Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000521 *E715*
522Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
524 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
525 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
526 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
527 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
528 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
529 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
530 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000531
532
5331.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000534 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000535If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
536function.
537
538When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
539start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
540stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
541
542When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
543start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
544stored in the session file |session-file|.
545
546variable name can be stored where ~
547my_var_6 not
548My_Var_6 session file
549MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
550
551
552It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
553|curly-braces-names|.
554
555==============================================================================
5562. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
557
558Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
559
560|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
561
562|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
563
564|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
565
566|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
567 expr5 != expr5 not equal
568 expr5 > expr5 greater than
569 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
570 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
571 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
572 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
573 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
574
575 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
576 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
577 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
578 matching case
579
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000580 expr5 is expr5 same List instance
581 expr5 isnot expr5 different List instance
582
583|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000584 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
585 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
586
587|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
588 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
589 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
590
591|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
592 - expr7 unary minus
593 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000594
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000595
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000596|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a List
597 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a List
598 expr8.name entry in a Dictionary
599 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with Funcref variable
600
601|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000602 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000603 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000604 [expr1, ...] List
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000605 {expr1: expr1, ...} Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000606 &option option value
607 (expr1) nested expression
608 variable internal variable
609 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
610 $VAR environment variable
611 @r contents of register 'r'
612 function(expr1, ...) function call
613 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
614
615
616".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
617Example: >
618 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
619
620All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
621
622
623expr1 *expr1* *E109*
624-----
625
626expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
627
628The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
629non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
630otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
631Example: >
632 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
633
634Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
635other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
636Example: >
637 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
638
639To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
640 :echo lnum == 1
641 :\ ? "top"
642 :\ : lnum == 1000
643 :\ ? "last"
644 :\ : lnum
645
646
647expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
648---------------
649
650 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
651The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
652are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
653
654 input output ~
655n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
656zero zero zero zero
657zero non-zero non-zero zero
658non-zero zero non-zero zero
659non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
660
661The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
662
663 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
664
665Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
666
667 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
668
669Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
670arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
671
672 let a = 1
673 echo a || b
674
675This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
676so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
677
678 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
679
680This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
681only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
682
683
684expr4 *expr4*
685-----
686
687expr5 {cmp} expr5
688
689Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
690if it evaluates to true.
691
692 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
693 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
694 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
695 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
696 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
697 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000698 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000699 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
700equal == ==# ==?
701not equal != !=# !=?
702greater than > ># >?
703greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
704smaller than < <# <?
705smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
706regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
707regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000708same instance is
709different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000710
711Examples:
712"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
713"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
714"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
715
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000716 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000717A List can only be compared with a List and only "equal", "not equal" and "is"
718can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively. Ignoring
719case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
720
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000721 *E735* *E736*
722A Dictionary can only be compared with a Dictionary and only "equal", "not
723equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the Dictionary,
724recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
725
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000726 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000727A Funcref can only be compared with a Funcref and only "equal" and "not equal"
728can be used. Case is never ignored.
729
730When using "is" or "isnot" with a List this checks if the expressions are
731referring to the same List instance. A copy of a List is different from the
732original List. When using "is" without a List it is equivalent to using
733"equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
734different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
735is false.
736
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000737When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
738and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
739because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
740
741When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
742results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
743necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
744
745When using the operators with a trailing '#", or the short version and
746'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp().
747
748When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
749'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp().
750
751The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
752argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
753This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
754matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
755portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
756single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
757Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
758(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
759can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
760 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
761 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
762
763
764expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
765---------------
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000766expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or List concatenation *expr-+*
767expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
768expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000769
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000770For Lists only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The result
771is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
772
773expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
774expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
775expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000776
777For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
778
779Note the difference between "+" and ".":
780 "123" + "456" = 579
781 "123" . "456" = "123456"
782
783When the righthand side of '/' is zero, the result is 0x7fffffff.
784When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
785
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000786None of these work for Funcrefs.
787
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000788
789expr7 *expr7*
790-----
791! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
792- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
793+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
794
795For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
796For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
797For '+' the number is unchanged.
798
799A String will be converted to a Number first.
800
801These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
802 !-1 == 0
803 !!8 == 1
804 --9 == 9
805
806
807expr8 *expr8*
808-----
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000809expr8[expr1] item of String or List *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000810
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000811If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
812expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000813Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000814
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000815Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
816text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
817cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000818 :let c = getline(line("."))[col(".") - 1]
819
820If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000821String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
822compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
823
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000824If expr8 is a List then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000825for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
826error. Example: >
827 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
828
829Generally, if a List index is equal to or higher than the length of the List,
830or more negative than the length of the List, this results in an error.
831
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000832
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000833expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000834
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000835If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
836from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000837expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
838encodings.
839
840If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
841string minus one is used.
842
843A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
844the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
845
846If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
847expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
848
849Examples: >
850 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
851 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
852 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
853 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
854
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000855If expr8 is a List this results in a new List with the items indicated by the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000856indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained just
857above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
858 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
859 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
860 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
861
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000862Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a Funcref results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000863
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000864
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000865expr8.name entry in a Dictionary *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000866
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000867If expr8 is a Dictionary and it is followed by a dot, then the following name
868will be used as a key in the Dictionary. This is just like: expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000869
870The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
871but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
872
873There must not be white space before or after the dot.
874
875Examples: >
876 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
877 :echo dict.one
878 :echo dict .2
879
880Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
881always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
882
883
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000884expr8(expr1, ...) Funcref function call
885
886When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
887
888
889
890 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000891number
892------
893number number constant *expr-number*
894
895Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
896
897
898string *expr-string* *E114*
899------
900"string" string constant *expr-quote*
901
902Note that double quotes are used.
903
904A string constant accepts these special characters:
905\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
906\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
907\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
908\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
909\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
910\X.. same as \x..
911\X. same as \x.
912\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
913 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
914\U.... same as \u....
915\b backspace <BS>
916\e escape <Esc>
917\f formfeed <FF>
918\n newline <NL>
919\r return <CR>
920\t tab <Tab>
921\\ backslash
922\" double quote
923\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
924
925Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
926
927
928literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
929---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000930'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000931
932Note that single quotes are used.
933
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000934This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000935meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000936
937Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
938to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
939 if a =~ "\\s*"
940 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000941
942
943option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
944------
945&option option value, local value if possible
946&g:option global option value
947&l:option local option value
948
949Examples: >
950 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
951 if &insertmode
952
953Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
954and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
955anyway.
956
957
958register *expr-register*
959--------
960@r contents of register 'r'
961
962The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
963Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +0000964register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
965registers.
966
967When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
968evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000969
970
971nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
972-------
973(expr1) nested expression
974
975
976environment variable *expr-env*
977--------------------
978$VAR environment variable
979
980The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
981result is an empty string.
982 *expr-env-expand*
983Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
984expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
985are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
986the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
987fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
988does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
989 :echo $version
990 :echo expand("$version")
991The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
992variable (if your shell supports it).
993
994
995internal variable *expr-variable*
996-----------------
997variable internal variable
998See below |internal-variables|.
999
1000
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001001function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001002-------------
1003function(expr1, ...) function call
1004See below |functions|.
1005
1006
1007==============================================================================
10083. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1009 *E461*
1010An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1011cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1012|curly-braces-names|.
1013
1014An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001015An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1016|:unlet|.
1017Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1018been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001019
1020There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1021specified by what is prepended:
1022
1023 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1024|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1025|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
1026|global-variable| g: Global.
1027|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1028|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1029|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1030|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1031
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001032The scope name by itself can be used as a Dictionary. For example, to delete
1033all script-local variables: >
1034 :for k in keys(s:)
1035 : unlet s:[k]
1036 :endfor
1037<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001038 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1039A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1040Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1041This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1042|:bdelete|.
1043
1044One local buffer variable is predefined:
1045 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1046b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1047 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1048 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1049 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1050 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1051 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1052 : call My_Update()
1053 :endif
1054<
1055 *window-variable* *w:var*
1056A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1057is deleted when the window is closed.
1058
1059 *global-variable* *g:var*
1060Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1061access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1062place if you like.
1063
1064 *local-variable* *l:var*
1065Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1066But you can also prepend "l:" if you like.
1067
1068 *script-variable* *s:var*
1069In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1070accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1071
1072They can be used in:
1073- commands executed while the script is sourced
1074- functions defined in the script
1075- autocommands defined in the script
1076- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1077 defined in the script (recursively)
1078- user defined commands defined in the script
1079Thus not in:
1080- other scripts sourced from this one
1081- mappings
1082- etc.
1083
1084script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1085Take this example:
1086
1087 let s:counter = 0
1088 function MyCounter()
1089 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1090 echo s:counter
1091 endfunction
1092 command Tick call MyCounter()
1093
1094You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1095that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1096"Tick" was defined is used.
1097
1098Another example that does the same: >
1099
1100 let s:counter = 0
1101 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1102
1103When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001104script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001105defined.
1106
1107The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1108function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1109
1110 let s:counter = 0
1111 function StartCounting(incr)
1112 if a:incr
1113 function MyCounter()
1114 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1115 endfunction
1116 else
1117 function MyCounter()
1118 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1119 endfunction
1120 endif
1121 endfunction
1122
1123This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1124when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1125called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1126
1127When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1128They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1129maintain a counter: >
1130
1131 if !exists("s:counter")
1132 let s:counter = 1
1133 echo "script executed for the first time"
1134 else
1135 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1136 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1137 endif
1138
1139Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1140variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1141
1142
1143Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1144
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001145 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1146v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1147 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1148 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1149
1150 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1151v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1152 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1153
1154 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1155v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1156 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1157
1158 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001159v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1160 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1161 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1162 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001163 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1164 highlighted text is used.
1165 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1166
1167 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1168v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1169 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1170
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001171 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1172v:charconvert_from
1173 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1174 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1175
1176 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1177v:charconvert_to
1178 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1179 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1180
1181 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1182v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1183 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1184 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1185 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1186 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1187 possible to append this variable directly after the
1188 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1189 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1190 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1191 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1192 in 'printexpr'.
1193
1194 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1195v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1196 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1197 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1198 can be used.
1199
1200 *v:count* *count-variable*
1201v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1202 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1203 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1204< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1205 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001206 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001207 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1208
1209 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1210v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1211 used.
1212
1213 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1214v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1215 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1216 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1217 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1218 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1219 command.
1220 See |multi-lang|.
1221
1222 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1223v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1224 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1225 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1226 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1227 Example: >
1228 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1229<
1230 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1231v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1232 Example: >
1233 :let v:errmsg = ""
1234 :silent! next
1235 :if v:errmsg != ""
1236 : ... handle error
1237< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1238
1239 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1240v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1241 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1242 Example: >
1243 :try
1244 : throw "oops"
1245 :catch /.*/
1246 : echo "caught" v:exception
1247 :endtry
1248< Output: "caught oops".
1249
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001250 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1251v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1252 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1253 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1254 deleted file no longer exists
1255 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1256 changed and buffer is modified
1257 changed file contents has changed
1258 mode mode of file changed
1259 time only file timestamp changed
1260
1261 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1262v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1263 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1264 do with the affected buffer:
1265 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1266 the file was deleted).
1267 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1268 was no autocommand. Except that when
1269 only the timestamp changed nothing
1270 will happen.
1271 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1272 everything that needs to be done.
1273 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1274 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1275
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001276 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001277v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001278 option used for ~
1279 'charconvert' file to be converted
1280 'diffexpr' original file
1281 'patchexpr' original file
1282 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001283 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001284
1285 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1286v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1287 evaluating:
1288 option used for ~
1289 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1290 'diffexpr' output of diff
1291 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1292 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1293 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1294 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1295 file and different from v:fname_in.
1296
1297 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1298v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1299 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1300
1301 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1302v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1303 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1304
1305 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1306v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1307 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001308 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001309
1310 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1311v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001312 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001313
1314 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1315v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001316 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001317
1318 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1319v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001320 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001321
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001322 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1323v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1324 events. Values:
1325 i Insert mode
1326 r Replace mode
1327 v Virtual Replace mode
1328
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001329 *v:key* *key-variable*
1330v:key Key of the current item of a Dictionary. Only valid while
1331 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1332 Read-only.
1333
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001334 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1335v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1336 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1337 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1338 The value is system dependent.
1339 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1340 command.
1341 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1342 in a different language than what is used for character
1343 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1344
1345 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1346v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1347 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1348 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1349 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1350 command. See |multi-lang|.
1351
1352 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001353v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
1354 expressions. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1355 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001356
1357 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1358v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1359 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1360 you want to cancel Visual mode and then use the count. >
1361 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1362< Read-only.
1363
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001364 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1365v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1366 See |profiling|.
1367
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001368 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1369v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1370 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1371 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1372 Read-only.
1373
1374 *v:register* *register-variable*
1375v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1376 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1377
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001378 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1379v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1380 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1381 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1382 typed command.
1383 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1384 hit-enter prompt.
1385
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001386 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1387v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1388 Read-only.
1389
1390 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1391v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1392 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1393 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1394 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1395 executed. Read-only.
1396 Example: >
1397 :!mv foo bar
1398 :if v:shell_error
1399 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1400 :endif
1401< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1402
1403 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1404v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1405
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001406 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1407v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1408 the swap file found. Read-only.
1409
1410 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1411v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1412 for handling an existing swap file:
1413 'o' Open read-only
1414 'e' Edit anyway
1415 'r' Recover
1416 'd' Delete swapfile
1417 'q' Quit
1418 'a' Abort
1419 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1420 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1421 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1422
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001423 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001424v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001425 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1426 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1427 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
1428
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001429 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1430v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1431 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1432 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1433 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1434 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1435 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1436 terminal.
1437 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1438 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1439 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1440 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1441 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1442
1443 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1444v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1445 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1446 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1447 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1448
1449 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1450v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1451 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1452 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1453 Example: >
1454 :try
1455 : throw "oops"
1456 :catch /.*/
1457 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1458 :endtry
1459< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1460
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001461 *v:val* *val-variable*
1462v:val Value of the current item of a List or Dictionary. Only valid
1463 while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
1464 |filter()|. Read-only.
1465
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001466 *v:version* *version-variable*
1467v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1468 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1469 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1470 compatibility.
1471 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1472 if has("patch123")
1473< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1474 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1475 completely different.
1476
1477 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1478v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1479
1480==============================================================================
14814. Builtin Functions *functions*
1482
1483See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1484
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001485(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001486
1487USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1488
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001489add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to List {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001490append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001491append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001492argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001493argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001494argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
1495browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1496 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001497browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001498bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001499buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1500bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001501bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1502bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1503bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1504byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001505byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001506call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1507 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001508char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001509cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001510col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001511complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1512complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001513confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1514 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001515copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001516count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1517 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001518cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1519 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001520cursor( {lnum}, {col}) Number position cursor at {lnum}, {col}
1521deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001522delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1523did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001524diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1525diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001526empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001527escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001528eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001529eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001530executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1531exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
1532expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
1533filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001534filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1535 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001536finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
1537 String Find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001538findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001539 String Find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001540filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
1541fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001542foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1543foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001544foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001545foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001546foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001547function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001548get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001549get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001550getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1551 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001552getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1553getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001554getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
1555getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1556getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001557getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001558getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001559getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1560getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001561getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001562getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001563getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001564getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1565getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001566getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001567getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001568getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001569getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001570getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1571getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1572getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in window {nr}
1573glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1574globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1575has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001576has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001577hasmapto( {what} [, {mode}]) Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
1578histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1579histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1580histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1581histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1582hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1583hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1584hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001585iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1586indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001587index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1588 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001589input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1590 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001591inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001592inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1593inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001594inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001595insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001596isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001597islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001598items( {dict}) List List of key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001599join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001600keys( {dict}) List List of keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001601len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1602libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001603libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1604line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1605line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001606lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001607localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001608map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001609maparg( {name}[, {mode}]) String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1610mapcheck( {name}[, {mode}]) String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001611match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001612 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001613matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001614 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001615matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1616 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001617matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1618 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001619max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1620min({list}) Number minumum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001621mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1622 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001623mode() String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001624nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1625nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
1626prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00001627printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001628pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001629range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1630 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001631readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1632 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001633remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1634 String send expression
1635remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1636remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1637 Number check for reply string
1638remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1639remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1640 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001641remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001642remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001643rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1644repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1645resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001646reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001647search( {pattern} [, {flags}]) Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001648searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1649 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001650searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001651 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001652searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}]])
1653 List search for other end of start/end pair
1654searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags}])
1655 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001656server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1657 Number send reply string
1658serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1659setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1660setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1661setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001662setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1663 Number modify location list using {list}
1664setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001665setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001666setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001667simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001668sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001669soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001670spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001671spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1672 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001673split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
1674 List make List from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001675strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001676stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1677 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001678string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001679strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1680strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1681 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001682strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1683 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001684strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001685submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001686substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1687 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001688synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001689synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1690 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1691synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001692system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00001693taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
1694tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001695tempname() String name for a temporary file
1696tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1697toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001698tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1699 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001700type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001701values( {dict}) List List of values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001702virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1703visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1704winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1705wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1706winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1707winline() Number window line of the cursor
1708winnr() Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001709winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001710winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001711writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1712 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001713
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001714add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
1715 Append the item {expr} to List {list}. Returns the resulting
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001716 List. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001717 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1718 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
1719< Note that when {expr} is a List it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001720 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate Lists.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001721 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001722
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001723
1724append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001725 When {expr} is a List: Append each item of the List as a text
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001726 line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001727 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1728 the current buffer.
1729 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001730 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1731 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001732 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001733 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001734<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001735 *argc()*
1736argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1737 current window. See |arglist|.
1738
1739 *argidx()*
1740argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1741 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1742
1743 *argv()*
1744argv({nr}) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
1745 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1746 Example: >
1747 :let i = 0
1748 :while i < argc()
1749 : let f = escape(argv(i), '. ')
1750 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1751 : let i = i + 1
1752 :endwhile
1753<
1754 *browse()*
1755browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1756 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1757 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1758 The input fields are:
1759 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1760 {title} title for the requester
1761 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1762 {default} default file name
1763 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1764 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1765
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001766 *browsedir()*
1767browsedir({title}, {initdir})
1768 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
1769 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1770 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
1771 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
1772 to be used.
1773 The input fields are:
1774 {title} title for the requester
1775 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1776 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1777 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1778
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001779bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
1780 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1781 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001782 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001783 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001784 exactly. The name can be:
1785 - Relative to the current directory.
1786 - A full path.
1787 - The name of a buffer with 'filetype' set to "nofile".
1788 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001789 Unlisted buffers will be found.
1790 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
1791 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
1792 long name to be able to find them.
1793 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
1794 file name.
1795 *buffer_exists()*
1796 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
1797
1798buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
1799 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1800 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001801 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001802
1803bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
1804 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1805 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001806 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001807
1808bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
1809 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
1810 ":ls" command.
1811 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
1812 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
1813 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
1814 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
1815 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
1816 match an empty string is returned.
1817 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
1818 alternate buffer.
1819 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
1820 or middle of the buffer name is accepted.
1821 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
1822 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
1823 buffers are searched for.
1824 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
1825 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
1826 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
1827< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
1828 string is returned. >
1829 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
1830 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
1831 bufname("%") name of current buffer
1832 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
1833< *buffer_name()*
1834 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
1835
1836 *bufnr()*
1837bufnr({expr}) The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
1838 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
1839 above. If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
1840 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
1841 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
1842< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
1843 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
1844 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
1845 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
1846 *buffer_number()*
1847 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
1848 *last_buffer_nr()*
1849 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
1850
1851bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
1852 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
1853 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
1854 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
1855 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
1856
1857 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
1858
1859< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
1860 |:wincmd|.
1861
1862
1863byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
1864 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
1865 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
1866 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
1867 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
1868 one.
1869 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
1870 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
1871 feature}
1872
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00001873byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
1874 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
1875 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
1876 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
1877 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
1878 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
1879 Example : >
1880 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
1881< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
1882 same: >
1883 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
1884 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
1885< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
1886 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
1887 is returned.
1888
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001889call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001890 Call function {func} with the items in List {arglist} as
1891 arguments.
1892 {func} can either be a Funcref or the name of a function.
1893 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
1894 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001895 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
1896 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001897
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001898char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
1899 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
1900 char2nr(" ") returns 32
1901 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
1902< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00001903 char2nr("?") returns 225
1904 char2nr("?"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001905< nr2char() does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001906
1907cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
1908 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
1909 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
1910 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
1911 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
1912 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
1913 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00001914 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001915
1916 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001917col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001918 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
1919 . the cursor position
1920 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
1921 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
1922 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
1923 returned)
1924 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
1925 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
1926 Examples: >
1927 col(".") column of cursor
1928 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
1929 col("'t") column of mark t
1930 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
1931< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
1932 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
1933 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
1934 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
1935 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
1936 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
1937 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
1938 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
1939<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001940
1941complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
1942 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
1943 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
1944 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
1945 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
1946 the list.
1947
1948complete_check() *complete_check()*
1949 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
1950 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
1951 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
1952 zero otherwise.
1953 Only to be used by the function specified with the
1954 'completefunc' option.
1955
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001956 *confirm()*
1957confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1958 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
1959 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
1960 choice this is 1.
1961 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
1962 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
1963 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
1964 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
1965 used (and translated).
1966 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
1967 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
1968 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
1969 by '\n', e.g. >
1970 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
1971< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
1972 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
1973 not need to be the first letter: >
1974 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
1975< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
1976 the default shortcut key.
1977 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
1978 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
1979 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
1980 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
1981 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
1982 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
1983 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
1984 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
1985 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
1986 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
1987 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
1988
1989 An example: >
1990 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
1991 :if choice == 0
1992 : echo "make up your mind!"
1993 :elseif choice == 3
1994 : echo "tasteful"
1995 :else
1996 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
1997 :endif
1998< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
1999 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
2000 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
2001 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2002 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2003 the horizontal layout is always used.
2004
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002005 *copy()*
2006copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2007 different from using {expr} directly.
2008 When {expr} is a List a shallow copy is created. This means
2009 that the original List can be changed without changing the
2010 copy, and vise versa. But the items are identical, thus
2011 changing an item changes the contents of both Lists. Also see
2012 |deepcopy()|.
2013
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002014count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002015 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002016 in List or Dictionary {comp}.
2017 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
2018 {start} can only be used with a List.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002019 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2020
2021
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002022 *cscope_connection()*
2023cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2024 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2025 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2026 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2027 if there are no cscope connections;
2028 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2029
2030 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2031 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2032
2033 {num} Description of existence check
2034 ----- ------------------------------
2035 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2036 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2037 {dbpath}.
2038 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2039 {dbpath}.
2040 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2041 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2042 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2043 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2044
2045 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2046
2047 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2048
2049 # pid database name prepend path
2050 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2051<
2052 Invocation Return Val ~
2053 ---------- ---------- >
2054 cscope_connection() 1
2055 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2056 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2057 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2058 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2059 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2060 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2061 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2062<
2063cursor({lnum}, {col}) *cursor()*
2064 Positions the cursor at the column {col} in the line {lnum}.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002065 The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002066 Does not change the jumplist.
2067 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2068 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2069 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002070 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002071 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2072 line.
2073 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
2074
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002075
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002076deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002077 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2078 different from using {expr} directly.
2079 When {expr} is a List a full copy is created. This means
2080 that the original List can be changed without changing the
2081 copy, and vise versa. When an item is a List, a copy for it
2082 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
2083 not change the contents of the original List.
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002084 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained List or Dictionary
2085 is only copied once. All references point to this single
2086 copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a List or
2087 Dictionary results in a new copy. This also means that a
2088 cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002089 *E724*
2090 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002091 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2092 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002093 Also see |copy()|.
2094
2095delete({fname}) *delete()*
2096 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002097 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2098 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002099 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a List.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002100
2101 *did_filetype()*
2102did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2103 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2104 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2105 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2106 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2107 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2108 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2109 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2110 file.
2111
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002112diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2113 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2114 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2115 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2116 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2117 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2118 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2119 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2120
2121diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2122 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2123 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2124 diff change zero is returned.
2125 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2126 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2127 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2128 line.
2129 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2130 syntax information about the highlighting.
2131
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002132empty({expr}) *empty()*
2133 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002134 A List or Dictionary is empty when it does not have any items.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002135 A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2136 For a long List this is much faster then comparing the length
2137 with zero.
2138
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002139escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2140 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2141 backslash. Example: >
2142 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2143< results in: >
2144 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002145
2146< *eval()*
2147eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2148 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2149 This works for Numbers, Strings and composites of them.
2150 Also works for Funcrefs that refer to existing functions.
2151
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002152eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2153 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2154 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2155 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2156 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2157
2158executable({expr}) *executable()*
2159 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2160 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002161 arguments.
2162 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2163 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2164 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2165 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2166 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2167 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2168 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2169 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2170 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2171 extension.
2172 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2173 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002174 The result is a Number:
2175 1 exists
2176 0 does not exist
2177 -1 not implemented on this system
2178
2179 *exists()*
2180exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2181 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2182 which contains one of these:
2183 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2184 not if it really works)
2185 +option-name Vim option that works.
2186 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2187 done by comparing with an empty
2188 string)
2189 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2190 or user defined function (see
2191 |user-functions|).
2192 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002193 |internal-variables|). Also works
2194 for |curly-braces-names|, Dictionary
2195 entries, List items, etc. Beware that
2196 this may cause functions to be
2197 invoked cause an error message for an
2198 invalid expression.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002199 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2200 command or command modifier |:command|.
2201 Returns:
2202 1 for match with start of a command
2203 2 full match with a command
2204 3 matches several user commands
2205 To check for a supported command
2206 always check the return value to be 2.
2207 #event autocommand defined for this event
2208 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2209 pattern (the pattern is taken
2210 literally and compared to the
2211 autocommand patterns character by
2212 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002213 #group autocommand group exists
2214 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2215 event.
2216 #group#event#pattern
2217 autocommand defined for this group,
2218 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002219 ##event autocommand for this event is
2220 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002221 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2222
2223 Examples: >
2224 exists("&shortname")
2225 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2226 exists("*strftime")
2227 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2228 exists("bufcount")
2229 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002230 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002231 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002232 exists("#filetypeindent")
2233 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2234 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002235 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002236< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2237 name.
2238 Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2239 variable itself! For example: >
2240 exists(bufcount)
2241< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
2242 but gets the contents of "bufcount", and checks if that
2243 exists.
2244
2245expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2246 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2247 The result is a String.
2248
2249 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2250 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2251 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2252
2253 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2254 for a non-existing file is not included.
2255
2256 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2257 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2258 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2259
2260 % current file name
2261 # alternate file name
2262 #n alternate file name n
2263 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2264 <afile> autocmd file name
2265 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2266 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2267 <sfile> sourced script file name
2268 <cword> word under the cursor
2269 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2270 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2271 message |server2client()|
2272 Modifiers:
2273 :p expand to full path
2274 :h head (last path component removed)
2275 :t tail (last path component only)
2276 :r root (one extension removed)
2277 :e extension only
2278
2279 Example: >
2280 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2281< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2282 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2283 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2284< Use this: >
2285 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2286< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2287 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2288 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2289 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2290 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2291<
2292 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2293 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2294 to modify normal file names.
2295
2296 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2297 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2298 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2299 '/' added.
2300
2301 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2302 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2303 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2304 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002305 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2306 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2307 files in the current directory and below: >
2308 :echo expand("**/README")
2309<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002310 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2311 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2312 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2313 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2314 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2315 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2316 "$FOOBAR".
2317
2318 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2319 getting the raw output of an external command.
2320
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002321extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
2322 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both Lists or both Dictionaries.
2323
2324 If they are Lists: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
2325 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2326 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2327 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2328 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002329 Examples: >
2330 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2331 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002332< Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2333 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002334 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002335<
2336 If they are Dictionaries:
2337 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2338 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2339 used to decide what to do:
2340 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2341 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00002342 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002343 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2344
2345 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2346 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2347 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2348 Returns {expr1}.
2349
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002350
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002351filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2352 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2353 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2354 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2355 expression, which is used as a String.
2356 *file_readable()*
2357 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2358
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002359
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002360filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
2361 {expr} must be a List or a Dictionary.
2362 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
2363 is zero remove the item from the List or Dictionary.
2364 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
2365 For a Dictionary |v:key| has the key of the current item.
2366 Examples: >
2367 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2368< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2369 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2370< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2371 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002372< Removes all the items, thus clears the List or Dictionary.
2373
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002374 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2375 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2376 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2377
2378 The operation is done in-place. If you want a List or
2379 Dictionary to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002380 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002381
2382< Returns {expr}, the List or Dictionary that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002383 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2384 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002385
2386
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002387finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
2388 Find directory {name} in {path}.
2389 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2390 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
2391 {name} in {path}.
2392 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
2393 When the found directory is below the current directory a
2394 relative path is returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
2395 Example: >
2396 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2397< Searches from the current directory upwards until it finds
2398 the file "tags.vim".
2399 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2400
2401findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2402 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
2403
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002404filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2405 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2406 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2407 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If (file) is a
2408 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2409
2410fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2411 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2412 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2413 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2414 Example: >
2415 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2416< results in: >
2417 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2418< Note: Environment variables and "~" don't work in {fname}, use
2419 |expand()| first then.
2420
2421foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2422 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2423 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2424 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2425
2426foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2427 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2428 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2429 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2430
2431foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2432 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2433 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2434 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2435 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2436 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2437 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2438 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2439 previous line is usually available.
2440
2441 *foldtext()*
2442foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2443 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2444 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2445 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2446 The returned string looks like this: >
2447 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2448< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2449 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2450 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2451 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2452 options is removed.
2453 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2454
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002455foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2456 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2457 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2458 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2459 returned.
2460 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2461 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2462 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2463 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2464
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002465 *foreground()*
2466foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2467 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2468 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2469 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2470 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2471 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2472 Win32 console version}
2473
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002474
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002475function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002476 Return a Funcref variable that refers to function {name}.
2477 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2478
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002479
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002480garbagecollect() *garbagecollect()*
2481 Cleanup unused Lists and Dictionaries that have circular
2482 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2483 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2484 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2485 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2486 freed when they become unused.
2487 This is useful if you have deleted a very big List and/or
2488 Dictionary with circular references in a script that runs for
2489 a long time.
2490
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002491get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002492 Get item {idx} from List {list}. When this item is not
2493 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2494 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002495get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
2496 Get item with key {key} from Dictionary {dict}. When this
2497 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2498 {default} is omitted.
2499
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002500 *getbufline()*
2501getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002502 Return a List with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2503 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a List
2504 with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002505
2506 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2507
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002508 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2509 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002510
2511 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2512 lines in the buffer, an empty List is returned.
2513
2514 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2515 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002516 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty List is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002517 returned.
2518
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002519 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002520 non-existing buffers, an empty List is returned.
2521
2522 Example: >
2523 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002524
2525getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2526 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2527 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2528 must be used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002529 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2530 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2531 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002532 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2533 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2534 returned, there is no error message.
2535 Examples: >
2536 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2537 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2538<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002539getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
2540 Get a single character from the user. If it is an 8-bit
2541 character, the result is a number. Otherwise a String is
2542 returned with the encoded character. For a special key it's a
2543 sequence of bytes starting with 0x80 (decimal: 128).
2544 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2545 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
2546 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
2547 not consumed. If a normal character is
2548 available, it is returned, otherwise a
2549 non-zero value is returned.
2550 If a normal character available, it is returned as a Number.
2551 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2552 The returned value is zero if no character is available.
2553 The returned value is a string of characters for special keys
2554 and when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used.
2555 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
2556 user that a character has to be typed.
2557 There is no mapping for the character.
2558 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
2559 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
2560 sequence. Examples: >
2561 getchar() == "\<Del>"
2562 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
2563< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
2564 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
2565 :function FindChar()
2566 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
2567 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
2568 : normal l
2569 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
2570 : break
2571 : endif
2572 : endwhile
2573 :endfunction
2574
2575getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
2576 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
2577 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
2578 These values are added together:
2579 2 shift
2580 4 control
2581 8 alt (meta)
2582 16 mouse double click
2583 32 mouse triple click
2584 64 mouse quadruple click
2585 128 Macintosh only: command
2586 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
2587 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
2588 with no modifier.
2589
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002590getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
2591 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
2592 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
2593 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
2594 Example: >
2595 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002596< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002597
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002598getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002599 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
2600 byte count. The first column is 1.
2601 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2602 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002603 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
2604
2605getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
2606 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
2607 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002608 : normal Ex command
2609 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
2610 / forward search command
2611 ? backward search command
2612 @ |input()| command
2613 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002614 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2615 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
2616 otherwise.
2617 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002618
2619 *getcwd()*
2620getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
2621 working directory.
2622
2623getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
2624 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
2625 given file {fname}.
2626 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
2627 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
2628
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002629getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
2630 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
2631 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
2632 |hl-Normal|.
2633 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
2634 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
2635 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
2636 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
2637 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not you your vimrc or
2638 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
2639 for a valid name does not work.
2640 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
2641 function just after the GUI has started.
2642
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002643getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
2644 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
2645 permissions of the given file {fname}.
2646 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
2647 empty string is returned.
2648 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
2649 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
2650 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
2651 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
2652 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
2653 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
2654< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
2655 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00002656
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002657getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
2658 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
2659 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
2660 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
2661 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
2662 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
2663
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002664getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
2665 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
2666 file of the given file {fname}.
2667 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
2668 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
2669 results:
2670 Normal file "file"
2671 Directory "dir"
2672 Symbolic link "link"
2673 Block device "bdev"
2674 Character device "cdev"
2675 Socket "socket"
2676 FIFO "fifo"
2677 All other "other"
2678 Example: >
2679 getftype("/home")
2680< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
2681 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
2682 "file" are returned.
2683
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002684 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002685getline({lnum} [, {end}])
2686 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
2687 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002688 getline(1)
2689< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
2690 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
2691 To get the line under the cursor: >
2692 getline(".")
2693< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2694 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
2695
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002696 When {end} is given the result is a List where each item is a
2697 line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
2698 including line {end}.
2699 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
2700 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002701 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty List is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002702 Example: >
2703 :let start = line('.')
2704 :let end = search("^$") - 1
2705 :let lines = getline(start, end)
2706
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002707getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
2708 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
2709 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
2710 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002711 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
2712 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002713
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002714getqflist() *getqflist()*
2715 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
2716 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
2717 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
2718 bufname() to get the name
2719 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
2720 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00002721 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
2722 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002723 nr error number
2724 text description of the error
2725 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
2726 valid non-zero: recognized error message
2727
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00002728 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
2729 returned.
2730
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002731 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
2732 do something with them: >
2733 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
2734 :for d in getqflist()
2735 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
2736 :endfor
2737
2738
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002739getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002740 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002741 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002742 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
2743< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002744 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002745 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
2746 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
2747 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002748 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2749
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002750
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002751getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
2752 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
2753 The value will be one of:
2754 "v" for |characterwise| text
2755 "V" for |linewise| text
2756 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
2757 0 for an empty or unknown register
2758 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
2759 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2760
2761 *getwinposx()*
2762getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
2763 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
2764 -1 if the information is not available.
2765
2766 *getwinposy()*
2767getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
2768 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
2769 information is not available.
2770
2771getwinvar({nr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
2772 The result is the value of option or local window variable
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00002773 {varname} in window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current
2774 window is used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002775 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
2776 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
2777 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002778 Note that the name without "w:" must be used.
2779 Examples: >
2780 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
2781 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
2782<
2783 *glob()*
2784glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. The result is a String.
2785 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2786 characters.
2787 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
2788 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
2789
2790 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
2791 any external command. Example: >
2792 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
2793 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
2794< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
2795 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
2796
2797 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
2798 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
2799
2800globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
2801 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
2802 the results. Example: >
2803 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
2804< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
2805 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
2806 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
2807 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
2808 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
2809 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
2810 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
2811 error message.
2812 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
2813 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
2814
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002815 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
2816 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
2817 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
2818 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
2819<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002820 *has()*
2821has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
2822 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
2823 string. See |feature-list| below.
2824 Also see |exists()|.
2825
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002826
2827has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
2828 The result is a Number, which is 1 if Dictionary {dict} has an
2829 entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
2830
2831
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002832hasmapto({what} [, {mode}]) *hasmapto()*
2833 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
2834 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
2835 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
2836 {mode}.
2837 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
2838 buffer are checked for a match.
2839 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
2840 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
2841 n Normal mode
2842 v Visual mode
2843 o Operator-pending mode
2844 i Insert mode
2845 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
2846 c Command-line mode
2847 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
2848
2849 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
2850 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
2851 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
2852 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
2853 :endif
2854< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
2855 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
2856
2857histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
2858 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
2859 one of: *hist-names*
2860 "cmd" or ":" command line history
2861 "search" or "/" search pattern history
2862 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
2863 "input" or "@" input line history
2864 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
2865 shifted to become the newest entry.
2866 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
2867 otherwise 0 is returned.
2868
2869 Example: >
2870 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
2871 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
2872< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
2873
2874histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002875 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002876 for the possible values of {history}.
2877
2878 If the parameter {item} is given as String, this is seen
2879 as regular expression. All entries matching that expression
2880 will be removed from the history (if there are any).
2881 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
2882 If {item} is a Number, it will be interpreted as index, see
2883 |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will be removed
2884 if it exists.
2885
2886 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
2887 otherwise 0 is returned.
2888
2889 Examples:
2890 Clear expression register history: >
2891 :call histdel("expr")
2892<
2893 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
2894 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
2895<
2896 The following three are equivalent: >
2897 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
2898 :call histdel("search", -1)
2899 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
2900<
2901 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
2902 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
2903 :call histdel("search", -1)
2904 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
2905
2906histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
2907 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
2908 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
2909 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
2910 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
2911 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
2912
2913 Examples:
2914 Redo the second last search from history. >
2915 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
2916
2917< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
2918 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
2919 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
2920<
2921histnr({history}) *histnr()*
2922 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
2923 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
2924 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
2925
2926 Example: >
2927 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
2928<
2929hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
2930 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
2931 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
2932 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
2933 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
2934 item.
2935 *highlight_exists()*
2936 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
2937
2938 *hlID()*
2939hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
2940 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
2941 zero is returned.
2942 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
2943 group. For example, to get the background color of the
2944 "Comment" group: >
2945 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
2946< *highlightID()*
2947 Obsolete name: highlightID().
2948
2949hostname() *hostname()*
2950 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002951 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002952 256 characters long are truncated.
2953
2954iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
2955 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
2956 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
2957 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
2958 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
2959 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
2960 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
2961 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
2962 can be done.
2963 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
2964 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
2965 UTF-8 and use: >
2966 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
2967< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
2968 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
2969 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
2970 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
2971
2972 *indent()*
2973indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
2974 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
2975 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
2976 |getline()|.
2977 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
2978
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002979
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002980index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002981 Return the lowest index in List {list} where the item has a
2982 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002983 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
2984 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002985 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
2986 case must match.
2987 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
2988 Example: >
2989 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00002990 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002991
2992
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002993input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002994 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
2995 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
2996 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002997 prompt to start a new line.
2998 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
2999 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
3000 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
3001 for lines typed for input().
3002 Example: >
3003 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3004 : echo "Cheers!"
3005 :endif
3006<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003007 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3008 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003009 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3010
3011< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3012 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
3013 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
3014 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
3015 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
3016 more information. Example: >
3017 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3018<
3019 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3020 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003021 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3022 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3023 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3024 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3025 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3026 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3027 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3028
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003029 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003030 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3031 :function GetFoo()
3032 : call inputsave()
3033 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3034 : call inputrestore()
3035 :endfunction
3036
3037inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3038 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3039 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3040 Example: >
3041 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3042 :if n != ""
3043 : let &sw = n
3044 :endif
3045< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3046 omitted an empty string is returned.
3047 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3048 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003049 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003050
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003051inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
3052 {textlist} must be a list of strings. This list is displayed,
3053 one string per line. The user will be prompted to enter a
3054 number, which is returned.
3055 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3056 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3057 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3058 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3059 is returned.
3060 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3061 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3062 the start of the string. Example: >
3063 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3064 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3065
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003066inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3067 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3068 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3069 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3070 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3071
3072inputsave() *inputsave()*
3073 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3074 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3075 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3076 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3077 many inputrestore() calls.
3078 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3079
3080inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3081 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3082 two exceptions:
3083 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3084 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3085 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3086 |history| stack.
3087 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3088 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003089 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003090
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003091insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
3092 Insert {item} at the start of List {list}.
3093 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3094 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3095 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3096 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003097 Returns the resulting List. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003098 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3099 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3100 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003101< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003102 Note that when {item} is a List it is inserted as a single
3103 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate Lists.
3104
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003105isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3106 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3107 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3108 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3109 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3110
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003111islocked({expr}) *islocked()*
3112 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3113 name of a locked variable.
3114 {expr} must be the name of a variable, List item or Dictionary
3115 entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
3116 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3117 :lockvar 1 alist
3118 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3119 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3120
3121< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
3122 message. Use |exists()| to check for existance.
3123
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003124items({dict}) *items()*
3125 Return a List with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3126 List item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict} entry
3127 and the value of this entry. The List is in arbitrary order.
3128
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003129
3130join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3131 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3132 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3133 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3134 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3135 add it there too: >
3136 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
3137< String items are used as-is. Lists and Dictionaries are
3138 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3139 The opposite function is |split()|.
3140
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003141keys({dict}) *keys()*
3142 Return a List with all the keys of {dict}. The List is in
3143 arbitrary order.
3144
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003145 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003146len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3147 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3148 used, as with |strlen()|.
3149 When {expr} is a List the number of items in the List is
3150 returned.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003151 When {expr} is a Dictionary the number of entries in the
3152 Dictionary is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003153 Otherwise an error is given.
3154
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003155 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3156libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3157 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3158 with single argument {argument}.
3159 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3160 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3161 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3162 limited.
3163 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3164 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3165 to Vim.
3166 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3167 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3168 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3169 null-terminated string.
3170 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3171
3172 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3173 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3174 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3175 very probably crash.
3176
3177 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3178 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3179 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3180 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3181 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3182 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3183 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3184 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3185 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3186 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3187
3188 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3189 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3190 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3191 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3192 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3193 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3194 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3195 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3196 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3197 feature is present}
3198 Examples: >
3199 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3200 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3201<
3202 *libcallnr()*
3203libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3204 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3205 int instead of a string.
3206 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3207 feature is present}
3208 Example (not very useful...): >
3209 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3210 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3211<
3212 *line()*
3213line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3214 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3215 . the cursor position
3216 $ the last line in the current buffer
3217 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3218 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003219 w0 first line visible in current window
3220 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003221 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
3222 Examples: >
3223 line(".") line number of the cursor
3224 line("'t") line number of mark t
3225 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3226< *last-position-jump*
3227 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3228 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3229 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003230
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003231line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3232 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3233 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3234 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3235 line returns 1.
3236 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3237 below the last line: >
3238 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3239< This is the file size plus one.
3240 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3241 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3242 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3243
3244lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3245 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3246 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3247 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3248 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3249 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3250 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3251
3252localtime() *localtime()*
3253 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3254 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3255
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003256
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003257map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
3258 {expr} must be a List or a Dictionary.
3259 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3260 {string}.
3261 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
3262 For a Dictionary |v:key| has the key of the current item.
3263 Example: >
3264 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003265< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003266
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003267 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003268 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003269 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3270 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003271
3272 The operation is done in-place. If you want a List or
3273 Dictionary to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003274 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003275
3276< Returns {expr}, the List or Dictionary that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003277 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3278 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003279
3280
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003281maparg({name}[, {mode}]) *maparg()*
3282 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3283 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003284 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003285 "n" Normal
3286 "v" Visual
3287 "o" Operator-pending
3288 "i" Insert
3289 "c" Cmd-line
3290 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3291 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003292 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003293 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3294 command. The returned String has special characters
3295 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3296 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3297 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003298 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3299 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3300 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3301
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003302
3303mapcheck({name}[, {mode}]) *mapcheck()*
3304 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3305 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3306 {name}.
3307 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3308 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3309
3310 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3311 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3312 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3313 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3314 mapcheck("b") no no no
3315
3316 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3317 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3318 mapping for {name} exactly.
3319 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3320 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3321 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3322 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3323 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3324 then the global mappings.
3325 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3326 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3327 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3328 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3329 :endif
3330< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3331 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3332
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003333match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003334 When {expr} is a List then this returns the index of the first
3335 item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a String,
3336 Lists and Dictionaries are used as echoed.
3337 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3338 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3339 {pat} matches.
3340 A match at the first character or List item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003341 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3342 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003343 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
3344 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 2
3345< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003346 *strpbrk()*
3347 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3348 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3349< *strcasestr()*
3350 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3351 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3352 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3353<
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003354 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003355 is found in a String the search for the next one starts on
3356 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003357 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003358< In a List the search continues in the next item.
3359
3360 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
3361 {start} in a String or item {start} in a List.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003362 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003363 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003364 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3365< result is again "4". >
3366 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3367< result is again "4". >
3368 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3369< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003370 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3371 the index is counted from the end.
3372 If {start} is out of range (> strlen({expr} for a String or
3373 > len({expr} for a List) -1 is returned.
3374
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003375 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3376 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
3377 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
3378 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3379
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003380matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003381 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3382 the match. Example: >
3383 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3384< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003385 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3386 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3387 do it with matchend(): >
3388 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3389 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3390< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3391
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003392 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3393 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3394< results in "7". >
3395 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3396< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003397 When {expr} is a List the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003398
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003399matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
3400 Same as match(), but return a List. The first item in the
3401 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3402 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
3403 in |:substitute|.
3404 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
3405
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003406matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003407 Same as match(), but return the matched string. Example: >
3408 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
3409< results in "ing".
3410 When there is no match "" is returned.
3411 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3412 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
3413< results in "ing". >
3414 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
3415< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003416 When {expr} is a List then the matching item is returned.
3417 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003418
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003419 *max()*
3420max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
3421 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3422 be used as a Number this results in an error.
3423 An empty List results in zero.
3424
3425 *min()*
3426min({list}) Return the minumum value of all items in {list}.
3427 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3428 be used as a Number this results in an error.
3429 An empty List results in zero.
3430
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003431 *mkdir()* *E749*
3432mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
3433 Create directory {name}.
3434 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
3435 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
3436 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
3437 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
3438 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
3439 for others.
3440 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3441 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
3442 :if exists("*mkdir")
3443<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003444 *mode()*
3445mode() Return a string that indicates the current mode:
3446 n Normal
3447 v Visual by character
3448 V Visual by line
3449 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
3450 s Select by character
3451 S Select by line
3452 CTRL-S Select blockwise
3453 i Insert
3454 R Replace
3455 c Command-line
3456 r Hit-enter prompt
3457 This is useful in the 'statusline' option. In most other
3458 places it always returns "c" or "n".
3459
3460nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
3461 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
3462 that is not blank. Example: >
3463 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
3464< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3465 below it, zero is returned.
3466 See also |prevnonblank()|.
3467
3468nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
3469 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
3470 value {expr}. Examples: >
3471 nr2char(64) returns "@"
3472 nr2char(32) returns " "
3473< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
3474 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
3475< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
3476 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
3477 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003478 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003479
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003480prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
3481 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
3482 that is not blank. Example: >
3483 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
3484< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3485 above it, zero is returned.
3486 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
3487
3488
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003489printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
3490 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
3491 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003492 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003493< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003494 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003495
3496 Often used items are:
3497 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003498 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
3499 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003500 %c single byte
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003501 %d decimal number
3502 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
3503 %x hex number
3504 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
3505 %X hex number using upper case letters
3506 %o octal number
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003507 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003508
3509 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
3510 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
3511 the result.
3512
3513 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003514 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003515
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003516 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003517
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003518 flags
3519 Zero or more of the following flags:
3520
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003521 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
3522 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
3523 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
3524 of the number is increased to force the first
3525 character of the output string to a zero (except
3526 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
3527 precision of zero).
3528 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
3529 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
3530 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003531
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003532 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
3533 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
3534 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
3535 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
3536 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003537
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003538 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
3539 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
3540 The converted value is padded on the right with
3541 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
3542 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003543
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003544 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
3545 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003546
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003547 + A sign must always be placed before a number
3548 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
3549 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003550
3551 field-width
3552 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003553 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
3554 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
3555 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
3556 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003557
3558 .precision
3559 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
3560 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
3561 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
3562 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
3563 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003564 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003565
3566 type
3567 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
3568 be applied, see below.
3569
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003570 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
3571 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
3572 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
3573 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
3574 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
3575 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003576 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003577< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003578 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003579
3580 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003581
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003582 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
3583 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
3584 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
3585 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003586 conversions.
3587 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
3588 digits that must appear; if the converted value
3589 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
3590 zeros.
3591 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
3592 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
3593 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
3594 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
3595
3596 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
3597 resulting character is written.
3598
3599 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
3600 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
3601 specified are used.
3602
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003603 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
3604 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003605
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003606 Each argument can be Number or String and is converted
3607 automatically to fit the conversion specifier. Any other
3608 argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003609
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00003610 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003611 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
3612 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003613 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003614
3615
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003616pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
3617 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
3618 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
3619
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003620
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00003621 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003622range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
3623 Returns a List with Numbers:
3624 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
3625 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
3626 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
3627 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
3628 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003629 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
3630 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
3631 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003632 Examples: >
3633 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
3634 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
3635 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
3636 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003637 range(0) " []
3638 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003639<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003640 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003641readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003642 Read file {fname} and return a List, each line of the file as
3643 an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
3644 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
3645 NL appears somewhere).
3646 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
3647 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
3648 added.
3649 - No CR characters are removed.
3650 Otherwise:
3651 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
3652 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
3653 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003654 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
3655 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
3656 lines of a file: >
3657 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
3658 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
3659 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003660< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
3661 are returned, or as many as there are.
3662 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003663 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
3664 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
3665 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003666 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
3667 the result is an empty list.
3668 Also see |writefile()|.
3669
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003670 *remote_expr()* *E449*
3671remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
3672 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
3673 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
3674 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3675 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3676 remote_read() is stored there.
3677 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3678 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3679 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3680 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
3681 and the result will be the empty string.
3682 Examples: >
3683 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
3684 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
3685<
3686
3687remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
3688 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
3689 This works like: >
3690 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
3691< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
3692 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
3693 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00003694 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
3695 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003696 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3697 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3698 Win32 console version}
3699
3700
3701remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
3702 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
3703 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
3704 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
3705 name of a variable.
3706 Returns zero if none are available.
3707 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
3708 See also |clientserver|.
3709 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3710 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3711 Examples: >
3712 :let repl = ""
3713 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
3714
3715remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
3716 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
3717 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
3718 See also |clientserver|.
3719 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3720 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3721 Example: >
3722 :echo remote_read(id)
3723<
3724 *remote_send()* *E241*
3725remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00003726 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
3727 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
3728 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003729 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
3730 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
3731 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003732 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3733 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3734 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3735 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
3736 up the display.
3737 Examples: >
3738 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
3739 \ remote_read(serverid)
3740
3741 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
3742 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
3743 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
3744 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003745<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003746remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
3747 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from List {list} and
3748 return it.
3749 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
3750 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
3751 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
3752 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
3753 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003754 Example: >
3755 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003756 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003757remove({dict}, {key})
3758 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
3759 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
3760< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
3761
3762 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003763
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003764rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
3765 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
3766 should also work to move files across file systems. The
3767 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
3768 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
3769 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3770
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003771repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
3772 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
3773 result. Example: >
3774 :let seperator = repeat('-', 80)
3775< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003776 When {expr} is a List the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003777 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003778 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
3779< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003780
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003781
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003782resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
3783 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
3784 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
3785 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
3786 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
3787 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
3788 stopped after 100 iterations.
3789 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
3790 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
3791 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
3792 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
3793 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
3794
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003795 *reverse()*
3796reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
3797 {list}.
3798 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
3799 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
3800
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003801search({pattern} [, {flags}]) *search()*
3802 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003803 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003804 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
3805 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003806 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003807 'w' wrap around the end of the file
3808 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003809 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the
3810 cursor.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003811 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
3812
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003813 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
3814 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
3815 flag.
3816
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003817 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
3818 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
3819 flag is used).
3820 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
3821 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003822
3823 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
3824 :let n = 1
3825 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
3826 : exe "argument " . n
3827 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
3828 : " first search to find match at start of file
3829 : normal G$
3830 : let flags = "w"
3831 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
3832 : s/foo/bar/g
3833 : let flags = "W"
3834 : endwhile
3835 : update " write the file if modified
3836 : let n = n + 1
3837 :endwhile
3838<
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00003839
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00003840searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
3841 Search for the declaration of {name}.
3842
3843 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
3844 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
3845 first match in the function.
3846
3847 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
3848 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
3849 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
3850
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00003851 Moves the cursor to the found match.
3852 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
3853 Example: >
3854 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
3855 echo getline('.')
3856 endif
3857<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003858 *searchpair()*
3859searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}]])
3860 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
3861 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
3862 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
3863 The search starts at the cursor. If a match is found, the
3864 cursor is positioned at it and the line number is returned.
3865 If no match is found 0 or -1 is returned and the cursor
3866 doesn't move. No error message is given.
3867
3868 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
3869 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
3870 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
3871 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
3872 typical use is: >
3873 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
3874< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
3875
3876 {flags} are used like with |search()|. Additionally:
3877 'n' do Not move the cursor
3878 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
3879 outer pair
3880 'm' return number of Matches instead of line number with
3881 the match; will only be > 1 when 'r' is used.
3882
3883 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
3884 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
3885 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
3886 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
3887 or a string.
3888 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
3889 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
3890 and -1 returned.
3891
3892 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
3893 patterns are used like it's on.
3894
3895 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
3896 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
3897 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
3898 if 1
3899 if 2
3900 endif 2
3901 endif 1
3902< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
3903 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
3904 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
3905 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
3906 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
3907 "endif 2".
3908 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
3909 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
3910 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
3911 the matching start.
3912
3913 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
3914
3915 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
3916 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
3917
3918< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
3919 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
3920 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
3921 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
3922 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
3923 match.
3924 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
3925
3926 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
3927
3928< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
3929 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
3930 highlighting recognized as strings: >
3931
3932 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
3933 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
3934<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003935 *searchpairpos()*
3936searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}]])
3937 Same as searchpair(), but returns a List with the line and
3938 column position of the match. The first element of the List is
3939 the line number and the second element is the byte index of
3940 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
3941 returns [0, 0].
3942>
3943 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
3944<
3945 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
3946
3947searchpos({pattern} [, {flags}]) *searchpos()*
3948 Same as search(), but returns a List with the line and column
3949 position of the match. The first element of the List is the
3950 line number and the second element is the byte index of the
3951 column position of the match. If no match is found, returns
3952 [0, 0].
3953>
3954 :let [lnum,col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
3955<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003956server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
3957 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
3958 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
3959 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3960 Note:
3961 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003962 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003963 before calling any commands that waits for input.
3964 See also |clientserver|.
3965 Example: >
3966 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
3967<
3968serverlist() *serverlist()*
3969 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
3970 When there are no servers or the information is not available
3971 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
3972 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3973 Example: >
3974 :echo serverlist()
3975<
3976setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
3977 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
3978 {val}.
3979 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
3980 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
3981 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
3982 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3983 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
3984 Examples: >
3985 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
3986 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
3987< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3988
3989setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
3990 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
3991 {pos}. The first position is 1.
3992 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
3993 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003994 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
3995 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
3996 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
3997 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
3998 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003999 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4000 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4001 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4002 line.
4003
4004setline({lnum}, {line}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004005 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {line}.
4006 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004007 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {line} will be
4008 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004009 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4010 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004011 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004012< When {line} is a List then line {lnum} and following lines
4013 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4014 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4015< This is equivalent to: >
4016 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4017 : call setline(n, l)
4018 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004019< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4020
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004021setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4022 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4023 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004024 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4025 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004026 Otherwise, same as setqflist().
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004027
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004028setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004029 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4030 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4031 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4032 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004033
4034 filename name of a file
4035 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004036 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004037 col column number
4038 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
4039 when zero: "col" is byte index
4040 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004041 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004042 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004043
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004044 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4045 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4046 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004047 If the "filename" entry is not present or neither the "lnum"
4048 or "pattern" entries are present, then the item will not be
4049 handled as an error line.
4050 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4051 be used.
4052
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004053 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4054 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4055 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4056 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4057 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4058 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4059
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004060 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4061
4062 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4063 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4064 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4065
4066
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004067 *setreg()*
4068setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4069 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4070 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4071 then the value is appended.
4072 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4073 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4074 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4075 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4076 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4077 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4078 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
4079 in the longest line (counting a <TAB> as 1 character).
4080
4081 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4082 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4083 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4084 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4085
4086 Examples: >
4087 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4088 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4089 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4090
4091< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4092 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004093 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004094 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4095 ....
4096 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4097
4098< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4099 nothing: >
4100 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4101
4102setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4103 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {nr} to
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004104 {val}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004105 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4106 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4107 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4108 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
4109 Examples: >
4110 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4111 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
4112< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4113
4114simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4115 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4116 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4117 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4118 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4119 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4120 not removed either.
4121 Example: >
4122 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
4123< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
4124 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
4125 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
4126 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
4127 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
4128
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004129
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004130sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004131 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
4132 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4133 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
4134< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004135 Numbers sort after Strings, Lists after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004136 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004137 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
4138 When {func} is a Funcref or a function name, this function is
4139 called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
4140 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
4141 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
4142 sorts before the second one. Example: >
4143 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
4144 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
4145 endfunc
4146 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004147<
4148
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004149 *soundfold()*
4150soundfold({word})
4151 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
4152 language in 'spellang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004153 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
4154 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004155 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
4156 the method can be quite slow.
4157
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004158 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004159spellbadword([{sentence}])
4160 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
4161 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
4162 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
4163 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
4164
4165 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
4166 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
4167 result is an empty string.
4168
4169 The return value is a list with two items:
4170 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
4171 - The type of the spelling error:
4172 "bad" spelling mistake
4173 "rare" rare word
4174 "local" word only valid in another region
4175 "caps" word should start with Capital
4176 Example: >
4177 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
4178< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
4179
4180 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
4181 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
4182 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004183
4184 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004185spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004186 Return a List with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
4187 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
4188 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
4189
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004190 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
4191 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
4192 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
4193
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004194 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
4195 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00004196 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
4197 replace a line.
4198
4199 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004200 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
4201 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004202
4203 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004204 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
4205 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004206
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004207
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004208split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
4209 Make a List out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or empty
4210 each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004211 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004212 removing the matched characters.
4213 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
4214 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00004215 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
4216 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004217 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004218 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004219< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004220 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00004221< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
4222 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
4223< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004224 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
4225 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
4226< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004227
4228
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004229strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
4230 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
4231 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
4232 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
4233 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
4234 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
4235 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
4236 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
4237 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
4238 Examples: >
4239 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
4240 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
4241 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
4242 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
4243 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
4244 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004245< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4246 :if exists("*strftime")
4247
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004248stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
4249 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4250 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004251 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
4252 This can be used to find a second match: >
4253 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
4254 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
4255< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004256 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004257 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004258 See also |strridx()|.
4259 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004260 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
4261 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
4262 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004263< *strstr()* *strchr()*
4264 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
4265 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
4266
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004267 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004268string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
4269 String or a composition of them, then the result can be parsed
4270 back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004271 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004272 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004273 Number 123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004274 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004275 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004276 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004277 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004278
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004279 *strlen()*
4280strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004281 {expr} in bytes.
4282 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
4283 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004284
4285 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004286<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004287 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
4288 For other types an error is given.
4289 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004290
4291strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
4292 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004293 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004294 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
4295 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
4296 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
4297 end of the {src}. >
4298 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
4299 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
4300 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
4301 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
4302< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
4303 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
4304 strpart(getline(line(".")), col(".") - 1, 3)
4305<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004306strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
4307 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4308 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
4309 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
4310 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
4311 match: >
4312 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
4313 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
4314< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004315 For pattern searches use |match()|.
4316 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004317 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004318 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004319 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004320< *strrchr()*
4321 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
4322 function strrchr().
4323
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004324strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
4325 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
4326 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
4327 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
4328 echo strtrans(@a)
4329< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
4330 starting a new line.
4331
4332submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
4333 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
4334 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
4335 the whole matched text is returned.
4336 Example: >
4337 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
4338< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
4339 A line break is included as a newline character.
4340
4341substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
4342 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
4343 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
4344 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
4345 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
4346 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
4347 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
4348 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
4349 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
4350 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
4351 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
4352 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
4353 unmodified.
4354 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
4355 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
4356 Example: >
4357 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
4358< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
4359 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
4360< results in "TESTING".
4361
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004362synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004363 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004364 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004365 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
4366 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004367
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004368 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004369 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
4370
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004371 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
4372 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
4373 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
4374 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
4375 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
4376 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
4377 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
4378
4379 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
4380 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
4381<
4382synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
4383 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
4384 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
4385 about a syntax item.
4386 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
4387 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
4388 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
4389 used (GUI, cterm or term).
4390 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
4391 {what} result
4392 "name" the name of the syntax item
4393 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
4394 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
4395 term: empty string)
4396 "bg" background color (like "fg")
4397 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
4398 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
4399 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
4400 "bold" "1" if bold
4401 "italic" "1" if italic
4402 "reverse" "1" if reverse
4403 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
4404 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004405 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004406
4407 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
4408 cursor): >
4409 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
4410<
4411synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
4412 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
4413 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
4414 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
4415 ":highlight link" are followed.
4416
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004417system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
4418 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
4419 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
4420 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
4421 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004422 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004423 Note: newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail. The
4424 characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also cause
4425 trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004426 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
4427 The result is a String. Example: >
4428
4429 :let files = system("ls")
4430
4431< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
4432 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
4433 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
4434 The command executed is constructed using several options:
4435 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
4436 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
4437 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
4438 concatenated commands.
4439
4440 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
4441 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00004442
4443 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
4444 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
4445 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004446 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
4447 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
4448
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004449
4450taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
4451 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00004452 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
4453 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004454 name Name of the tag.
4455 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004456 defined.
4457 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
4458 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004459 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004460 entry depends on the language specific
4461 kind values generated by the ctags
4462 tool.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004463 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004464 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004465 The "kind" entry is only available when using Exuberant ctags
4466 generated tags file. More entries may be present, depending
4467 on the content of the tags file: access, implementation,
4468 inherits and signature. Refer to the ctags documentation for
4469 information about these fields. For C code the fields
4470 "struct", "class" and "enum" may appear, they give the name of
4471 the entity the tag is contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004472
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004473 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
4474 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004475
4476 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
4477
4478 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
4479 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
4480 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
4481
4482 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
4483 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
4484 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
4485
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004486 *tagfiles()*
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00004487tagfiles() Returns a List with the file names used to search for tags for
4488 the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
4489
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004490
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004491tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
4492 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
4493 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
4494 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
4495 :let tmpfile = tempname()
4496 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
4497< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
4498 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
4499 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
4500 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
4501 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
4502 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
4503
4504tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
4505 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
4506 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
4507 the string).
4508
4509toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
4510 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
4511 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
4512 the string).
4513
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00004514tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
4515 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
4516 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
4517 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
4518 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
4519 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
4520 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
4521
4522 Examples: >
4523 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
4524< returns "Hello THere" >
4525 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
4526< returns "{blob}"
4527
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004528 *type()*
4529type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004530 Number: 0
4531 String: 1
4532 Funcref: 2
4533 List: 3
4534 Dictionary: 4
4535 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004536 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
4537 :if type(myvar) == type("")
4538 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
4539 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004540 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004541
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004542values({dict}) *values()*
4543 Return a List with all the values of {dict}. The List is in
4544 arbitrary order.
4545
4546
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004547virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
4548 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
4549 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
4550 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
4551 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
4552 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
4553 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
4554 set to 8, it returns 8.
4555 For the byte position use |col()|.
4556 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
4557 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
4558 The accepted positions are:
4559 . the cursor position
4560 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
4561 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
4562 plus one)
4563 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4564 returned)
4565 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
4566 Examples: >
4567 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
4568 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
4569 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
4570< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
4571
4572visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
4573 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
4574 used. Initially it returns an empty string, but once Visual
4575 mode has been used, it returns "v", "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a
4576 single CTRL-V character) for character-wise, line-wise, or
4577 block-wise Visual mode respectively.
4578 Example: >
4579 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
4580< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
4581 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
4582 Visual mode that was used.
4583
4584 If an expression is supplied that results in a non-zero number
4585 or a non-empty string, then the Visual mode will be cleared
4586 and the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
4587 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared.
4588
4589 *winbufnr()*
4590winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004591 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004592 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
4593 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4594 Example: >
4595 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
4596<
4597 *wincol()*
4598wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
4599 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
4600 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
4601
4602winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
4603 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
4604 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
4605 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4606 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
4607 Examples: >
4608 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
4609<
4610 *winline()*
4611winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
4612 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
4613 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004614 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
4615 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004616
4617 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004618winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4619 window. The top window has number 1.
4620 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
4621 last window is returnd (the window count).
4622 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
4623 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
4624 If there is no previous window 0 is returned.
4625 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
4626 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004627
4628 *winrestcmd()*
4629winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
4630 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
4631 are opened or closed and the current window is unchanged.
4632 Example: >
4633 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
4634 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
4635 :exe cmd
4636
4637winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
4638 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
4639 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
4640 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4641 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
4642 Examples: >
4643 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
4644 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
4645 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
4646 :endif
4647<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004648 *writefile()*
4649writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
4650 Write List {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
4651 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
4652 Number.
4653 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
4654 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
4655 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
4656 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
4657 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
4658 to writefile().
4659 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
4660 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
4661 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
4662 fails.
4663 Also see |readfile()|.
4664 To copy a file byte for byte: >
4665 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
4666 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
4667<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004668
4669 *feature-list*
4670There are three types of features:
46711. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
4672 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
4673 :if has("cindent")
46742. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
4675 Example: >
4676 :if has("gui_running")
4677< *has-patch*
46783. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
4679 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
4680 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
4681 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
4682
4683all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
4684amiga Amiga version of Vim.
4685arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
4686arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00004687autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004688balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00004689balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004690beos BeOS version of Vim.
4691browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
4692 work.
4693builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
4694byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
4695cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
4696clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
4697clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
4698cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
4699cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
4700cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
4701comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
4702cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
4703cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
4704compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
4705debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
4706dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
4707dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
4708diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
4709digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
4710dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
4711dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
4712dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
4713ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
4714emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
4715eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
4716 true, of course!
4717ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
4718extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
4719 |'hlsearch'|
4720farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
4721file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004722filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
4723 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004724find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
4725 |+find_in_path|.
4726fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
4727 Windows this is not present).
4728folding Compiled with |folding| support.
4729footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
4730fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
4731gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
4732gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
4733gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004734gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
4735gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00004736gui_kde Compiled with KDE GUI |KVim|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004737gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
4738gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
4739gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
4740gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
4741gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
4742gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
4743hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
4744iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
4745insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
4746 Insert mode.
4747jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
4748keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
4749langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
4750libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
4751linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
4752 support.
4753lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
4754listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
4755 and the argument list |arglist|.
4756localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
4757mac Macintosh version of Vim.
4758macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
4759menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
4760mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
4761modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
4762mouse Compiled with support mouse.
4763mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
4764mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
4765mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
4766mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
4767mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
4768mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
4769multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
4770multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
4771multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00004772mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004773netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00004774netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004775ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
4776os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
4777osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
4778path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
4779perl Compiled with Perl interface.
4780postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
4781printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004782profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004783python Compiled with Python interface.
4784qnx QNX version of Vim.
4785quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
4786rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
4787ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
4788scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
4789showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
4790signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
4791smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00004792sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004793statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
4794 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
4795sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00004796spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
4797syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004798syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
4799 current buffer.
4800system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
4801tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
4802 |tag-binary-search|.
4803tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
4804 |tag-old-static|.
4805tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
4806 files |tag-any-white|.
4807tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
4808terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
4809termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
4810textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
4811tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
4812 or terminfo file.
4813title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
4814toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
4815unix Unix version of Vim.
4816user_commands User-defined commands.
4817viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
4818vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
4819vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
4820virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
4821visual Compiled with Visual mode.
4822visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
4823 |blockwise-operators|.
4824vms VMS version of Vim.
4825vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
4826wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
4827wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
4828windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
4829winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
4830win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
4831win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
4832win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
4833win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
4834win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
4835writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
4836xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
4837xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
4838xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
4839xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
4840xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
4841xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
4842 xterm screen.
4843x11 Compiled with X11 support.
4844
4845 *string-match*
4846Matching a pattern in a String
4847
4848A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
4849the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
4850everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
4851like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
4852line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
4853with ".". Example: >
4854 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
4855 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
4856 aa
4857 xx
4858 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
4859 a
4860 x
4861
4862Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
4863"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
4864"\n".
4865
4866==============================================================================
48675. Defining functions *user-functions*
4868
4869New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
4870functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
4871commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
4872
4873The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
4874builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
4875avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
4876the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
4877
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004878It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
4879|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004880
4881 *local-function*
4882A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
4883can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
4884and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
4885function from a mappings defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
4886instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
4887
4888 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
4889:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
4890
4891:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004892 {name} can also be a Dictionary entry that is a
4893 Funcref: >
4894 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004895
4896:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
4897 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
4898 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00004899<
4900 *:function-verbose*
4901When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
4902last defined. Example: >
4903
4904 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
4905 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
4906 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
4907<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00004908See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00004909
4910 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004911:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004912 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
4913 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
4914 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004915
4916 {name} can also be a Dictionary entry that is a
4917 Funcref: >
4918 :function dict.init(arg)
4919< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
4920 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
4921 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
4922 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
4923 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
4924 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004925 *E127* *E122*
4926 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
4927 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
4928 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
4929 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004930
4931 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
4932
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004933 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
4934 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
4935 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
4936 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
4937 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
4938 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
4939 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004940
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004941 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
4942 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004943
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004944 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
4945 be invoked through an entry in a Dictionary. The
4946 local variable "self" will then be set to the
4947 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004948
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004949 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
4950 will not be changed by the function.
4951
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004952 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
4953:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
4954 by its own, without other commands.
4955
4956 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
4957:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004958 {name} can also be a Dictionary entry that is a
4959 Funcref: >
4960 :delfunc dict.init
4961< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
4962 function is deleted if there are no more references to
4963 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004964 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
4965:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
4966 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
4967 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
4968 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
4969 the number 0 is returned.
4970 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
4971 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
4972
4973 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
4974 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
4975 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
4976 are executed first. This process applies to all
4977 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
4978 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
4979
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004980 *function-argument* *a:var*
4981An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
4982be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
4983 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740*
4984Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
4985arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
4986may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
4987as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004988can be 0). "a:000" is set to a List that contains these arguments. Note that
4989"a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
4990 *E742*
4991The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
4992However, if a List or Dictionary is used, you can changes their contents.
4993Thus you can pass a List to a function and have the function add an item to
4994it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a List or Dictionary
4995use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004996
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004997When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
4998to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
4999may be larger.
5000
5001It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
5002still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
5003until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
5004inside a function body.
5005
5006 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005007Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
5008will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
5009accessed with "g:".
5010
5011Example: >
5012 :function Table(title, ...)
5013 : echohl Title
5014 : echo a:title
5015 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005016 : echo a:0 . " items:"
5017 : for s in a:000
5018 : echon ' ' . s
5019 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005020 :endfunction
5021
5022This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005023 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
5024 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005025
5026To return more than one value, pass the name of a global variable: >
5027 :function Compute(n1, n2, divname)
5028 : if a:n2 == 0
5029 : return "fail"
5030 : endif
5031 : let g:{a:divname} = a:n1 / a:n2
5032 : return "ok"
5033 :endfunction
5034
5035This function can then be called with: >
5036 :let success = Compute(13, 1324, "div")
5037 :if success == "ok"
5038 : echo div
5039 :endif
5040
5041An alternative is to return a command that can be executed. This also works
5042with local variables in a calling function. Example: >
5043 :function Foo()
5044 : execute Bar()
5045 : echo "line " . lnum . " column " . col
5046 :endfunction
5047
5048 :function Bar()
5049 : return "let lnum = " . line(".") . " | let col = " . col(".")
5050 :endfunction
5051
5052The names "lnum" and "col" could also be passed as argument to Bar(), to allow
5053the caller to set the names.
5054
5055 *:cal* *:call* *E107*
5056:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
5057 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
5058 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
5059 used.
5060 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
5061 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
5062 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
5063 function.
5064 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
5065 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
5066 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
5067 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
5068 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
5069 this works:
5070 *function-range-example* >
5071 :function Mynumber(arg)
5072 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
5073 :endfunction
5074 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
5075<
5076 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
5077 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
5078 the range.
5079
5080 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
5081
5082 :function Cont() range
5083 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
5084 :endfunction
5085 :4,8call Cont()
5086<
5087 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
5088 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
5089
5090 *E132*
5091The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
5092option.
5093
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005094
5095AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005096 *autoload-functions*
5097When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005098only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
5099the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
5100
5101
5102Using an autocommand ~
5103
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005104This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
5105
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005106The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
5107You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
5108That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
5109again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
5110
5111Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
5112function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005113
5114 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
5115
5116The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
5117"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
5118
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005119
5120Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005121 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005122This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
5123
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005124Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
5125exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
5126like this: >
5127
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005128 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005129
5130When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
5131"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
5132"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
5133then define the function like this: >
5134
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005135 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005136 echo "Done!"
5137 endfunction
5138
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00005139The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005140exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
5141called.
5142
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005143It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
5144a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005145
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005146 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005147
5148Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
5149
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005150This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
5151
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005152 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005153
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005154However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
5155for an unknown variable.
5156
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005157When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
5158be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
5159
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005160 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
5161 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005162
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00005163Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
5164defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
5165function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005166And you will get an error message every time.
5167
5168Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
5169other and vise versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
5170Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005171
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005172==============================================================================
51736. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
5174
5175Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
5176This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
5177{} like this: >
5178 my_{adjective}_variable
5179
5180When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
5181that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
5182name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
5183"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
5184"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
5185
5186One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
5187value. For example, the statement >
5188 echo my_{&background}_message
5189
5190would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
5191on the current value of 'background'.
5192
5193You can use multiple brace pairs: >
5194 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
5195..or even nest them: >
5196 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
5197where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
5198
5199However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005200variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005201 :let foo='a + b'
5202 :echo c{foo}d
5203.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
5204
5205 *curly-braces-function-names*
5206You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
5207Example: >
5208 :let func_end='whizz'
5209 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
5210
5211This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
5212
5213==============================================================================
52147. Commands *expression-commands*
5215
5216:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
5217 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
5218 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
5219 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
5220 is created.
5221
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005222:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
5223 Set a list item to the result of the expression
5224 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
5225 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
5226 the index can be repeated.
5227 This cannot be used to add an item to a list.
5228
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005229 *E711* *E719*
5230:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005231 Set a sequence of items in a List to the result of the
5232 expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
5233 correct number of items.
5234 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
5235 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
5236 When the selected range of items is partly past the
5237 end of the list, items will be added.
5238
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005239 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005240:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
5241:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
5242:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
5243 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
5244 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
5245
5246
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005247:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
5248 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
5249 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005250:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
5251 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
5252 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
5253 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005254
5255:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
5256 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
5257 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
5258 must be the name of a writable register (see
5259 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
5260 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
5261 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
5262 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
5263 characterwise.
5264 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
5265 :let @/ = ""
5266< This is different from searching for an empty string,
5267 that would match everywhere.
5268
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005269:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
5270 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
5271 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
5272
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005273:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-star*
5274 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005275 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
5276 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005277 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
5278 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00005279 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005280 Example: >
5281 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005282
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005283:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
5284 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
5285 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
5286
5287:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
5288:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
5289 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
5290 {expr1}.
5291
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005292:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005293:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5294:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
5295:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005296 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
5297 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
5298
5299:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005300:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5301:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
5302:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005303 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
5304 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
5305
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005306:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005307 {expr1} must evaluate to a List. The first item in
5308 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
5309 {name2}, etc.
5310 The number of names must match the number of items in
5311 the List.
5312 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
5313 command as mentioned above.
5314 Example: >
5315 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005316< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
5317 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
5318 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
5319 :let x = [0, 1]
5320 :let i = 0
5321 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
5322 :echo x
5323< The result is [0, 2].
5324
5325:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
5326:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
5327:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
5328 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
5329 List item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005330
5331:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005332 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the List may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005333 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
5334 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
5335 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005336 Example: >
5337 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
5338<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005339:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
5340:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
5341:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
5342 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
5343 List item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005344 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005345:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005346 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
5347 here: *E738*
5348 g: global variables.
5349 b: local buffer variables.
5350 w: local window variables.
5351 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005352
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005353:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
5354 variable is indicated before the value:
5355 <nothing> String
5356 # Number
5357 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005358
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005359
5360:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108*
5361 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
5362 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
5363 may also be a List or Dictionary item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005364 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
5365 variables.
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005366 One or more items from a List can be removed: >
5367 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
5368 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
5369< One item from a Dictionary can be removed at a time: >
5370 :unlet dict['two']
5371 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005372
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005373:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
5374 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
5375 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
5376 A locked variable can be deleted: >
5377 :lockvar v
5378 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
5379 :unlet v
5380< *E741*
5381 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
5382 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
5383
5384 [depth] is relevant when locking a List or Dictionary.
5385 It specifies how deep the locking goes:
5386 1 Lock the List or Dictionary itself,
5387 cannot add or remove items, but can
5388 still change their values.
5389 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
5390 the items. If an item is a List or
5391 Dictionary, cannot add or remove
5392 items, but can still change the
5393 values.
5394 3 Like 2 but for the List/Dictionary in
5395 the List/Dictionary, one level deeper.
5396 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a List
5397 or Dictionary the values cannot be changed.
5398 *E743*
5399 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
5400 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
5401 loops.
5402
5403 Note that when two variables refer to the same List
5404 and you lock one of them, the List will also be locked
5405 when used through the other variable. Example: >
5406 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
5407 :let cl = l
5408 :lockvar l
5409 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
5410< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
5411 See |deepcopy()|.
5412
5413
5414:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
5415 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
5416 opposite of |:lockvar|.
5417
5418
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005419:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
5420:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5421 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5422
5423 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
5424 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
5425 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
5426 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
5427 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
5428 part was not executed either.
5429
5430 You can use this to remain compatible with older
5431 versions: >
5432 :if version >= 500
5433 : version-5-specific-commands
5434 :endif
5435< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
5436 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
5437 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
5438 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
5439 avoid problems: >
5440 :if version >= 600
5441 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
5442 :endif
5443<
5444 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
5445 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
5446
5447 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
5448:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5449 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
5450 executed.
5451
5452 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
5453:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
5454 is no extra ":endif".
5455
5456:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005457 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005458:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
5459 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5460 When an error is detected from a command inside the
5461 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005462 Example: >
5463 :let lnum = 1
5464 :while lnum <= line("$")
5465 :call FixLine(lnum)
5466 :let lnum = lnum + 1
5467 :endwhile
5468<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005469 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005470 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005471
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005472:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005473:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
5474 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005475 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005476 value of each item.
5477 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005478 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00005479 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
5480 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005481 :for item in copy(mylist)
5482< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
5483 next item in the list, before executing the commands
5484 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
5485 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
5486 it will not be found. Thus the following example
5487 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
5488 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005489 :call remove(mylist, 0)
5490 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005491< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
5492 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
5493 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005494 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
5495 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
5496 to allow multiple item types.
5497
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005498:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
5499:endfo[r]
5500 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
5501 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
5502 {var2}, etc. Example: >
5503 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
5504 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
5505 :endfor
5506<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005507 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005508:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
5509 to the start of the loop.
5510 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5511 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5512 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5513 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5514 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5515 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005516
5517 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005518:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
5519 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
5520 ":endfor".
5521 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5522 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5523 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5524 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5525 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5526 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005527
5528:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
5529:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
5530 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
5531 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
5532 or autocommand invocations.
5533
5534 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
5535 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
5536 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
5537 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
5538 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
5539 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
5540 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
5541 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
5542 Example: >
5543 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
5544 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
5545<
5546 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
5547 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
5548 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
5549 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
5550 processing is not terminated.
5551
5552 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
5553 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
5554 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
5555 other errors are converted to a value of the form
5556 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
5557 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
5558 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
5559 the error number.
5560 Examples: >
5561 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
5562 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
5563<
5564 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
5565:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
5566 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
5567 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
5568 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
5569 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
5570 commands are skipped.
5571 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
5572 Examples: >
5573 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
5574 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
5575 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
5576 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
5577 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
5578 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
5579 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
5580 :catch " same as /.*/
5581<
5582 Another character can be used instead of / around the
5583 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
5584 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
5585 {pattern}.
5586 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
5587 an error message because it may vary in different
5588 locales.
5589
5590 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
5591:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
5592 are executed whenever the part between the matching
5593 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
5594 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
5595 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
5596 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
5597
5598 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
5599:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
5600 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
5601 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
5602 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
5603 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
5604 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
5605 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
5606 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
5607 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
5608 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
5609 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
5610 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
5611 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
5612 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
5613 is terminated.
5614 Example: >
5615 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
5616<
5617
5618 *:ec* *:echo*
5619:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
5620 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
5621 Also see |:comment|.
5622 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
5623 cursor to the first column.
5624 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5625 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5626 Example: >
5627 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
5628< A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
5629 To avoid that a command from before the ":echo" causes
5630 a redraw afterwards (redraws are often postponed until
5631 you type something), force a redraw with the |:redraw|
5632 command. Example: >
5633 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
5634<
5635 *:echon*
5636:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
5637 |:comment|.
5638 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5639 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5640 Example: >
5641 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
5642<
5643 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
5644 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
5645 command: >
5646 :!echo % --> filename
5647< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
5648 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
5649< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
5650 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
5651 :echo % --> nothing
5652< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
5653 :echo "%" --> %
5654< This just echoes the '%' character. >
5655 :echo expand("%") --> filename
5656< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
5657
5658 *:echoh* *:echohl*
5659:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
5660 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
5661 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
5662 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
5663< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
5664 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
5665
5666 *:echom* *:echomsg*
5667:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
5668 message in the |message-history|.
5669 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
5670 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
5671 displayed, not interpreted.
5672 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5673 Example: >
5674 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
5675<
5676 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
5677:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
5678 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
5679 script or function the line number will be added.
5680 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
5681 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
5682 the message is raised as an error exception instead
5683 (see |try-echoerr|).
5684 Example: >
5685 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
5686< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
5687 And to get a beep: >
5688 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
5689<
5690 *:exe* *:execute*
5691:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
5692 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
5693 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
5694 used as the processed command, command line editing
5695 keys are not recognized.
5696 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5697 Examples: >
5698 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
5699 :execute "normal " count . "w"
5700<
5701 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
5702 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
5703 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
5704
5705< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
5706 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
5707 command: >
5708 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
5709< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
5710
5711 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005712 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
5713 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005714 :execute 'while i > 5'
5715 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
5716<
5717 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
5718 completely in the executed string: >
5719 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
5720<
5721
5722 *:comment*
5723 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
5724 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
5725 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
5726 comment. Example: >
5727 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
5728
5729==============================================================================
57308. Exception handling *exception-handling*
5731
5732The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
5733explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
5734
5735Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
5736|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
5737exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
5738
5739
5740TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
5741
5742Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
5743use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
5744a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
5745 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
5746|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
5747a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
5748be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
5749which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
5750clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
5751
5752 :try
5753 : ...
5754 : ... TRY BLOCK
5755 : ...
5756 :catch /{pattern}/
5757 : ...
5758 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
5759 : ...
5760 :catch /{pattern}/
5761 : ...
5762 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
5763 : ...
5764 :finally
5765 : ...
5766 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
5767 : ...
5768 :endtry
5769
5770The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
5771appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
5772from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
5773 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
5774is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
5775script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
5776 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
5777lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
5778patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
5779after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
5780executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
5781":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
5782(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
5783continues in the following line as usual.
5784 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
5785":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
5786that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
5787finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
5788the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
5789the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
5790see |try-nesting|.
5791 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
5792remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
5793not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
5794try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
5795a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
5796execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
5797exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
5798 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
5799thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
5800clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
5801catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
5802following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
5803clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
5804
5805The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
5806a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
5807try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
5808from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
5809sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
5810":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
5811":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
5812from the finally clause.
5813 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
5814try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
5815clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
5816":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
5817clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
5818":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
5819this pending exception or command is discarded.
5820
5821For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
5822
5823
5824NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
5825
5826Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
5827conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
5828clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
5829catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
5830of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
5831checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
5832try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
5833otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
5834nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
5835one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
5836the inner try conditional.
5837
5838When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
5839finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
5840An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
5841thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
5842implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
5843as usual.
5844
5845For examples see |throw-catch|.
5846
5847
5848EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
5849
5850Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
5851'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
5852script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
5853finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
5854a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
5855(see |debug-scripts|).
5856
5857
5858THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
5859
5860You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
5861and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
5862 :throw 4711
5863 :throw "string"
5864< *throw-expression*
5865You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
5866first, and the result is thrown: >
5867 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
5868 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
5869
5870An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
5871command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
5872The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
5873 Example: >
5874
5875 :function! Foo(arg)
5876 : try
5877 : throw a:arg
5878 : catch /foo/
5879 : endtry
5880 : return 1
5881 :endfunction
5882 :
5883 :function! Bar()
5884 : echo "in Bar"
5885 : return 4710
5886 :endfunction
5887 :
5888 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
5889
5890This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
5891executed. >
5892 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
5893however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
5894
5895Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
5896abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
5897exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
5898 Example: >
5899
5900 :if Foo("arrgh")
5901 : echo "then"
5902 :else
5903 : echo "else"
5904 :endif
5905
5906Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
5907
5908 *catch-order*
5909Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
5910commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
5911command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
5912gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
5913 Example: >
5914
5915 :function! Foo(value)
5916 : try
5917 : throw a:value
5918 : catch /^\d\+$/
5919 : echo "Number thrown"
5920 : catch /.*/
5921 : echo "String thrown"
5922 : endtry
5923 :endfunction
5924 :
5925 :call Foo(0x1267)
5926 :call Foo('string')
5927
5928The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
5929An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
5930specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
5931specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
5932
5933 : catch /.*/
5934 : echo "String thrown"
5935 : catch /^\d\+$/
5936 : echo "Number thrown"
5937
5938The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
5939never taken.
5940
5941 *throw-variables*
5942If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
5943in the variable |v:exception|: >
5944
5945 : catch /^\d\+$/
5946 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
5947
5948You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
5949|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
5950exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
5951 Example: >
5952
5953 :function! Caught()
5954 : if v:exception != ""
5955 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
5956 : else
5957 : echo 'Nothing caught'
5958 : endif
5959 :endfunction
5960 :
5961 :function! Foo()
5962 : try
5963 : try
5964 : try
5965 : throw 4711
5966 : finally
5967 : call Caught()
5968 : endtry
5969 : catch /.*/
5970 : call Caught()
5971 : throw "oops"
5972 : endtry
5973 : catch /.*/
5974 : call Caught()
5975 : finally
5976 : call Caught()
5977 : endtry
5978 :endfunction
5979 :
5980 :call Foo()
5981
5982This displays >
5983
5984 Nothing caught
5985 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
5986 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
5987 Nothing caught
5988
5989A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
5990number in the script or function where it has been used: >
5991
5992 :function! LineNumber()
5993 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
5994 :endfunction
5995 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
5996<
5997 *try-nested*
5998An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
5999a surrounding try conditional: >
6000
6001 :try
6002 : try
6003 : throw "foo"
6004 : catch /foobar/
6005 : echo "foobar"
6006 : finally
6007 : echo "inner finally"
6008 : endtry
6009 :catch /foo/
6010 : echo "foo"
6011 :endtry
6012
6013The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
6014clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
6015conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
6016
6017 *throw-from-catch*
6018You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
6019catch clause: >
6020
6021 :function! Foo()
6022 : throw "foo"
6023 :endfunction
6024 :
6025 :function! Bar()
6026 : try
6027 : call Foo()
6028 : catch /foo/
6029 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
6030 : throw "bar"
6031 : endtry
6032 :endfunction
6033 :
6034 :try
6035 : call Bar()
6036 :catch /.*/
6037 : echo "Caught" v:exception
6038 :endtry
6039
6040This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
6041
6042 *rethrow*
6043There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
6044"v:exception" instead: >
6045
6046 :function! Bar()
6047 : try
6048 : call Foo()
6049 : catch /.*/
6050 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
6051 : throw v:exception
6052 : endtry
6053 :endfunction
6054< *try-echoerr*
6055Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
6056exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
6057Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
6058denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
6059the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
6060
6061 :try
6062 : try
6063 : asdf
6064 : catch /.*/
6065 : echoerr v:exception
6066 : endtry
6067 :catch /.*/
6068 : echo v:exception
6069 :endtry
6070
6071This code displays
6072
6073 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
6074
6075
6076CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
6077
6078Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
6079user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
6080an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
6081a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
6082catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
6083a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
6084normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
6085(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
6086to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
6087clause has been executed.)
6088Example: >
6089
6090 :try
6091 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
6092 : set ts=17
6093 :
6094 : " Do the hard work here.
6095 :
6096 :finally
6097 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
6098 : unlet s:saved_ts
6099 :endtry
6100
6101This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
6102changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
6103that function or script part.
6104
6105 *break-finally*
6106Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
6107a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
6108 Example: >
6109
6110 :let first = 1
6111 :while 1
6112 : try
6113 : if first
6114 : echo "first"
6115 : let first = 0
6116 : continue
6117 : else
6118 : throw "second"
6119 : endif
6120 : catch /.*/
6121 : echo v:exception
6122 : break
6123 : finally
6124 : echo "cleanup"
6125 : endtry
6126 : echo "still in while"
6127 :endwhile
6128 :echo "end"
6129
6130This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
6131
6132 :function! Foo()
6133 : try
6134 : return 4711
6135 : finally
6136 : echo "cleanup\n"
6137 : endtry
6138 : echo "Foo still active"
6139 :endfunction
6140 :
6141 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
6142
6143This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
6144extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
6145return value.)
6146
6147 *except-from-finally*
6148Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
6149a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
6150cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
6151exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
6152 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
6153working correctly: >
6154
6155 :try
6156 : try
6157 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
6158 : while 1
6159 : endwhile
6160 : finally
6161 : unlet novar
6162 : endtry
6163 :catch /novar/
6164 :endtry
6165 :echo "Script still running"
6166 :sleep 1
6167
6168If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
6169think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
6170|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
6171
6172
6173CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
6174
6175If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
6176watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
6177presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
6178exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
6179the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
6180the error exception is.
6181 Error exceptions have the following format: >
6182
6183 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
6184or >
6185 Vim:{errmsg}
6186
6187{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
6188the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
6189when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
6190a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
6191a space.
6192
6193Examples:
6194
6195The command >
6196 :unlet novar
6197normally produces the error message >
6198 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6199which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6200 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
6201
6202The command >
6203 :dwim
6204normally produces the error message >
6205 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6206which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6207 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6208
6209You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
6210 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
6211or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
6212 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
6213
6214Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
6215 :function nofunc
6216and >
6217 :delfunction nofunc
6218both produce the error message >
6219 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6220which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6221 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6222or >
6223 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6224respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
6225command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
6226 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
6227
6228Some commands like >
6229 :let x = novar
6230produce multiple error messages, here: >
6231 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6232 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6233Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
6234one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
6235 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
6236
6237You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
6238 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
6239
6240You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
6241 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
6242
6243You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
6244 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
6245<
6246 *catch-text*
6247NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
6248 :catch /No such variable/
6249only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
6250a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
6251cite the message text in a comment: >
6252 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
6253
6254
6255IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
6256
6257You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
6258
6259 :try
6260 : write
6261 :catch
6262 :endtry
6263
6264But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
6265catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
6266be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
6267
6268 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
6269
6270There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
6271writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
6272then hide the error from the user.
6273 It is much better to use >
6274
6275 :try
6276 : write
6277 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6278 :endtry
6279
6280which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
6281intentionally.
6282
6283For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
6284even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
6285command: >
6286 :silent! nunmap k
6287This works also when a try conditional is active.
6288
6289
6290CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
6291
6292When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
6293the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
6294script is not terminated, then.
6295 Example: >
6296
6297 :function! TASK1()
6298 : sleep 10
6299 :endfunction
6300
6301 :function! TASK2()
6302 : sleep 20
6303 :endfunction
6304
6305 :while 1
6306 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
6307 : try
6308 : if command == ""
6309 : continue
6310 : elseif command == "END"
6311 : break
6312 : elseif command == "TASK1"
6313 : call TASK1()
6314 : elseif command == "TASK2"
6315 : call TASK2()
6316 : else
6317 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
6318 : continue
6319 : endif
6320 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6321 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
6322 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
6323 : endtry
6324 :endwhile
6325
6326You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
6327a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
6328
6329For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
6330your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
6331command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
6332
6333
6334CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
6335
6336The commands >
6337
6338 :catch /.*/
6339 :catch //
6340 :catch
6341
6342catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
6343explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
6344a script in order to catch unexpected things.
6345 Example: >
6346
6347 :try
6348 :
6349 : " do the hard work here
6350 :
6351 :catch /MyException/
6352 :
6353 : " handle known problem
6354 :
6355 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6356 : echo "Script interrupted"
6357 :catch /.*/
6358 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
6359 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
6360 :endtry
6361 :" end of script
6362
6363Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
6364strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
6365specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
6366 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
6367by pressing CTRL-C: >
6368
6369 :while 1
6370 : try
6371 : sleep 1
6372 : catch
6373 : endtry
6374 :endwhile
6375
6376
6377EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
6378
6379Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
6380
6381 :autocmd User x try
6382 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
6383 :autocmd User x catch
6384 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
6385 :autocmd User x endtry
6386 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
6387 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
6388 :
6389 :try
6390 : doautocmd User x
6391 :catch
6392 : echo v:exception
6393 :endtry
6394
6395This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
6396
6397 *except-autocmd-Pre*
6398For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
6399command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
6400of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
6401abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
6402 Example: >
6403
6404 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
6405 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
6406 :
6407 :try
6408 : write
6409 :catch
6410 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
6411 :endtry
6412
6413Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
6414you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
6415autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
6416script displays: >
6417
6418 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
6419<
6420 *except-autocmd-Post*
6421For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
6422command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
6423an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
6424is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
6425 Example: >
6426
6427 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
6428 :
6429 :try
6430 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6431 :catch
6432 : echo v:exception
6433 :endtry
6434
6435This just displays: >
6436
6437 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
6438
6439If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
6440fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
6441 Example: >
6442
6443 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
6444 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
6445 :
6446 :try
6447 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6448 :catch
6449 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6450 :endtry
6451<
6452You can also use ":silent!": >
6453
6454 :let x = "ok"
6455 :let v:errmsg = ""
6456 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
6457 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
6458 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
6459 :try
6460 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6461 :catch
6462 :endtry
6463 :echo x
6464
6465This displays "after fail".
6466
6467If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
6468autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
6469
6470 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
6471 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
6472 :
6473 :try
6474 : write
6475 :catch
6476 : echo v:exception
6477 :endtry
6478<
6479 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
6480For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
6481autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
6482of the command.
6483 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
6484had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
6485some way. >
6486
6487 :if !exists("cnt")
6488 : let cnt = 0
6489 :
6490 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
6491 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
6492 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
6493 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6494 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6495 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
6496 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
6497 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6498 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6499 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
6500 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6501 :endif
6502 :
6503 :try
6504 : write
6505 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
6506 : if &modified
6507 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
6508 : else
6509 : echo "Error after writing"
6510 : endif
6511 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6512 : echo "Error on writing"
6513 :endtry
6514
6515When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
6516first >
6517 File successfully written!
6518then >
6519 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
6520then >
6521 Error after writing
6522etc.
6523
6524 *except-autocmd-ill*
6525You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
6526The following code is ill-formed: >
6527
6528 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
6529 :
6530 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
6531 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
6532 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
6533 :
6534 :write
6535
6536
6537EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
6538
6539Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
6540pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
6541similar things in Vim.
6542 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
6543class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
6544string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
6545 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
6546it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
6547for an error when writing "myfile".
6548 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
6549base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
6550parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
6551 Example: >
6552
6553 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
6554 : if a:a < 0
6555 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
6556 : endif
6557 :endfunction
6558 :
6559 :function! Add(a, b)
6560 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
6561 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
6562 : let c = a:a + a:b
6563 : if c < 0
6564 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
6565 : endif
6566 : return c
6567 :endfunction
6568 :
6569 :function! Div(a, b)
6570 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
6571 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
6572 : if (a:b == 0)
6573 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
6574 : endif
6575 : return a:a / a:b
6576 :endfunction
6577 :
6578 :function! Write(file)
6579 : try
6580 : execute "write" a:file
6581 : catch /^Vim(write):/
6582 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
6583 : endtry
6584 :endfunction
6585 :
6586 :try
6587 :
6588 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
6589 :
6590 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
6591 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6592 : echo "Range error in" function
6593 :
6594 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
6595 : echo "Math error"
6596 :
6597 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
6598 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
6599 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6600 : if file !~ '^/'
6601 : let file = dir . "/" . file
6602 : endif
6603 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
6604 :
6605 :catch /^EXCEPT/
6606 : echo "Unspecified error"
6607 :
6608 :endtry
6609
6610The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
6611a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
6612exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
6613 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
6614failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
6615
6616
6617PECULIARITIES
6618 *except-compat*
6619The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
6620exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
6621and/or a catch clause.
6622
6623In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
6624continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
6625after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
6626functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
6627or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
6628(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
6629
6630This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
6631immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
6632conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
6633be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
6634termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
6635catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
6636by specifying a finally clause.)
6637
6638When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
6639behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
6640scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
6641
6642However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
6643commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
6644conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
6645script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
6646error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
6647messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
6648|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
6649not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
6650where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
6651error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
6652scripts.
6653
6654 *except-syntax-err*
6655Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
6656the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
6657clauses, however, is executed.
6658 Example: >
6659
6660 :try
6661 : try
6662 : throw 4711
6663 : catch /\(/
6664 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
6665 : catch
6666 : echo "inner catch-all"
6667 : finally
6668 : echo "inner finally"
6669 : endtry
6670 :catch
6671 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
6672 : finally
6673 : echo "outer finally"
6674 :endtry
6675
6676This displays: >
6677 inner finally
6678 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
6679 outer finally
6680The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
6681
6682 *except-single-line*
6683The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
6684a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
6685"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
6686 Example: >
6687 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
6688raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
6689argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
6690error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
6691displayed.
6692
6693 *except-several-errors*
6694When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
6695usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
6696 Example: >
6697 echo novar
6698causes >
6699 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6700 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6701The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
6702 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
6703< *except-syntax-error*
6704But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
6705the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
6706 Example: >
6707 unlet novar #
6708causes >
6709 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6710 E488: Trailing characters
6711The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
6712 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
6713This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
6714not intended by the user. Example: >
6715 try
6716 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
6717 catch /.*/
6718 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
6719 endtry
6720This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
6721a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
6722
6723==============================================================================
67249. Examples *eval-examples*
6725
6726Printing in Hex ~
6727>
6728 :" The function Nr2Hex() returns the Hex string of a number.
6729 :func Nr2Hex(nr)
6730 : let n = a:nr
6731 : let r = ""
6732 : while n
6733 : let r = '0123456789ABCDEF'[n % 16] . r
6734 : let n = n / 16
6735 : endwhile
6736 : return r
6737 :endfunc
6738
6739 :" The function String2Hex() converts each character in a string to a two
6740 :" character Hex string.
6741 :func String2Hex(str)
6742 : let out = ''
6743 : let ix = 0
6744 : while ix < strlen(a:str)
6745 : let out = out . Nr2Hex(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
6746 : let ix = ix + 1
6747 : endwhile
6748 : return out
6749 :endfunc
6750
6751Example of its use: >
6752 :echo Nr2Hex(32)
6753result: "20" >
6754 :echo String2Hex("32")
6755result: "3332"
6756
6757
6758Sorting lines (by Robert Webb) ~
6759
6760Here is a Vim script to sort lines. Highlight the lines in Vim and type
6761":Sort". This doesn't call any external programs so it'll work on any
6762platform. The function Sort() actually takes the name of a comparison
6763function as its argument, like qsort() does in C. So you could supply it
6764with different comparison functions in order to sort according to date etc.
6765>
6766 :" Function for use with Sort(), to compare two strings.
6767 :func! Strcmp(str1, str2)
6768 : if (a:str1 < a:str2)
6769 : return -1
6770 : elseif (a:str1 > a:str2)
6771 : return 1
6772 : else
6773 : return 0
6774 : endif
6775 :endfunction
6776
6777 :" Sort lines. SortR() is called recursively.
6778 :func! SortR(start, end, cmp)
6779 : if (a:start >= a:end)
6780 : return
6781 : endif
6782 : let partition = a:start - 1
6783 : let middle = partition
6784 : let partStr = getline((a:start + a:end) / 2)
6785 : let i = a:start
6786 : while (i <= a:end)
6787 : let str = getline(i)
6788 : exec "let result = " . a:cmp . "(str, partStr)"
6789 : if (result <= 0)
6790 : " Need to put it before the partition. Swap lines i and partition.
6791 : let partition = partition + 1
6792 : if (result == 0)
6793 : let middle = partition
6794 : endif
6795 : if (i != partition)
6796 : let str2 = getline(partition)
6797 : call setline(i, str2)
6798 : call setline(partition, str)
6799 : endif
6800 : endif
6801 : let i = i + 1
6802 : endwhile
6803
6804 : " Now we have a pointer to the "middle" element, as far as partitioning
6805 : " goes, which could be anywhere before the partition. Make sure it is at
6806 : " the end of the partition.
6807 : if (middle != partition)
6808 : let str = getline(middle)
6809 : let str2 = getline(partition)
6810 : call setline(middle, str2)
6811 : call setline(partition, str)
6812 : endif
6813 : call SortR(a:start, partition - 1, a:cmp)
6814 : call SortR(partition + 1, a:end, a:cmp)
6815 :endfunc
6816
6817 :" To Sort a range of lines, pass the range to Sort() along with the name of a
6818 :" function that will compare two lines.
6819 :func! Sort(cmp) range
6820 : call SortR(a:firstline, a:lastline, a:cmp)
6821 :endfunc
6822
6823 :" :Sort takes a range of lines and sorts them.
6824 :command! -nargs=0 -range Sort <line1>,<line2>call Sort("Strcmp")
6825<
6826 *sscanf*
6827There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
6828line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
6829how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
6830"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
6831 :" Set up the match bit
6832 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
6833 :"get the part matching the whole expression
6834 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
6835 :"get each item out of the match
6836 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
6837 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
6838 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
6839
6840The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
6841"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
6842
6843==============================================================================
684410. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
6845
6846When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
6847evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
6848to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
6849recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
6850and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
6851only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
6852recognized.
6853
6854Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
6855missing: >
6856
6857 :if 1
6858 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
6859 :else
6860 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
6861 :endif
6862
6863==============================================================================
686411. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
6865
6866The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
6867options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
6868these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
6869these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00006870a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006871The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006872
6873These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
6874 - changing the buffer text
6875 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
6876 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
6877 - executing a shell command
6878 - reading or writing a file
6879 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00006880 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006881This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
6882
6883 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00006884:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006885 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
6886 'foldexpr'.
6887
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00006888 *sandbox-option*
6889A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
6890have to be done in the sandbox to avoid trouble. But the sandbox is
6891restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
6892location. Insecure in this context are:
6893- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directlry
6894- while executing in the sandbox
6895- value coming from a modeline
6896
6897Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
6898option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
6899
6900==============================================================================
690112. Textlock *textlock*
6902
6903In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
6904to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
6905is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
6906actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
6907happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
6908
6909This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
6910 - changing the buffer text
6911 - jumping to another buffer or window
6912 - editing another file
6913 - closing a window or quitting Vim
6914 - etc.
6915
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006916
6917 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: