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Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2008 Nov 27
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000040There are six types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number. |expr-number| *Number*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000043 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000045Float A floating point number. |floating-point-format| *Float*
46 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
47 Examples: 123.456 1.15e-6 -1.1e3
48
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000049String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000050 |expr-string| Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000051
52Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
53 Example: function("strlen")
54
55List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
56 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000057
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000058Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
59 value. |Dictionary|
60 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
61
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000062The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
63are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000064
65Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
66the Number. Examples: >
67 Number 123 --> String "123"
68 Number 0 --> String "0"
69 Number -1 --> String "-1"
70
71Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
72to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
73the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
74 String "456" --> Number 456
75 String "6bar" --> Number 6
76 String "foo" --> Number 0
77 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
78 String "0100" --> Number 64
79 String "-8" --> Number -8
80 String "+8" --> Number 0
81
82To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
83 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000084< 64 ~
85
86To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
87base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000088
89For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
90
91Note that in the command >
92 :if "foo"
93"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
94use strlen(): >
95 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000096< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
97List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000099 *E805* *E806* *E808*
100When mixing Number and Float the Number is converted to Float. Otherwise
101there is no automatic conversion of Float. You can use str2float() for String
102to Float, printf() for Float to String and float2nr() for Float to Number.
103
104 *E706* *sticky-type-checking*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000105You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
106to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000107equivalent though, as well are Float and Number. Consider this sequence of
108commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000110 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000111 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error! l is still a Number
112 :let l = 4.4 " changes type from Number to Float
113 :let l = "string" " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000114
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001161.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000117 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000118A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000119in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
120around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000121
122 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
123 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000124< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000125A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
126cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000127
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000128A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
129Dictionary entry. Example: >
130 :function dict.init() dict
131 : let self.val = 0
132 :endfunction
133
134The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
135function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
136
137A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
138 :call Fn()
139 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000140
141The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000142 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
145arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000146 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000147
148
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001491.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000150 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000151A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000152can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000153position in the sequence.
154
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000155
156List creation ~
157 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000158A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000159Examples: >
160 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
161 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000162
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000163An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000164List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000165 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166
167An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
168
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000169
170List index ~
171 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000172An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000173after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
174 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000175 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000176
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000177When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000178 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000179<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000180A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
181the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000182 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
183
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000184To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000185is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000186 :echo get(mylist, idx)
187 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
188
189
190List concatenation ~
191
192Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
193 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000194 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000195
196To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
197it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
198
199
200Sublist ~
201
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000202A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
203separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000204 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000205
206Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000207similar to -1. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000208 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
209 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
210 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000211
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000212If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
213before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
214message.
215
216If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
217length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000218 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
219 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
220
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000221NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000222using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000223mylist[s : e].
224
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000225
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000226List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000227 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
229variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
230change "bb": >
231 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
232 :let bb = aa
233 :call add(aa, 4)
234 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
237Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
238works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000239a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000240 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
241 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000242 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000243 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
244 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000245< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000246 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000247< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000248
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000249To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000250copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000251
252The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000253List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000254the same value. >
255 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
256 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
257 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000258< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000259 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000260< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000261
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
263same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000264exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
265different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
266variables. Example: >
267 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000268< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000269 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000270< 0
271
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000272Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000273can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000274
275 :let a = 5
276 :let b = "5"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000277 :echo a == b
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000278< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000279 :echo [a] == [b]
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000280< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000281
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000282
283List unpack ~
284
285To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
286square brackets, like list items: >
287 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
288
289When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
290this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
291and a variable name: >
292 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
293
294This works like: >
295 :let var1 = mylist[0]
296 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000297 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000298
299Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
300empty list then.
301
302
303List modification ~
304 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000305To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306 :let list[4] = "four"
307 :let listlist[0][3] = item
308
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000309To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000310modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000311 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
312
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000313Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
314examples: >
315 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
316 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
317 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000318 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000319 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
320 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000321 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000322 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000323 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000324 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000326Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000327 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
328 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
329
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000330
331For loop ~
332
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000333The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
334to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000335 :for item in mylist
336 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000337 :endfor
338
339This works like: >
340 :let index = 0
341 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000342 : let item = mylist[index]
343 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000344 : let index = index + 1
345 :endwhile
346
347Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000348results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000349the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000350
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000351If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000352function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000353
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000354Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
356 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
357 : call Doit(lnum, col)
358 :endfor
359
360This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
361must remain the same to avoid an error.
362
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000363It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
365 : call Doit(i, j)
366 : if !empty(rest)
367 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
368 : endif
369 :endfor
370
371
372List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000373 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000375 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000377 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
378 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
379 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000380 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
381 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000382 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
383 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000384 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
385 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000386 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
387 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000388
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000389Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
390example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
391 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
392
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000393
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003941.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000397entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
398ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000399
400
401Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000402 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
405only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000406 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
407 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
410String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000411entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000412Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000413
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000414A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000415nested Dictionary: >
416 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
417
418An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
419
420
421Accessing entries ~
422
423The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
424 :let val = mydict["one"]
425 :let mydict["four"] = 4
426
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000427You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000428
429For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
430form can be used |expr-entry|: >
431 :let val = mydict.one
432 :let mydict.four = 4
433
434Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
435key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000436 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000437
438
439Dictionary to List conversion ~
440
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000441You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000442turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
443
444Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
445 :for key in keys(mydict)
446 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
447 :endfor
448
449The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
450 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
451
452To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
453 :for v in values(mydict)
454 : echo "value: " . v
455 :endfor
456
457If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000458a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000459 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
460 : echo key . ': ' . value
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000461 :endfor
462
463
464Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000465 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000466Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
467Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
468Dictionary: >
469 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
470 :let adict = onedict
471 :let adict['a'] = 11
472 :echo onedict['a']
473 11
474
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000475Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
476more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000477
478
479Dictionary modification ~
480 *dict-modification*
481To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
482use |:let| this way: >
483 :let dict[4] = "four"
484 :let dict['one'] = item
485
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000486Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
487Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
488 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
489 :unlet dict.aaa
490 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000491
492Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :call extend(adict, bdict)
494This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
495in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000496Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
497expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
498adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000499
500Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000501 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000502This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000503
504
505Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000507When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000508special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
513 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000514
515This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
516Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
517the function was invoked from.
518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
520Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
521
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000522 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
524assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000525 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
526 :function mydict.len() dict
527 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000528 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000529 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000531The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000532that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000533|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
534remaining that refers to it.
535
536It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000537
538
539Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000540 *E715*
541Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000542 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
543 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
544 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
545 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
546 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
547 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
548 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
549 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000550
551
5521.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000553 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000554If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
555function.
556
557When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
558start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
559stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
560
561When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
562start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
563stored in the session file |session-file|.
564
565variable name can be stored where ~
566my_var_6 not
567My_Var_6 session file
568MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
569
570
571It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
572|curly-braces-names|.
573
574==============================================================================
5752. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
576
577Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
578
579|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
580
581|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
582
583|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
584
585|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
586 expr5 != expr5 not equal
587 expr5 > expr5 greater than
588 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
589 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
590 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
591 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
592 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
593
594 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
595 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
596 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
597 matching case
598
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000599 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
600 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000601
602|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000603 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
604 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
605
606|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
607 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
608 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
609
610|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
611 - expr7 unary minus
612 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000613
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000614
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000615|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
616 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
617 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
618 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000619
620|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000621 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000622 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000623 [expr1, ...] |List|
624 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000625 &option option value
626 (expr1) nested expression
627 variable internal variable
628 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
629 $VAR environment variable
630 @r contents of register 'r'
631 function(expr1, ...) function call
632 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
633
634
635".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
636Example: >
637 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
638
639All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
640
641
642expr1 *expr1* *E109*
643-----
644
645expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
646
647The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
648non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
649otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
650Example: >
651 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
652
653Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
654other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
655Example: >
656 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
657
658To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
659 :echo lnum == 1
660 :\ ? "top"
661 :\ : lnum == 1000
662 :\ ? "last"
663 :\ : lnum
664
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000665You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
666use in a variable such as "a:1".
667
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000668
669expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
670---------------
671
672 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
673The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
674are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
675
676 input output ~
677n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
678zero zero zero zero
679zero non-zero non-zero zero
680non-zero zero non-zero zero
681non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
682
683The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
684
685 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
686
687Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
688
689 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
690
691Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
692arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
693
694 let a = 1
695 echo a || b
696
697This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
698so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
699
700 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
701
702This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
703only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
704
705
706expr4 *expr4*
707-----
708
709expr5 {cmp} expr5
710
711Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
712if it evaluates to true.
713
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000714 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000715 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
716 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
717 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
718 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
719 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000720 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000721 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
722equal == ==# ==?
723not equal != !=# !=?
724greater than > ># >?
725greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
726smaller than < <# <?
727smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
728regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
729regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000730same instance is
731different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000732
733Examples:
734"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
735"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
736"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
737
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000738 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000739A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
740"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
741Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000742
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000743 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000744A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
745equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000746recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
747
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000748 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000749A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
750equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000751
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000752When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000753referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000754the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
755using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000756different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000757is false.
758
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000759When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000760and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000761because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
762
763When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
764results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
765necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
766
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000767When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000768'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000769
770When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000771'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
772
773'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000774
775The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
776argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
777This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
778matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
779portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
780single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
781Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
782(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
783can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
784 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
785 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
786
787
788expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
789---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000790expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000791expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
792expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000793
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000794For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000795result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000796
797expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
798expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
799expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000800
801For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
802
803Note the difference between "+" and ".":
804 "123" + "456" = 579
805 "123" . "456" = "123456"
806
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000807Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
808 1 . 90 + 90.0
809As: >
810 (1 . 90) + 90.0
811That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
812190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
813 1 . 90 * 90.0
814Should be read as: >
815 1 . (90 * 90.0)
816Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
817attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
818
819When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
820 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
821 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
822 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
823 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
824
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000825When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
826
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000827None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000828
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000829. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
830
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000831
832expr7 *expr7*
833-----
834! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
835- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
836+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
837
838For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
839For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
840For '+' the number is unchanged.
841
842A String will be converted to a Number first.
843
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000844These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000845 !-1 == 0
846 !!8 == 1
847 --9 == 9
848
849
850expr8 *expr8*
851-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000852expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000853
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000854If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
855expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000856Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000857
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000858Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
859text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
860cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000861 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000862
863If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000864String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
865compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
866
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000867If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000868for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000869error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000870 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
871
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000872Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
873|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
874error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000875
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000876
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000877expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000878
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000879If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
880from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000881expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
882encodings.
883
884If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
885string minus one is used.
886
887A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
888the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
889
890If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
891expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
892
893Examples: >
894 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
895 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
896 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
897 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
898
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000899If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000900the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000901just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000902 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
903 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
904 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
905
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000906Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
907error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000908
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000909
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000910expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000911
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000912If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
913name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
914expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000915
916The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
917but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
918
919There must not be white space before or after the dot.
920
921Examples: >
922 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
923 :echo dict.one
924 :echo dict .2
925
926Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
927always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
928
929
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000930expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000931
932When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
933
934
935
936 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000937number
938------
939number number constant *expr-number*
940
941Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
942
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000943 *floating-point-format*
944Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
945
946 [-+]{N}.{M}
947 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
948
949{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
950contain digits.
951[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
952{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
953Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
954locale is.
955{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
956
957Examples:
958 123.456
959 +0.0001
960 55.0
961 -0.123
962 1.234e03
963 1.0E-6
964 -3.1416e+88
965
966These are INVALID:
967 3. empty {M}
968 1e40 missing .{M}
969
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000970 *float-pi* *float-e*
971A few useful values to copy&paste: >
972 :let pi = 3.14159265359
973 :let e = 2.71828182846
974
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000975Rationale:
976Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
977the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
978resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000979could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000980incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
981for floating point numbers.
982
983 *floating-point-precision*
984The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
985means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
986runtime.
987
988The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
989printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
990function. Example: >
991 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
992< 7.853981633974483e-01
993
994
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000995
996string *expr-string* *E114*
997------
998"string" string constant *expr-quote*
999
1000Note that double quotes are used.
1001
1002A string constant accepts these special characters:
1003\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1004\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1005\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1006\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1007\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1008\X.. same as \x..
1009\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001010\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001011 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1012\U.... same as \u....
1013\b backspace <BS>
1014\e escape <Esc>
1015\f formfeed <FF>
1016\n newline <NL>
1017\r return <CR>
1018\t tab <Tab>
1019\\ backslash
1020\" double quote
1021\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
1022
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001023Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1024encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1025of 'encoding'.
1026
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001027Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1028
1029
1030literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1031---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001032'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001033
1034Note that single quotes are used.
1035
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001036This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001037meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001038
1039Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001040to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001041 if a =~ "\\s*"
1042 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001043
1044
1045option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1046------
1047&option option value, local value if possible
1048&g:option global option value
1049&l:option local option value
1050
1051Examples: >
1052 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1053 if &insertmode
1054
1055Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1056and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1057anyway.
1058
1059
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001060register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001061--------
1062@r contents of register 'r'
1063
1064The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1065Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001066register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001067registers.
1068
1069When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1070evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001071
1072
1073nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1074-------
1075(expr1) nested expression
1076
1077
1078environment variable *expr-env*
1079--------------------
1080$VAR environment variable
1081
1082The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1083result is an empty string.
1084 *expr-env-expand*
1085Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1086expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1087are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1088the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1089fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1090does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1091 :echo $version
1092 :echo expand("$version")
1093The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1094variable (if your shell supports it).
1095
1096
1097internal variable *expr-variable*
1098-----------------
1099variable internal variable
1100See below |internal-variables|.
1101
1102
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001103function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001104-------------
1105function(expr1, ...) function call
1106See below |functions|.
1107
1108
1109==============================================================================
11103. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1111 *E461*
1112An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1113cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1114|curly-braces-names|.
1115
1116An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001117An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1118|:unlet|.
1119Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1120been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001121
1122There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1123specified by what is prepended:
1124
1125 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1126|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1127|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001128|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001129|global-variable| g: Global.
1130|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1131|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1132|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001133|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001134
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001135The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1136delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001137 :for k in keys(s:)
1138 : unlet s:[k]
1139 :endfor
1140<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001141 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1142A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1143Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1144This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1145|:bdelete|.
1146
1147One local buffer variable is predefined:
1148 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1149b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1150 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1151 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1152 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1153 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001154 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1155 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001156 :endif
1157<
1158 *window-variable* *w:var*
1159A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1160is deleted when the window is closed.
1161
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001162 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1163A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1164It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1165without the +windows feature}
1166
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001167 *global-variable* *g:var*
1168Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001169access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001170place if you like.
1171
1172 *local-variable* *l:var*
1173Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001174But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1175you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1176refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1177same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001178
1179 *script-variable* *s:var*
1180In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1181accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1182
1183They can be used in:
1184- commands executed while the script is sourced
1185- functions defined in the script
1186- autocommands defined in the script
1187- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1188 defined in the script (recursively)
1189- user defined commands defined in the script
1190Thus not in:
1191- other scripts sourced from this one
1192- mappings
1193- etc.
1194
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001195Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1196Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001197
1198 let s:counter = 0
1199 function MyCounter()
1200 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1201 echo s:counter
1202 endfunction
1203 command Tick call MyCounter()
1204
1205You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1206that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1207"Tick" was defined is used.
1208
1209Another example that does the same: >
1210
1211 let s:counter = 0
1212 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1213
1214When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001215script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001216defined.
1217
1218The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1219function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1220
1221 let s:counter = 0
1222 function StartCounting(incr)
1223 if a:incr
1224 function MyCounter()
1225 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1226 endfunction
1227 else
1228 function MyCounter()
1229 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1230 endfunction
1231 endif
1232 endfunction
1233
1234This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1235when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1236called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1237
1238When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1239They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1240maintain a counter: >
1241
1242 if !exists("s:counter")
1243 let s:counter = 1
1244 echo "script executed for the first time"
1245 else
1246 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1247 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1248 endif
1249
1250Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1251variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1252
1253
1254Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1255
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001256 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1257v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1258 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1259 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1260
1261 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1262v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1263 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1264
1265 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1266v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1267 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1268
1269 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001270v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1271 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1272 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1273 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001274 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1275 highlighted text is used.
1276 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1277
1278 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1279v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1280 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1281
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001282 *v:char* *char-variable*
1283v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr'.
1284
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001285 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1286v:charconvert_from
1287 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1288 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1289
1290 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1291v:charconvert_to
1292 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1293 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1294
1295 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1296v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1297 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1298 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1299 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1300 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1301 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001302 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001303 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1304 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1305 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1306 in 'printexpr'.
1307
1308 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1309v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1310 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1311 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1312 can be used.
1313
1314 *v:count* *count-variable*
1315v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001316 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001317 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1318< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1319 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001320 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001321 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1322
1323 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1324v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1325 used.
1326
1327 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1328v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1329 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1330 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1331 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1332 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1333 command.
1334 See |multi-lang|.
1335
1336 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001337v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001338 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1339 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1340 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1341 Example: >
1342 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1343<
1344 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1345v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1346 Example: >
1347 :let v:errmsg = ""
1348 :silent! next
1349 :if v:errmsg != ""
1350 : ... handle error
1351< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1352
1353 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1354v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1355 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1356 Example: >
1357 :try
1358 : throw "oops"
1359 :catch /.*/
1360 : echo "caught" v:exception
1361 :endtry
1362< Output: "caught oops".
1363
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001364 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1365v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1366 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1367 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1368 deleted file no longer exists
1369 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1370 changed and buffer is modified
1371 changed file contents has changed
1372 mode mode of file changed
1373 time only file timestamp changed
1374
1375 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1376v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1377 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1378 do with the affected buffer:
1379 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1380 the file was deleted).
1381 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1382 was no autocommand. Except that when
1383 only the timestamp changed nothing
1384 will happen.
1385 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1386 everything that needs to be done.
1387 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1388 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1389
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001390 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001391v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001392 option used for ~
1393 'charconvert' file to be converted
1394 'diffexpr' original file
1395 'patchexpr' original file
1396 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001397 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001398
1399 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1400v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1401 evaluating:
1402 option used for ~
1403 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1404 'diffexpr' output of diff
1405 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1406 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001407 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001408 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1409 file and different from v:fname_in.
1410
1411 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1412v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1413 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1414
1415 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1416v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1417 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1418
1419 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1420v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1421 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001422 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001423
1424 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1425v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001426 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001427
1428 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1429v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001430 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001431
1432 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1433v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001434 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001435
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001436 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1437v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1438 events. Values:
1439 i Insert mode
1440 r Replace mode
1441 v Virtual Replace mode
1442
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001443 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001444v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001445 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1446 Read-only.
1447
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001448 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1449v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1450 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1451 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1452 The value is system dependent.
1453 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1454 command.
1455 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1456 in a different language than what is used for character
1457 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1458
1459 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1460v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1461 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1462 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1463 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1464 command. See |multi-lang|.
1465
1466 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001467v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar57657d82006-04-21 22:12:41 +00001468 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel' and
1469 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1470 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001471
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001472 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1473v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1474 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1475 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1476
1477 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1478v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1479 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1480 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1481
1482 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1483v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1484 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1485 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1486
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001487 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1488v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1489 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1490 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1491 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
1492 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1493 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1494 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1495 than String this will cause trouble.
1496 {only when compiled with the +viminfo feature}
1497
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001498 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1499v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1500 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1501 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1502 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1503 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1504 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1505< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1506 don't expect it to be empty.
1507 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1508 commands.
1509 Read-only.
1510
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001511 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1512v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1513 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001514 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1515 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001516 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1517< Read-only.
1518
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001519 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001520v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001521 See |profiling|.
1522
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001523 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1524v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1525 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1526 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1527 Read-only.
1528
1529 *v:register* *register-variable*
1530v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1531 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1532
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001533 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1534v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1535 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1536 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1537 typed command.
1538 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1539 hit-enter prompt.
1540
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001541 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1542v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1543 Read-only.
1544
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001545
1546v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1547 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1548 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1549 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1550 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1551 function. |function-search-undo|.
1552 Read-write.
1553
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001554 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1555v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1556 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1557 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1558 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1559 executed. Read-only.
1560 Example: >
1561 :!mv foo bar
1562 :if v:shell_error
1563 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1564 :endif
1565< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1566
1567 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1568v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1569
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001570 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1571v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1572 the swap file found. Read-only.
1573
1574 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1575v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1576 for handling an existing swap file:
1577 'o' Open read-only
1578 'e' Edit anyway
1579 'r' Recover
1580 'd' Delete swapfile
1581 'q' Quit
1582 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001583 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001584 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1585 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1586
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001587 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001588v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001589 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001590 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001591 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001592 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001593
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001594 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1595v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001596 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001597 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1598 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1599 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1600 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1601 terminal.
1602 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1603 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1604 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1605 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1606 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1607
1608 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1609v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1610 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1611 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1612 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1613
1614 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1615v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001616 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001617 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1618 Example: >
1619 :try
1620 : throw "oops"
1621 :catch /.*/
1622 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1623 :endtry
1624< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1625
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001626 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001627v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001628 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001629 |filter()|. Read-only.
1630
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001631 *v:version* *version-variable*
1632v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1633 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1634 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1635 compatibility.
1636 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1637 if has("patch123")
1638< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1639 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1640 completely different.
1641
1642 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1643v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1644
1645==============================================================================
16464. Builtin Functions *functions*
1647
1648See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1649
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001650(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001651
1652USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1653
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001654abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001655add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001656append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001657append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001658argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001659argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001660argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001661argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001662atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001663browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1664 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001665browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001666bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001667buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1668bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001669bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1670bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1671bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1672byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001673byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001674call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1675 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001676ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1677changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001678char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001679cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001680clearmatches() None clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001681col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001682complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001683complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001684complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001685confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1686 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001687copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001688cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001689count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1690 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001691cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1692 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001693cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1694 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1695cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001696deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001697delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1698did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001699diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1700diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001701empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001702escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001703eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001704eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001705executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1706exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001707extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
1708 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001709expand( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001710feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001711filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001712filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001713filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1714 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001715finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001716 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001717findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001718 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001719float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1720floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001721fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001722fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001723foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1724foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001725foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001726foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001727foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001728foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001729function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00001730garbagecollect( [at_exit]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001731get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001732get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001733getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1734 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001735getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001736getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1737getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001738getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1739getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001740getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001741getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001742getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1743getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001744getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001745getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001746getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001747getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1748getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001749getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001750getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001751getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001752getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001753getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001754getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001755getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001756gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1757 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001758getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1759getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001760getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001761glob( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1762globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {flag}])
1763 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001764has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001765has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001766haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001767hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1768 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001769histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1770histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1771histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1772histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1773hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1774hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1775hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001776iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1777indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001778index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1779 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001780input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1781 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001782inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001783inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001784inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1785inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001786inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001787insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001788isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001789islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001790items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001791join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001792keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001793len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1794libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001795libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1796line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1797line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001798lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001799localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001800log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001801map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001802maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1803 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1804mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1805 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001806match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001807 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001808matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1809 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001810matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001811matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001812matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001813 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001814matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1815 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001816matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1817 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001818max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00001819min({list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001820mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1821 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001822mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001823nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1824nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001825pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001826pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001827prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001828printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1829pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001830range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1831 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001832readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1833 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001834reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1835reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001836remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1837 String send expression
1838remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1839remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1840 Number check for reply string
1841remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1842remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1843 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001844remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001845remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001846rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1847repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1848resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001849reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001850round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001851search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1852 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001853searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001854 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001855searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001856 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001857searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001858 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001859searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001860 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001861server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1862 Number send reply string
1863serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1864setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1865setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1866setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001867setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1868 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001869setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001870setpos( {expr}, {list}) none set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001871setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001872setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001873settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1874 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001875setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001876shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1877 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001878 command argument
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001879simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001880sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001881sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001882soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001883spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001884spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1885 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001886split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001887 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001888sqrt( {expr} Float squar root of {expr}
1889str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1890str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001891strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001892stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1893 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001894string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001895strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1896strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1897 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001898strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1899 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001900strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001901submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001902substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1903 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001904synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001905synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1906 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1907synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001908synstack({lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001909system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001910tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1911tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1912tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1913 Number number of current window in tab page
1914taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001915tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001916tempname() String name for a temporary file
1917tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1918toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001919tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1920 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001921trunc( {expr} Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001922type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001923values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001924virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1925visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1926winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1927wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1928winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1929winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001930winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001931winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001932winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1933winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001934winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001935writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1936 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001937
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001938abs({expr}) *abs()*
1939 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
1940 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
1941 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
1942 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
1943 Examples: >
1944 echo abs(1.456)
1945< 1.456 >
1946 echo abs(-5.456)
1947< 5.456 >
1948 echo abs(-4)
1949< 4
1950 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1951
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001952add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001953 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1954 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001955 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1956 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001957< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001958 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001959 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001960
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001961
1962append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001963 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1964 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001965 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1966 the current buffer.
1967 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001968 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001969 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001970 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001971 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001972<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001973 *argc()*
1974argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1975 current window. See |arglist|.
1976
1977 *argidx()*
1978argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1979 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1980
1981 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001982argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001983 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1984 Example: >
1985 :let i = 0
1986 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001987 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001988 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1989 : let i = i + 1
1990 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001991< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
1992 returned.
1993
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001994atan({expr}) *atan()*
1995 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
1996 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
1997 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
1998 Examples: >
1999 :echo atan(100)
2000< 1.560797 >
2001 :echo atan(-4.01)
2002< -1.326405
2003 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2004
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002005 *browse()*
2006browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2007 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2008 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2009 The input fields are:
2010 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2011 {title} title for the requester
2012 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2013 {default} default file name
2014 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2015 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2016
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002017 *browsedir()*
2018browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2019 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2020 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2021 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2022 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2023 to be used.
2024 The input fields are:
2025 {title} title for the requester
2026 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2027 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2028 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2029
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002030bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2031 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2032 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002033 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002034 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002035 exactly. The name can be:
2036 - Relative to the current directory.
2037 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002038 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002039 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002040 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2041 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2042 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2043 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002044 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2045 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2046 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002047 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2048 file name.
2049 *buffer_exists()*
2050 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2051
2052buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2053 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2054 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002055 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002056
2057bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2058 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2059 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002060 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002061
2062bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2063 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2064 ":ls" command.
2065 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2066 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2067 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002068 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002069 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2070 match an empty string is returned.
2071 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2072 alternate buffer.
2073 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002074 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2075 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2076 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002077 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2078 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2079 buffers are searched for.
2080 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2081 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2082 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2083< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2084 string is returned. >
2085 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2086 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2087 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2088 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2089< *buffer_name()*
2090 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2091
2092 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002093bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2094 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002095 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002096 above.
2097 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2098 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2099 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002100 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2101 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2102< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2103 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2104 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2105 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2106 *buffer_number()*
2107 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2108 *last_buffer_nr()*
2109 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2110
2111bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2112 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2113 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002114 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002115 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2116
2117 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2118
2119< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2120 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002121 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002122
2123
2124byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2125 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2126 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2127 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2128 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2129 one.
2130 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2131 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2132 feature}
2133
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002134byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2135 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2136 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2137 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2138 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2139 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2140 Example : >
2141 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2142< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2143 same: >
2144 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2145 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2146< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2147 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2148 is returned.
2149
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002150call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002151 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002152 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002153 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002154 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2155 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002156 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2157 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002158
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002159ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2160 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2161 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2162 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2163 Examples: >
2164 echo ceil(1.456)
2165< 2.0 >
2166 echo ceil(-5.456)
2167< -5.0 >
2168 echo ceil(4.0)
2169< 4.0
2170 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2171
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002172changenr() *changenr()*
2173 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2174 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2175 with the |:undo| command.
2176 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2177 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2178 one less than the number of the undone change.
2179
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002180char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
2181 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2182 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2183 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
2184< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002185 char2nr("á") returns 225
2186 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002187< |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002188
2189cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2190 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2191 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2192 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2193 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2194 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2195 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002196 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002197
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002198clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2199 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2200 |:match| commands.
2201
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002202 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002203col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002204 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2205 . the cursor position
2206 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
2207 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
2208 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2209 returned)
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002210 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2211 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002212 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002213 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002214 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002215 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002216 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2217 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2218 Examples: >
2219 col(".") column of cursor
2220 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2221 col("'t") column of mark t
2222 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002223< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002224 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2225 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002226 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2227 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2228 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2229 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2230 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2231 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2232 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2233<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002234
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002235complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2236 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2237 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002238 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2239 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002240 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2241 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2242 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2243 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2244 match.
2245 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2246 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2247 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2248 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2249 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2250 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2251 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2252 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002253 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002254
2255 func! ListMonths()
2256 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2257 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2258 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2259 return ''
2260 endfunc
2261< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2262 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2263
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002264complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2265 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2266 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2267 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2268 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2269 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002270 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002271 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002272
2273complete_check() *complete_check()*
2274 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2275 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2276 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2277 zero otherwise.
2278 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2279 'completefunc' option.
2280
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002281 *confirm()*
2282confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2283 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2284 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2285 choice this is 1.
2286 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2287 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2288 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2289 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2290 used (and translated).
2291 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2292 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2293 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2294 by '\n', e.g. >
2295 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2296< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2297 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2298 not need to be the first letter: >
2299 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2300< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2301 the default shortcut key.
2302 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2303 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2304 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2305 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002306 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002307 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2308 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2309 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2310 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2311 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2312 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2313
2314 An example: >
2315 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2316 :if choice == 0
2317 : echo "make up your mind!"
2318 :elseif choice == 3
2319 : echo "tasteful"
2320 :else
2321 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2322 :endif
2323< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2324 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002325 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002326 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2327 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2328 the horizontal layout is always used.
2329
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002330 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002331copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002332 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002333 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2334 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002335 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2336 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002337 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002338
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002339cos({expr}) *cos()*
2340 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2341 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2342 Examples: >
2343 :echo cos(100)
2344< 0.862319 >
2345 :echo cos(-4.01)
2346< -0.646043
2347 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2348
2349
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002350count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002351 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002352 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002353 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002354 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002355 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2356
2357
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002358 *cscope_connection()*
2359cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2360 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2361 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2362 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2363 if there are no cscope connections;
2364 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2365
2366 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2367 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2368
2369 {num} Description of existence check
2370 ----- ------------------------------
2371 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2372 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2373 {dbpath}.
2374 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2375 {dbpath}.
2376 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2377 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2378 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2379 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2380
2381 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2382
2383 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2384
2385 # pid database name prepend path
2386 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2387<
2388 Invocation Return Val ~
2389 ---------- ---------- >
2390 cscope_connection() 1
2391 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2392 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2393 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2394 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2395 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2396 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2397 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2398<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002399cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2400cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002401 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2402 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002403 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002404 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2405 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002406 Does not change the jumplist.
2407 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2408 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2409 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002410 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002411 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2412 line.
2413 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002414 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2415 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002416 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00002417 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002418
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002419
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002420deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002421 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002422 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002423 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2424 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002425 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002426 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002427 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2428 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2429 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2430 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2431 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2432 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002433 *E724*
2434 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002435 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2436 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002437 Also see |copy()|.
2438
2439delete({fname}) *delete()*
2440 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002441 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2442 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002443 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002444
2445 *did_filetype()*
2446did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2447 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2448 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2449 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2450 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2451 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2452 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2453 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2454 file.
2455
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002456diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2457 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2458 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2459 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2460 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2461 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2462 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2463 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2464
2465diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2466 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2467 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2468 diff change zero is returned.
2469 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2470 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2471 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2472 line.
2473 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2474 syntax information about the highlighting.
2475
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002476empty({expr}) *empty()*
2477 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002478 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002479 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002480 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2481 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002482
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002483escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2484 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2485 backslash. Example: >
2486 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2487< results in: >
2488 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002489< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002490
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002491 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002492eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2493 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002494 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2495 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2496 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002497
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002498eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2499 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2500 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2501 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2502 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2503
2504executable({expr}) *executable()*
2505 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2506 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002507 arguments.
2508 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2509 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2510 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2511 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002512 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2513 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002514 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002515 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002516 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2517 extension.
2518 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2519 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002520 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2521 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2522 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002523 The result is a Number:
2524 1 exists
2525 0 does not exist
2526 -1 not implemented on this system
2527
2528 *exists()*
2529exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2530 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2531 which contains one of these:
2532 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2533 not if it really works)
2534 +option-name Vim option that works.
2535 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2536 done by comparing with an empty
2537 string)
2538 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2539 or user defined function (see
2540 |user-functions|).
2541 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002542 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002543 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2544 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002545 that evaluating an index may cause an
2546 error message for an invalid
2547 expression. E.g.: >
2548 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2549 :echo exists("l[5]")
2550< 0 >
2551 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2552< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2553 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002554 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2555 command or command modifier |:command|.
2556 Returns:
2557 1 for match with start of a command
2558 2 full match with a command
2559 3 matches several user commands
2560 To check for a supported command
2561 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002562 :2match The |:2match| command.
2563 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002564 #event autocommand defined for this event
2565 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2566 pattern (the pattern is taken
2567 literally and compared to the
2568 autocommand patterns character by
2569 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002570 #group autocommand group exists
2571 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2572 event.
2573 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002574 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002575 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002576 ##event autocommand for this event is
2577 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002578 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2579
2580 Examples: >
2581 exists("&shortname")
2582 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2583 exists("*strftime")
2584 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2585 exists("bufcount")
2586 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002587 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002588 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002589 exists("#filetypeindent")
2590 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2591 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002592 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002593< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2594 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002595 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2596 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2597 the future, thus don't count on it!
2598 Working example: >
2599 exists(":make")
2600< NOT working example: >
2601 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002602
2603< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2604 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002605 exists(bufcount)
2606< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002607 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002608
2609expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2610 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2611 The result is a String.
2612
2613 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2614 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2615 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2616
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002617 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002618 for a non-existing file is not included.
2619
2620 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2621 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2622 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2623
2624 % current file name
2625 # alternate file name
2626 #n alternate file name n
2627 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2628 <afile> autocmd file name
2629 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2630 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2631 <sfile> sourced script file name
2632 <cword> word under the cursor
2633 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2634 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2635 message |server2client()|
2636 Modifiers:
2637 :p expand to full path
2638 :h head (last path component removed)
2639 :t tail (last path component only)
2640 :r root (one extension removed)
2641 :e extension only
2642
2643 Example: >
2644 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2645< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2646 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2647 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2648< Use this: >
2649 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2650< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2651 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2652 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2653 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2654 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2655<
2656 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2657 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2658 to modify normal file names.
2659
2660 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2661 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2662 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2663 '/' added.
2664
2665 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2666 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2667 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2668 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002669 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2670 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2671 files in the current directory and below: >
2672 :echo expand("**/README")
2673<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002674 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2675 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002676 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002677 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002678 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002679 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2680 "$FOOBAR".
2681
2682 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2683 getting the raw output of an external command.
2684
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002685extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002686 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2687 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002688
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002689 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002690 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2691 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2692 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2693 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002694 Examples: >
2695 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2696 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002697< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2698 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2699 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2700 (where N is the original length of the List).
2701 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002702 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002703 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002704<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002705 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002706 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2707 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2708 used to decide what to do:
2709 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2710 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002711 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002712 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2713
2714 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2715 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2716 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2717 Returns {expr1}.
2718
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002719
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002720feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2721 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002722 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002723 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002724 being executed these characters come after them.
2725 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2726 {string}.
2727 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2728 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002729 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002730 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2731 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2732 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002733 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2734 'n' Do not remap keys.
2735 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2736 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2737 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002738 Return value is always 0.
2739
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002740filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2741 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2742 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2743 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2744 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002745 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2746 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002747 *file_readable()*
2748 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2749
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002750
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002751filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2752 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2753 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002754 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002755 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2756
2757
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002758filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002759 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002760 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002761 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002762 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002763 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002764 Examples: >
2765 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2766< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2767 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2768< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2769 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002770< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002771
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002772 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2773 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2774 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2775
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002776 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2777 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002778 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002779
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002780< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002781 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2782 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002783
2784
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002785finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00002786 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2787 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2788 for the syntax of {path}.
2789 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2790 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2791 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002792 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2793 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002794 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002795 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002796 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002797 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2798
2799findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2800 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002801 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2802 Example: >
2803 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002804< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2805 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002806
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002807float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2808 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2809 decimal point.
2810 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2811 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2812 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2813 in -0x80000000.
2814 Examples: >
2815 echo float2nr(3.95)
2816< 3 >
2817 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2818< -23 >
2819 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2820< 2147483647 >
2821 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2822< -2147483647 >
2823 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2824< 0
2825 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2826
2827
2828floor({expr}) *floor()*
2829 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2830 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2831 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2832 Examples: >
2833 echo floor(1.856)
2834< 1.0 >
2835 echo floor(-5.456)
2836< -6.0 >
2837 echo floor(4.0)
2838< 4.0
2839 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2840
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002841fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002842 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002843 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
2844 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002845 For most systems the characters escaped are
2846 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
2847 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002848 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
2849 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002850 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002851 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002852 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
2853< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002854 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002855
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002856fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2857 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2858 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2859 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2860 Example: >
2861 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2862< results in: >
2863 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002864< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002865 |expand()| first then.
2866
2867foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2868 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2869 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2870 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2871
2872foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2873 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2874 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2875 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2876
2877foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2878 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002879 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002880 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2881 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2882 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2883 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2884 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2885 previous line is usually available.
2886
2887 *foldtext()*
2888foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2889 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2890 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2891 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2892 The returned string looks like this: >
2893 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002894< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002895 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2896 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2897 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2898 options is removed.
2899 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2900
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002901foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2902 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2903 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2904 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2905 returned.
2906 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2907 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2908 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2909 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2910
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002911 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002912foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002913 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2914 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2915 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2916 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2917 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2918 Win32 console version}
2919
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002920
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002921function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002922 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002923 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2924
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002925
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00002926garbagecollect([at_exit]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002927 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002928 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2929 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2930 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2931 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2932 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002933 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2934 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2935 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00002936 When the optional "at_exit" argument is one, garbage
2937 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
2938 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002939
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002940get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002941 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002942 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2943 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002944get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002945 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002946 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2947 {default} is omitted.
2948
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002949 *getbufline()*
2950getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002951 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2952 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2953 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002954
2955 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2956
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002957 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2958 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002959
2960 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002961 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002962
2963 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2964 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002965 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002966 returned.
2967
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002968 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002969 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002970
2971 Example: >
2972 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002973
2974getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2975 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2976 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2977 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002978 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
2979 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002980 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2981 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2982 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002983 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2984 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2985 returned, there is no error message.
2986 Examples: >
2987 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2988 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2989<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002990getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002991 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002992 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2993 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002994 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002995 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002996 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
2997
2998 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
2999 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3000 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3001 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3002 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003003 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3004 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3005 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3006 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003007
3008 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003009 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3010 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003011
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003012 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3013 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3014 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3015 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3016 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003017 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003018 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3019 exe v:mouse_lnum
3020 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3021 endif
3022<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003023 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3024 user that a character has to be typed.
3025 There is no mapping for the character.
3026 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3027 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3028 sequence. Examples: >
3029 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3030 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3031< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3032 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3033 :function FindChar()
3034 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3035 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3036 : normal l
3037 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3038 : break
3039 : endif
3040 : endwhile
3041 :endfunction
3042
3043getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3044 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3045 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3046 These values are added together:
3047 2 shift
3048 4 control
3049 8 alt (meta)
3050 16 mouse double click
3051 32 mouse triple click
3052 64 mouse quadruple click
3053 128 Macintosh only: command
3054 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003055 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003056 with no modifier.
3057
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003058getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3059 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3060 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3061 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3062 Example: >
3063 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003064< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003065
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003066getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003067 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3068 byte count. The first column is 1.
3069 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3070 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003071 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3072
3073getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3074 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3075 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003076 : normal Ex command
3077 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3078 / forward search command
3079 ? backward search command
3080 @ |input()| command
3081 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003082 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3083 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
3084 otherwise.
3085 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003086
3087 *getcwd()*
3088getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3089 working directory.
3090
3091getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3092 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3093 given file {fname}.
3094 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3095 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003096 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3097 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003098
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003099getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3100 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3101 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3102 |hl-Normal|.
3103 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3104 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3105 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3106 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003107 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003108 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3109 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003110 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3111 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003112
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003113getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3114 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3115 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3116 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3117 empty string is returned.
3118 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3119 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3120 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3121 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
3122 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
3123 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
3124< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3125 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003126
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003127getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3128 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3129 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3130 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3131 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3132 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3133
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003134getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3135 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3136 file of the given file {fname}.
3137 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3138 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3139 results:
3140 Normal file "file"
3141 Directory "dir"
3142 Symbolic link "link"
3143 Block device "bdev"
3144 Character device "cdev"
3145 Socket "socket"
3146 FIFO "fifo"
3147 All other "other"
3148 Example: >
3149 getftype("/home")
3150< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3151 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3152 "file" are returned.
3153
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003154 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003155getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3156 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3157 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003158 getline(1)
3159< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3160 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3161 To get the line under the cursor: >
3162 getline(".")
3163< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3164 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3165
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003166 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3167 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003168 including line {end}.
3169 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3170 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003171 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003172 Example: >
3173 :let start = line('.')
3174 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3175 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3176
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003177< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3178
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003179getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3180 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3181 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3182 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003183 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
3184 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003185
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003186getmatches() *getmatches()*
3187 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3188 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3189 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3190 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3191 Example: >
3192 :echo getmatches()
3193< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3194 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3195 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3196 :let m = getmatches()
3197 :call clearmatches()
3198 :echo getmatches()
3199< [] >
3200 :call setmatches(m)
3201 :echo getmatches()
3202< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3203 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3204 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3205 :unlet m
3206<
3207
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003208getqflist() *getqflist()*
3209 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3210 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3211 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3212 bufname() to get the name
3213 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3214 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003215 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3216 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003217 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003218 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003219 text description of the error
3220 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3221 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3222
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003223 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003224 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3225 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003226
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003227 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3228 do something with them: >
3229 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3230 :for d in getqflist()
3231 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3232 :endfor
3233
3234
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003235getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003236 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003237 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003238 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3239< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003240 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003241 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3242 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3243 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003244 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3245
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003246
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003247getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3248 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3249 The value will be one of:
3250 "v" for |characterwise| text
3251 "V" for |linewise| text
3252 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3253 0 for an empty or unknown register
3254 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3255 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3256
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003257gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003258 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3259 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3260 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3261 option.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003262 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3263 use |getwinvar()|.
3264 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3265 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3266 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3267 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003268 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3269 variables is returned.
3270 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003271 Examples: >
3272 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3273 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003274<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003275 *getwinposx()*
3276getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3277 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3278 -1 if the information is not available.
3279
3280 *getwinposy()*
3281getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003282 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003283 information is not available.
3284
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003285getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
3286 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003287 Examples: >
3288 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3289 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3290<
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003291glob({expr} [, {flag}]) *glob()*
3292 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003293 use of special characters.
3294 The result is a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003295 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
3296 characters.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003297 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3298 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3299 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3300 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003301 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
3302 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
3303
3304 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3305 any external command. Example: >
3306 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3307 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3308< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003309 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003310
3311 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3312 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3313
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003314globpath({path}, {expr} [, {flag}]) *globpath()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003315 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3316 the results. Example: >
3317 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3318< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3319 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003320 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003321 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3322 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3323 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3324 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3325 error message.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003326 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3327 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3328 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3329 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003330
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003331 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3332 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3333 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3334 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003335< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3336 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3337
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003338 *has()*
3339has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3340 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3341 string. See |feature-list| below.
3342 Also see |exists()|.
3343
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003344
3345has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003346 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3347 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003348
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003349haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3350 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003351 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003352
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003353hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003354 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3355 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3356 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3357 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003358 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003359 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3360 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003361 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3362 buffer are checked for a match.
3363 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3364 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3365 n Normal mode
3366 v Visual mode
3367 o Operator-pending mode
3368 i Insert mode
3369 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3370 c Command-line mode
3371 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3372
3373 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003374 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003375 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3376 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3377 :endif
3378< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3379 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3380
3381histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3382 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3383 one of: *hist-names*
3384 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3385 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003386 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003387 "input" or "@" input line history
3388 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3389 shifted to become the newest entry.
3390 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3391 otherwise 0 is returned.
3392
3393 Example: >
3394 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3395 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3396< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3397
3398histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003399 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003400 for the possible values of {history}.
3401
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003402 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3403 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3404 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003405 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003406 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3407 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3408 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003409
3410 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3411 otherwise 0 is returned.
3412
3413 Examples:
3414 Clear expression register history: >
3415 :call histdel("expr")
3416<
3417 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3418 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3419<
3420 The following three are equivalent: >
3421 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3422 :call histdel("search", -1)
3423 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3424<
3425 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3426 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3427 :call histdel("search", -1)
3428 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3429
3430histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3431 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3432 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3433 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3434 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3435 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3436
3437 Examples:
3438 Redo the second last search from history. >
3439 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3440
3441< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3442 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3443 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3444<
3445histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3446 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3447 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3448 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3449
3450 Example: >
3451 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3452<
3453hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3454 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3455 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3456 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3457 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3458 item.
3459 *highlight_exists()*
3460 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3461
3462 *hlID()*
3463hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3464 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3465 zero is returned.
3466 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003467 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003468 "Comment" group: >
3469 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3470< *highlightID()*
3471 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3472
3473hostname() *hostname()*
3474 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003475 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003476 256 characters long are truncated.
3477
3478iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3479 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3480 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3481 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3482 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3483 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3484 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3485 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3486 can be done.
3487 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3488 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3489 UTF-8 and use: >
3490 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3491< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3492 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3493 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3494 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3495
3496 *indent()*
3497indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3498 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3499 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3500 |getline()|.
3501 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3502
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003503
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003504index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003505 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003506 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003507 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3508 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003509 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3510 case must match.
3511 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3512 Example: >
3513 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003514 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003515
3516
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003517input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003518 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3519 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3520 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003521 prompt to start a new line.
3522 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3523 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003524 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003525 for lines typed for input().
3526 Example: >
3527 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3528 : echo "Cheers!"
3529 :endif
3530<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003531 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3532 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003533 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3534
3535< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3536 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003537 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003538 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003539 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003540 more information. Example: >
3541 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3542<
3543 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3544 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003545 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3546 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3547 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3548 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3549 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3550 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3551 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3552
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003553 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003554 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3555 :function GetFoo()
3556 : call inputsave()
3557 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3558 : call inputrestore()
3559 :endfunction
3560
3561inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3562 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3563 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3564 Example: >
3565 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3566 :if n != ""
3567 : let &sw = n
3568 :endif
3569< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3570 omitted an empty string is returned.
3571 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3572 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003573 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003574
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003575inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003576 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3577 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3578 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003579 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003580 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003581 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3582 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3583 is returned.
3584 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003585 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003586 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3587 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003588 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3589 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3590
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003591inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3592 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3593 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3594 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3595 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3596
3597inputsave() *inputsave()*
3598 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3599 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3600 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3601 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3602 many inputrestore() calls.
3603 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3604
3605inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3606 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3607 two exceptions:
3608 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3609 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3610 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3611 |history| stack.
3612 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3613 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003614 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003615
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003616insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003617 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003618 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003619 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003620 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3621 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003622 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003623 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3624 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3625 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003626< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003627 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003628 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003629
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003630isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3631 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3632 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3633 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3634 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3635
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003636islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003637 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3638 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003639 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3640 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003641 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3642 :lockvar 1 alist
3643 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3644 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3645
3646< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003647 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003648
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003649items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003650 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3651 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3652 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3653 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003654
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003655
3656join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3657 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3658 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3659 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3660 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3661 add it there too: >
3662 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003663< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003664 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3665 The opposite function is |split()|.
3666
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003667keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003668 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003669 arbitrary order.
3670
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003671 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003672len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3673 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3674 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003675 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003676 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003677 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3678 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003679 Otherwise an error is given.
3680
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003681 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3682libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3683 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3684 with single argument {argument}.
3685 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3686 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3687 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3688 limited.
3689 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3690 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3691 to Vim.
3692 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3693 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3694 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3695 null-terminated string.
3696 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3697
3698 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3699 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3700 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3701 very probably crash.
3702
3703 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3704 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3705 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3706 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3707 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3708 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3709 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3710 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3711 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3712 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3713
3714 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003715 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003716 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3717 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3718 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3719 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3720 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3721 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3722 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3723 feature is present}
3724 Examples: >
3725 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003726<
3727 *libcallnr()*
3728libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3729 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3730 int instead of a string.
3731 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3732 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003733 Examples: >
3734 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003735 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3736 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3737<
3738 *line()*
3739line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3740 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3741 . the cursor position
3742 $ the last line in the current buffer
3743 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3744 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003745 w0 first line visible in current window
3746 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00003747 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3748 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3749 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3750 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003751 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3752 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003753 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3754 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003755 Examples: >
3756 line(".") line number of the cursor
3757 line("'t") line number of mark t
3758 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3759< *last-position-jump*
3760 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3761 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003762 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003763
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003764line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3765 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3766 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3767 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3768 line returns 1.
3769 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3770 below the last line: >
3771 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3772< This is the file size plus one.
3773 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3774 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3775 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3776
3777lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3778 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3779 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3780 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3781 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3782 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3783 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3784
3785localtime() *localtime()*
3786 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3787 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3788
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003789
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003790log10({expr}) *log10()*
3791 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
3792 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3793 Examples: >
3794 :echo log10(1000)
3795< 3.0 >
3796 :echo log10(0.01)
3797< -2.0
3798 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3799
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003800map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003801 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003802 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3803 {string}.
3804 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar627b1d32009-11-17 11:20:35 +00003805 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
3806 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003807 Example: >
3808 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003809< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003810
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003811 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003812 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003813 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3814 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003815
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003816 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3817 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003818 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003819
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003820< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003821 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3822 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003823
3824
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003825maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003826 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3827 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003828 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003829 "n" Normal
3830 "v" Visual
3831 "o" Operator-pending
3832 "i" Insert
3833 "c" Cmd-line
3834 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3835 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003836 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003837 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3838 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003839 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3840 command. The returned String has special characters
3841 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3842 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3843 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003844 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3845 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3846 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3847
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003848
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003849mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003850 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3851 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3852 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003853 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3854 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003855 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3856 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3857
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003858 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003859 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3860 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3861 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3862 mapcheck("b") no no no
3863
3864 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3865 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3866 mapping for {name} exactly.
3867 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3868 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3869 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3870 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3871 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3872 then the global mappings.
3873 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3874 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3875 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3876 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3877 :endif
3878< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3879 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3880
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003881match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003882 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3883 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003884 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003885 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003886 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3887 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003888 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003889 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3890 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003891 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003892 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003893< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003894 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003895 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003896 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3897< *strcasestr()*
3898 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3899 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3900 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3901<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003902 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003903 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003904 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003905 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003906 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3907< result is again "4". >
3908 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3909< result is again "4". >
3910 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3911< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003912 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003913 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3914 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3915 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3916 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003917 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3918 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003919 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
3920 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003921
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003922 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003923 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003924 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3925 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3926< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003927 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
3928 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003929
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003930 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3931 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003932 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003933 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3934
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003935 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
3936matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
3937 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
3938 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
3939 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
3940 match using |matchdelete()|.
3941
3942 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003943 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003944 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
3945 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
3946 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
3947 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
3948 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
3949 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
3950 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
3951 always overrule syntax highlighting.
3952
3953 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
3954 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
3955 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
3956 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
3957 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
3958 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
3959 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
3960
3961 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
3962 the |:match| commands.
3963
3964 Example: >
3965 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
3966 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
3967< Deletion of the pattern: >
3968 :call matchdelete(m)
3969
3970< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003971 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003972 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003973
3974matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003975 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003976 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
3977 Return a |List| with two elements:
3978 The name of the highlight group used
3979 The pattern used.
3980 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
3981 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003982 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
3983 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
3984 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003985
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003986matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
3987 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003988 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003989 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
3990 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003991
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003992matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003993 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3994 the match. Example: >
3995 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3996< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003997 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3998 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3999 do it with matchend(): >
4000 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4001 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4002< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4003
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004004 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
4005 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4006< results in "7". >
4007 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4008< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004009 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004010
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004011matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004012 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004013 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4014 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00004015 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4016 empty string is used. Example: >
4017 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4018< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004019 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4020
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004021matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004022 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004023 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4024< results in "ing".
4025 When there is no match "" is returned.
4026 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
4027 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4028< results in "ing". >
4029 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4030< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004031 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004032 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004033
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004034 *max()*
4035max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4036 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4037 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004038 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004039
4040 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004041min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004042 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4043 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004044 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004045
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004046 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004047mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4048 Create directory {name}.
4049 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4050 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4051 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4052 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004053 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004054 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4055 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4056 with 0755.
4057 Example: >
4058 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4059< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004060 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4061 :if exists("*mkdir")
4062<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004063 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004064mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004065 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4066 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4067 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4068 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004069
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004070 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004071 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004072 v Visual by character
4073 V Visual by line
4074 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4075 s Select by character
4076 S Select by line
4077 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4078 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004079 R Replace |R|
4080 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004081 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004082 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4083 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004084 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004085 rm The -- more -- prompt
4086 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4087 ! Shell or external command is executing
4088 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4089 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4090 "c" or "n".
4091 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004092
4093nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4094 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4095 that is not blank. Example: >
4096 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4097< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4098 below it, zero is returned.
4099 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4100
4101nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
4102 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4103 value {expr}. Examples: >
4104 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4105 nr2char(32) returns " "
4106< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
4107 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
4108< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
4109 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4110 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004111 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004112
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004113 *getpid()*
4114getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004115 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4116 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004117
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004118 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004119getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4120 see |line()|.
4121 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4122 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4123 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4124 is the buffer number of the mark.
4125 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4126 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004127 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4128 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004129 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004130 character.
4131 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4132 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4133 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004134 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004135< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004136
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004137pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4138 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4139 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4140 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4141 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4142 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4143< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4144 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4145
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004146pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4147 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4148 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4149 Examples: >
4150 :echo pow(3, 3)
4151< 27.0 >
4152 :echo pow(2, 16)
4153< 65536.0 >
4154 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4155< 2.0
4156 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4157
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004158prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4159 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4160 that is not blank. Example: >
4161 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4162< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4163 above it, zero is returned.
4164 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4165
4166
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004167printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4168 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4169 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004170 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004171< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004172 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004173
4174 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004175 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004176 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004177 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4178 %c single byte
4179 %d decimal number
4180 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4181 %x hex number
4182 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4183 %X hex number using upper case letters
4184 %o octal number
4185 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4186 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4187 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4188 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4189 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4190 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004191
4192 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4193 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4194 the result.
4195
4196 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004197 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004198
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004199 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004200
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004201 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004202 Zero or more of the following flags:
4203
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004204 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4205 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4206 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4207 of the number is increased to force the first
4208 character of the output string to a zero (except
4209 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4210 precision of zero).
4211 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4212 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4213 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004214
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004215 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4216 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4217 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4218 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4219 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004220
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004221 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4222 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4223 The converted value is padded on the right with
4224 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4225 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004226
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004227 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4228 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004229
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004230 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004231 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004232 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004233
4234 field-width
4235 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004236 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4237 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4238 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4239 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004240
4241 .precision
4242 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4243 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4244 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4245 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4246 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004247 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004248 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4249 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004250
4251 type
4252 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4253 be applied, see below.
4254
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004255 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4256 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004257 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004258 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4259 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4260 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004261 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004262< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004263 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004264
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004265 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004266
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004267 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4268 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004269 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4270 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4271 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004272 conversions.
4273 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4274 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4275 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4276 zeros.
4277 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4278 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4279 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4280 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4281
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004282 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004283 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4284 resulting character is written.
4285
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004286 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004287 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4288 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4289 specified are used.
4290
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004291 *printf-f* *E807*
4292 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4293 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4294 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4295 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4296 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4297 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4298 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4299 Example: >
4300 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4301< 12.12
4302 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4303 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4304
4305 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4306 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4307 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4308 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4309 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4310
4311 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4312 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4313 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4314 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4315 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4316 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4317 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4318 results in 1.0e7.
4319
4320 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004321 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4322 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004323
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004324 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4325 accepted and automatically converted.
4326 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4327 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4328 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004329
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004330 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004331 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4332 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004333 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004334
4335
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004336pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4337 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4338 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004339 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4340 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004341
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004342 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004343range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004344 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004345 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4346 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4347 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4348 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4349 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004350 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4351 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4352 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004353 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004354 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004355 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4356 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004357 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004358 range(0) " []
4359 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004360<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004361 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004362readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004363 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4364 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004365 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4366 NL appears somewhere).
4367 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4368 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4369 added.
4370 - No CR characters are removed.
4371 Otherwise:
4372 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4373 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
4374 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004375 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4376 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4377 lines of a file: >
4378 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4379 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4380 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004381< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4382 are returned, or as many as there are.
4383 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004384 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4385 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4386 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004387 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4388 the result is an empty list.
4389 Also see |writefile()|.
4390
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004391reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4392 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4393 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4394 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4395 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4396 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4397 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004398 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004399 and {end}.
4400 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4401 reltime().
4402 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4403
4404reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4405 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4406 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4407 microseconds. Example: >
4408 let start = reltime()
4409 call MyFunction()
4410 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4411< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4412 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004413 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4414 can use split() to remove it. >
4415 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4416< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004417 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4418
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004419 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4420remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004421 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004422 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004423 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4424 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4425 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004426 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4427 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4428 remote_read() is stored there.
4429 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4430 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4431 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4432 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4433 and the result will be the empty string.
4434 Examples: >
4435 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4436 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4437<
4438
4439remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4440 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4441 This works like: >
4442 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4443< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4444 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4445 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004446 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4447 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004448 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4449 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4450 Win32 console version}
4451
4452
4453remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4454 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4455 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004456 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004457 name of a variable.
4458 Returns zero if none are available.
4459 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4460 See also |clientserver|.
4461 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4462 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4463 Examples: >
4464 :let repl = ""
4465 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4466
4467remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4468 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4469 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4470 See also |clientserver|.
4471 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4472 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4473 Example: >
4474 :echo remote_read(id)
4475<
4476 *remote_send()* *E241*
4477remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004478 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004479 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4480 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004481 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4482 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4483 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004484 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4485 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4486 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4487 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4488 up the display.
4489 Examples: >
4490 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4491 \ remote_read(serverid)
4492
4493 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4494 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4495 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4496 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004497<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004498remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004499 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004500 return it.
4501 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
4502 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
4503 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4504 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4505 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004506 Example: >
4507 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004508 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004509remove({dict}, {key})
4510 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4511 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4512< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4513
4514 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004515
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004516rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4517 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4518 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4519 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4520 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00004521 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004522 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4523
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004524repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4525 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4526 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004527 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004528< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004529 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004530 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004531 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4532< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004533
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004534
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004535resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4536 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4537 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4538 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4539 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4540 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4541 stopped after 100 iterations.
4542 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4543 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4544 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4545 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4546 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4547
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004548 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004549reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004550 {list}.
4551 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4552 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4553
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004554round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004555 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004556 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4557 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4558 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4559 Examples: >
4560 echo round(0.456)
4561< 0.0 >
4562 echo round(4.5)
4563< 5.0 >
4564 echo round(-4.5)
4565< -5.0
4566 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4567
4568
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004569search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004570 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004571 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004572
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004573 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4574 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004575 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004576 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004577 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004578 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4579 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004580 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4581 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4582 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4583
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004584 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4585 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4586 flag.
4587
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004588 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4589
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004590 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4591 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4592 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4593 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4594 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4595< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4596 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004597 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4598
4599 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004600 more than this many milli seconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004601 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4602 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4603 giving the argument.
4604 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004605
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004606 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4607 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004608 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4609 *search()-sub-match*
4610 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4611 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4612 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004613 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004614
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004615 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4616 flag is used.
4617
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004618 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4619 :let n = 1
4620 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4621 : exe "argument " . n
4622 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4623 : " first search to find match at start of file
4624 : normal G$
4625 : let flags = "w"
4626 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004627 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004628 : let flags = "W"
4629 : endwhile
4630 : update " write the file if modified
4631 : let n = n + 1
4632 :endwhile
4633<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004634 Example for using some flags: >
4635 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4636< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4637 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4638 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4639 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4640 line:
4641 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4642 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4643 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4644 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4645 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4646
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004647
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004648searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4649 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004650
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004651 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4652 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4653 first match in the function.
4654
4655 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4656 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4657 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4658
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004659 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4660 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4661 Example: >
4662 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4663 echo getline('.')
4664 endif
4665<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004666 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004667searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4668 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004669 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4670 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4671 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004672 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4673 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4674 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4675 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4676 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4677 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004678
4679 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4680 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4681 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4682 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4683 typical use is: >
4684 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4685< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4686
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004687 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4688 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004689 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004690 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
4691 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004692 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004693 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
4694 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004695
4696 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4697 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4698 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4699 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4700 or a string.
4701 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4702 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4703 and -1 returned.
4704
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004705 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004706
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004707 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4708 patterns are used like it's on.
4709
4710 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4711 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4712 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4713 if 1
4714 if 2
4715 endif 2
4716 endif 1
4717< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4718 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4719 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004720 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004721 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4722 "endif 2".
4723 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4724 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4725 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4726 the matching start.
4727
4728 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4729
4730 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4731 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4732
4733< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4734 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4735 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4736 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4737 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4738 match.
4739 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4740
4741 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4742
4743< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4744 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4745 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4746
4747 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4748 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4749<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004750 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004751searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4752 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004753 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4754 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4755 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004756 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4757 returns [0, 0].
4758>
4759 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4760<
4761 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4762
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004763searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004764 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004765 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4766 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4767 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4768 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004769 Example: >
4770 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4771
4772< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4773 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4774 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4775< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4776 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4777
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004778server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4779 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4780 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4781 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4782 Note:
4783 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004784 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004785 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4786 See also |clientserver|.
4787 Example: >
4788 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4789<
4790serverlist() *serverlist()*
4791 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4792 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4793 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4794 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4795 Example: >
4796 :echo serverlist()
4797<
4798setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4799 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4800 {val}.
4801 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4802 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4803 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4804 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4805 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4806 Examples: >
4807 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4808 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4809< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4810
4811setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4812 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004813 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004814 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4815 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004816 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4817 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4818 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4819 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4820 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004821 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4822 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4823 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4824 line.
4825
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004826setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
4827 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004828 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004829 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004830 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004831 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4832 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004833 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004834< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004835 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4836 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4837< This is equivalent to: >
4838 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4839 : call setline(n, l)
4840 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004841< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4842
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004843setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4844 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4845 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004846 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4847 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004848 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
4849 Also see |location-list|.
4850
4851setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
4852 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004853 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004854 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004855
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004856 *setpos()*
4857setpos({expr}, {list})
4858 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4859 . the cursor
4860 'x mark x
4861
4862 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4863 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4864
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004865 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004866 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004867 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4868 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4869 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004870 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004871
4872 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4873 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4874
4875 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4876 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004877 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004878 character.
4879
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00004880 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
4881 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
4882
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004883 Also see |getpos()|
4884
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004885 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
4886 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
4887
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004888
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004889setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004890 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4891 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4892 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4893 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004894
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004895 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004896 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004897 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004898 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004899 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004900 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004901 col column number
4902 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004903 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004904 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004905 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004906 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004907
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004908 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4909 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4910 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004911 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
4912 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
4913 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004914 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4915 be used.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004916 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
4917 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004918
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004919 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4920 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4921 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4922 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4923 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4924 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4925
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004926 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4927
4928 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4929 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4930 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4931
4932
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004933 *setreg()*
4934setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4935 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4936 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4937 then the value is appended.
4938 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4939 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4940 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4941 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4942 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4943 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4944 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004945 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004946
4947 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4948 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4949 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4950 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4951
4952 Examples: >
4953 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4954 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4955 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4956
4957< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4958 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004959 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004960 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4961 ....
4962 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4963
4964< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4965 nothing: >
4966 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4967
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004968settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
4969 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
4970 {val}.
4971 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
4972 use |setwinvar()|.
4973 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004974 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4975 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4976 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4977 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004978 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
4979 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
4980 Examples: >
4981 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
4982 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
4983< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4984
4985setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4986 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004987 Examples: >
4988 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4989 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004990
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004991shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004992 Escape {string} for use as shell command argument.
4993 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004994 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004995 quotes within {string}.
4996 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
4997 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004998 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
4999 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005000 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5001 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005002 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005003 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5004 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5005 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5006 even when inside single quotes.
5007 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5008 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5009 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005010 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5011 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5012< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5013 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5014 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005015
5016
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005017simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5018 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5019 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5020 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5021 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5022 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5023 not removed either.
5024 Example: >
5025 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5026< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5027 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5028 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5029 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5030 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5031
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005032
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005033sin({expr}) *sin()*
5034 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5035 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5036 Examples: >
5037 :echo sin(100)
5038< -0.506366 >
5039 :echo sin(-4.01)
5040< 0.763301
5041 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5042
5043
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005044sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005045 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5046 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5047 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5048< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005049 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005050 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005051 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005052 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5053 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005054 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
5055 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
5056 sorts before the second one. Example: >
5057 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5058 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5059 endfunc
5060 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005061<
5062
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005063 *soundfold()*
5064soundfold({word})
5065 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005066 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005067 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5068 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005069 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5070 the method can be quite slow.
5071
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005072 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005073spellbadword([{sentence}])
5074 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5075 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5076 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5077 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5078
5079 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5080 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5081 result is an empty string.
5082
5083 The return value is a list with two items:
5084 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5085 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005086 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005087 "rare" rare word
5088 "local" word only valid in another region
5089 "caps" word should start with Capital
5090 Example: >
5091 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5092< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5093
5094 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5095 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5096 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005097
5098 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005099spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005100 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005101 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5102 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5103
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005104 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5105 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5106 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5107
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005108 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5109 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005110 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5111 replace a line.
5112
5113 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005114 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5115 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005116
5117 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005118 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5119 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005120
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005121
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005122split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005123 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5124 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5125 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005126 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005127 removing the matched characters.
5128 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5129 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005130 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5131 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005132 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005133 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005134< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005135 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005136< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5137 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5138< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005139 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5140 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5141< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005142
5143
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005144sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5145 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5146 |Float|.
5147 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5148 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5149 Examples: >
5150 :echo sqrt(100)
5151< 10.0 >
5152 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5153< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005154 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005155 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5156
5157
5158str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5159 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5160 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5161 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5162 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5163 write "1.0e40".
5164 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5165 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5166 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5167 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5168 |substitute()|: >
5169 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5170< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5171
5172
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005173str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5174 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5175 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5176 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5177 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5178 with the default String to Number conversion.
5179 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5180 different base the result will be zero.
5181 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005182
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005183
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005184strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5185 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5186 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5187 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5188 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5189 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5190 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5191 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5192 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5193 Examples: >
5194 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5195 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5196 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5197 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5198 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5199 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005200< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5201 :if exists("*strftime")
5202
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005203stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5204 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5205 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005206 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5207 This can be used to find a second match: >
5208 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
5209 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
5210< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005211 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005212 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005213 See also |strridx()|.
5214 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005215 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5216 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5217 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005218< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005219 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5220 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5221
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005222 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005223string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005224 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5225 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005226 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005227 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005228 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005229 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005230 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005231 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005232 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005233 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005234 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005235
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005236 *strlen()*
5237strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005238 {expr} in bytes.
5239 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5240 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005241
5242 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005243<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005244 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5245 For other types an error is given.
5246 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005247
5248strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5249 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005250 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005251 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5252 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5253 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5254 end of the {src}. >
5255 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5256 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5257 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005258 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005259< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5260 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00005261 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005262<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005263strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5264 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5265 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5266 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5267 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5268 match: >
5269 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5270 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5271< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005272 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5273 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005274 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005275 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005276 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005277< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005278 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5279 function strrchr().
5280
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005281strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5282 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5283 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5284 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5285 echo strtrans(@a)
5286< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5287 starting a new line.
5288
5289submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
5290 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
5291 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
5292 the whole matched text is returned.
5293 Example: >
5294 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5295< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5296 A line break is included as a newline character.
5297
5298substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5299 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
5300 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
5301 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
5302 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
5303 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005304 'ignorecase' is still relevant. 'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005305 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
5306 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
5307 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005308 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005309 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
5310 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5311 unmodified.
5312 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5313 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5314 Example: >
5315 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5316< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5317 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5318< results in "TESTING".
5319
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005320synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005321 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005322 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005323 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5324 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005325
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005326 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005327 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5328
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005329 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005330 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005331 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5332 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5333 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5334 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5335 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5336
5337 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5338 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5339<
5340synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5341 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5342 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5343 about a syntax item.
5344 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005345 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005346 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5347 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5348 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5349 {what} result
5350 "name" the name of the syntax item
5351 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5352 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5353 term: empty string)
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005354 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
5355 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005356 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5357 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5358 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005359 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005360 "bold" "1" if bold
5361 "italic" "1" if italic
5362 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5363 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
5364 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005365 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005366
5367 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5368 cursor): >
5369 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5370<
5371synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5372 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5373 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5374 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5375 ":highlight link" are followed.
5376
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005377synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5378 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5379 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5380 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005381 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5382 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5383 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5384 transparent item.
5385 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5386 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5387 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5388 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5389 endfor
5390
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00005391system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5392 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5393 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5394 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5395 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005396 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005397 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5398 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5399 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5400 also cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005401 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005402
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005403 The result is a String. Example: >
5404 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005405
5406< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5407 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5408 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5409 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5410 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5411 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5412 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5413 concatenated commands.
5414
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005415 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5416 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5417
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005418 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5419 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00005420
5421 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5422 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5423 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005424 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5425 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5426
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005427
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005428tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005429 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005430 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5431 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5432 omitted the current tab page is used.
5433 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5434 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
5435 tablist = []
5436 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
5437 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
5438 endfor
5439< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5440
5441
5442tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005443 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5444 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5445 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5446 page is returned (the tab page count).
5447 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5448
5449
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005450tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
5451 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
5452 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5453 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5454 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5455 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5456 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5457 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5458 Useful examples: >
5459 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5460 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5461< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5462
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00005463 *tagfiles()*
5464tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5465 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5466
5467
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005468taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5469 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00005470 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5471 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005472 name Name of the tag.
5473 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005474 defined. It is either relative to the
5475 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005476 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5477 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005478 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005479 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005480 kind values. Only available when
5481 using a tags file generated by
5482 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005483 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005484 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005485 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5486 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5487 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5488 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5489 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5490 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005491
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00005492 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5493 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005494
5495 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5496
5497 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
5498 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
5499 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
5500
5501 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5502 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5503 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5504
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005505tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5506 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005507 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005508 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5509 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5510 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
5511< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
5512 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
5513 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
5514 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
5515 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5516 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5517
5518tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
5519 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
5520 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
5521 the string).
5522
5523toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
5524 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
5525 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
5526 the string).
5527
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00005528tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
5529 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
5530 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
5531 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
5532 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
5533 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
5534 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
5535
5536 Examples: >
5537 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
5538< returns "Hello THere" >
5539 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
5540< returns "{blob}"
5541
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005542trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005543 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005544 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
5545 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5546 Examples: >
5547 echo trunc(1.456)
5548< 1.0 >
5549 echo trunc(-5.456)
5550< -5.0 >
5551 echo trunc(4.0)
5552< 4.0
5553 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5554
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005555 *type()*
5556type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005557 Number: 0
5558 String: 1
5559 Funcref: 2
5560 List: 3
5561 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005562 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005563 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005564 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
5565 :if type(myvar) == type("")
5566 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
5567 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005568 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005569 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005570
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005571values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005572 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005573 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005574
5575
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005576virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
5577 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
5578 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
5579 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
5580 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
5581 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
5582 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
5583 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00005584 For the byte position use |col()|.
5585 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
5586 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005587 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005588 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005589 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005590 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
5591 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
5592 The accepted positions are:
5593 . the cursor position
5594 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
5595 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
5596 plus one)
5597 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
5598 returned)
5599 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
5600 Examples: >
5601 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
5602 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005603 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
5604< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005605 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
5606 all lines: >
5607 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
5608
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005609
5610visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
5611 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005612 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
5613 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
5614 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
5615 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
5616 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005617 Example: >
5618 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
5619< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
5620 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
5621 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005622 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
5623 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005624 *non-zero-arg*
5625 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
5626 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005627 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005628 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
5629 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
5630 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005631
5632 *winbufnr()*
5633winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005634 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005635 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
5636 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5637 Example: >
5638 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
5639<
5640 *wincol()*
5641wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
5642 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
5643 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
5644
5645winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
5646 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
5647 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
5648 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5649 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
5650 Examples: >
5651 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
5652<
5653 *winline()*
5654winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005655 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005656 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00005657 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
5658 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005659
5660 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005661winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5662 window. The top window has number 1.
5663 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005664 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005665 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
5666 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005667 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
5668 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005669 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
5670 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005671 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005672
5673 *winrestcmd()*
5674winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
5675 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005676 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
5677 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005678 Example: >
5679 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5680 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
5681 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005682<
5683 *winrestview()*
5684winrestview({dict})
5685 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
5686 the view of the current window.
5687 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
5688 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
5689
5690 *winsaveview()*
5691winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
5692 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
5693 restore the view.
5694 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
5695 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
5696 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005697 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
5698 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005699 The return value includes:
5700 lnum cursor line number
5701 col cursor column
5702 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
5703 curswant column for vertical movement
5704 topline first line in the window
5705 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
5706 leftcol first column displayed
5707 skipcol columns skipped
5708 Note that no option values are saved.
5709
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005710
5711winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
5712 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
5713 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
5714 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5715 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
5716 Examples: >
5717 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
5718 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
5719 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
5720 :endif
5721<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005722 *writefile()*
5723writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005724 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005725 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
5726 Number.
5727 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
5728 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
5729 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
5730 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
5731 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
5732 to writefile().
5733 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
5734 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
5735 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
5736 fails.
5737 Also see |readfile()|.
5738 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5739 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5740 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5741<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005742
5743 *feature-list*
5744There are three types of features:
57451. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5746 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5747 :if has("cindent")
57482. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5749 Example: >
5750 :if has("gui_running")
5751< *has-patch*
57523. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5753 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5754 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5755 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005756< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
5757 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005758
5759all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5760amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5761arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5762arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00005763autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005764balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00005765balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005766beos BeOS version of Vim.
5767browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5768 work.
5769builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5770byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5771cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5772clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5773clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5774cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5775cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5776cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5777comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5778cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5779cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5780compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5781debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5782dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5783dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5784diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5785digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5786dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5787dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5788dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5789ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5790emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5791eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5792 true, of course!
5793ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5794extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5795 |'hlsearch'|
5796farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5797file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005798filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5799 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005800find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5801 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005802float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005803fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5804 Windows this is not present).
5805folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5806footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5807fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5808gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5809gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5810gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005811gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5812gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005813gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005814gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5815gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5816gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5817gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5818gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5819gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5820hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5821iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5822insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5823 Insert mode.
5824jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5825keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5826langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5827libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5828linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5829 support.
5830lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5831listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5832 and the argument list |arglist|.
5833localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5834mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5835macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5836menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5837mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5838modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5839mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5840mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5841mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5842mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5843mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5844mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005845mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005846mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar42022d52008-12-09 09:57:49 +00005847multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
5848multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005849multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5850multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00005851mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005852netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00005853netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005854ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5855os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5856osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5857path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5858perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5859postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5860printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005861profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005862python Compiled with Python interface.
5863qnx QNX version of Vim.
5864quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00005865reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005866rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5867ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5868scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5869showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5870signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5871smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00005872sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaaref94eec2009-11-11 13:22:11 +00005873startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005874statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5875 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5876sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00005877spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5878syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005879syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5880 current buffer.
5881system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5882tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5883 |tag-binary-search|.
5884tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5885 |tag-old-static|.
5886tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
5887 files |tag-any-white|.
5888tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
5889terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
5890termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
5891textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
5892tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
5893 or terminfo file.
5894title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
5895toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
5896unix Unix version of Vim.
5897user_commands User-defined commands.
5898viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
5899vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
5900vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
5901virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
5902visual Compiled with Visual mode.
5903visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
5904 |blockwise-operators|.
5905vms VMS version of Vim.
5906vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
5907wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
5908wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
5909windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
5910winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
5911win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
5912win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
5913win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
5914win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
5915win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
5916writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
5917xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
5918xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
5919xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
5920xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
5921xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
5922xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
5923 xterm screen.
5924x11 Compiled with X11 support.
5925
5926 *string-match*
5927Matching a pattern in a String
5928
5929A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
5930the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
5931everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
5932like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
5933line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
5934with ".". Example: >
5935 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
5936 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
5937 aa
5938 xx
5939 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
5940 a
5941 x
5942
5943Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
5944"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
5945"\n".
5946
5947==============================================================================
59485. Defining functions *user-functions*
5949
5950New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
5951functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
5952commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
5953
5954The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
5955builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
5956avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
5957the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
5958
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005959It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
5960|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005961
5962 *local-function*
5963A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
5964can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
5965and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005966function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005967instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
5968
5969 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
5970:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
5971
5972:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005973 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5974 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005975 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005976
5977:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
5978 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
5979 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005980<
5981 *:function-verbose*
5982When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
5983last defined. Example: >
5984
5985 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
5986 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
5987 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
5988<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00005989See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005990
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005991 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005992:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005993 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
5994 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
5995 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005996
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005997 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5998 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005999 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006000< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006001 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006002 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006003 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
6004 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
6005 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006006 *E127* *E122*
6007 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
6008 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
6009 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
6010 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006011
6012 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
6013
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006014 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
6015 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
6016 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
6017 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
6018 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
6019 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
6020 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006021
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006022 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
6023 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006024
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006025 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006026 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006027 local variable "self" will then be set to the
6028 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006029
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006030 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006031 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006032 will not be changed by the function. This also
6033 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6034 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006035
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006036 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6037:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6038 by its own, without other commands.
6039
6040 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6041:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006042 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6043 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006044 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006045< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006046 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6047 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006048 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6049:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6050 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6051 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6052 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6053 the number 0 is returned.
6054 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6055 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6056
6057 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6058 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6059 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6060 are executed first. This process applies to all
6061 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6062 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6063
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006064 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006065An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006066be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006067 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006068Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6069arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6070may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6071as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006072can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6073that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006074 *E742*
6075The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006076However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006077Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6078it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6079|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006080
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006081When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6082to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6083may be larger.
6084
6085It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6086still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6087until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6088inside a function body.
6089
6090 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006091Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6092will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6093accessed with "g:".
6094
6095Example: >
6096 :function Table(title, ...)
6097 : echohl Title
6098 : echo a:title
6099 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006100 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6101 : for s in a:000
6102 : echon ' ' . s
6103 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006104 :endfunction
6105
6106This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006107 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6108 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006109
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006110To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6111 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006112 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006113 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006114 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006115 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006116 :endfunction
6117
6118This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006119 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006120 :if success == "ok"
6121 : echo div
6122 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006123<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00006124 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006125:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6126 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6127 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006128 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006129 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6130 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6131 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6132 function.
6133 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6134 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6135 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6136 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006137 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006138 this works:
6139 *function-range-example* >
6140 :function Mynumber(arg)
6141 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6142 :endfunction
6143 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6144<
6145 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6146 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6147 the range.
6148
6149 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6150
6151 :function Cont() range
6152 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6153 :endfunction
6154 :4,8call Cont()
6155<
6156 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6157 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6158
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006159 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6160 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6161 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6162< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6163
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006164 *E132*
6165The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6166option.
6167
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006168
6169AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006170 *autoload-functions*
6171When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006172only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6173the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6174
6175
6176Using an autocommand ~
6177
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006178This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6179
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006180The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6181You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006182That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006183again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6184
6185Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6186function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006187
6188 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6189
6190The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6191"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6192
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006193
6194Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006195 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006196This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6197
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006198Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6199exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6200like this: >
6201
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006202 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006203
6204When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6205"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6206"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6207then define the function like this: >
6208
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006209 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006210 echo "Done!"
6211 endfunction
6212
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00006213The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006214exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6215called.
6216
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006217It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6218a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006219
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006220 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006221
6222Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6223
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006224This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6225
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006226 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006227
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00006228However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6229for an unknown variable.
6230
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006231When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6232be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6233
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006234 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6235 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006236
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00006237Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6238defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6239function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006240And you will get an error message every time.
6241
6242Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006243other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006244Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006245
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006246Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6247|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6248
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006249==============================================================================
62506. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6251
6252Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
6253This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
6254{} like this: >
6255 my_{adjective}_variable
6256
6257When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6258that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6259name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6260"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6261"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6262
6263One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006264value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006265 echo my_{&background}_message
6266
6267would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6268on the current value of 'background'.
6269
6270You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6271 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6272..or even nest them: >
6273 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6274where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6275
6276However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006277variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006278 :let foo='a + b'
6279 :echo c{foo}d
6280.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6281
6282 *curly-braces-function-names*
6283You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6284Example: >
6285 :let func_end='whizz'
6286 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6287
6288This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6289
6290==============================================================================
62917. Commands *expression-commands*
6292
6293:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6294 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6295 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6296 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6297 is created.
6298
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006299:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6300 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6301 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6302 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6303 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006304 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6305 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6306 can do that like this: >
6307 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6308<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006309 *E711* *E719*
6310:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006311 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6312 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006313 correct number of items.
6314 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6315 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6316 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6317 end of the list, items will be added.
6318
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006319 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006320:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6321:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6322:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6323 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6324 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6325
6326
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006327:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6328 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6329 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006330:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6331 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6332 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6333 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006334
6335:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6336 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6337 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6338 must be the name of a writable register (see
6339 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6340 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6341 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6342 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6343 characterwise.
6344 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6345 :let @/ = ""
6346< This is different from searching for an empty string,
6347 that would match everywhere.
6348
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006349:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006350 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006351 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6352
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006353:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006354 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006355 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6356 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006357 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6358 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00006359 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006360 Example: >
6361 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006362
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006363:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6364 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6365 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6366
6367:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6368:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6369 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6370 {expr1}.
6371
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006372:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006373:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6374:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6375:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006376 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6377 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6378
6379:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006380:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6381:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6382:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006383 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6384 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6385
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006386:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006387 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006388 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6389 {name2}, etc.
6390 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006391 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006392 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6393 command as mentioned above.
6394 Example: >
6395 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006396< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6397 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6398 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6399 :let x = [0, 1]
6400 :let i = 0
6401 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6402 :echo x
6403< The result is [0, 2].
6404
6405:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6406:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6407:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
6408 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006409 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006410
6411:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006412 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006413 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
6414 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
6415 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006416 Example: >
6417 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
6418<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006419:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
6420:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
6421:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
6422 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006423 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006424 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006425:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006426 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
6427 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006428 g: global variables
6429 b: local buffer variables
6430 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006431 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006432 s: script-local variables
6433 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006434 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006435
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006436:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
6437 variable is indicated before the value:
6438 <nothing> String
6439 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006440 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006441
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006442
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006443:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006444 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
6445 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006446 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006447 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
6448 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006449 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006450 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
6451 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006452< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006453 :unlet dict['two']
6454 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006455< This is especially useful to clean up used global
6456 variables and script-local variables (these are not
6457 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
6458 variables are automatically deleted when the function
6459 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006460
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006461:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
6462 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
6463 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
6464 A locked variable can be deleted: >
6465 :lockvar v
6466 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
6467 :unlet v
6468< *E741*
6469 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
6470 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
6471
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006472 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
6473 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
6474 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006475 cannot add or remove items, but can
6476 still change their values.
6477 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006478 the items. If an item is a |List| or
6479 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006480 items, but can still change the
6481 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006482 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
6483 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
6484 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
6485 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
6486 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006487 *E743*
6488 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
6489 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
6490 loops.
6491
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006492 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
6493 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006494 locked when used through the other variable.
6495 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006496 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
6497 :let cl = l
6498 :lockvar l
6499 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
6500< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
6501 See |deepcopy()|.
6502
6503
6504:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
6505 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
6506 opposite of |:lockvar|.
6507
6508
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006509:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
6510:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6511 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6512
6513 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
6514 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
6515 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
6516 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
6517 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
6518 part was not executed either.
6519
6520 You can use this to remain compatible with older
6521 versions: >
6522 :if version >= 500
6523 : version-5-specific-commands
6524 :endif
6525< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
6526 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
6527 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
6528 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
6529 avoid problems: >
6530 :if version >= 600
6531 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
6532 :endif
6533<
6534 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6535 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
6536
6537 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
6538:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6539 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
6540 executed.
6541
6542 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
6543:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
6544 is no extra ":endif".
6545
6546:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006547 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006548:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
6549 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6550 When an error is detected from a command inside the
6551 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006552 Example: >
6553 :let lnum = 1
6554 :while lnum <= line("$")
6555 :call FixLine(lnum)
6556 :let lnum = lnum + 1
6557 :endwhile
6558<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006559 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006560 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006561
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006562:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006563:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
6564 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006565 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006566 value of each item.
6567 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006568 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00006569 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
6570 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006571 :for item in copy(mylist)
6572< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
6573 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006574 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006575 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
6576 it will not be found. Thus the following example
6577 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
6578 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006579 :call remove(mylist, 0)
6580 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006581< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
6582 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
6583 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006584 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
6585 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
6586 to allow multiple item types.
6587
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006588:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
6589:endfo[r]
6590 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
6591 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
6592 {var2}, etc. Example: >
6593 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
6594 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
6595 :endfor
6596<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006597 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006598:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
6599 to the start of the loop.
6600 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6601 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6602 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6603 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6604 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6605 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006606
6607 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006608:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
6609 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
6610 ":endfor".
6611 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6612 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6613 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6614 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6615 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6616 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006617
6618:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
6619:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
6620 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
6621 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
6622 or autocommand invocations.
6623
6624 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
6625 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
6626 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
6627 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
6628 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
6629 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
6630 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
6631 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
6632 Example: >
6633 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
6634 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
6635<
6636 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
6637 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
6638 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
6639 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
6640 processing is not terminated.
6641
6642 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
6643 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
6644 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
6645 other errors are converted to a value of the form
6646 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
6647 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
6648 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
6649 the error number.
6650 Examples: >
6651 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
6652 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
6653<
6654 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
6655:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
6656 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
6657 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
6658 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
6659 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
6660 commands are skipped.
6661 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
6662 Examples: >
6663 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
6664 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
6665 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
6666 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
6667 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
6668 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
6669 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
6670 :catch " same as /.*/
6671<
6672 Another character can be used instead of / around the
6673 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
6674 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
6675 {pattern}.
6676 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
6677 an error message because it may vary in different
6678 locales.
6679
6680 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
6681:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
6682 are executed whenever the part between the matching
6683 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
6684 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
6685 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
6686 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
6687
6688 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
6689:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
6690 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
6691 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
6692 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
6693 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
6694 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
6695 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
6696 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
6697 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
6698 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
6699 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
6700 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
6701 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
6702 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
6703 is terminated.
6704 Example: >
6705 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
6706<
6707
6708 *:ec* *:echo*
6709:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
6710 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
6711 Also see |:comment|.
6712 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
6713 cursor to the first column.
6714 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6715 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6716 Example: >
6717 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006718< *:echo-redraw*
6719 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
6720 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
6721 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
6722 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
6723 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
6724 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
6725 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006726 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
6727<
6728 *:echon*
6729:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
6730 |:comment|.
6731 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6732 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6733 Example: >
6734 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
6735<
6736 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
6737 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
6738 command: >
6739 :!echo % --> filename
6740< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
6741 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
6742< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
6743 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
6744 :echo % --> nothing
6745< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
6746 :echo "%" --> %
6747< This just echoes the '%' character. >
6748 :echo expand("%") --> filename
6749< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
6750
6751 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6752:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6753 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6754 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6755 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6756< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6757 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6758
6759 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6760:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6761 message in the |message-history|.
6762 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6763 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6764 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006765 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
6766 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
6767 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
6768 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
6769 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006770 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6771 Example: >
6772 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006773< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
6774 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006775 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6776:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6777 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6778 script or function the line number will be added.
6779 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006780 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006781 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6782 (see |try-echoerr|).
6783 Example: >
6784 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6785< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6786 And to get a beep: >
6787 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6788<
6789 *:exe* *:execute*
6790:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6791 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006792 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006793 used as the processed command, command line editing
6794 keys are not recognized.
6795 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6796 Examples: >
6797 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6798 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6799<
6800 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6801 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6802 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6803
6804< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6805 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6806 command: >
6807 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6808< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6809
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006810 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
6811 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006812 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
6813 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006814 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006815 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006816<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006817 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006818 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6819 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006820 :execute 'while i > 5'
6821 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6822<
6823 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6824 completely in the executed string: >
6825 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6826<
6827
6828 *:comment*
6829 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6830 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6831 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6832 comment. Example: >
6833 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6834
6835==============================================================================
68368. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6837
6838The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6839explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6840
6841Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6842|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6843exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6844
6845
6846TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6847
6848Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6849use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6850a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6851 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6852|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6853a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6854be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6855which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6856clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6857
6858 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006859 : ...
6860 : ... TRY BLOCK
6861 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006862 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006863 : ...
6864 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6865 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006866 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006867 : ...
6868 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6869 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006870 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006871 : ...
6872 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6873 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006874 :endtry
6875
6876The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6877appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6878from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6879 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6880is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6881script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6882 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6883lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6884patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6885after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6886executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
6887":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
6888(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
6889continues in the following line as usual.
6890 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
6891":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
6892that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
6893finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
6894the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
6895the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
6896see |try-nesting|.
6897 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006898remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006899not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
6900try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
6901a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
6902execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
6903exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6904 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006905thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006906clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
6907catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
6908following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
6909clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6910
6911The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
6912a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
6913try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
6914from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
6915sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
6916":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
6917":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
6918from the finally clause.
6919 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
6920try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
6921clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
6922":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
6923clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
6924":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
6925this pending exception or command is discarded.
6926
6927For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
6928
6929
6930NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
6931
6932Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
6933conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
6934clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
6935catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
6936of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
6937checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
6938try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006939otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006940nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
6941one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
6942the inner try conditional.
6943
6944When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
6945finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
6946An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
6947thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
6948implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
6949as usual.
6950
6951For examples see |throw-catch|.
6952
6953
6954EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
6955
6956Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
6957'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
6958script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
6959finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
6960a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
6961(see |debug-scripts|).
6962
6963
6964THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
6965
6966You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
6967and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
6968 :throw 4711
6969 :throw "string"
6970< *throw-expression*
6971You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
6972first, and the result is thrown: >
6973 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
6974 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
6975
6976An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
6977command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
6978The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
6979 Example: >
6980
6981 :function! Foo(arg)
6982 : try
6983 : throw a:arg
6984 : catch /foo/
6985 : endtry
6986 : return 1
6987 :endfunction
6988 :
6989 :function! Bar()
6990 : echo "in Bar"
6991 : return 4710
6992 :endfunction
6993 :
6994 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
6995
6996This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
6997executed. >
6998 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
6999however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
7000
7001Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007002abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007003exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
7004 Example: >
7005
7006 :if Foo("arrgh")
7007 : echo "then"
7008 :else
7009 : echo "else"
7010 :endif
7011
7012Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
7013
7014 *catch-order*
7015Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
7016commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
7017command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
7018gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
7019 Example: >
7020
7021 :function! Foo(value)
7022 : try
7023 : throw a:value
7024 : catch /^\d\+$/
7025 : echo "Number thrown"
7026 : catch /.*/
7027 : echo "String thrown"
7028 : endtry
7029 :endfunction
7030 :
7031 :call Foo(0x1267)
7032 :call Foo('string')
7033
7034The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7035An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7036specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7037specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7038
7039 : catch /.*/
7040 : echo "String thrown"
7041 : catch /^\d\+$/
7042 : echo "Number thrown"
7043
7044The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7045never taken.
7046
7047 *throw-variables*
7048If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7049in the variable |v:exception|: >
7050
7051 : catch /^\d\+$/
7052 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7053
7054You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7055|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7056exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7057 Example: >
7058
7059 :function! Caught()
7060 : if v:exception != ""
7061 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7062 : else
7063 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7064 : endif
7065 :endfunction
7066 :
7067 :function! Foo()
7068 : try
7069 : try
7070 : try
7071 : throw 4711
7072 : finally
7073 : call Caught()
7074 : endtry
7075 : catch /.*/
7076 : call Caught()
7077 : throw "oops"
7078 : endtry
7079 : catch /.*/
7080 : call Caught()
7081 : finally
7082 : call Caught()
7083 : endtry
7084 :endfunction
7085 :
7086 :call Foo()
7087
7088This displays >
7089
7090 Nothing caught
7091 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7092 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7093 Nothing caught
7094
7095A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7096number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7097
7098 :function! LineNumber()
7099 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7100 :endfunction
7101 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7102<
7103 *try-nested*
7104An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7105a surrounding try conditional: >
7106
7107 :try
7108 : try
7109 : throw "foo"
7110 : catch /foobar/
7111 : echo "foobar"
7112 : finally
7113 : echo "inner finally"
7114 : endtry
7115 :catch /foo/
7116 : echo "foo"
7117 :endtry
7118
7119The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7120clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7121conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7122
7123 *throw-from-catch*
7124You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7125catch clause: >
7126
7127 :function! Foo()
7128 : throw "foo"
7129 :endfunction
7130 :
7131 :function! Bar()
7132 : try
7133 : call Foo()
7134 : catch /foo/
7135 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7136 : throw "bar"
7137 : endtry
7138 :endfunction
7139 :
7140 :try
7141 : call Bar()
7142 :catch /.*/
7143 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7144 :endtry
7145
7146This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7147
7148 *rethrow*
7149There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7150"v:exception" instead: >
7151
7152 :function! Bar()
7153 : try
7154 : call Foo()
7155 : catch /.*/
7156 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7157 : throw v:exception
7158 : endtry
7159 :endfunction
7160< *try-echoerr*
7161Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7162exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7163Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7164denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7165the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7166
7167 :try
7168 : try
7169 : asdf
7170 : catch /.*/
7171 : echoerr v:exception
7172 : endtry
7173 :catch /.*/
7174 : echo v:exception
7175 :endtry
7176
7177This code displays
7178
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007179 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007180
7181
7182CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7183
7184Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7185user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007186an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007187a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7188catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7189a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7190normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7191(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007192to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007193clause has been executed.)
7194Example: >
7195
7196 :try
7197 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7198 : set ts=17
7199 :
7200 : " Do the hard work here.
7201 :
7202 :finally
7203 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7204 : unlet s:saved_ts
7205 :endtry
7206
7207This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7208changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7209that function or script part.
7210
7211 *break-finally*
7212Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7213a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7214 Example: >
7215
7216 :let first = 1
7217 :while 1
7218 : try
7219 : if first
7220 : echo "first"
7221 : let first = 0
7222 : continue
7223 : else
7224 : throw "second"
7225 : endif
7226 : catch /.*/
7227 : echo v:exception
7228 : break
7229 : finally
7230 : echo "cleanup"
7231 : endtry
7232 : echo "still in while"
7233 :endwhile
7234 :echo "end"
7235
7236This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7237
7238 :function! Foo()
7239 : try
7240 : return 4711
7241 : finally
7242 : echo "cleanup\n"
7243 : endtry
7244 : echo "Foo still active"
7245 :endfunction
7246 :
7247 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7248
7249This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007250extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007251return value.)
7252
7253 *except-from-finally*
7254Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7255a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7256cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7257exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7258 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7259working correctly: >
7260
7261 :try
7262 : try
7263 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7264 : while 1
7265 : endwhile
7266 : finally
7267 : unlet novar
7268 : endtry
7269 :catch /novar/
7270 :endtry
7271 :echo "Script still running"
7272 :sleep 1
7273
7274If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7275think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7276|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7277
7278
7279CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7280
7281If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7282watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7283presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7284exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7285the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7286the error exception is.
7287 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7288
7289 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7290or >
7291 Vim:{errmsg}
7292
7293{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007294the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007295when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7296a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7297a space.
7298
7299Examples:
7300
7301The command >
7302 :unlet novar
7303normally produces the error message >
7304 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7305which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7306 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7307
7308The command >
7309 :dwim
7310normally produces the error message >
7311 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7312which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7313 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7314
7315You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7316 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7317or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7318 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7319
7320Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7321 :function nofunc
7322and >
7323 :delfunction nofunc
7324both produce the error message >
7325 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7326which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7327 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7328or >
7329 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7330respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7331command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7332 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7333
7334Some commands like >
7335 :let x = novar
7336produce multiple error messages, here: >
7337 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7338 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7339Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7340one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7341 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7342
7343You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7344 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7345
7346You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7347 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7348
7349You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7350 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7351<
7352 *catch-text*
7353NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7354 :catch /No such variable/
7355only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7356a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7357cite the message text in a comment: >
7358 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7359
7360
7361IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7362
7363You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7364
7365 :try
7366 : write
7367 :catch
7368 :endtry
7369
7370But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7371catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7372be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7373
7374 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7375
7376There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7377writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7378then hide the error from the user.
7379 It is much better to use >
7380
7381 :try
7382 : write
7383 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7384 :endtry
7385
7386which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7387intentionally.
7388
7389For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7390even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7391command: >
7392 :silent! nunmap k
7393This works also when a try conditional is active.
7394
7395
7396CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7397
7398When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007399the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007400script is not terminated, then.
7401 Example: >
7402
7403 :function! TASK1()
7404 : sleep 10
7405 :endfunction
7406
7407 :function! TASK2()
7408 : sleep 20
7409 :endfunction
7410
7411 :while 1
7412 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
7413 : try
7414 : if command == ""
7415 : continue
7416 : elseif command == "END"
7417 : break
7418 : elseif command == "TASK1"
7419 : call TASK1()
7420 : elseif command == "TASK2"
7421 : call TASK2()
7422 : else
7423 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
7424 : continue
7425 : endif
7426 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7427 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
7428 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
7429 : endtry
7430 :endwhile
7431
7432You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007433a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007434
7435For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
7436your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
7437command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
7438
7439
7440CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
7441
7442The commands >
7443
7444 :catch /.*/
7445 :catch //
7446 :catch
7447
7448catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
7449explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
7450a script in order to catch unexpected things.
7451 Example: >
7452
7453 :try
7454 :
7455 : " do the hard work here
7456 :
7457 :catch /MyException/
7458 :
7459 : " handle known problem
7460 :
7461 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7462 : echo "Script interrupted"
7463 :catch /.*/
7464 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
7465 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
7466 :endtry
7467 :" end of script
7468
7469Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
7470strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
7471specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
7472 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
7473by pressing CTRL-C: >
7474
7475 :while 1
7476 : try
7477 : sleep 1
7478 : catch
7479 : endtry
7480 :endwhile
7481
7482
7483EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
7484
7485Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
7486
7487 :autocmd User x try
7488 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
7489 :autocmd User x catch
7490 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
7491 :autocmd User x endtry
7492 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
7493 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
7494 :
7495 :try
7496 : doautocmd User x
7497 :catch
7498 : echo v:exception
7499 :endtry
7500
7501This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
7502
7503 *except-autocmd-Pre*
7504For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
7505command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
7506of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
7507abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
7508 Example: >
7509
7510 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
7511 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
7512 :
7513 :try
7514 : write
7515 :catch
7516 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
7517 :endtry
7518
7519Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
7520you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
7521autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
7522script displays: >
7523
7524 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
7525<
7526 *except-autocmd-Post*
7527For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
7528command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
7529an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
7530is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
7531 Example: >
7532
7533 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
7534 :
7535 :try
7536 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7537 :catch
7538 : echo v:exception
7539 :endtry
7540
7541This just displays: >
7542
7543 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
7544
7545If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
7546fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
7547 Example: >
7548
7549 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
7550 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
7551 :
7552 :try
7553 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7554 :catch
7555 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7556 :endtry
7557<
7558You can also use ":silent!": >
7559
7560 :let x = "ok"
7561 :let v:errmsg = ""
7562 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
7563 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
7564 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
7565 :try
7566 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7567 :catch
7568 :endtry
7569 :echo x
7570
7571This displays "after fail".
7572
7573If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
7574autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
7575
7576 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
7577 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
7578 :
7579 :try
7580 : write
7581 :catch
7582 : echo v:exception
7583 :endtry
7584<
7585 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
7586For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
7587autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
7588of the command.
7589 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007590had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007591some way. >
7592
7593 :if !exists("cnt")
7594 : let cnt = 0
7595 :
7596 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
7597 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
7598 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
7599 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7600 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7601 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
7602 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
7603 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7604 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7605 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
7606 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7607 :endif
7608 :
7609 :try
7610 : write
7611 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
7612 : if &modified
7613 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
7614 : else
7615 : echo "Error after writing"
7616 : endif
7617 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7618 : echo "Error on writing"
7619 :endtry
7620
7621When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
7622first >
7623 File successfully written!
7624then >
7625 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
7626then >
7627 Error after writing
7628etc.
7629
7630 *except-autocmd-ill*
7631You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
7632The following code is ill-formed: >
7633
7634 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
7635 :
7636 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
7637 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
7638 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
7639 :
7640 :write
7641
7642
7643EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
7644
7645Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
7646pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
7647similar things in Vim.
7648 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
7649class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
7650string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
7651 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
7652it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
7653for an error when writing "myfile".
7654 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
7655base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
7656parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
7657 Example: >
7658
7659 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
7660 : if a:a < 0
7661 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
7662 : endif
7663 :endfunction
7664 :
7665 :function! Add(a, b)
7666 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
7667 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
7668 : let c = a:a + a:b
7669 : if c < 0
7670 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
7671 : endif
7672 : return c
7673 :endfunction
7674 :
7675 :function! Div(a, b)
7676 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
7677 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
7678 : if (a:b == 0)
7679 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
7680 : endif
7681 : return a:a / a:b
7682 :endfunction
7683 :
7684 :function! Write(file)
7685 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007686 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007687 : catch /^Vim(write):/
7688 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
7689 : endtry
7690 :endfunction
7691 :
7692 :try
7693 :
7694 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
7695 :
7696 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
7697 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7698 : echo "Range error in" function
7699 :
7700 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
7701 : echo "Math error"
7702 :
7703 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
7704 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
7705 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7706 : if file !~ '^/'
7707 : let file = dir . "/" . file
7708 : endif
7709 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
7710 :
7711 :catch /^EXCEPT/
7712 : echo "Unspecified error"
7713 :
7714 :endtry
7715
7716The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
7717a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
7718exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
7719 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
7720failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
7721
7722
7723PECULIARITIES
7724 *except-compat*
7725The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
7726exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
7727and/or a catch clause.
7728
7729In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
7730continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
7731after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
7732functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
7733or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
7734(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
7735
7736This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
7737immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007738conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
7739be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007740termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
7741catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
7742by specifying a finally clause.)
7743
7744When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
7745behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
7746scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
7747
7748However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
7749commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
7750conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
7751script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
7752error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
7753messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007754|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
7755not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007756where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
7757error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
7758scripts.
7759
7760 *except-syntax-err*
7761Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
7762the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
7763clauses, however, is executed.
7764 Example: >
7765
7766 :try
7767 : try
7768 : throw 4711
7769 : catch /\(/
7770 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7771 : catch
7772 : echo "inner catch-all"
7773 : finally
7774 : echo "inner finally"
7775 : endtry
7776 :catch
7777 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7778 : finally
7779 : echo "outer finally"
7780 :endtry
7781
7782This displays: >
7783 inner finally
7784 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7785 outer finally
7786The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7787
7788 *except-single-line*
7789The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7790a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7791"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7792 Example: >
7793 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7794raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7795argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7796error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7797displayed.
7798
7799 *except-several-errors*
7800When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7801usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7802 Example: >
7803 echo novar
7804causes >
7805 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7806 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7807The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7808 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7809< *except-syntax-error*
7810But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7811the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7812 Example: >
7813 unlet novar #
7814causes >
7815 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7816 E488: Trailing characters
7817The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7818 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7819This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7820not intended by the user. Example: >
7821 try
7822 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7823 catch /.*/
7824 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7825 endtry
7826This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7827a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7828
7829==============================================================================
78309. Examples *eval-examples*
7831
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007832Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007833>
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007834 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the Hex string of a number.
7835 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007836 : let n = a:nr
7837 : let r = ""
7838 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007839 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
7840 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007841 : endwhile
7842 : return r
7843 :endfunc
7844
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007845 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
7846 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
7847 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007848 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007849 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
7850 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7851 : endfor
7852 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007853 :endfunc
7854
7855Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007856 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
7857result: "100000" >
7858 :echo String2Bin("32")
7859result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007860
7861
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007862Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007863
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007864This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
7865
7866 :func SortBuffer()
7867 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
7868 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
7869 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007870 :endfunction
7871
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007872As a one-liner: >
7873 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007874
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007875
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007876scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007877 *sscanf*
7878There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7879line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7880how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7881"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7882 :" Set up the match bit
7883 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7884 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7885 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7886 :"get each item out of the match
7887 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
7888 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
7889 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
7890
7891The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
7892"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
7893
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007894
7895getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
7896 *scriptnames-dictionary*
7897The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
7898have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
7899(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
7900code can be used: >
7901 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
7902 let scriptnames_output = ''
7903 redir => scriptnames_output
7904 silent scriptnames
7905 redir END
7906
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007907 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007908 " "scripts" dictionary.
7909 let scripts = {}
7910 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
7911 " Only do non-blank lines.
7912 if line =~ '\S'
7913 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007914 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007915 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007916 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007917 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007918 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007919 endif
7920 endfor
7921 unlet scriptnames_output
7922
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007923==============================================================================
792410. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
7925
7926When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
7927evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
7928to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
7929recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
7930and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
7931only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
7932recognized.
7933
7934Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
7935missing: >
7936
7937 :if 1
7938 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
7939 :else
7940 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
7941 :endif
7942
7943==============================================================================
794411. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
7945
7946The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
7947options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
7948these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007949these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00007950a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007951The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007952
7953These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
7954 - changing the buffer text
7955 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
7956 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007957 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007958 - executing a shell command
7959 - reading or writing a file
7960 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00007961 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007962This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
7963
7964 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00007965:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007966 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
7967 'foldexpr'.
7968
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007969 *sandbox-option*
7970A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00007971have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007972restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
7973location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00007974- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007975- while executing in the sandbox
7976- value coming from a modeline
7977
7978Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
7979option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
7980
7981==============================================================================
798212. Textlock *textlock*
7983
7984In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
7985to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
7986is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007987actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007988happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
7989
7990This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
7991 - changing the buffer text
7992 - jumping to another buffer or window
7993 - editing another file
7994 - closing a window or quitting Vim
7995 - etc.
7996
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007997
7998 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: