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Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001*cmdline.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2005 Nov 21
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7 *Cmdline-mode* *Command-line-mode*
8Command-line mode *Cmdline* *Command-line* *mode-cmdline* *:*
9
10Command-line mode is used to enter Ex commands (":"), search patterns
11("/" and "?"), and filter commands ("!").
12
13Basic command line editing is explained in chapter 20 of the user manual
14|usr_20.txt|.
15
161. Command-line editing |cmdline-editing|
172. Command-line completion |cmdline-completion|
183. Ex command-lines |cmdline-lines|
194. Ex command-line ranges |cmdline-ranges|
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +0000205. Ex command-line flags |ex-flags|
216. Ex special characters |cmdline-special|
227. Command-line window |cmdline-window|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000023
24==============================================================================
251. Command-line editing *cmdline-editing*
26
27Normally characters are inserted in front of the cursor position. You can
28move around in the command-line with the left and right cursor keys. With the
29<Insert> key, you can toggle between inserting and overstriking characters.
30{Vi: can only alter the last character in the line}
31
32Note that if your keyboard does not have working cursor keys or any of the
33other special keys, you can use ":cnoremap" to define another key for them.
34For example, to define tcsh style editing keys: *tcsh-style* >
35 :cnoremap <C-A> <Home>
36 :cnoremap <C-F> <Right>
37 :cnoremap <C-B> <Left>
38 :cnoremap <Esc>b <S-Left>
39 :cnoremap <Esc>f <S-Right>
40(<> notation |<>|; type all this literally)
41
42 *cmdline-too-long*
43When the command line is getting longer than what fits on the screen, only the
44part that fits will be shown. The cursor can only move in this visible part,
45thus you cannot edit beyond that.
46
47 *cmdline-history* *history*
48The command-lines that you enter are remembered in a history table. You can
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +000049recall them with the up and down cursor keys. There are actually five
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000050history tables:
51- one for ':' commands
52- one for search strings
53- one for expressions
54- one for input lines, typed for the |input()| function.
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +000055- one for debug mode commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000056These are completely separate. Each history can only be accessed when
57entering the same type of line.
58Use the 'history' option to set the number of lines that are remembered
59(default: 20).
60Notes:
61- When you enter a command-line that is exactly the same as an older one, the
62 old one is removed (to avoid repeated commands moving older commands out of
63 the history).
64- Only commands that are typed are remembered. Ones that completely come from
65 mappings are not put in the history
66- All searches are put in the search history, including the ones that come
67 from commands like "*" and "#". But for a mapping, only the last search is
68 remembered (to avoid that long mappings trash the history).
69{Vi: no history}
70{not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist| feature}
71
72There is an automatic completion of names on the command-line; see
73|cmdline-completion|.
74
75 *c_CTRL-V*
76CTRL-V Insert next non-digit literally. Up to three digits form the
77 decimal value of a single byte. The non-digit and the three
78 digits are not considered for mapping. This works the same
79 way as in Insert mode (see above, |i_CTRL-V|).
80 Note: Under Windows CTRL-V is often mapped to paste text.
81 Use CTRL-Q instead then.
82 *c_CTRL-Q*
83CTRL-Q Same as CTRL-V. But with some terminals it is used for
84 control flow, it doesn't work then.
85
86 *c_<Left>*
87<Left> cursor left
88 *c_<Right>*
89<Right> cursor right
90 *c_<S-Left>*
91<S-Left> or <C-Left> *c_<C-Left>*
92 cursor one WORD left
93 *c_<S-Right>*
94<S-Right> or <C-Right> *c_<C-Right>*
95 cursor one WORD right
96CTRL-B or <Home> *c_CTRL-B* *c_<Home>*
97 cursor to beginning of command-line
98CTRL-E or <End> *c_CTRL-E* *c_<End>*
99 cursor to end of command-line
100
101 *c_<LeftMouse>*
102<LeftMouse> cursor to position of mouse click.
103
104CTRL-H *c_<BS>* *c_CTRL-H*
105<BS> delete the character in front of the cursor (see |:fixdel| if
106 your <BS> key does not do what you want).
107 *c_<Del>*
108<Del> delete the character under the cursor (at end of line:
109 character before the cursor) (see |:fixdel| if your <Del>
110 key does not do what you want).
111 *c_CTRL-W*
112CTRL-W delete the word before the cursor
113 *c_CTRL-U*
114CTRL-U remove all characters between the cursor position and
115 the beginning of the line. Previous versions of vim
116 deleted all characters on the line. If that is the
117 preferred behavior, add the following to your .vimrc: >
118 :cnoremap <C-U> <C-E><C-U>
119<
120 Note: if the command-line becomes empty with one of the
121 delete commands, Command-line mode is quit.
122 *c_<Insert>*
123<Insert> Toggle between insert and overstrike. {not in Vi}
124
125{char1} <BS> {char2} or *c_digraph*
126CTRL-K {char1} {char2} *c_CTRL-K*
127 enter digraph (see |digraphs|). When {char1} is a special
128 key, the code for that key is inserted in <> form. {not in Vi}
129
130CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#:-=.} *c_CTRL-R* *c_<C-R>*
131 Insert the contents of a numbered or named register. Between
132 typing CTRL-R and the second character '"' will be displayed
133 to indicate that you are expected to enter the name of a
134 register.
135 The text is inserted as if you typed it, but mappings and
136 abbreviations are not used. Command-line completion through
137 'wildchar' is not triggered though. And characters that end
138 the command line are inserted literally (<Esc>, <CR>, <NL>,
139 <C-C>). A <BS> or CTRL-W could still end the command line
140 though, and remaining characters will then be interpreted in
141 another mode, which might not be what you intended.
142 Special registers:
143 '"' the unnamed register, containing the text of
144 the last delete or yank
145 '%' the current file name
146 '#' the alternate file name
147 '*' the clipboard contents (X11: primary selection)
148 '+' the clipboard contents
149 '/' the last search pattern
150 ':' the last command-line
151 '-' the last small (less than a line) delete
152 '.' the last inserted text
153 *c_CTRL-R_=*
154 '=' the expression register: you are prompted to
155 enter an expression (see |expression|)
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +0000156 (doesn't work at the expression prompt)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000157 See |registers| about registers. {not in Vi}
Bram Moolenaarfd371682005-01-14 21:42:54 +0000158 Implementation detail: When using the |expression| register
159 and invoking setcmdpos(), this sets the position before
160 inserting the resulting string. Use CTRL-R CTRL-R to set the
161 position afterwards.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000162
163CTRL-R CTRL-F *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-F* *c_<C-R>_<C-F>*
164CTRL-R CTRL-P *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-P* *c_<C-R>_<C-P>*
165CTRL-R CTRL-W *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-W* *c_<C-R>_<C-W>*
166CTRL-R CTRL-A *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-A* *c_<C-R>_<C-A>*
167 Insert the object under the cursor:
168 CTRL-F the Filename under the cursor
169 CTRL-P the Filename under the cursor, expanded with
170 'path' as in |gf|
171 CTRL-W the Word under the cursor
172 CTRL-A the WORD under the cursor; see |WORD|
Bram Moolenaar21cf8232004-07-16 20:18:37 +0000173 When 'incsearch' is set the cursor position of the currently
174 displayed match is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000175 {not in Vi}
176 CTRL-F and CTRL-P: {only when +file_in_path feature is
177 included}
178
179 *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R* *c_<C-R>_<C-R>*
180 *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-O* *c_<C-R>_<C-O>*
181CTRL-R CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#:-=. CTRL-F CTRL-P CTRL-W CTRL-A}
182CTRL-R CTRL-O {0-9a-z"%#:-=. CTRL-F CTRL-P CTRL-W CTRL-A}
183 Insert register or object under the cursor. Works like
184 |c_CTRL-R| but inserts the text literally. For example, if
185 register a contains "xy^Hz" (where ^H is a backspace),
186 "CTRL-R a" will insert "xz" while "CTRL-R CTRL-R a" will
187 insert "xy^Hz".
188
189CTRL-\ e {expr} *c_CTRL-\_e*
190 Evaluate {expr} and replace the whole command line with the
191 result. You will be prompted for the expression, type <Enter>
192 to finish it. It's most useful in mappings though. See
193 |expression|.
194 See |c_CTRL-R_=| for inserting the result of an expression.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +0000195 Useful functions are |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdline()| and
196 |getcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000197 The cursor position is unchanged, except when the cursor was
198 at the end of the line, then it stays at the end.
199 |setcmdpos()| can be used to set the cursor position.
200 Example: >
201 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eAppendSome()<CR>
202 :func AppendSome()
203 :let cmd = getcmdline() . " Some()"
204 :" place the cursor on the )
205 :call setcmdpos(strlen(cmd))
206 :return cmd
207 :endfunc
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +0000208< This doesn't work recursively, thus not when already editing
209 an expression.
210
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000211 *c_CTRL-Y*
212CTRL-Y When there is a modeless selection, copy the selection into
213 the clipboard. |modeless-selection|
214 If there is no selection CTRL-Y is inserted as a character.
215
216CTRL-J *c_CTRL-J* *c_<NL>* *c_<CR>*
217<CR> or <NL> start entered command
218 *c_<Esc>*
219<Esc> When typed and 'x' not present in 'cpoptions', quit
220 Command-line mode without executing. In macros or when 'x'
221 present in 'cpoptions', start entered command.
222 *c_CTRL-C*
223CTRL-C quit command-line without executing
224
225 *c_<Up>*
226<Up> recall older command-line from history, whose beginning
227 matches the current command-line (see below).
228 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
229 feature}
230 *c_<Down>*
231<Down> recall more recent command-line from history, whose beginning
232 matches the current command-line (see below).
233 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
234 feature}
235
236 *c_<S-Up>* *c_<PageUp>*
237<S-Up> or <PageUp>
238 recall older command-line from history
239 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
240 feature}
241 *c_<S-Down>* *c_<PageDown>*
242<S-Down> or <PageDown>
243 recall more recent command-line from history
244 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
245 feature}
246
247CTRL-D command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
248'wildchar' option
249 command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
250CTRL-N command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
251CTRL-P command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
252CTRL-A command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
253CTRL-L command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
254
255 *c_CTRL-_*
256CTRL-_ a - switch between Hebrew and English keyboard mode, which is
257 private to the command-line and not related to hkmap.
258 This is useful when Hebrew text entry is required in the
259 command-line, searches, abbreviations, etc. Applies only if
260 Vim is compiled with the |+rightleft| feature and the
261 'allowrevins' option is set.
262 See |rileft.txt|.
263
264 b - switch between Farsi and English keyboard mode, which is
265 private to the command-line and not related to fkmap. In
266 Farsi keyboard mode the characters are inserted in reverse
267 insert manner. This is useful when Farsi text entry is
268 required in the command-line, searches, abbreviations, etc.
269 Applies only if Vim is compiled with the |+farsi| feature.
270 See |farsi.txt|.
271
272 *c_CTRL-^*
273CTRL-^ Toggle the use of language |:lmap| mappings and/or Input
274 Method.
275 When typing a pattern for a search command and 'imsearch' is
276 not -1, VAL is the value of 'imsearch', otherwise VAL is the
277 value of 'iminsert'.
278 When language mappings are defined:
279 - If VAL is 1 (langmap mappings used) it becomes 0 (no langmap
280 mappings used).
281 - If VAL was not 1 it becomes 1, thus langmap mappings are
282 enabled.
283 When no language mappings are defined:
284 - If VAL is 2 (Input Method is used) it becomes 0 (no input
285 method used)
286 - If VAL has another value it becomes 2, thus the Input Method
287 is enabled.
288 These language mappings are normally used to type characters
289 that are different from what the keyboard produces. The
290 'keymap' option can be used to install a whole number of them.
291 When entering a command line, langmap mappings are switched
292 off, since you are expected to type a command. After
293 switching it on with CTRL-^, the new state is not used again
294 for the next command or Search pattern.
295 {not in Vi}
296
297For Emacs-style editing on the command-line see |emacs-keys|.
298
299The <Up> and <Down> keys take the current command-line as a search string.
300The beginning of the next/previous command-lines are compared with this
301string. The first line that matches is the new command-line. When typing
302these two keys repeatedly, the same string is used again. For example, this
303can be used to find the previous substitute command: Type ":s" and then <Up>.
304The same could be done by typing <S-Up> a number of times until the desired
305command-line is shown. (Note: the shifted arrow keys do not work on all
306terminals)
307
308 *his* *:history*
309:his[tory] Print the history of last entered commands.
310 {not in Vi}
311 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
312 feature}
313
314:his[tory] [{name}] [{first}][, [{last}]]
315 List the contents of history {name} which can be:
316 c[md] or : command-line history
317 s[earch] or / search string history
318 e[xpr] or = expression register history
319 i[nput] or @ input line history
Bram Moolenaarcfbc5ee2004-07-02 15:38:35 +0000320 d[ebug] or > debug command history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000321 a[ll] all of the above
322 {not in Vi}
323
324 If the numbers {first} and/or {last} are given, the respective
325 range of entries from a history is listed. These numbers can
326 be specified in the following form:
327 *:history-indexing*
328 A positive number represents the absolute index of an entry
329 as it is given in the first column of a :history listing.
330 This number remains fixed even if other entries are deleted.
331
332 A negative number means the relative position of an entry,
333 counted from the newest entry (which has index -1) backwards.
334
335 Examples:
336 List entries 6 to 12 from the search history: >
337 :history / 6,12
338<
339 List the recent five entries from all histories: >
340 :history all -5,
341
342==============================================================================
3432. Command-line completion *cmdline-completion*
344
345When editing the command-line, a few commands can be used to complete the
346word before the cursor. This is available for:
347
348- Command names: At the start of the command-line.
349- Tags: Only after the ":tag" command.
350- File names: Only after a command that accepts a file name or a setting for
351 an option that can be set to a file name. This is called file name
352 completion.
353- Options: Only after the ":set" command.
354- Mappings: Only after a ":map" or similar command.
355- Variable and function names: Only after a ":if", ":call" or similar command.
356
357When Vim was compiled with the |+cmdline_compl| feature disabled, only file
358names, directories and help items can be completed.
359
360These are the commands that can be used:
361
362 *c_CTRL-D*
363CTRL-D List names that match the pattern in front of the cursor.
364 When showing file names, directories are highlighted (see
365 'highlight' option). Names where 'suffixes' matches are moved
366 to the end.
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000367 The 'wildoptions' option can be set to "tagfile" to list the
368 file of matching tags.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000369 *c_CTRL-I* *c_wildchar* *c_<Tab>*
370'wildchar' option
371 A match is done on the pattern in front of the cursor. The
372 match (if there are several, the first match) is inserted
373 in place of the pattern. (Note: does not work inside a
374 macro, because <Tab> or <Esc> are mostly used as 'wildchar',
375 and these have a special meaning in some macros.) When typed
376 again and there were multiple matches, the next
377 match is inserted. After the last match, the first is used
378 again (wrap around).
379 The behavior can be changed with the 'wildmode' option.
380 *c_CTRL-N*
381CTRL-N After using 'wildchar' which got multiple matches, go to next
382 match. Otherwise recall more recent command-line from history.
383<S-Tab> *c_CTRL-P* *c_<S-Tab>*
384CTRL-P After using 'wildchar' which got multiple matches, go to
385 previous match. Otherwise recall older command-line from
386 history. <S-Tab> only works with the GUI, on the Amiga and
387 with MS-DOS.
388 *c_CTRL-A*
389CTRL-A All names that match the pattern in front of the cursor are
390 inserted.
391 *c_CTRL-L*
392CTRL-L A match is done on the pattern in front of the cursor. If
393 there is one match, it is inserted in place of the pattern.
394 If there are multiple matches the longest common part is
395 inserted in place of the pattern. If the result is shorter
396 than the pattern, no completion is done.
397
398The 'wildchar' option defaults to <Tab> (CTRL-E when in Vi compatible mode; in
399a previous version <Esc> was used). In the pattern standard wildcards '*' and
400'?' are accepted. '*' matches any string, '?' matches exactly one character.
401
402If you like tcsh's autolist completion, you can use this mapping:
403 :cnoremap X <C-L><C-D>
404(Where X is the command key to use, <C-L> is CTRL-L and <C-D> is CTRL-D)
405This will find the longest match and then list all matching files.
406
407If you like tcsh's autolist completion, you can use the 'wildmode' option to
408emulate it. For example, this mimics autolist=ambiguous:
409 :set wildmode=longest,list
410This will find the longest match with the first 'wildchar', then list all
411matching files with the next.
412
413 *suffixes*
414For file name completion you can use the 'suffixes' option to set a priority
415between files with almost the same name. If there are multiple matches,
416those files with an extension that is in the 'suffixes' option are ignored.
417The default is ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj", which means that files ending
418in ".bak", "~", ".o", ".h", ".info", ".swp" and ".obj" are sometimes ignored.
419It is impossible to ignore suffixes with two dots. Examples:
420
421 pattern: files: match: ~
422 test* test.c test.h test.o test.c
423 test* test.h test.o test.h and test.o
424 test* test.i test.h test.c test.i and test.c
425
426If there is more than one matching file (after ignoring the ones matching
427the 'suffixes' option) the first file name is inserted. You can see that
428there is only one match when you type 'wildchar' twice and the completed
429match stays the same. You can get to the other matches by entering
430'wildchar', CTRL-N or CTRL-P. All files are included, also the ones with
431extensions matching the 'suffixes' option.
432
433To completely ignore files with some extension use 'wildignore'.
434
435The old value of an option can be obtained by hitting 'wildchar' just after
436the '='. For example, typing 'wildchar' after ":set dir=" will insert the
437current value of 'dir'. This overrules file name completion for the options
438that take a file name.
439
440If you would like using <S-Tab> for CTRL-P in an xterm, put this command in
441your .cshrc: >
442 xmodmap -e "keysym Tab = Tab Find"
443And this in your .vimrc: >
444 :cmap <Esc>[1~ <C-P>
445
446==============================================================================
4473. Ex command-lines *cmdline-lines*
448
449The Ex commands have a few specialties:
450
451 *:quote*
452'"' at the start of a line causes the whole line to be ignored. '"'
453after a command causes the rest of the line to be ignored. This can be used
454to add comments. Example: >
455 :set ai "set 'autoindent' option
456It is not possible to add a comment to a shell command ":!cmd" or to the
457":map" command and friends, because they see the '"' as part of their
458argument.
459
460 *:bar* *:\bar*
461'|' can be used to separate commands, so you can give multiple commands in one
462line. If you want to use '|' in an argument, precede it with '\'.
463
464These commands see the '|' as their argument, and can therefore not be
465followed by another command:
466 :argdo
467 :autocmd
468 :bufdo
469 :command
470 :cscope
471 :debug
472 :folddoopen
473 :folddoclosed
474 :function
475 :global
476 :help
477 :helpfind
478 :make
479 :normal
480 :perl
481 :perldo
482 :promptfind
483 :promptrepl
484 :pyfile
485 :python
486 :registers
487 :read !
488 :scscope
489 :tcl
490 :tcldo
491 :tclfile
492 :vglobal
493 :windo
494 :write !
495 :[range]!
496 a user defined command without the "-bar" argument |:command|
497
498Note that this is confusing (inherited from Vi): With ":g" the '|' is included
499in the command, with ":s" it is not.
500
501To be able to use another command anyway, use the ":execute" command.
502Example (append the output of "ls" and jump to the first line): >
503 :execute 'r !ls' | '[
504
505There is one exception: When the 'b' flag is present in 'cpoptions', with the
506":map" and ":abbr" commands and friends CTRL-V needs to be used instead of
507'\'. You can also use "<Bar>" instead. See also |map_bar|.
508
509Examples: >
510 :!ls | wc view the output of two commands
511 :r !ls | wc insert the same output in the text
512 :%g/foo/p|> moves all matching lines one shiftwidth
513 :%s/foo/bar/|> moves one line one shiftwidth
514 :map q 10^V| map "q" to "10|"
515 :map q 10\| map \ l map "q" to "10\" and map "\" to "l"
516 (when 'b' is present in 'cpoptions')
517
518You can also use <NL> to separate commands in the same way as with '|'. To
519insert a <NL> use CTRL-V CTRL-J. "^@" will be shown. Using '|' is the
520preferred method. But for external commands a <NL> must be used, because a
521'|' is included in the external command. To avoid the special meaning of <NL>
522it must be preceded with a backslash. Example: >
523 :r !date<NL>-join
524This reads the current date into the file and joins it with the previous line.
525
526Note that when the command before the '|' generates an error, the following
527commands will not be executed.
528
529
530Because of Vi compatibility the following strange commands are supported: >
531 :| print current line (like ":p")
532 :3| print line 3 (like ":3p")
533 :3 goto line 3
534
535A colon is allowed between the range and the command name. It is ignored
536(this is Vi compatible). For example: >
537 :1,$:s/pat/string
538
539When the character '%' or '#' is used where a file name is expected, they are
540expanded to the current and alternate file name (see the chapter "editing
541files" |:_%| |:_#|).
542
543Embedded spaces in file names are allowed on the Amiga if one file name is
544expected as argument. Trailing spaces will be ignored, unless escaped with a
545backslash or CTRL-V. Note that the ":next" command uses spaces to separate
546file names. Escape the spaces to include them in a file name. Example: >
547 :next foo\ bar goes\ to school\
548starts editing the three files "foo bar", "goes to" and "school ".
549
550When you want to use the special characters '"' or '|' in a command, or want
551to use '%' or '#' in a file name, precede them with a backslash. The
552backslash is not required in a range and in the ":substitute" command.
553
554 *:_!*
555The '!' (bang) character after an Ex command makes the command behave in a
556different way. The '!' should be placed immediately after the command, without
557any blanks in between. If you insert blanks the '!' will be seen as an
558argument for the command, which has a different meaning. For example:
559 :w! name write the current buffer to file "name", overwriting
560 any existing file
561 :w !name send the current buffer as standard input to command
562 "name"
563
564==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005654. Ex command-line ranges *cmdline-ranges* *[range]* *E16*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000566
567Some Ex commands accept a line range in front of them. This is noted as
568[range]. It consists of one or more line specifiers, separated with ',' or
569';'.
570
571The basics are explained in section |10.3| of the user manual.
572
573 *:,* *:;*
574When separated with ';' the cursor position will be set to that line
575before interpreting the next line specifier. This doesn't happen for ','.
576Examples: >
577 4,/this line/
578< from line 4 till match with "this line" after the cursor line. >
579 5;/that line/
580< from line 5 till match with "that line" after line 5.
581
582The default line specifier for most commands is the cursor position, but the
583commands ":write" and ":global" have the whole file (1,$) as default.
584
585If more line specifiers are given than required for the command, the first
586one(s) will be ignored.
587
588Line numbers may be specified with: *:range* *E14* *{address}*
589 {number} an absolute line number
590 . the current line *:.*
591 $ the last line in the file *:$*
592 % equal to 1,$ (the entire file) *:%*
593 't position of mark t (lowercase) *:'*
594 'T position of mark T (uppercase); when the mark is in
595 another file it cannot be used in a range
596 /{pattern}[/] the next line where {pattern} matches *:/*
597 ?{pattern}[?] the previous line where {pattern} matches *:?*
598 \/ the next line where the previously used search
599 pattern matches
600 \? the previous line where the previously used search
601 pattern matches
602 \& the next line where the previously used substitute
603 pattern matches
604
605Each may be followed (several times) by '+' or '-' and an optional number.
606This number is added or subtracted from the preceding line number. If the
607number is omitted, 1 is used.
608
609The "/" and "?" after {pattern} are required to separate the pattern from
610anything that follows.
611
612The "/" and "?" may be preceded with another address. The search starts from
613there. The difference from using ';' is that the cursor isn't moved.
614Examples: >
615 /pat1//pat2/ Find line containing "pat2" after line containing
616 "pat1", without moving the cursor.
617 7;/pat2/ Find line containing "pat2", after line 7, leaving
618 the cursor in line 7.
619
620The {number} must be between 0 and the number of lines in the file. When
621using a 0 (zero) this is interpreted as a 1 by most commands. Commands that
622use it as a count do use it as a zero (|:tag|, |:pop|, etc). Some commands
623interpret the zero as "before the first line" (|:read|, search pattern, etc).
624
625Examples: >
626 .+3 three lines below the cursor
627 /that/+1 the line below the next line containing "that"
628 .,$ from current line until end of file
629 0;/that the first line containing "that", also matches in the
630 first line.
631 1;/that the first line after line 1 containing "that"
632
633Some commands allow for a count after the command. This count is used as the
634number of lines to be used, starting with the line given in the last line
635specifier (the default is the cursor line). The commands that accept a count
636are the ones that use a range but do not have a file name argument (because
637a file name can also be a number).
638
639Examples: >
640 :s/x/X/g 5 substitute 'x' by 'X' in the current line and four
641 following lines
642 :23d 4 delete lines 23, 24, 25 and 26
643
644
645Folds and Range
646
647When folds are active the line numbers are rounded off to include the whole
648closed fold. See |fold-behavior|.
649
650
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +0000651Reverse Range *E493*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000652
653A range should have the lower line number first. If this is not the case, Vim
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +0000654will ask you if it should swap the line numbers.
655 Backwards range given, OK to swap ~
656This is not done within the global command ":g".
657
658You can use ":silent" before a command to avoid the question, the range will
659always be swapped then.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000660
661
662Count and Range *N:*
663
664When giving a count before entering ":", this is translated into:
665 :.,.+(count - 1)
666In words: The 'count' lines at and after the cursor. Example: To delete
667three lines: >
668 3:d<CR> is translated into: .,.+2d<CR>
669<
670
671Visual Mode and Range *v_:*
672
673{Visual}: Starts a command-line with the Visual selected lines as a
674 range. The code ":'<,'>" is used for this range, which makes
675 it possible to select a similar line from the command-line
676 history for repeating a command on different Visually selected
677 lines.
678
679==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaardf177f62005-02-22 08:39:57 +00006805. Ex command-line flags *ex-flags*
681
682These flags are supported by a selection of Ex commands. They print the line
683that the cursor ends up after executing the command:
684
685 l output like for |:list|
686 # add line number
687 p output like for |:print|
688
689The flags can be combined, thus "l#" uses both a line number and |:list| style
690output.
691
692==============================================================================
6936. Ex special characters *cmdline-special*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000694
695In Ex commands, at places where a file name can be used, the following
696characters have a special meaning. These can also be used in the expression
697function expand() |expand()|.
698 % is replaced with the current file name *:_%*
699 # is replaced with the alternate file name *:_#*
700 #n (where n is a number) is replaced with the file name of
701 buffer n. "#0" is the same as "#"
702 ## is replaced with all names in the argument list *:_##*
703 concatenated, separated by spaces. Each space in a name
704 is preceded with a backslash.
705Note that these give the file name as it was typed. If an absolute path is
706needed (when using the file name from a different directory), you need to add
707":p". See |filename-modifiers|.
708Note that backslashes are inserted before spaces, so that the command will
709correctly interpret the file name. But this doesn't happen for shell
710commands. For those you probably have to use quotes: >
711 :!ls "%"
712 :r !spell "%"
713
714To avoid the special meaning of '%' and '#' insert a backslash before it.
715Detail: The special meaning is always escaped when there is a backslash before
716it, no matter how many backslashes.
717 you type: result ~
718 # alternate.file
719 \# #
720 \\# \#
721
722 *:<cword>* *:<cWORD>* *:<cfile>* *<cfile>*
723 *:<sfile>* *<sfile>* *:<afile>* *<afile>*
724 *:<abuf>* *<abuf>* *:<amatch>* *<amatch>*
725 *E495* *E496* *E497* *E498* *E499* *E500*
726Note: these are typed literally, they are not special keys!
727 <cword> is replaced with the word under the cursor (like |star|)
728 <cWORD> is replaced with the WORD under the cursor (see |WORD|)
729 <cfile> is replaced with the path name under the cursor (like what
730 |gf| uses)
731 <afile> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the file name
732 for a file read or write
733 <abuf> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the currently
734 effective buffer number (for ":r file" it is the current
735 buffer, the file being read is not in a buffer).
736 <amatch> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the match for
Bram Moolenaar53180ce2005-07-05 21:48:14 +0000737 which this autocommand was executed. It differs from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000738 <afile> only when the file name isn't used to match with
739 (for FileType and Syntax events).
740 <sfile> when executing a ":source" command, is replaced with the
741 file name of the sourced file;
742 when executing a function, is replaced with
743 "function {function-name}"; function call nesting is
744 indicated like this:
745 "function {function-name1}..{function-name2}". Note that
746 filename-modifiers are useless when <sfile> is used inside
747 a function.
748
749 *filename-modifiers*
750 *:_%:* *::8* *::p* *::.* *::~* *::h* *::t* *::r* *::e* *::s* *::gs*
751The file name modifiers can be used after "%", "#", "#n", "<cfile>", "<sfile>",
752"<afile>" or "<abuf>". They are also used with the |fnamemodify()| function.
753These are not available when Vim has been compiled without the |+modify_fname|
754feature.
755These modifiers can be given, in this order:
756 :p Make file name a full path. Must be the first modifier. Also
757 changes "~/" (and "~user/" for Unix and VMS) to the path for
758 the home directory. If the name is a directory a path
759 separator is added at the end. For a file name that does not
760 exist and does not have an absolute path the result is
761 unpredictable.
762 :8 Converts the path to 8.3 short format (currently only on
763 win32). Will act on as much of a path that is an existing
764 path.
765 :~ Reduce file name to be relative to the home directory, if
766 possible. File name is unmodified if it is not below the home
767 directory.
768 :. Reduce file name to be relative to current directory, if
769 possible. File name is unmodified if it is not below the
770 current directory.
771 For maximum shortness, use ":~:.".
772 :h Head of the file name (the last component and any separators
773 removed). Cannot be used with :e, :r or :t.
774 Can be repeated to remove several components at the end.
775 When the file name ends in a path separator, only the path
776 separator is removed. Thus ":p:h" on a directory name results
777 on the directory name itself (without trailing slash).
778 When the file name is an absolute path (starts with "/" for
779 Unix; "x:\" for MS-DOS, WIN32, OS/2; "drive:" for Amiga), that
780 part is not removed. When there is no head (path is relative
781 to current directory) the result is empty.
782 :t Tail of the file name (last component of the name). Must
783 precede any :r or :e.
784 :r Root of the file name (the last extension removed). When
785 there is only an extension (file name that starts with '.',
786 e.g., ".vimrc"), it is not removed. Can be repeated to remove
787 several extensions (last one first).
788 :e Extension of the file name. Only makes sense when used alone.
789 When there is no extension the result is empty.
790 When there is only an extension (file name that starts with
791 '.'), the result is empty. Can be repeated to include more
792 extensions. If there are not enough extensions (but at least
793 one) as much as possible are included.
794 :s?pat?sub?
795 Substitute the first occurrence of "pat" with "sub". This
796 works like the |:s| command. "pat" is a regular expression.
797 Any character can be used for '?', but it must not occur in
798 "pat" or "sub".
799 After this, the previous modifiers can be used again. For
800 example ":p", to make a full path after the substitution.
801 :gs?pat?sub?
802 Substitute all occurrences of "path" with "sub". Otherwise
803 this works like ":s".
804
805Examples, when the file name is "src/version.c", current dir
806"/home/mool/vim": >
807 :p /home/mool/vim/src/version.c
808 :p:. src/version.c
809 :p:~ ~/vim/src/version.c
810 :h src
811 :p:h /home/mool/vim/src
812 :p:h:h /home/mool/vim
813 :t version.c
814 :p:t version.c
815 :r src/version
816 :p:r /home/mool/vim/src/version
817 :t:r version
818 :e c
819 :s?version?main? src/main.c
820 :s?version?main?:p /home/mool/vim/src/main.c
821 :p:gs?/?\\? \home\mool\vim\src\version.c
822
823Examples, when the file name is "src/version.c.gz": >
824 :p /home/mool/vim/src/version.c.gz
825 :e gz
826 :e:e c.gz
827 :e:e:e c.gz
828 :e:e:r c
829 :r src/version.c
830 :r:e c
831 :r:r src/version
832 :r:r:r src/version
833<
834 *extension-removal* *:_%<*
835If a "<" is appended to "%", "#", "#n" or "CTRL-V p" the extension of the file
836name is removed (everything after and including the last '.' in the file
837name). This is included for backwards compatibility with version 3.0, the
838":r" form is preferred. Examples: >
839
840 % current file name
841 %< current file name without extension
842 # alternate file name for current window
843 #< idem, without extension
844 #31 alternate file number 31
845 #31< idem, without extension
846 <cword> word under the cursor
847 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor (see |WORD|)
848 <cfile> path name under the cursor
849 <cfile>< idem, without extension
850
851Note: Where a file name is expected wildcards expansion is done. On Unix the
852shell is used for this, unless it can be done internally (for speed).
853Backticks also work, like in >
854 :n `echo *.c`
855(backtick expansion is not possible in |restricted-mode|)
856But expansion is only done if there are any wildcards before expanding the
857'%', '#', etc.. This avoids expanding wildcards inside a file name. If you
858want to expand the result of <cfile>, add a wildcard character to it.
859Examples: (alternate file name is "?readme?")
860 command expands to ~
861 :e # :e ?readme?
862 :e `ls #` :e {files matching "?readme?"}
863 :e #.* :e {files matching "?readme?.*"}
864 :cd <cfile> :cd {file name under cursor}
865 :cd <cfile>* :cd {file name under cursor plus "*" and then expanded}
866
867When the expanded argument contains a "!" and it is used for a shell command
868(":!cmd", ":r !cmd" or ":w !cmd"), it is escaped with a backslash to avoid it
869being expanded into a previously used command. When the 'shell' option
870contains "sh", this is done twice, to avoid the shell trying to expand the
871"!".
872
873 *filename-backslash*
874For filesystems that use a backslash as directory separator (MS-DOS, Windows,
875OS/2), it's a bit difficult to recognize a backslash that is used to escape
876the special meaning of the next character. The general rule is: If the
877backslash is followed by a normal file name character, it does not have a
878special meaning. Therefore "\file\foo" is a valid file name, you don't have
879to type the backslash twice.
880
881An exception is the '$' sign. It is a valid character in a file name. But
882to avoid a file name like "$home" to be interpreted as an environment variable,
883it needs to be preceded by a backslash. Therefore you need to use "/\$home"
884for the file "$home" in the root directory. A few examples:
885
886 FILE NAME INTERPRETED AS ~
887 $home expanded to value of environment var $home
888 \$home file "$home" in current directory
889 /\$home file "$home" in root directory
890 \\$home file "\\", followed by expanded $home
891
892==============================================================================
8936. Command-line window *cmdline-window* *cmdwin*
894
895In the command-line window the command line can be edited just like editing
896text in any window. It is a special kind of window, because you cannot leave
897it in a normal way.
898{not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist| or |+vertsplit|
899feature}
900
901
902OPEN
903
904There are two ways to open the command-line window:
9051. From Command-line mode, use the key specified with the 'cedit' option.
906 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is not set.
9072. From Normal mode, use the "q:", "q/" or "q?" command. *q:* *q/* *q?*
908 This starts editing an Ex command-line ("q:") or search string ("q/" or
909 "q?"). Note that this is not possible while recording is in progress (the
910 "q" stops recording then).
911
912When the window opens it is filled with the command-line history. The last
913line contains the command as typed so far. The left column will show a
914character that indicates the type of command-line being edited, see
915|cmdwin-char|.
916
917Vim will be in Normal mode when the editor is opened, except when 'insertmode'
918is set.
919
920The height of the window is specified with 'cmdwinheight' (or smaller if there
921is no room). The window is always full width and is positioned just above the
922command-line.
923
924
925EDIT
926
927You can now use commands to move around and edit the text in the window. Both
928in Normal mode and Insert mode.
929
930It is possible to use ":", "/" and other commands that use the command-line,
931but it's not possible to open another command-line window then. There is no
932nesting.
933 *E11*
934The command-line window is not a normal window. It is not possible to move to
935another window or edit another buffer. All commands that would do this are
936disabled in the command-line window. Of course it _is_ possible to execute
937any command that you entered in the command-line window.
938
939
940CLOSE *E199*
941
942There are several ways to leave the command-line window:
943
944<CR> Execute the command-line under the cursor. Works both in
945 Insert and in Normal mode.
946CTRL-C Continue in Command-line mode. The command-line under the
947 cursor is used as the command-line. Works both in Insert and
948 in Normal mode. ":close" also works. There is no redraw,
949 thus the window will remain visible.
950:quit Discard the command line and go back to Normal mode.
951 ":exit", ":xit" and CTRL-\ CTRL-N also work.
952:qall Quit Vim, unless there are changes in some buffer.
953:qall! Quit Vim, discarding changes to any buffer.
954
955Once the command-line window is closed the old window sizes are restored. The
956executed command applies to the window and buffer where the command-line was
957started from. This works as if the command-line window was not there, except
958that there will be an extra screen redraw.
959The buffer used for the command-line window is deleted. Any changes to lines
960other than the one that is executed with <CR> are lost.
961
962
963VARIOUS
964
965The command-line window cannot be used:
966- when there already is a command-line window (no nesting)
967- for entering a encryption key or when using inputsecret()
968- when Vim was not compiled with the +vertsplit feature
969
970Some options are set when the command-line window is opened:
971'filetype' "vim", when editing an Ex command-line; this starts Vim syntax
972 highlighting if it was enabled
973'rightleft' off
974'modifiable' on
975'buftype' "nofile"
976'swapfile' off
977
978It is allowed to write the buffer contents to a file. This is an easy way to
979save the command-line history and read it back later.
980
981If the 'wildchar' option is set to <Tab>, and the command-line window is used
982for an Ex command, then two mappings will be added to use <Tab> for completion
983in the command-line window, like this: >
984 :imap <buffer> <Tab> <C-X><C-V>
985 :nmap <buffer> <Tab> a<C-X><C-V>
986Note that hitting <Tab> in Normal mode will do completion on the next
987character. That way it works at the end of the line.
988If you don't want these mappings, disable them with: >
989 au CmdwinEnter [:>] iunmap <Tab>
990 au CmdwinEnter [:>] nunmap <Tab>
991You could put these lines in your vimrc file.
992
993While in the command-line window you cannot use the mouse to put the cursor in
994another window, or drag statuslines of other windows. You can drag the
995statusline of the command-line window itself and the statusline above it.
996Thus you can resize the command-line window, but not others.
997
998
999AUTOCOMMANDS
1000
1001Two autocommand events are used: |CmdwinEnter| and |CmdwinLeave|. Since this
1002window is of a special type, the WinEnter, WinLeave, BufEnter and BufLeave
1003events are not triggered. You can use the Cmdwin events to do settings
1004specifically for the command-line window. Be careful not to cause side
1005effects!
1006Example: >
1007 :au CmdwinEnter : let b:cpt_save = &cpt | set cpt=v
1008 :au CmdwinLeave : let &cpt = b:cpt_save
1009This sets 'complete' to use command-line completion in Insert mode for CTRL-N.
1010Another example: >
1011 :au CmdwinEnter [/?] startinsert
1012This will make Vim start in Insert mode in the command-line window.
1013
1014 *cmdwin-char*
1015The character used for the pattern indicates the type of command-line:
1016 : normal Ex command
1017 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
1018 / forward search string
1019 ? backward search string
1020 = expression for "= |expr-register|
1021 @ string for |input()|
1022 - text for |:insert| or |:append|
1023
1024 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: