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Bram Moolenaar1a42b4b2013-07-28 18:29:08 +02001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.4b. Last change: 2013 Jun 11
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 Moolenaar5302d9e2011-09-14 17:55:08 +020042Number A 32 or 64 bit signed number. |expr-number| *Number*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000043 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000045Float A floating point number. |floating-point-format| *Float*
46 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
47 Examples: 123.456 1.15e-6 -1.1e3
48
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000049String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000050 |expr-string| Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000051
52Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
53 Example: function("strlen")
54
55List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
56 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000057
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000058Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
59 value. |Dictionary|
60 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
61
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000062The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
63are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000064
65Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020066the Number. Examples:
67 Number 123 --> String "123" ~
68 Number 0 --> String "0" ~
69 Number -1 --> String "-1" ~
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +020070 *octal*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000071Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
72to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020073the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples:
74 String "456" --> Number 456 ~
75 String "6bar" --> Number 6 ~
76 String "foo" --> Number 0 ~
77 String "0xf1" --> Number 241 ~
78 String "0100" --> Number 64 ~
79 String "-8" --> Number -8 ~
80 String "+8" --> Number 0 ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000081
82To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
83 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000084< 64 ~
85
86To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
87base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000088
89For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
90
91Note that in the command >
92 :if "foo"
93"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
Bram Moolenaar3a0d8092012-10-21 03:02:54 +020094use empty(): >
95 :if !empty("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 Moolenaar26402cb2013-02-20 21:26:00 +0100506 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725* *E862*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000507When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000508special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
513 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000514
515This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
516Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
517the function was invoked from.
518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
520Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
521
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000522 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
524assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000525 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
526 :function mydict.len() dict
527 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000528 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000529 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000531The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000532that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000533|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
534remaining that refers to it.
535
536It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000537
Bram Moolenaar1affd722010-08-04 17:49:30 +0200538If you get an error for a numbered function, you can find out what it is with
539a trick. Assuming the function is 42, the command is: >
540 :function {42}
541
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000542
543Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000544 *E715*
545Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000546 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
547 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
548 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
549 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
550 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
551 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
552 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
553 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000554
555
5561.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000557 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000558If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
559function.
560
561When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
562start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
563stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
564
565When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
566start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
567stored in the session file |session-file|.
568
569variable name can be stored where ~
570my_var_6 not
571My_Var_6 session file
572MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
573
574
575It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
576|curly-braces-names|.
577
578==============================================================================
5792. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
580
581Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
582
583|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
584
585|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
586
587|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
588
589|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
590 expr5 != expr5 not equal
591 expr5 > expr5 greater than
592 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
593 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
594 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
595 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
596 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
597
598 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
599 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
600 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
601 matching case
602
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000603 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
604 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000605
606|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000607 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
608 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
609
610|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
611 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
612 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
613
614|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
615 - expr7 unary minus
616 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000617
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000618|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
619 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
620 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
621 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000622
623|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000624 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000625 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000626 [expr1, ...] |List|
627 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000628 &option option value
629 (expr1) nested expression
630 variable internal variable
631 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
632 $VAR environment variable
633 @r contents of register 'r'
634 function(expr1, ...) function call
635 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
636
637
638".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
639Example: >
640 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
641
642All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
643
644
645expr1 *expr1* *E109*
646-----
647
648expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
649
650The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
651non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
652otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
653Example: >
654 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
655
656Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
657other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
658Example: >
659 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
660
661To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
662 :echo lnum == 1
663 :\ ? "top"
664 :\ : lnum == 1000
665 :\ ? "last"
666 :\ : lnum
667
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000668You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
669use in a variable such as "a:1".
670
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000671
672expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
673---------------
674
675 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
676The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
677are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
678
679 input output ~
680n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
681zero zero zero zero
682zero non-zero non-zero zero
683non-zero zero non-zero zero
684non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
685
686The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
687
688 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
689
690Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
691
692 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
693
694Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
695arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
696
697 let a = 1
698 echo a || b
699
700This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
701so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
702
703 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
704
705This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
706only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
707
708
709expr4 *expr4*
710-----
711
712expr5 {cmp} expr5
713
714Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
715if it evaluates to true.
716
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000717 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000718 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
719 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
720 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
721 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
722 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200723 *expr-is* *expr-isnot* *expr-is#* *expr-isnot#*
724 *expr-is?* *expr-isnot?*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000725 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
726equal == ==# ==?
727not equal != !=# !=?
728greater than > ># >?
729greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
730smaller than < <# <?
731smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
732regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
733regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200734same instance is is# is?
735different instance isnot isnot# isnot?
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000736
737Examples:
738"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
739"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
740"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
741
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000742 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000743A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
744"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
745Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000746
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000747 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000748A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
749equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000750recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
751
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000752 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000753A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
754equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000755
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200756When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| or a |Dictionary| this checks if the
757expressions are referring to the same |List| or |Dictionary| instance. A copy
758of a |List| is different from the original |List|. When using "is" without
759a |List| or a |Dictionary| it is equivalent to using "equal", using "isnot"
760equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a different type means the
761values are different: "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'" is false and "0 is []" is
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +0200762false and not an error. "is#"/"isnot#" and "is?"/"isnot?" can be used to match
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200763and ignore case.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000764
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000765When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000766and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000767because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
768
769When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
770results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
771necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
772
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000773When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000774'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000775
776When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000777'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
778
779'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000780
781The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
782argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
783This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
784matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
785portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
786single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
787Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
788(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
789can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
790 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
791 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
792
793
794expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
795---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000796expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000797expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
798expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000799
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000800For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000801result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000802
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +0100803expr7 * expr7 .. Number multiplication *expr-star*
804expr7 / expr7 .. Number division *expr-/*
805expr7 % expr7 .. Number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000806
807For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +0100808For bitwise operators see |and()|, |or()| and |xor()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000809
810Note the difference between "+" and ".":
811 "123" + "456" = 579
812 "123" . "456" = "123456"
813
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000814Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
815 1 . 90 + 90.0
816As: >
817 (1 . 90) + 90.0
818That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
819190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
820 1 . 90 * 90.0
821Should be read as: >
822 1 . (90 * 90.0)
823Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
824attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
825
826When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
827 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
828 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
829 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
830 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
831
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000832When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
833
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000834None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000835
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000836. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
837
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000838
839expr7 *expr7*
840-----
841! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
842- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
843+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
844
845For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
846For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
847For '+' the number is unchanged.
848
849A String will be converted to a Number first.
850
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000851These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000852 !-1 == 0
853 !!8 == 1
854 --9 == 9
855
856
857expr8 *expr8*
858-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000859expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000860
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000861If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
862expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100863Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see |byteidx()| for
864an alternative.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000865
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000866Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
867text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
868cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000869 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000870
871If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000872String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
873compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
874
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000875If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000876for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000877error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000878 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
879
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000880Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
881|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
882error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000883
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000884
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000885expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000886
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000887If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
888from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100889expr1b are used as a Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see
890|byteidx()| for computing the indexes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000891
892If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
893string minus one is used.
894
895A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
896the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
897
898If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
899expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
900
901Examples: >
902 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
903 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
904 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
905 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100906<
907 *sublist* *slice*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000908If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000909the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000910just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000911 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
912 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
913 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
914
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000915Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
916error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000917
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000918
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000919expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000920
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000921If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
922name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
923expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000924
925The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
926but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
927
928There must not be white space before or after the dot.
929
930Examples: >
931 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
932 :echo dict.one
933 :echo dict .2
934
935Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
936always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
937
938
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000939expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000940
941When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
942
943
944
945 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000946number
947------
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +0100948number number constant *expr-number*
949 *hex-number* *octal-number*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000950
951Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
952
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000953 *floating-point-format*
954Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
955
956 [-+]{N}.{M}
957 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
958
959{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
960contain digits.
961[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
962{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
963Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
964locale is.
965{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
966
967Examples:
968 123.456
969 +0.0001
970 55.0
971 -0.123
972 1.234e03
973 1.0E-6
974 -3.1416e+88
975
976These are INVALID:
977 3. empty {M}
978 1e40 missing .{M}
979
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000980 *float-pi* *float-e*
981A few useful values to copy&paste: >
982 :let pi = 3.14159265359
983 :let e = 2.71828182846
984
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000985Rationale:
986Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
987the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
988resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000989could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000990incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
991for floating point numbers.
992
993 *floating-point-precision*
994The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
995means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
996runtime.
997
998The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
999printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
1000function. Example: >
1001 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
1002< 7.853981633974483e-01
1003
1004
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001005
1006string *expr-string* *E114*
1007------
1008"string" string constant *expr-quote*
1009
1010Note that double quotes are used.
1011
1012A string constant accepts these special characters:
1013\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1014\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1015\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1016\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1017\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1018\X.. same as \x..
1019\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001020\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001021 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1022\U.... same as \u....
1023\b backspace <BS>
1024\e escape <Esc>
1025\f formfeed <FF>
1026\n newline <NL>
1027\r return <CR>
1028\t tab <Tab>
1029\\ backslash
1030\" double quote
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02001031\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W. This is for use
1032 in mappings, the 0x80 byte is escaped. Don't use <Char-xxxx> to get a
1033 utf-8 character, use \uxxxx as mentioned above.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001034
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001035Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1036encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1037of 'encoding'.
1038
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001039Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1040
1041
1042literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1043---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001044'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001045
1046Note that single quotes are used.
1047
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001048This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001049meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001050
1051Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001052to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001053 if a =~ "\\s*"
1054 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001055
1056
1057option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1058------
1059&option option value, local value if possible
1060&g:option global option value
1061&l:option local option value
1062
1063Examples: >
1064 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1065 if &insertmode
1066
1067Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1068and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1069anyway.
1070
1071
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001072register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001073--------
1074@r contents of register 'r'
1075
1076The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1077Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001078register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001079registers.
1080
1081When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1082evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001083
1084
1085nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1086-------
1087(expr1) nested expression
1088
1089
1090environment variable *expr-env*
1091--------------------
1092$VAR environment variable
1093
1094The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1095result is an empty string.
1096 *expr-env-expand*
1097Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1098expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1099are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1100the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1101fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1102does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1103 :echo $version
1104 :echo expand("$version")
1105The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1106variable (if your shell supports it).
1107
1108
1109internal variable *expr-variable*
1110-----------------
1111variable internal variable
1112See below |internal-variables|.
1113
1114
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001115function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001116-------------
1117function(expr1, ...) function call
1118See below |functions|.
1119
1120
1121==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +020011223. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E461*
1123
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001124An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1125cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1126|curly-braces-names|.
1127
1128An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001129An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1130|:unlet|.
1131Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1132been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001133
1134There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1135specified by what is prepended:
1136
1137 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1138|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1139|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001140|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001141|global-variable| g: Global.
1142|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1143|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1144|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001145|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001146
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001147The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1148delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001149 :for k in keys(s:)
1150 : unlet s:[k]
1151 :endfor
1152<
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001153 *buffer-variable* *b:var* *b:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001154A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1155Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1156This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1157|:bdelete|.
1158
1159One local buffer variable is predefined:
Bram Moolenaarbf884932013-04-05 22:26:15 +02001160 *b:changedtick* *changetick*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001161b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1162 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1163 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1164 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1165 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001166 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1167 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001168 :endif
1169<
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001170 *window-variable* *w:var* *w:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001171A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1172is deleted when the window is closed.
1173
Bram Moolenaarad3b3662013-05-17 18:14:19 +02001174 *tabpage-variable* *t:var* *t:*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001175A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1176It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001177without the |+windows| feature}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001178
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001179 *global-variable* *g:var* *g:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001180Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001181access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001182place if you like.
1183
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001184 *local-variable* *l:var* *l:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001185Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001186But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1187you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1188refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1189same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001190
1191 *script-variable* *s:var*
1192In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1193accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1194
1195They can be used in:
1196- commands executed while the script is sourced
1197- functions defined in the script
1198- autocommands defined in the script
1199- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1200 defined in the script (recursively)
1201- user defined commands defined in the script
1202Thus not in:
1203- other scripts sourced from this one
1204- mappings
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001205- menus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001206- etc.
1207
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001208Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1209Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001210
1211 let s:counter = 0
1212 function MyCounter()
1213 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1214 echo s:counter
1215 endfunction
1216 command Tick call MyCounter()
1217
1218You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1219that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1220"Tick" was defined is used.
1221
1222Another example that does the same: >
1223
1224 let s:counter = 0
1225 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1226
1227When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001228script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001229defined.
1230
1231The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1232function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1233
1234 let s:counter = 0
1235 function StartCounting(incr)
1236 if a:incr
1237 function MyCounter()
1238 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1239 endfunction
1240 else
1241 function MyCounter()
1242 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1243 endfunction
1244 endif
1245 endfunction
1246
1247This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1248when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1249called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1250
1251When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1252They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1253maintain a counter: >
1254
1255 if !exists("s:counter")
1256 let s:counter = 1
1257 echo "script executed for the first time"
1258 else
1259 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1260 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1261 endif
1262
1263Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1264variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1265
1266
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001267Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var* *v:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001268
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001269 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1270v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1271 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1272 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1273
1274 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1275v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1276 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1277
1278 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1279v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1280 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1281
1282 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001283v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1284 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1285 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1286 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001287 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1288 highlighted text is used.
1289 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1290
1291 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1292v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
Bram Moolenaar00654022011-02-25 14:42:19 +01001293 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option. The first
1294 window has number zero (unlike most other places where a
1295 window gets a number).
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001296
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001297 *v:char* *char-variable*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001298v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr' and used for the typed
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02001299 character when using <expr> in an abbreviation |:map-<expr>|.
Bram Moolenaare6ae6222013-05-21 21:01:10 +02001300 It is also used by the |InsertCharPre| and |InsertEnter| events.
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001301
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001302 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1303v:charconvert_from
1304 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1305 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1306
1307 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1308v:charconvert_to
1309 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1310 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1311
1312 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1313v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1314 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1315 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1316 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1317 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1318 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001319 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001320 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1321 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1322 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1323 in 'printexpr'.
1324
1325 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1326v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1327 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1328 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1329 can be used.
1330
1331 *v:count* *count-variable*
1332v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001333 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001334 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1335< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1336 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001337 When there are two counts, as in "3d2w", they are multiplied,
1338 just like what happens in the command, "d6w" for the example.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001339 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001340 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1341
1342 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1343v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1344 used.
1345
1346 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1347v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1348 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1349 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1350 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1351 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1352 command.
1353 See |multi-lang|.
1354
1355 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001356v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001357 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1358 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1359 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1360 Example: >
1361 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +02001362< Note: if another deadly signal is caught when v:dying is one,
1363 VimLeave autocommands will not be executed.
1364
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001365 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1366v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1367 Example: >
1368 :let v:errmsg = ""
1369 :silent! next
1370 :if v:errmsg != ""
1371 : ... handle error
1372< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1373
1374 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1375v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1376 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1377 Example: >
1378 :try
1379 : throw "oops"
1380 :catch /.*/
1381 : echo "caught" v:exception
1382 :endtry
1383< Output: "caught oops".
1384
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001385 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1386v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1387 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1388 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1389 deleted file no longer exists
1390 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1391 changed and buffer is modified
1392 changed file contents has changed
1393 mode mode of file changed
1394 time only file timestamp changed
1395
1396 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1397v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1398 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1399 do with the affected buffer:
1400 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1401 the file was deleted).
1402 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1403 was no autocommand. Except that when
1404 only the timestamp changed nothing
1405 will happen.
1406 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1407 everything that needs to be done.
1408 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1409 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1410
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001411 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001412v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001413 option used for ~
1414 'charconvert' file to be converted
1415 'diffexpr' original file
1416 'patchexpr' original file
1417 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001418 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001419
1420 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1421v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1422 evaluating:
1423 option used for ~
1424 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1425 'diffexpr' output of diff
1426 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1427 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001428 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001429 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1430 file and different from v:fname_in.
1431
1432 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1433v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1434 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1435
1436 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1437v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1438 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1439
1440 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1441v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1442 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001443 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001444
1445 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1446v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001447 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001448
1449 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1450v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001451 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001452
1453 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1454v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001455 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001456
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001457 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1458v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1459 events. Values:
1460 i Insert mode
1461 r Replace mode
1462 v Virtual Replace mode
1463
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001464 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001465v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001466 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1467 Read-only.
1468
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001469 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1470v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1471 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1472 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1473 The value is system dependent.
1474 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1475 command.
1476 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1477 in a different language than what is used for character
1478 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1479
1480 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1481v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1482 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1483 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1484 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1485 command. See |multi-lang|.
1486
1487 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02001488v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr|, 'formatexpr' and
1489 'indentexpr' expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'
1490 and 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these
1491 expressions is being evaluated. Read-only when in the
1492 |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001493
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001494 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1495v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1496 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1497 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1498
1499 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1500v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1501 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1502 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1503
1504 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1505v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1506 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1507 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1508
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001509 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1510v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1511 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1512 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1513 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
1514 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1515 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1516 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1517 than String this will cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001518 {only when compiled with the |+viminfo| feature}
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001519
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001520 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1521v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1522 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1523 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1524 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1525 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1526 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1527< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1528 don't expect it to be empty.
1529 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1530 commands.
1531 Read-only.
1532
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001533 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1534v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1535 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001536 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1537 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001538 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1539< Read-only.
1540
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001541 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001542v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001543 See |profiling|.
1544
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001545 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1546v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001547 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for |view|,
1548 |evim| etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001549 Read-only.
1550
1551 *v:register* *register-variable*
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001552v:register The name of the register in effect for the current normal mode
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001553 command (regardless of whether that command actually used a
1554 register). Or for the currently executing normal mode mapping
1555 (use this in custom commands that take a register).
1556 If none is supplied it is the default register '"', unless
1557 'clipboard' contains "unnamed" or "unnamedplus", then it is
1558 '*' or '+'.
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001559 Also see |getreg()| and |setreg()|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001560
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001561 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1562v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1563 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1564 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1565 typed command.
1566 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1567 hit-enter prompt.
1568
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001569 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1570v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1571 Read-only.
1572
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001573
1574v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1575 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1576 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1577 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1578 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1579 function. |function-search-undo|.
1580 Read-write.
1581
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001582 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1583v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1584 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1585 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1586 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1587 executed. Read-only.
1588 Example: >
1589 :!mv foo bar
1590 :if v:shell_error
1591 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1592 :endif
1593< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1594
1595 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1596v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1597
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001598 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1599v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1600 the swap file found. Read-only.
1601
1602 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1603v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1604 for handling an existing swap file:
1605 'o' Open read-only
1606 'e' Edit anyway
1607 'r' Recover
1608 'd' Delete swapfile
1609 'q' Quit
1610 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001611 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001612 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1613 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1614
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001615 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001616v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001617 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001618 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001619 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001620 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001621
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001622 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1623v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001624 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001625 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1626 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1627 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1628 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1629 terminal.
1630 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1631 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1632 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1633 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1634 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1635
1636 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1637v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1638 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1639 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1640 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1641
1642 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1643v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001644 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001645 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1646 Example: >
1647 :try
1648 : throw "oops"
1649 :catch /.*/
1650 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1651 :endtry
1652< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1653
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001654 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001655v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001656 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001657 |filter()|. Read-only.
1658
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001659 *v:version* *version-variable*
1660v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1661 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1662 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1663 compatibility.
1664 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1665 if has("patch123")
1666< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1667 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1668 completely different.
1669
1670 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1671v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1672
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001673 *v:windowid* *windowid-variable*
1674v:windowid When any X11 based GUI is running or when running in a
1675 terminal and Vim connects to the X server (|-X|) this will be
Bram Moolenaar264e9fd2010-10-27 12:33:17 +02001676 set to the window ID.
1677 When an MS-Windows GUI is running this will be set to the
1678 window handle.
1679 Otherwise the value is zero.
1680 Note: for windows inside Vim use |winnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001681
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001682==============================================================================
16834. Builtin Functions *functions*
1684
1685See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1686
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001687(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001688
1689USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1690
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001691abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001692acos( {expr}) Float arc cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001693add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001694and( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise AND
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001695append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001696append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001697argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001698argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001699argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001700argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001701asin( {expr}) Float arc sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001702atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001703atan2( {expr}, {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001704browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1705 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001706browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001707bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001708buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1709bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001710bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1711bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1712bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1713byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001714byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001715call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1716 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001717ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1718changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01001719char2nr( {expr}[, {utf8}]) Number ASCII/UTF8 value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001720cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001721clearmatches() none clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001722col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001723complete( {startcol}, {matches}) none set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001724complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001725complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001726confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1727 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001728copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001729cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001730cosh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001731count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1732 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001733cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1734 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001735cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1736 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1737cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001738deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001739delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1740did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001741diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1742diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001743empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001744escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001745eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001746eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001747executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1748exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001749extend( {expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001750 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001751exp( {expr}) Float exponential of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01001752expand( {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]])
1753 any expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001754feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001755filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001756filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001757filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1758 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001759finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001760 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001761findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001762 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001763float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1764floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001765fmod( {expr1}, {expr2}) Float remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001766fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001767fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001768foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1769foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001770foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001771foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001772foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001773foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001774function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01001775garbagecollect( [{atexit}]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001776get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001777get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001778getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1779 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001780getbufvar( {expr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1781 any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001782getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1783getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001784getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1785getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001786getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001787getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001788getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1789getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001790getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001791getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001792getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001793getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1794getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001795getloclist( {nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001796getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001797getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001798getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001799getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001800getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001801getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001802gettabvar( {nr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1803 any variable {varname} in tab {nr} or {def}
1804gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name} [, {def}])
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001805 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001806getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1807getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001808getwinvar( {nr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1809 any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01001810glob( {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]])
1811 any expand file wildcards in {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001812globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {flag}])
1813 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001814has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001815has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001816haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001817hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1818 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001819histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1820histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1821histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1822histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1823hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1824hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1825hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001826iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1827indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001828index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1829 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001830input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1831 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001832inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001833inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001834inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1835inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001836inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001837insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001838invert( {expr}) Number bitwise invert
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001839isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001840islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001841items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001842join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001843keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001844len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1845libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001846libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1847line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1848line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001849lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001850localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001851log( {expr}) Float natural logarithm (base e) of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001852log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001853luaeval( {expr}[, {expr}]) any evaluate |Lua| expression
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001854map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02001855maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]])
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01001856 String or Dict
1857 rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001858mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1859 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001860match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001861 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001862matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1863 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001864matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001865matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001866matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001867 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001868matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1869 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001870matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1871 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001872max( {list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1873min( {list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
1874mkdir( {name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001875 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001876mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01001877mzeval( {expr}) any evaluate |MzScheme| expression
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001878nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01001879nr2char( {expr}[, {utf8}]) String single char with ASCII/UTF8 value {expr}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001880or( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise OR
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001881pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001882pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001883prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001884printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1885pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02001886pyeval( {expr}) any evaluate |Python| expression
1887py3eval( {expr}) any evaluate |python3| expression
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001888range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1889 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001890readfile( {fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001891 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001892reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1893reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001894remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1895 String send expression
1896remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1897remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1898 Number check for reply string
1899remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1900remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1901 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001902remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001903remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001904rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1905repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1906resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001907reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001908round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9a773482013-06-11 18:40:13 +02001909screenattr( {row}, {col}) Number attribute at screen position
1910screenchar( {row}, {col}) Number character at screen position
Bram Moolenaar9750bb12012-12-05 16:10:42 +01001911screencol() Number current cursor column
1912screenrow() Number current cursor row
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001913search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1914 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001915searchdecl( {name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001916 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001917searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001918 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001919searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001920 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001921searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001922 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001923server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1924 Number send reply string
1925serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1926setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1927setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1928setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001929setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1930 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001931setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001932setpos( {expr}, {list}) Number set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001933setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001934setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001935settabvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in tab page {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001936settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1937 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001938setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01001939sha256( {string}) String SHA256 checksum of {string}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001940shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1941 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001942 command argument
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02001943shiftwidth() Number effective value of 'shiftwidth'
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001944simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001945sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001946sinh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f894962011-06-19 02:55:37 +02001947sort( {list} [, {func} [, {dict}]])
1948 List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001949soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001950spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001951spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1952 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001953split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001954 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001955sqrt( {expr}) Float square root of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001956str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1957str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001958strchars( {expr}) Number character length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02001959strdisplaywidth( {expr} [, {col}]) Number display length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001960strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001961stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1962 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001963string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001964strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1965strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1966 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001967strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1968 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001969strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001970strwidth( {expr}) Number display cell length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02001971submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":s" or substitute()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001972substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1973 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001974synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001975synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1976 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1977synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02001978synconcealed( {lnum}, {col}) List info about concealing
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001979synstack( {lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001980system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001981tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1982tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1983tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1984 Number number of current window in tab page
1985taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001986tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001987tempname() String name for a temporary file
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001988tan( {expr}) Float tangent of {expr}
1989tanh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001990tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1991toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001992tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1993 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001994trunc( {expr}) Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001995type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02001996undofile( {name}) String undo file name for {name}
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02001997undotree() List undo file tree
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001998values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001999virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
2000visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
Bram Moolenaar8738fc12013-02-20 17:59:11 +01002001wildmenumode() Number whether 'wildmenu' mode is active
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002002winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
2003wincol() Number window column of the cursor
2004winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
2005winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00002006winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002007winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002008winrestview( {dict}) none restore view of current window
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00002009winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002010winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002011writefile( {list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002012 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01002013xor( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise XOR
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002014
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002015abs({expr}) *abs()*
2016 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
2017 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
2018 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
2019 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
2020 Examples: >
2021 echo abs(1.456)
2022< 1.456 >
2023 echo abs(-5.456)
2024< 5.456 >
2025 echo abs(-4)
2026< 4
2027 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2028
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002029
2030acos({expr}) *acos()*
2031 Return the arc cosine of {expr} measured in radians, as a
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002032 |Float| in the range of [0, pi].
2033 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002034 [-1, 1].
2035 Examples: >
2036 :echo acos(0)
2037< 1.570796 >
2038 :echo acos(-0.5)
2039< 2.094395
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002040 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002041
2042
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002043add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002044 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
2045 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002046 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
2047 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002048< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002049 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002050 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002051
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002052
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01002053and({expr}, {expr}) *and()*
2054 Bitwise AND on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
2055 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
2056 Example: >
2057 :let flag = and(bits, 0x80)
2058
2059
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002060append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002061 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
2062 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002063 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
2064 the current buffer.
2065 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002066 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002067 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002068 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002069 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002070<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002071 *argc()*
2072argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
2073 current window. See |arglist|.
2074
2075 *argidx()*
2076argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
2077 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
2078
2079 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002080argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002081 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
2082 Example: >
2083 :let i = 0
2084 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002085 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002086 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
2087 : let i = i + 1
2088 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002089< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
2090 returned.
2091
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002092asin({expr}) *asin()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002093 Return the arc sine of {expr} measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002094 in the range of [-pi/2, pi/2].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002095 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002096 [-1, 1].
2097 Examples: >
2098 :echo asin(0.8)
2099< 0.927295 >
2100 :echo asin(-0.5)
2101< -0.523599
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002102 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002103
2104
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002105atan({expr}) *atan()*
2106 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
2107 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
2108 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2109 Examples: >
2110 :echo atan(100)
2111< 1.560797 >
2112 :echo atan(-4.01)
2113< -1.326405
2114 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2115
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002116
2117atan2({expr1}, {expr2}) *atan2()*
2118 Return the arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}, measured in
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002119 radians, as a |Float| in the range [-pi, pi].
2120 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002121 Examples: >
2122 :echo atan2(-1, 1)
2123< -0.785398 >
2124 :echo atan2(1, -1)
2125< 2.356194
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002126 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002127
2128
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002129 *browse()*
2130browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2131 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2132 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2133 The input fields are:
2134 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2135 {title} title for the requester
2136 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2137 {default} default file name
2138 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2139 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2140
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002141 *browsedir()*
2142browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2143 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2144 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2145 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2146 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2147 to be used.
2148 The input fields are:
2149 {title} title for the requester
2150 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2151 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2152 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2153
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002154bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2155 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2156 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002157 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002158 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002159 exactly. The name can be:
2160 - Relative to the current directory.
2161 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002162 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002163 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002164 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2165 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2166 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2167 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002168 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2169 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2170 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002171 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2172 file name.
2173 *buffer_exists()*
2174 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2175
2176buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2177 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2178 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002179 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002180
2181bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2182 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2183 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002184 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002185
2186bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2187 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2188 ":ls" command.
2189 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2190 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2191 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002192 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002193 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2194 match an empty string is returned.
2195 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2196 alternate buffer.
2197 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002198 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2199 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2200 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002201 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2202 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2203 buffers are searched for.
2204 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2205 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2206 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2207< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2208 string is returned. >
2209 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2210 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2211 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2212 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2213< *buffer_name()*
2214 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2215
2216 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002217bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2218 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002219 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002220 above.
2221 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2222 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2223 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002224 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2225 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2226< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2227 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2228 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2229 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2230 *buffer_number()*
2231 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2232 *last_buffer_nr()*
2233 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2234
2235bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2236 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2237 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002238 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002239 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2240
2241 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2242
2243< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2244 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002245 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002246
2247
2248byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2249 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2250 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2251 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2252 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2253 one.
2254 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2255 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2256 feature}
2257
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002258byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2259 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2260 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2261 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2262 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2263 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2264 Example : >
2265 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2266< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2267 same: >
2268 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2269 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2270< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2271 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2272 is returned.
2273
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002274call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002275 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002276 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002277 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002278 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2279 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002280 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2281 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002282
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002283ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2284 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2285 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2286 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2287 Examples: >
2288 echo ceil(1.456)
2289< 2.0 >
2290 echo ceil(-5.456)
2291< -5.0 >
2292 echo ceil(4.0)
2293< 4.0
2294 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2295
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002296changenr() *changenr()*
2297 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2298 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2299 with the |:undo| command.
2300 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2301 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2302 one less than the number of the undone change.
2303
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002304char2nr({expr}[, {utf8}]) *char2nr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002305 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2306 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2307 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002308< When {utf8} is omitted or zero, the current 'encoding' is used.
2309 Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002310 char2nr("á") returns 225
2311 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002312< With {utf8} set to 1, always treat as utf-8 characters.
2313 A combining character is a separate character.
Bram Moolenaar97293012011-07-18 19:40:27 +02002314 |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002315
2316cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2317 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2318 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2319 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2320 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2321 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2322 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002323 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002324
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002325clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2326 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2327 |:match| commands.
2328
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002329 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002330col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002331 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2332 . the cursor position
2333 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
Bram Moolenaar1aeaf8c2012-05-18 13:46:39 +02002334 number of bytes in the cursor line plus one)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002335 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2336 returned)
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002337 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2338 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002339 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002340 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002341 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002342 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002343 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2344 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2345 Examples: >
2346 col(".") column of cursor
2347 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2348 col("'t") column of mark t
2349 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002350< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002351 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2352 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002353 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2354 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2355 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2356 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2357 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2358 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2359 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2360<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002361
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002362complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2363 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2364 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002365 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2366 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002367 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2368 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2369 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2370 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2371 match.
2372 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2373 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2374 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002375 inserting anything that would cause completion to stop.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002376 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2377 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2378 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2379 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002380 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002381
2382 func! ListMonths()
2383 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2384 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2385 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2386 return ''
2387 endfunc
2388< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2389 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2390
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002391complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2392 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2393 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2394 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2395 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2396 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002397 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002398 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002399
2400complete_check() *complete_check()*
2401 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2402 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2403 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2404 zero otherwise.
2405 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2406 'completefunc' option.
2407
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002408 *confirm()*
2409confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2410 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2411 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2412 choice this is 1.
2413 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2414 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002415
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002416 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2417 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2418 used (and translated).
2419 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2420 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002421
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002422 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2423 by '\n', e.g. >
2424 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2425< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2426 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2427 not need to be the first letter: >
2428 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2429< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2430 the default shortcut key.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002431
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002432 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2433 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2434 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2435 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002436
2437 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2438 is only used for the icon of the GTK, Mac, Motif and Win32
2439 GUI. It can be one of these values: "Error", "Question",
2440 "Info", "Warning" or "Generic". Only the first character is
2441 relevant. When {type} is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2442
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002443 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2444 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2445
2446 An example: >
2447 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2448 :if choice == 0
2449 : echo "make up your mind!"
2450 :elseif choice == 3
2451 : echo "tasteful"
2452 :else
2453 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2454 :endif
2455< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2456 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002457 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002458 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2459 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2460 the horizontal layout is always used.
2461
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002462 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002463copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002464 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002465 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2466 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002467 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2468 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002469 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002470
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002471cos({expr}) *cos()*
2472 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2473 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2474 Examples: >
2475 :echo cos(100)
2476< 0.862319 >
2477 :echo cos(-4.01)
2478< -0.646043
2479 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2480
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002481
2482cosh({expr}) *cosh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002483 Return the hyperbolic cosine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002484 [1, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002485 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002486 Examples: >
2487 :echo cosh(0.5)
2488< 1.127626 >
2489 :echo cosh(-0.5)
2490< -1.127626
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002491 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002492
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002493
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002494count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002495 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002496 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002497 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002498 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002499 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2500
2501
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002502 *cscope_connection()*
2503cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2504 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2505 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2506 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2507 if there are no cscope connections;
2508 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2509
2510 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2511 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2512
2513 {num} Description of existence check
2514 ----- ------------------------------
2515 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2516 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2517 {dbpath}.
2518 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2519 {dbpath}.
2520 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2521 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2522 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2523 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2524
2525 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2526
2527 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2528
2529 # pid database name prepend path
2530 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2531<
2532 Invocation Return Val ~
2533 ---------- ---------- >
2534 cscope_connection() 1
2535 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2536 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2537 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2538 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2539 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2540 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2541 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2542<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002543cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2544cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002545 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2546 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002547 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002548 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2549 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002550 Does not change the jumplist.
2551 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2552 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2553 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002554 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002555 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2556 line.
2557 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002558 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2559 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002560 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00002561 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002562
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002563
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002564deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002565 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002566 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002567 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2568 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002569 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002570 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002571 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2572 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2573 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2574 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2575 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2576 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002577 *E724*
2578 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002579 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2580 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002581 Also see |copy()|.
2582
2583delete({fname}) *delete()*
2584 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002585 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2586 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002587 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarac7bd632013-03-19 11:35:58 +01002588 To delete a line from the buffer use |:delete|. Use |:exe|
2589 when the line number is in a variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002590
2591 *did_filetype()*
2592did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2593 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2594 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2595 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2596 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2597 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2598 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2599 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2600 file.
2601
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002602diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2603 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2604 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2605 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2606 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2607 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2608 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2609 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2610
2611diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2612 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2613 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2614 diff change zero is returned.
2615 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2616 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2617 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2618 line.
2619 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2620 syntax information about the highlighting.
2621
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002622empty({expr}) *empty()*
2623 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002624 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002625 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002626 For a long |List| this is much faster than comparing the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002627 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002628
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002629escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2630 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2631 backslash. Example: >
2632 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2633< results in: >
2634 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002635< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002636
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002637 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002638eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2639 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002640 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2641 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2642 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002643
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002644eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2645 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2646 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2647 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2648 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2649
2650executable({expr}) *executable()*
2651 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2652 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002653 arguments.
2654 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2655 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2656 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2657 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002658 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2659 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002660 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002661 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002662 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2663 extension.
2664 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2665 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002666 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2667 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2668 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002669 The result is a Number:
2670 1 exists
2671 0 does not exist
2672 -1 not implemented on this system
2673
2674 *exists()*
2675exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2676 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2677 which contains one of these:
2678 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2679 not if it really works)
2680 +option-name Vim option that works.
2681 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2682 done by comparing with an empty
2683 string)
2684 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2685 or user defined function (see
2686 |user-functions|).
2687 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002688 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002689 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2690 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002691 that evaluating an index may cause an
2692 error message for an invalid
2693 expression. E.g.: >
2694 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2695 :echo exists("l[5]")
2696< 0 >
2697 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2698< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2699 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002700 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2701 command or command modifier |:command|.
2702 Returns:
2703 1 for match with start of a command
2704 2 full match with a command
2705 3 matches several user commands
2706 To check for a supported command
2707 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002708 :2match The |:2match| command.
2709 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002710 #event autocommand defined for this event
2711 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2712 pattern (the pattern is taken
2713 literally and compared to the
2714 autocommand patterns character by
2715 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002716 #group autocommand group exists
2717 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2718 event.
2719 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002720 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002721 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002722 ##event autocommand for this event is
2723 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002724 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2725
2726 Examples: >
2727 exists("&shortname")
2728 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2729 exists("*strftime")
2730 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2731 exists("bufcount")
2732 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002733 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002734 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002735 exists("#filetypeindent")
2736 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2737 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002738 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002739< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2740 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002741 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2742 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2743 the future, thus don't count on it!
2744 Working example: >
2745 exists(":make")
2746< NOT working example: >
2747 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002748
2749< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2750 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002751 exists(bufcount)
2752< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002753 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002754
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002755exp({expr}) *exp()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002756 Return the exponential of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002757 [0, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002758 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002759 Examples: >
2760 :echo exp(2)
2761< 7.389056 >
2762 :echo exp(-1)
2763< 0.367879
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002764 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002765
2766
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01002767expand({expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]]) *expand()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002768 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01002769 'wildignorecase' applies.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002770
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01002771 If {list} is given and it is non-zero, a List will be returned.
2772 Otherwise the result is a String and when there are several
2773 matches, they are separated by <NL> characters. [Note: in
2774 version 5.0 a space was used, which caused problems when a
2775 file name contains a space]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002776
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002777 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaarec7944a2013-06-12 21:29:15 +02002778 for a non-existing file is not included, unless {expr} does
2779 not start with '%', '#' or '<', see below.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002780
2781 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2782 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2783 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2784
2785 % current file name
2786 # alternate file name
2787 #n alternate file name n
2788 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2789 <afile> autocmd file name
2790 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2791 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2792 <sfile> sourced script file name
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01002793 <slnum> sourced script file line number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002794 <cword> word under the cursor
2795 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2796 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2797 message |server2client()|
2798 Modifiers:
2799 :p expand to full path
2800 :h head (last path component removed)
2801 :t tail (last path component only)
2802 :r root (one extension removed)
2803 :e extension only
2804
2805 Example: >
2806 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2807< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2808 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2809 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2810< Use this: >
2811 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2812< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2813 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2814 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2815 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2816 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2817<
2818 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2819 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2820 to modify normal file names.
2821
2822 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2823 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2824 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2825 '/' added.
2826
2827 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2828 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2829 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01002830 {nosuf} argument is given and it is non-zero.
2831 Names for non-existing files are included. The "**" item can
2832 be used to search in a directory tree. For example, to find
2833 all "README" files in the current directory and below: >
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002834 :echo expand("**/README")
2835<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002836 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2837 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002838 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002839 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002840 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002841 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2842 "$FOOBAR".
2843
2844 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2845 getting the raw output of an external command.
2846
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002847extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002848 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2849 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002850
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002851 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002852 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2853 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2854 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2855 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002856 Examples: >
2857 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2858 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002859< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2860 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2861 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2862 (where N is the original length of the List).
2863 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002864 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002865 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002866<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002867 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002868 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2869 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2870 used to decide what to do:
2871 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2872 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002873 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002874 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2875
2876 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2877 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2878 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2879 Returns {expr1}.
2880
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002881
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002882feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2883 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002884 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002885 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002886 being executed these characters come after them.
2887 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2888 {string}.
2889 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2890 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002891 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002892 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2893 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2894 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002895 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2896 'n' Do not remap keys.
2897 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2898 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2899 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002900 Return value is always 0.
2901
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002902filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2903 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2904 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2905 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2906 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002907 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2908 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002909 *file_readable()*
2910 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2911
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002912
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002913filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2914 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2915 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002916 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002917 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2918
2919
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002920filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002921 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002922 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002923 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002924 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002925 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002926 Examples: >
2927 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2928< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2929 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2930< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2931 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002932< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002933
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002934 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2935 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2936 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2937
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002938 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2939 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002940 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002941
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002942< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002943 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2944 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002945
2946
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002947finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00002948 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2949 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2950 for the syntax of {path}.
2951 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2952 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2953 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002954 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2955 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002956 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002957 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002958 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002959 {only available when compiled with the |+file_in_path|
2960 feature}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002961
2962findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2963 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002964 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2965 Example: >
2966 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002967< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2968 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002969
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002970float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2971 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2972 decimal point.
2973 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2974 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2975 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2976 in -0x80000000.
2977 Examples: >
2978 echo float2nr(3.95)
2979< 3 >
2980 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2981< -23 >
2982 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2983< 2147483647 >
2984 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2985< -2147483647 >
2986 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2987< 0
2988 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2989
2990
2991floor({expr}) *floor()*
2992 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2993 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2994 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2995 Examples: >
2996 echo floor(1.856)
2997< 1.0 >
2998 echo floor(-5.456)
2999< -6.0 >
3000 echo floor(4.0)
3001< 4.0
3002 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3003
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003004
3005fmod({expr1}, {expr2}) *fmod()*
3006 Return the remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}, even if the
3007 division is not representable. Returns {expr1} - i * {expr2}
3008 for some integer i such that if {expr2} is non-zero, the
3009 result has the same sign as {expr1} and magnitude less than
3010 the magnitude of {expr2}. If {expr2} is zero, the value
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003011 returned is zero. The value returned is a |Float|.
3012 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003013 Examples: >
3014 :echo fmod(12.33, 1.22)
3015< 0.13 >
3016 :echo fmod(-12.33, 1.22)
3017< -0.13
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003018 {only available when compiled with |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003019
3020
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003021fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003022 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003023 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
3024 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003025 For most systems the characters escaped are
3026 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
3027 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003028 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
3029 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003030 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003031 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003032 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
3033< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003034 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003035
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003036fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
3037 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
3038 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
3039 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
3040 Example: >
3041 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
3042< results in: >
3043 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003044< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003045 |expand()| first then.
3046
3047foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
3048 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3049 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
3050 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3051
3052foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
3053 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3054 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
3055 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3056
3057foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
3058 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003059 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003060 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
3061 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
3062 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
3063 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
3064 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
3065 previous line is usually available.
3066
3067 *foldtext()*
3068foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
3069 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
3070 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
3071 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
3072 The returned string looks like this: >
3073 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003074< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003075 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
3076 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
3077 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
3078 options is removed.
3079 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3080
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00003081foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
3082 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
3083 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
3084 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
3085 returned.
3086 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
3087 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
3088 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
3089 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3090
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003091 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003092foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003093 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
3094 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
3095 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
3096 |remote_foreground()| instead.
3097 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3098 Win32 console version}
3099
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003100
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003101function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003102 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003103 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
3104
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003105
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003106garbagecollect([{atexit}]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003107 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003108 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
3109 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
3110 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
3111 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
3112 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003113 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
3114 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
3115 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003116 When the optional {atexit} argument is one, garbage
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003117 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
3118 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003119
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003120get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003121 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003122 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
3123 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003124get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003125 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003126 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
3127 {default} is omitted.
3128
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003129 *getbufline()*
3130getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003131 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
3132 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
3133 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003134
3135 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3136
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003137 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
3138 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003139
3140 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003141 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003142
3143 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
3144 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003145 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003146 returned.
3147
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003148 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003149 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003150
3151 Example: >
3152 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003153
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003154getbufvar({expr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *getbufvar()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003155 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
3156 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
3157 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003158 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
3159 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00003160 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
3161 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
3162 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003163 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003164 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist {def} or an empty
3165 string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003166 Examples: >
3167 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
3168 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
3169<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003170getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003171 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003172 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
3173 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003174 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003175 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003176 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
3177
3178 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
3179 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3180 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3181 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3182 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003183 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3184 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3185 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3186 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003187
3188 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003189 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3190 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003191
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003192 Use getcharmod() to obtain any additional modifiers.
3193
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003194 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3195 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3196 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3197 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3198 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003199 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003200 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3201 exe v:mouse_lnum
3202 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3203 endif
3204<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003205 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3206 user that a character has to be typed.
3207 There is no mapping for the character.
3208 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3209 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3210 sequence. Examples: >
3211 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3212 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3213< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3214 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3215 :function FindChar()
3216 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3217 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3218 : normal l
3219 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3220 : break
3221 : endif
3222 : endwhile
3223 :endfunction
3224
3225getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3226 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3227 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3228 These values are added together:
3229 2 shift
3230 4 control
3231 8 alt (meta)
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003232 16 meta (when it's different from ALT)
3233 32 mouse double click
3234 64 mouse triple click
3235 96 mouse quadruple click (== 32 + 64)
3236 128 command (Macintosh only)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003237 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003238 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003239 without a modifier.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003240
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003241getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3242 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3243 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3244 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3245 Example: >
3246 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003247< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003248
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003249getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003250 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3251 byte count. The first column is 1.
3252 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
Bram Moolenaar5b435d62012-04-05 17:33:26 +02003253 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=| or an expression mapping.
3254 Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003255 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3256
3257getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3258 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3259 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003260 : normal Ex command
3261 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3262 / forward search command
3263 ? backward search command
3264 @ |input()| command
3265 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003266 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
Bram Moolenaar5b435d62012-04-05 17:33:26 +02003267 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=| or an expression mapping.
3268 Returns an empty string otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003269 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003270
3271 *getcwd()*
3272getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3273 working directory.
3274
3275getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3276 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3277 given file {fname}.
3278 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3279 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003280 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3281 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003282
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003283getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3284 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3285 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3286 |hl-Normal|.
3287 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3288 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3289 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3290 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003291 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003292 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3293 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003294 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3295 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003296
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003297getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3298 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3299 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3300 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3301 empty string is returned.
3302 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3303 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3304 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3305 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02003306 is replaced with the string "-". Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003307 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02003308 :echo getfperm(expand("~/.vimrc"))
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003309< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3310 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003311
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003312getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3313 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3314 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3315 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3316 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3317 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3318
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003319getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3320 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3321 file of the given file {fname}.
3322 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3323 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3324 results:
3325 Normal file "file"
3326 Directory "dir"
3327 Symbolic link "link"
3328 Block device "bdev"
3329 Character device "cdev"
3330 Socket "socket"
3331 FIFO "fifo"
3332 All other "other"
3333 Example: >
3334 getftype("/home")
3335< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3336 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3337 "file" are returned.
3338
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003339 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003340getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3341 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3342 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003343 getline(1)
3344< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3345 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3346 To get the line under the cursor: >
3347 getline(".")
3348< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3349 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3350
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003351 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3352 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003353 including line {end}.
3354 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3355 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003356 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003357 Example: >
3358 :let start = line('.')
3359 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3360 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3361
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003362< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3363
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003364getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3365 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3366 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3367 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003368 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003369 returned. Otherwise, same as |getqflist()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003370
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003371getmatches() *getmatches()*
3372 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3373 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3374 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3375 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3376 Example: >
3377 :echo getmatches()
3378< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3379 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3380 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3381 :let m = getmatches()
3382 :call clearmatches()
3383 :echo getmatches()
3384< [] >
3385 :call setmatches(m)
3386 :echo getmatches()
3387< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3388 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3389 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3390 :unlet m
3391<
3392
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003393getqflist() *getqflist()*
3394 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3395 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3396 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3397 bufname() to get the name
3398 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3399 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003400 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3401 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003402 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003403 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003404 text description of the error
3405 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3406 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3407
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003408 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003409 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3410 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003411
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003412 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3413 do something with them: >
3414 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3415 :for d in getqflist()
3416 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3417 :endfor
3418
3419
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003420getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003421 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003422 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003423 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3424< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003425 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003426 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3427 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3428 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003429 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3430
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003431
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003432getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3433 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3434 The value will be one of:
3435 "v" for |characterwise| text
3436 "V" for |linewise| text
3437 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3438 0 for an empty or unknown register
3439 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3440 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3441
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003442gettabvar({tabnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *gettabvar()*
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003443 Get the value of a tab-local variable {varname} in tab page
3444 {tabnr}. |t:var|
3445 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
3446 Note that the name without "t:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003447 When the tab or variable doesn't exist {def} or an empty
3448 string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003449
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003450gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003451 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3452 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3453 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3454 option.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003455 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3456 variables is returned.
3457 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003458 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3459 use |getwinvar()|.
3460 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3461 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3462 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3463 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003464 When the tab, window or variable doesn't exist {def} or an
3465 empty string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003466 Examples: >
3467 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3468 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003469<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003470 *getwinposx()*
3471getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3472 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3473 -1 if the information is not available.
3474
3475 *getwinposy()*
3476getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003477 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003478 information is not available.
3479
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003480getwinvar({winnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *getwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003481 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003482 Examples: >
3483 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3484 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3485<
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003486glob({expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]]) *glob()*
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003487 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003488 use of special characters.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003489
3490 Unless the optional {nosuf} argument is given and is non-zero,
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003491 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3492 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3493 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01003494 'wildignorecase' always applies.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003495
3496 When {list} is present and it is non-zero the result is a List
3497 with all matching files. The advantage of using a List is,
3498 you also get filenames containing newlines correctly.
3499 Otherwise the result is a String and when there are several
3500 matches, they are separated by <NL> characters.
3501
3502 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty String or List.
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02003503 A name for a non-existing file is not included. A symbolic
3504 link is only included if it points to an existing file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003505
3506 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3507 any external command. Example: >
3508 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3509 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3510< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003511 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003512
3513 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3514 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3515
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003516globpath({path}, {expr} [, {flag}]) *globpath()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003517 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3518 the results. Example: >
3519 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3520< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3521 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003522 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003523 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3524 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3525 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3526 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3527 error message.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003528 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3529 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3530 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3531 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003532
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003533 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3534 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3535 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3536 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003537< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3538 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3539
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003540 *has()*
3541has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3542 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3543 string. See |feature-list| below.
3544 Also see |exists()|.
3545
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003546
3547has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003548 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3549 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003550
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003551haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3552 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003553 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003554
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003555hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003556 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3557 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3558 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3559 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003560 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003561 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3562 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003563 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3564 buffer are checked for a match.
3565 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3566 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3567 n Normal mode
3568 v Visual mode
3569 o Operator-pending mode
3570 i Insert mode
3571 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3572 c Command-line mode
3573 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3574
3575 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003576 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003577 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3578 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3579 :endif
3580< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3581 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3582
3583histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3584 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3585 one of: *hist-names*
3586 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3587 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003588 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003589 "input" or "@" input line history
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02003590 "debug" or ">" debug command history
3591 The {history} string does not need to be the whole name, one
3592 character is sufficient.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003593 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3594 shifted to become the newest entry.
3595 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3596 otherwise 0 is returned.
3597
3598 Example: >
3599 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3600 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3601< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3602
3603histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003604 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003605 for the possible values of {history}.
3606
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003607 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3608 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3609 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003610 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003611 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3612 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3613 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003614
3615 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3616 otherwise 0 is returned.
3617
3618 Examples:
3619 Clear expression register history: >
3620 :call histdel("expr")
3621<
3622 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3623 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3624<
3625 The following three are equivalent: >
3626 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3627 :call histdel("search", -1)
3628 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3629<
3630 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3631 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3632 :call histdel("search", -1)
3633 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3634
3635histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3636 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3637 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3638 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3639 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3640 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3641
3642 Examples:
3643 Redo the second last search from history. >
3644 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3645
3646< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3647 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3648 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3649<
3650histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3651 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3652 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3653 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3654
3655 Example: >
3656 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3657<
3658hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3659 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3660 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3661 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3662 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3663 item.
3664 *highlight_exists()*
3665 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3666
3667 *hlID()*
3668hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3669 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3670 zero is returned.
3671 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003672 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003673 "Comment" group: >
3674 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3675< *highlightID()*
3676 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3677
3678hostname() *hostname()*
3679 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003680 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003681 256 characters long are truncated.
3682
3683iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3684 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3685 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003686 When the conversion completely fails an empty string is
3687 returned. When some characters could not be converted they
3688 are replaced with "?".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003689 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3690 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3691 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3692 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3693 can be done.
3694 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3695 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3696 UTF-8 and use: >
3697 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3698< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3699 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3700 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003701 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte| feature}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003702
3703 *indent()*
3704indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3705 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3706 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3707 |getline()|.
3708 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3709
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003710
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003711index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003712 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003713 value equal to {expr}. There is no automatic conversion, so
3714 the String "4" is different from the Number 4. And the number
3715 4 is different from the Float 4.0. The value of 'ignorecase'
3716 is not used here, case always matters.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003717 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3718 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003719 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3720 case must match.
3721 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3722 Example: >
3723 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003724 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003725
3726
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003727input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003728 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003729 the command-line. The {prompt} argument is either a prompt
3730 string, or a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used
3731 in the prompt to start a new line.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003732 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3733 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003734 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003735 for lines typed for input().
3736 Example: >
3737 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3738 : echo "Cheers!"
3739 :endif
3740<
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003741 If the optional {text} argument is present and not empty, this
3742 is used for the default reply, as if the user typed this.
3743 Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003744 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3745
3746< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3747 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003748 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003749 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003750 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003751 more information. Example: >
3752 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3753<
3754 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3755 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003756 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3757 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3758 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3759 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3760 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3761 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3762 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3763
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003764 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003765 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3766 :function GetFoo()
3767 : call inputsave()
3768 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3769 : call inputrestore()
3770 :endfunction
3771
3772inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003773 Like |input()|, but when the GUI is running and text dialogs
3774 are supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003775 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02003776 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", shiftwidth())
3777 :if n != ""
3778 : let &sw = n
3779 :endif
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003780< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3781 omitted an empty string is returned.
3782 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3783 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003784 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003785
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003786inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003787 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3788 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3789 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003790 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003791 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003792 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3793 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3794 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003795 Make sure {textlist} has less than 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003796 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003797 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3798 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003799 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3800 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3801
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003802inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003803 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous |inputsave()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003804 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3805 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3806 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3807
3808inputsave() *inputsave()*
3809 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3810 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3811 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3812 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3813 many inputrestore() calls.
3814 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3815
3816inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3817 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3818 two exceptions:
3819 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3820 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3821 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3822 |history| stack.
3823 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3824 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003825 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003826
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003827insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003828 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003829 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003830 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003831 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3832 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003833 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003834 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3835 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3836 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003837< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003838 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003839 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003840
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01003841invert({expr}) *invert()*
3842 Bitwise invert. The argument is converted to a number. A
3843 List, Dict or Float argument causes an error. Example: >
3844 :let bits = invert(bits)
3845
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003846isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3847 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3848 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3849 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3850 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3851
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003852islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003853 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3854 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003855 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3856 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003857 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3858 :lockvar 1 alist
3859 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3860 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3861
3862< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003863 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003864
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003865items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003866 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3867 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3868 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3869 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003870
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003871
3872join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3873 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3874 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3875 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3876 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3877 add it there too: >
3878 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003879< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003880 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3881 The opposite function is |split()|.
3882
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003883keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003884 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003885 arbitrary order.
3886
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003887 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003888len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3889 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3890 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003891 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003892 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003893 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3894 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003895 Otherwise an error is given.
3896
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003897 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3898libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3899 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3900 with single argument {argument}.
3901 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3902 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3903 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3904 limited.
3905 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3906 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3907 to Vim.
3908 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3909 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3910 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3911 null-terminated string.
3912 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3913
3914 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3915 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3916 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3917 very probably crash.
3918
3919 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3920 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3921 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3922 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3923 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3924 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3925 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3926 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3927 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3928 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3929
3930 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003931 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003932 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3933 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3934 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3935 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3936 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3937 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003938 {only in Win32 and some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003939 feature is present}
3940 Examples: >
3941 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003942<
3943 *libcallnr()*
3944libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003945 Just like |libcall()|, but used for a function that returns an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003946 int instead of a string.
3947 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3948 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003949 Examples: >
3950 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003951 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3952 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3953<
3954 *line()*
3955line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3956 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3957 . the cursor position
3958 $ the last line in the current buffer
3959 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3960 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003961 w0 first line visible in current window
3962 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00003963 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3964 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3965 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3966 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003967 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3968 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003969 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3970 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003971 Examples: >
3972 line(".") line number of the cursor
3973 line("'t") line number of mark t
3974 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3975< *last-position-jump*
3976 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3977 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003978 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003979
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003980line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3981 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3982 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3983 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaarb6b046b2011-12-30 13:11:27 +01003984 line returns 1. 'encoding' matters, 'fileencoding' is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003985 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3986 below the last line: >
3987 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
Bram Moolenaarb6b046b2011-12-30 13:11:27 +01003988< This is the buffer size plus one. If 'fileencoding' is empty
3989 it is the file size plus one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003990 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3991 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3992 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3993
3994lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3995 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3996 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3997 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3998 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3999 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
4000 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
4001
4002localtime() *localtime()*
4003 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
4004 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
4005
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004006
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004007log({expr}) *log()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02004008 Return the natural logarithm (base e) of {expr} as a |Float|.
4009 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004010 (0, inf].
4011 Examples: >
4012 :echo log(10)
4013< 2.302585 >
4014 :echo log(exp(5))
4015< 5.0
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004016 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004017
4018
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004019log10({expr}) *log10()*
4020 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
4021 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4022 Examples: >
4023 :echo log10(1000)
4024< 3.0 >
4025 :echo log10(0.01)
4026< -2.0
4027 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4028
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02004029luaeval({expr}[, {expr}]) *luaeval()*
4030 Evaluate Lua expression {expr} and return its result converted
4031 to Vim data structures. Second {expr} may hold additional
4032 argument accessible as _A inside first {expr}.
4033 Strings are returned as they are.
4034 Boolean objects are converted to numbers.
4035 Numbers are converted to |Float| values if vim was compiled
4036 with |+float| and to numbers otherwise.
4037 Dictionaries and lists obtained by vim.eval() are returned
4038 as-is.
4039 Other objects are returned as zero without any errors.
4040 See |lua-luaeval| for more details.
4041 {only available when compiled with the |+lua| feature}
4042
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004043map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004044 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004045 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
4046 {string}.
4047 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar627b1d32009-11-17 11:20:35 +00004048 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
4049 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004050 Example: >
4051 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004052< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004053
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004054 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004055 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004056 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
4057 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004058
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004059 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
4060 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004061 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' v:val . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004062
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004063< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004064 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
4065 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004066
4067
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004068maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]]) *maparg()*
4069 When {dict} is omitted or zero: Return the rhs of mapping
4070 {name} in mode {mode}. The returned String has special
4071 characters translated like in the output of the ":map" command
4072 listing.
4073
4074 When there is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is
4075 returned.
4076
4077 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
4078 command.
4079
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00004080 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004081 "n" Normal
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004082 "v" Visual (including Select)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004083 "o" Operator-pending
4084 "i" Insert
4085 "c" Cmd-line
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004086 "s" Select
4087 "x" Visual
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004088 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
4089 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00004090 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004091
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004092 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4093 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004094
4095 When {dict} is there and it is non-zero return a dictionary
4096 containing all the information of the mapping with the
4097 following items:
4098 "lhs" The {lhs} of the mapping.
4099 "rhs" The {rhs} of the mapping as typed.
4100 "silent" 1 for a |:map-silent| mapping, else 0.
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004101 "noremap" 1 if the {rhs} of the mapping is not remappable.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004102 "expr" 1 for an expression mapping (|:map-<expr>|).
4103 "buffer" 1 for a buffer local mapping (|:map-local|).
4104 "mode" Modes for which the mapping is defined. In
4105 addition to the modes mentioned above, these
4106 characters will be used:
4107 " " Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
4108 "!" Insert and Commandline mode
Bram Moolenaar166af9b2010-11-16 20:34:40 +01004109 (|mapmode-ic|)
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004110 "sid" The script local ID, used for <sid> mappings
4111 (|<SID>|).
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004112
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004113 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4114 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00004115 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
4116 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
4117 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
4118
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004119
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004120mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004121 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
4122 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
4123 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004124 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4125 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004126 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
4127 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
4128
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004129 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004130 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
4131 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
4132 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
4133 mapcheck("b") no no no
4134
4135 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
4136 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
4137 mapping for {name} exactly.
4138 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
4139 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
4140 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
4141 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
4142 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4143 then the global mappings.
4144 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
4145 without being ambiguous. Example: >
4146 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
4147 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
4148 :endif
4149< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
4150 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
4151
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004152match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004153 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
4154 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004155 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004156 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004157 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
4158 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004159 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004160 If there is no match -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02004161 For getting submatches see |matchlist()|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004162 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004163 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004164 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004165< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004166 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004167 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004168 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
4169< *strcasestr()*
4170 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
4171 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
4172 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
4173<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004174 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004175 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004176 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004177 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004178 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
4179< result is again "4". >
4180 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
4181< result is again "4". >
4182 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
4183< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004184 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004185 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
4186 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
4187 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
4188 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004189 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
4190 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004191 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
4192 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004193
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004194 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004195 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004196 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
4197 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
4198< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004199 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
4200 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004201
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004202 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
4203 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004204 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004205 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
4206
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004207 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
4208matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
4209 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
4210 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
4211 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
4212 match using |matchdelete()|.
4213
4214 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004215 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004216 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
4217 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
4218 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
4219 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
4220 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
4221 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
4222 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
4223 always overrule syntax highlighting.
4224
4225 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
4226 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
4227 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
4228 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
4229 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
4230 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
4231 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
4232
4233 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
4234 the |:match| commands.
4235
4236 Example: >
4237 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4238 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
4239< Deletion of the pattern: >
4240 :call matchdelete(m)
4241
4242< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004243 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004244 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004245
4246matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004247 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004248 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
4249 Return a |List| with two elements:
4250 The name of the highlight group used
4251 The pattern used.
4252 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
4253 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004254 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
4255 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
4256 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004257
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004258matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
4259 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004260 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004261 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
4262 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004263
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004264matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004265 Same as |match()|, but return the index of first character
4266 after the match. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004267 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
4268< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004269 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
4270 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
4271 do it with matchend(): >
4272 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4273 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4274< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4275
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004276 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004277 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4278< results in "7". >
4279 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4280< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004281 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004282
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004283matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004284 Same as |match()|, but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004285 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4286 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00004287 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4288 empty string is used. Example: >
4289 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4290< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004291 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4292
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004293matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004294 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004295 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4296< results in "ing".
4297 When there is no match "" is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004298 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004299 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4300< results in "ing". >
4301 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4302< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004303 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004304 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004305
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004306 *max()*
4307max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4308 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4309 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004310 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004311
4312 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004313min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004314 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4315 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004316 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004317
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004318 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004319mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4320 Create directory {name}.
4321 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4322 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4323 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4324 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004325 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004326 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4327 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4328 with 0755.
4329 Example: >
4330 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4331< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004332 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4333 :if exists("*mkdir")
4334<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004335 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004336mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004337 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4338 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4339 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4340 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004341
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004342 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004343 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004344 v Visual by character
4345 V Visual by line
4346 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4347 s Select by character
4348 S Select by line
4349 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4350 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004351 R Replace |R|
4352 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004353 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004354 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4355 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004356 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004357 rm The -- more -- prompt
4358 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4359 ! Shell or external command is executing
4360 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4361 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4362 "c" or "n".
4363 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004364
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004365mzeval({expr}) *mzeval()*
4366 Evaluate MzScheme expression {expr} and return its result
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02004367 converted to Vim data structures.
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004368 Numbers and strings are returned as they are.
4369 Pairs (including lists and improper lists) and vectors are
4370 returned as Vim |Lists|.
4371 Hash tables are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with keys
4372 converted to strings.
4373 All other types are converted to string with display function.
4374 Examples: >
4375 :mz (define l (list 1 2 3))
4376 :mz (define h (make-hash)) (hash-set! h "list" l)
4377 :echo mzeval("l")
4378 :echo mzeval("h")
4379<
4380 {only available when compiled with the |+mzscheme| feature}
4381
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004382nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4383 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4384 that is not blank. Example: >
4385 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4386< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4387 below it, zero is returned.
4388 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4389
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004390nr2char({expr}[, {utf8}]) *nr2char()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004391 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4392 value {expr}. Examples: >
4393 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4394 nr2char(32) returns " "
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004395< When {utf8} is omitted or zero, the current 'encoding' is used.
4396 Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004397 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004398< With {utf8} set to 1, always return utf-8 characters.
4399 Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004400 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4401 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004402 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004403
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004404 *getpid()*
4405getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004406 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4407 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004408
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004409 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004410getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4411 see |line()|.
4412 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4413 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4414 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4415 is the buffer number of the mark.
4416 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4417 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004418 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4419 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004420 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004421 character.
4422 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4423 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4424 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004425 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004426< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004427
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01004428or({expr}, {expr}) *or()*
4429 Bitwise OR on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
4430 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
4431 Example: >
4432 :let bits = or(bits, 0x80)
4433
4434
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004435pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4436 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4437 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4438 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4439 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4440 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4441< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4442 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4443
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004444pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4445 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4446 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4447 Examples: >
4448 :echo pow(3, 3)
4449< 27.0 >
4450 :echo pow(2, 16)
4451< 65536.0 >
4452 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4453< 2.0
4454 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4455
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004456prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4457 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4458 that is not blank. Example: >
4459 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4460< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4461 above it, zero is returned.
4462 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4463
4464
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004465printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4466 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4467 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004468 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004469< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004470 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004471
4472 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004473 %s string
Bram Moolenaar3ab72c52012-11-14 18:10:56 +01004474 %6S string right-aligned in 6 display cells
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004475 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004476 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4477 %c single byte
4478 %d decimal number
4479 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4480 %x hex number
4481 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4482 %X hex number using upper case letters
4483 %o octal number
4484 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4485 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4486 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4487 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4488 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4489 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004490
4491 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4492 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4493 the result.
4494
4495 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004496 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004497
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004498 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004499
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004500 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004501 Zero or more of the following flags:
4502
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004503 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4504 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4505 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4506 of the number is increased to force the first
4507 character of the output string to a zero (except
4508 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4509 precision of zero).
4510 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4511 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4512 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004513
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004514 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4515 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4516 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4517 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4518 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004519
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004520 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4521 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4522 The converted value is padded on the right with
4523 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4524 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004525
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004526 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4527 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004528
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004529 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004530 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004531 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004532
4533 field-width
4534 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004535 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4536 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4537 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4538 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004539
4540 .precision
4541 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4542 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4543 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4544 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4545 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004546 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004547 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4548 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004549
4550 type
4551 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4552 be applied, see below.
4553
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004554 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4555 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004556 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004557 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4558 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4559 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004560 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004561< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004562 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004563
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004564 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004565
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004566 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4567 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004568 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4569 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4570 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004571 conversions.
4572 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4573 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4574 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4575 zeros.
4576 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4577 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4578 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4579 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4580
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004581 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004582 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4583 resulting character is written.
4584
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004585 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004586 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4587 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4588 specified are used.
Bram Moolenaar3ab72c52012-11-14 18:10:56 +01004589 S The text of the String argument is used. If a
4590 precision is specified, no more display cells than the
4591 number specified are used. Without the |+multi_byte|
4592 feature works just like 's'.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004593
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004594 *printf-f* *E807*
4595 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4596 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4597 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4598 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4599 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4600 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4601 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4602 Example: >
4603 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4604< 12.12
4605 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4606 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4607
4608 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4609 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4610 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4611 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4612 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4613
4614 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4615 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4616 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4617 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4618 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4619 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4620 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4621 results in 1.0e7.
4622
4623 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004624 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4625 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004626
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004627 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4628 accepted and automatically converted.
4629 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4630 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4631 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004632
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004633 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004634 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4635 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004636 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004637
4638
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004639pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4640 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4641 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004642 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4643 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004644
Bram Moolenaare6ae6222013-05-21 21:01:10 +02004645 *E860*
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004646py3eval({expr}) *py3eval()*
4647 Evaluate Python expression {expr} and return its result
4648 converted to Vim data structures.
4649 Numbers and strings are returned as they are (strings are
4650 copied though, unicode strings are additionally converted to
4651 'encoding').
4652 Lists are represented as Vim |List| type.
4653 Dictionaries are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with
4654 keys converted to strings.
4655 {only available when compiled with the |+python3| feature}
4656
4657 *E858* *E859*
4658pyeval({expr}) *pyeval()*
4659 Evaluate Python expression {expr} and return its result
4660 converted to Vim data structures.
4661 Numbers and strings are returned as they are (strings are
4662 copied though).
4663 Lists are represented as Vim |List| type.
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +02004664 Dictionaries are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type,
4665 non-string keys result in error.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004666 {only available when compiled with the |+python| feature}
4667
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004668 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004669range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004670 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004671 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4672 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4673 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4674 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4675 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004676 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4677 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4678 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004679 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004680 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004681 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4682 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004683 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004684 range(0) " []
4685 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004686<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004687 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004688readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004689 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4690 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004691 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4692 NL appears somewhere).
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004693 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004694 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4695 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4696 added.
4697 - No CR characters are removed.
4698 Otherwise:
4699 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4700 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004701 - When 'encoding' is Unicode any UTF-8 byte order mark is
4702 removed from the text.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004703 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4704 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4705 lines of a file: >
4706 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4707 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4708 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004709< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4710 are returned, or as many as there are.
4711 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004712 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4713 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4714 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004715 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4716 the result is an empty list.
4717 Also see |writefile()|.
4718
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004719reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4720 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4721 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4722 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4723 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4724 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4725 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004726 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004727 and {end}.
4728 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4729 reltime().
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004730 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004731
4732reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4733 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4734 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4735 microseconds. Example: >
4736 let start = reltime()
4737 call MyFunction()
4738 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4739< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4740 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004741 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4742 can use split() to remove it. >
4743 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4744< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004745 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004746
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004747 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4748remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004749 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004750 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004751 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4752 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4753 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004754 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4755 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4756 remote_read() is stored there.
4757 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4758 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4759 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4760 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4761 and the result will be the empty string.
4762 Examples: >
4763 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4764 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4765<
4766
4767remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4768 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4769 This works like: >
4770 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4771< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4772 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4773 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004774 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4775 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004776 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4777 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4778 Win32 console version}
4779
4780
4781remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4782 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4783 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004784 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004785 name of a variable.
4786 Returns zero if none are available.
4787 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4788 See also |clientserver|.
4789 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4790 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4791 Examples: >
4792 :let repl = ""
4793 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4794
4795remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4796 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4797 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4798 See also |clientserver|.
4799 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4800 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4801 Example: >
4802 :echo remote_read(id)
4803<
4804 *remote_send()* *E241*
4805remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004806 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004807 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4808 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004809 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4810 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4811 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004812 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4813 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4814 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4815 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4816 up the display.
4817 Examples: >
4818 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4819 \ remote_read(serverid)
4820
4821 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4822 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4823 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4824 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004825<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004826remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004827 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004828 return the item.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004829 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004830 return a List with these items. When {idx} points to the same
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004831 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4832 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4833 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004834 Example: >
4835 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004836 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004837remove({dict}, {key})
4838 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4839 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4840< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4841
4842 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004843
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004844rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4845 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4846 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4847 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4848 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00004849 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004850 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4851
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004852repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4853 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4854 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004855 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004856< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004857 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004858 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004859 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4860< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004861
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004862
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004863resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4864 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4865 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4866 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4867 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4868 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4869 stopped after 100 iterations.
4870 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4871 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4872 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4873 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4874 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4875
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004876 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004877reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004878 {list}.
4879 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4880 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4881
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004882round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004883 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004884 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4885 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4886 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4887 Examples: >
4888 echo round(0.456)
4889< 0.0 >
4890 echo round(4.5)
4891< 5.0 >
4892 echo round(-4.5)
4893< -5.0
4894 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaar34feacb2012-12-05 19:01:43 +01004895
Bram Moolenaar9a773482013-06-11 18:40:13 +02004896screenattr(row, col) *screenattr()*
4897 Like screenchar(), but return the attribute. This is a rather
4898 arbitrary number that can only be used to compare to the
4899 attribute at other positions.
4900
4901screenchar(row, col) *screenchar()*
4902 The result is a Number, which is the character at position
4903 [row, col] on the screen. This works for every possible
4904 screen position, also status lines, window separators and the
4905 command line. The top left position is row one, column one
4906 The character excludes composing characters. For double-byte
4907 encodings it may only be the first byte.
4908 This is mainly to be used for testing.
4909 Returns -1 when row or col is out of range.
4910
Bram Moolenaar34feacb2012-12-05 19:01:43 +01004911screencol() *screencol()*
4912 The result is a Number, which is the current screen column of
4913 the cursor. The leftmost column has number 1.
4914 This function is mainly used for testing.
4915
4916 Note: Always returns the current screen column, thus if used
4917 in a command (e.g. ":echo screencol()") it will return the
4918 column inside the command line, which is 1 when the command is
4919 executed. To get the cursor position in the file use one of
4920 the following mappings: >
4921 nnoremap <expr> GG ":echom ".screencol()."\n"
4922 nnoremap <silent> GG :echom screencol()<CR>
4923<
4924screenrow() *screenrow()*
4925 The result is a Number, which is the current screen row of the
4926 cursor. The top line has number one.
4927 This function is mainly used for testing.
4928
4929 Note: Same restrictions as with |screencol()|.
4930
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004931search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004932 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004933 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004934
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01004935 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01004936 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4937 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01004938
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004939 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4940 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004941 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004942 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004943 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004944 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4945 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004946 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4947 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4948 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4949
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004950 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4951 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4952 flag.
4953
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004954 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4955
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004956 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4957 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4958 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4959 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4960 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4961< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4962 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004963 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4964
4965 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar1aeaf8c2012-05-18 13:46:39 +02004966 more than this many milliseconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004967 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4968 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4969 giving the argument.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004970 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004971
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004972 *search()-sub-match*
4973 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4974 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4975 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004976 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004977
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004978 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4979 flag is used.
4980
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004981 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4982 :let n = 1
4983 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4984 : exe "argument " . n
4985 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4986 : " first search to find match at start of file
4987 : normal G$
4988 : let flags = "w"
4989 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004990 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004991 : let flags = "W"
4992 : endwhile
4993 : update " write the file if modified
4994 : let n = n + 1
4995 :endwhile
4996<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004997 Example for using some flags: >
4998 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4999< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
5000 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
5001 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
5002 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
5003 line:
5004 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
5005 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
5006 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
5007 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
5008 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
5009
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005010
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00005011searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
5012 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005013
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00005014 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
5015 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
5016 first match in the function.
5017
5018 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
5019 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
5020 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
5021
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005022 Moves the cursor to the found match.
5023 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5024 Example: >
5025 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
5026 echo getline('.')
5027 endif
5028<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005029 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005030searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
5031 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005032 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
5033 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
5034 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005035 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
5036 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
5037 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
5038 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
5039 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
5040 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005041
5042 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
5043 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
5044 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
5045 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
5046 typical use is: >
5047 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
5048< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
5049
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005050 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
5051 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005052 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005053 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
5054 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005055 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005056 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
5057 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005058
5059 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
5060 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
5061 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
5062 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
5063 or a string.
5064 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
5065 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
5066 and -1 returned.
5067
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005068 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005069
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005070 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
5071 patterns are used like it's on.
5072
5073 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
5074 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
5075 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
5076 if 1
5077 if 2
5078 endif 2
5079 endif 1
5080< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
5081 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
5082 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005083 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005084 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
5085 "endif 2".
5086 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
5087 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
5088 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
5089 the matching start.
5090
5091 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
5092
5093 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
5094 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
5095
5096< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
5097 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
5098 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
5099 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
5100 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
5101 match.
5102 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
5103
5104 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
5105
5106< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
5107 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
5108 highlighting recognized as strings: >
5109
5110 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
5111 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
5112<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005113 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005114searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
5115 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005116 Same as |searchpair()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005117 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
5118 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005119 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005120 returns [0, 0]. >
5121
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005122 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
5123<
5124 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
5125
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005126searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005127 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005128 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
5129 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
5130 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
5131 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00005132 Example: >
5133 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
5134
5135< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
5136 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
5137 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
5138< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
5139 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
5140
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005141server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
5142 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
5143 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
5144 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5145 Note:
5146 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005147 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005148 before calling any commands that waits for input.
5149 See also |clientserver|.
5150 Example: >
5151 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
5152<
5153serverlist() *serverlist()*
5154 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
5155 When there are no servers or the information is not available
5156 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
5157 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5158 Example: >
5159 :echo serverlist()
5160<
5161setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
5162 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
5163 {val}.
5164 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
5165 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
5166 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
5167 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
5168 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
5169 Examples: >
5170 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
5171 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
5172< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5173
5174setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
5175 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005176 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005177 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
5178 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005179 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
5180 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
5181 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
5182 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
5183 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005184 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
5185 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
5186 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
5187 line.
5188
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005189setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01005190 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}. To insert
5191 lines use |append()|.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005192 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005193 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005194 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005195 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
5196 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005197 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005198< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005199 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
5200 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
5201< This is equivalent to: >
Bram Moolenaar53bfca22012-04-13 23:04:47 +02005202 :for [n, l] in [[5, 'aaa'], [6, 'bbb'], [7, 'ccc']]
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005203 : call setline(n, l)
5204 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005205< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
5206
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005207setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
5208 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
5209 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005210 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
5211 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005212 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
5213 Also see |location-list|.
5214
5215setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
5216 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005217 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005218 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005219
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005220 *setpos()*
5221setpos({expr}, {list})
5222 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
5223 . the cursor
5224 'x mark x
5225
5226 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
5227 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
5228
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005229 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005230 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005231 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
5232 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
5233 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005234 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005235
5236 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005237 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark. If "col" is
5238 smaller than 1 then 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005239
5240 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
5241 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005242 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005243 character.
5244
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00005245 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
5246 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
5247
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005248 Also see |getpos()|
5249
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005250 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
5251 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
5252
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005253
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005254setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005255 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
5256 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
5257 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
5258 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005259
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005260 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005261 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005262 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005263 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005264 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005265 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005266 col column number
5267 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005268 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005269 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005270 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005271 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005272
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005273 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
5274 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
5275 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005276 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
5277 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
5278 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005279 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
5280 be used.
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02005281 If you supply an empty {list}, the quickfix list will be
5282 cleared.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005283 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
5284 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005285
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005286 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
5287 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
5288 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
5289 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
5290 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
5291 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
5292
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005293 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
5294
5295 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
5296 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
5297 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
5298
5299
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005300 *setreg()*
5301setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
5302 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
5303 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
5304 then the value is appended.
Bram Moolenaarc6485bc2010-07-28 17:02:55 +02005305 {options} can also contain a register type specification:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005306 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
5307 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
5308 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
5309 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
5310 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
5311 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005312 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005313
5314 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
5315 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +02005316 Setting the '=' register is not possible, but you can use >
5317 :let @= = var_expr
5318< Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005319
5320 Examples: >
5321 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
5322 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
5323 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
5324
5325< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
5326 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005327 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005328 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
5329 ....
5330 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
5331
5332< You can also change the type of a register by appending
5333 nothing: >
5334 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
5335
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005336settabvar({tabnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabvar()*
5337 Set tab-local variable {varname} to {val} in tab page {tabnr}.
5338 |t:var|
5339 Note that the variable name without "t:" must be used.
5340 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005341 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5342
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005343settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
5344 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
5345 {val}.
5346 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
5347 use |setwinvar()|.
5348 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005349 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
5350 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
5351 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
5352 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005353 Examples: >
5354 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
5355 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
5356< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5357
5358setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
5359 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005360 Examples: >
5361 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
5362 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005363
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01005364sha256({string}) *sha256()*
5365 Returns a String with 64 hex charactes, which is the SHA256
5366 checksum of {string}.
5367 {only available when compiled with the |+cryptv| feature}
5368
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005369shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005370 Escape {string} for use as a shell command argument.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005371 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005372 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005373 quotes within {string}.
5374 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
5375 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005376 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
5377 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005378 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5379 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005380 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005381 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5382 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5383 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5384 even when inside single quotes.
5385 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5386 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5387 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005388 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5389 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5390< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5391 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5392 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005393
5394
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02005395shiftwidth() *shiftwidth()*
5396 Returns the effective value of 'shiftwidth'. This is the
5397 'shiftwidth' value unless it is zero, in which case it is the
5398 'tabstop' value. To be backwards compatible in indent
5399 plugins, use this: >
5400 if exists('*shiftwidth')
5401 func s:sw()
5402 return shiftwidth()
5403 endfunc
5404 else
5405 func s:sw()
5406 return &sw
5407 endfunc
5408 endif
5409< And then use s:sw() instead of &sw.
5410
5411
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005412simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5413 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5414 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5415 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5416 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5417 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5418 not removed either.
5419 Example: >
5420 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5421< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5422 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5423 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5424 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5425 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5426
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005427
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005428sin({expr}) *sin()*
5429 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5430 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5431 Examples: >
5432 :echo sin(100)
5433< -0.506366 >
5434 :echo sin(-4.01)
5435< 0.763301
5436 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5437
5438
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005439sinh({expr}) *sinh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005440 Return the hyperbolic sine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005441 [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005442 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005443 Examples: >
5444 :echo sinh(0.5)
5445< 0.521095 >
5446 :echo sinh(-0.9)
5447< -1.026517
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005448 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005449
5450
Bram Moolenaar5f894962011-06-19 02:55:37 +02005451sort({list} [, {func} [, {dict}]]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005452 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5453 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5454 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5455< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005456 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005457 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005458 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5f894962011-06-19 02:55:37 +02005459 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
5460 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005461 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5462 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005463 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 or
5464 bigger if the first one sorts after the second one, -1 or
5465 smaller if the first one sorts before the second one.
5466 Example: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005467 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5468 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5469 endfunc
5470 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005471< A shorter compare version for this specific simple case, which
5472 ignores overflow: >
5473 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5474 return a:i1 - a:i2
5475 endfunc
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005476<
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005477 *soundfold()*
5478soundfold({word})
5479 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005480 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005481 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5482 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005483 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5484 the method can be quite slow.
5485
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005486 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005487spellbadword([{sentence}])
5488 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5489 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5490 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5491 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5492
5493 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5494 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5495 result is an empty string.
5496
5497 The return value is a list with two items:
5498 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5499 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005500 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005501 "rare" rare word
5502 "local" word only valid in another region
5503 "caps" word should start with Capital
5504 Example: >
5505 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5506< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5507
5508 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5509 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5510 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005511
5512 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005513spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005514 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005515 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5516 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5517
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005518 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5519 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5520 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5521
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005522 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5523 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005524 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5525 replace a line.
5526
5527 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005528 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5529 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005530
5531 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005532 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5533 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005534
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005535
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005536split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005537 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5538 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5539 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005540 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar97d62492012-11-15 21:28:22 +01005541 removing the matched characters. 'ignorecase' is not used
5542 here, add \c to ignore case. |/\c|
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005543 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5544 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005545 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5546 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005547 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005548 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005549< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005550 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005551< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5552 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5553< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005554 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5555 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5556< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005557
5558
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005559sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5560 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5561 |Float|.
5562 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5563 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5564 Examples: >
5565 :echo sqrt(100)
5566< 10.0 >
5567 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5568< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005569 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005570 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5571
5572
5573str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5574 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5575 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5576 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5577 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5578 write "1.0e40".
5579 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5580 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5581 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5582 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5583 |substitute()|: >
5584 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5585< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5586
5587
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005588str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5589 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5590 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5591 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5592 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5593 with the default String to Number conversion.
5594 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5595 different base the result will be zero.
5596 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005597
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005598
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005599strchars({expr}) *strchars()*
5600 The result is a Number, which is the number of characters
5601 String {expr} occupies. Composing characters are counted
5602 separately.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005603 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
5604
5605strdisplaywidth({expr}[, {col}]) *strdisplaywidth()*
5606 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5607 String {expr} occupies on the screen.
5608 When {col} is omitted zero is used. Otherwise it is the
5609 screen column where to start. This matters for Tab
5610 characters.
Bram Moolenaar4d32c2d2010-07-18 22:10:01 +02005611 The option settings of the current window are used. This
5612 matters for anything that's displayed differently, such as
5613 'tabstop' and 'display'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005614 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5615 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
5616 Also see |strlen()|, |strwidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005617
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005618strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5619 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5620 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5621 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5622 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5623 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5624 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5625 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5626 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5627 Examples: >
5628 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5629 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5630 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5631 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5632 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5633 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005634< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5635 :if exists("*strftime")
5636
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005637stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5638 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5639 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005640 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5641 This can be used to find a second match: >
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01005642 :let colon1 = stridx(line, ":")
5643 :let colon2 = stridx(line, ":", colon1 + 1)
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005644< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005645 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005646 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005647 See also |strridx()|.
5648 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005649 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5650 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5651 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005652< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005653 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5654 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5655
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005656 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005657string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005658 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5659 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005660 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005661 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005662 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005663 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005664 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005665 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005666 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005667 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005668 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005669
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005670 *strlen()*
5671strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005672 {expr} in bytes.
5673 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5674 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005675
5676 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005677<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005678 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5679 For other types an error is given.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005680 Also see |len()|, |strchars()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and
5681 |strwidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005682
5683strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5684 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005685 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005686 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5687 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5688 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5689 end of the {src}. >
5690 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5691 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5692 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005693 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005694< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5695 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00005696 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005697<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005698strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5699 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5700 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5701 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5702 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5703 match: >
5704 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5705 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5706< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005707 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5708 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005709 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005710 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005711 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005712< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005713 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5714 function strrchr().
5715
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005716strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5717 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5718 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5719 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5720 echo strtrans(@a)
5721< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5722 starting a new line.
5723
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005724strwidth({expr}) *strwidth()*
5725 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5726 String {expr} occupies. A Tab character is counted as one
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005727 cell, alternatively use |strdisplaywidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005728 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5729 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005730 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005731
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005732submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02005733 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command or
5734 substitute() function.
5735 Returns the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr}
5736 is 0 the whole matched text is returned.
5737 Also see |sub-replace-expression|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005738 Example: >
5739 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5740< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5741 A line break is included as a newline character.
5742
5743substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5744 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02005745 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}.
5746 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5747 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5748
5749 This works like the ":substitute" command (without any flags).
5750 But the matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic'
5751 option is set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01005752 portable). 'ignorecase' is still relevant, use |/\c| or |/\C|
5753 if you want to ignore or match case and ignore 'ignorecase'.
5754 'smartcase' is not used. See |string-match| for how {pat} is
5755 used.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02005756
5757 A "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005758 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005759 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005760 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02005761
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005762 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5763 unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02005764
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005765 Example: >
5766 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5767< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5768 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5769< results in "TESTING".
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02005770
5771 When {sub} starts with "\=", the remainder is interpreted as
5772 an expression. See |sub-replace-expression|. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02005773 :echo substitute(s, '%\(\x\x\)',
5774 \ '\=nr2char("0x" . submatch(1))', 'g')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005775
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005776synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005777 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005778 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005779 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5780 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005781
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005782 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005783 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5784
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005785 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005786 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005787 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5788 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5789 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5790 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5791 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5792
5793 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5794 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5795<
Bram Moolenaar7510fe72010-07-25 12:46:44 +02005796
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005797synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5798 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5799 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5800 about a syntax item.
5801 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005802 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005803 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5804 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5805 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5806 {what} result
5807 "name" the name of the syntax item
5808 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5809 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5810 term: empty string)
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005811 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005812 "font" font name (only available in the GUI)
5813 |highlight-font|
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005814 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005815 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5816 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5817 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005818 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005819 "bold" "1" if bold
5820 "italic" "1" if italic
5821 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5822 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005823 "standout" "1" if standout
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005824 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005825 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005826
5827 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5828 cursor): >
5829 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5830<
5831synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5832 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5833 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5834 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5835 ":highlight link" are followed.
5836
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02005837synconcealed({lnum}, {col}) *synconcealed()*
5838 The result is a List. The first item in the list is 0 if the
5839 character at the position {lnum} and {col} is not part of a
5840 concealable region, 1 if it is. The second item in the list is
5841 a string. If the first item is 1, the second item contains the
5842 text which will be displayed in place of the concealed text,
5843 depending on the current setting of 'conceallevel'. The third
5844 and final item in the list is a unique number representing the
5845 specific syntax region matched. This allows detection of the
5846 beginning of a new concealable region if there are two
5847 consecutive regions with the same replacement character.
5848 For an example use see $VIMRUNTIME/syntax/2html.vim .
5849
5850
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005851synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5852 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5853 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5854 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005855 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5856 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5857 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5858 transparent item.
5859 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5860 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5861 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5862 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5863 endfor
Bram Moolenaar0bc380a2010-07-10 13:52:13 +02005864< When the position specified with {lnum} and {col} is invalid
5865 nothing is returned. The position just after the last
5866 character in a line and the first column in an empty line are
5867 valid positions.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005868
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00005869system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5870 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5871 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5872 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5873 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005874 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005875 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5876 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5877 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5878 also cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005879 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005880
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005881 The result is a String. Example: >
5882 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005883
5884< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5885 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5886 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5887 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5888 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5889 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5890 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5891 concatenated commands.
5892
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005893 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5894 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5895
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005896 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5897 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00005898
5899 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5900 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5901 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005902 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5903 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5904
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005905
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005906tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005907 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005908 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5909 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5910 omitted the current tab page is used.
5911 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5912 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02005913 let buflist = []
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005914 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02005915 call extend(buflist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005916 endfor
5917< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5918
5919
5920tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005921 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5922 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5923 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5924 page is returned (the tab page count).
5925 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5926
5927
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005928tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
Bram Moolenaard04f4402010-08-15 13:30:34 +02005929 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {tabarg}.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005930 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5931 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5932 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5933 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5934 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5935 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5936 Useful examples: >
5937 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5938 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5939< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5940
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00005941 *tagfiles()*
5942tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5943 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5944
5945
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005946taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5947 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00005948 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5949 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005950 name Name of the tag.
5951 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005952 defined. It is either relative to the
5953 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005954 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5955 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005956 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005957 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005958 kind values. Only available when
5959 using a tags file generated by
5960 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005961 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005962 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005963 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5964 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5965 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5966 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5967 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5968 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005969
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00005970 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5971 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005972
5973 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5974
5975 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
Bram Moolenaara3e6bc92013-01-30 14:18:00 +01005976 used in {expr}. This also make the function work faster.
5977 Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information about the tag
5978 search regular expression pattern.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005979
5980 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5981 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5982 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5983
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005984tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5985 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005986 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005987 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5988 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5989 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005990< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory |tempfile|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005991 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5992 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5993
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005994
5995tan({expr}) *tan()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005996 Return the tangent of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005997 in the range [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005998 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005999 Examples: >
6000 :echo tan(10)
6001< 0.648361 >
6002 :echo tan(-4.01)
6003< -1.181502
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02006004 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006005
6006
6007tanh({expr}) *tanh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006008 Return the hyperbolic tangent of {expr} as a |Float| in the
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006009 range [-1, 1].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006010 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006011 Examples: >
6012 :echo tanh(0.5)
6013< 0.462117 >
6014 :echo tanh(-1)
6015< -0.761594
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02006016 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006017
6018
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006019tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
6020 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
6021 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
6022 the string).
6023
6024toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
6025 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
6026 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
6027 the string).
6028
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00006029tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
6030 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
6031 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
6032 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
6033 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
6034 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
6035 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
6036
6037 Examples: >
6038 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
6039< returns "Hello THere" >
6040 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
6041< returns "{blob}"
6042
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006043trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006044 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006045 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
6046 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
6047 Examples: >
6048 echo trunc(1.456)
6049< 1.0 >
6050 echo trunc(-5.456)
6051< -5.0 >
6052 echo trunc(4.0)
6053< 4.0
6054 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
6055
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006056 *type()*
6057type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006058 Number: 0
6059 String: 1
6060 Funcref: 2
6061 List: 3
6062 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006063 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006064 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006065 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
6066 :if type(myvar) == type("")
6067 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
6068 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006069 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006070 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006071
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02006072undofile({name}) *undofile()*
6073 Return the name of the undo file that would be used for a file
6074 with name {name} when writing. This uses the 'undodir'
6075 option, finding directories that exist. It does not check if
Bram Moolenaar860cae12010-06-05 23:22:07 +02006076 the undo file exists.
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02006077 {name} is always expanded to the full path, since that is what
6078 is used internally.
Bram Moolenaar80716072012-05-01 21:14:34 +02006079 If {name} is empty undofile() returns an empty string, since a
6080 buffer without a file name will not write an undo file.
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02006081 Useful in combination with |:wundo| and |:rundo|.
6082 When compiled without the +persistent_undo option this always
6083 returns an empty string.
6084
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02006085undotree() *undotree()*
6086 Return the current state of the undo tree in a dictionary with
6087 the following items:
6088 "seq_last" The highest undo sequence number used.
6089 "seq_cur" The sequence number of the current position in
6090 the undo tree. This differs from "seq_last"
6091 when some changes were undone.
6092 "time_cur" Time last used for |:earlier| and related
6093 commands. Use |strftime()| to convert to
6094 something readable.
6095 "save_last" Number of the last file write. Zero when no
6096 write yet.
Bram Moolenaar730cde92010-06-27 05:18:54 +02006097 "save_cur" Number of the current position in the undo
6098 tree.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02006099 "synced" Non-zero when the last undo block was synced.
6100 This happens when waiting from input from the
6101 user. See |undo-blocks|.
6102 "entries" A list of dictionaries with information about
6103 undo blocks.
6104
6105 The first item in the "entries" list is the oldest undo item.
6106 Each List item is a Dictionary with these items:
6107 "seq" Undo sequence number. Same as what appears in
6108 |:undolist|.
6109 "time" Timestamp when the change happened. Use
6110 |strftime()| to convert to something readable.
6111 "newhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
6112 that was added. This marks the last change
6113 and where further changes will be added.
6114 "curhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
6115 that was undone. This marks the current
6116 position in the undo tree, the block that will
6117 be used by a redo command. When nothing was
6118 undone after the last change this item will
6119 not appear anywhere.
6120 "save" Only appears on the last block before a file
6121 write. The number is the write count. The
6122 first write has number 1, the last one the
6123 "save_last" mentioned above.
6124 "alt" Alternate entry. This is again a List of undo
6125 blocks. Each item may again have an "alt"
6126 item.
6127
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006128values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006129 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006130 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006131
6132
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006133virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
6134 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
6135 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
6136 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
6137 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
6138 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
6139 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02006140 set to 8, it returns 8. |conceal| is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00006141 For the byte position use |col()|.
6142 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
6143 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00006144 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00006145 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar97293012011-07-18 19:40:27 +02006146 character. When "off" is omitted zero is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006147 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
6148 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
6149 The accepted positions are:
6150 . the cursor position
6151 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
6152 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
6153 plus one)
6154 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
6155 returned)
6156 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
6157 Examples: >
6158 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
6159 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006160 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
6161< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006162 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
6163 all lines: >
6164 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
6165
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006166
6167visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
6168 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006169 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
6170 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
6171 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
6172 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
6173 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006174 Example: >
6175 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
6176< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
6177 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
6178 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006179 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
6180 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006181 *non-zero-arg*
6182 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
6183 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006184 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006185 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
6186 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
6187 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006188
Bram Moolenaar8738fc12013-02-20 17:59:11 +01006189wildmenumode() *wildmenumode()*
6190 Returns non-zero when the wildmenu is active and zero
6191 otherwise. See 'wildmenu' and 'wildmode'.
6192 This can be used in mappings to handle the 'wildcharm' option
6193 gracefully. (Makes only sense with |mapmode-c| mappings).
6194
6195 For example to make <c-j> work like <down> in wildmode, use: >
6196 :cnoremap <expr> <C-j> wildmenumode() ? "\<Down>\<Tab>" : "\<c-j>"
6197<
6198 (Note, this needs the 'wildcharm' option set appropriately).
6199
6200
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006201 *winbufnr()*
6202winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006203 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006204 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
6205 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6206 Example: >
6207 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
6208<
6209 *wincol()*
6210wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
6211 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
6212 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
6213
6214winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
6215 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
6216 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
6217 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6218 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
6219 Examples: >
6220 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
6221<
6222 *winline()*
6223winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006224 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006225 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00006226 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
6227 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006228
6229 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006230winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
6231 window. The top window has number 1.
6232 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01006233 last window is returned (the window count). >
6234 let window_count = winnr('$')
6235< When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006236 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006237 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
6238 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006239 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
6240 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006241 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006242
6243 *winrestcmd()*
6244winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
6245 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006246 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
6247 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006248 Example: >
6249 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
6250 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
6251 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006252<
6253 *winrestview()*
6254winrestview({dict})
6255 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
6256 the view of the current window.
6257 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
6258 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
6259
6260 *winsaveview()*
6261winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
6262 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
6263 restore the view.
6264 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
6265 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
6266 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00006267 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
6268 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006269 The return value includes:
6270 lnum cursor line number
6271 col cursor column
6272 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
6273 curswant column for vertical movement
6274 topline first line in the window
6275 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
6276 leftcol first column displayed
6277 skipcol columns skipped
6278 Note that no option values are saved.
6279
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006280
6281winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
6282 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
6283 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
6284 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6285 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
6286 Examples: >
6287 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
6288 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
6289 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
6290 :endif
6291<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006292 *writefile()*
6293writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006294 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006295 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
6296 Number.
6297 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
6298 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
6299 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
6300 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
6301 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
6302 to writefile().
6303 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
6304 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
6305 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
6306 fails.
6307 Also see |readfile()|.
6308 To copy a file byte for byte: >
6309 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
6310 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01006311
6312
6313xor({expr}, {expr}) *xor()*
6314 Bitwise XOR on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
6315 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
6316 Example: >
6317 :let bits = xor(bits, 0x80)
Bram Moolenaar6ee8d892012-01-10 14:55:01 +01006318<
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01006319
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006320
6321 *feature-list*
6322There are three types of features:
63231. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
6324 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
6325 :if has("cindent")
63262. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
6327 Example: >
6328 :if has("gui_running")
6329< *has-patch*
63303. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
6331 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
6332 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
6333 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006334< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
6335 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006336
6337all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
6338amiga Amiga version of Vim.
6339arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
6340arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00006341autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006342balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00006343balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006344beos BeOS version of Vim.
6345browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
6346 work.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02006347browsefilter Compiled with support for |browsefilter|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006348builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
6349byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
6350cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
6351clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
6352clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
6353cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
6354cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
6355cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
6356comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006357compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006358cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
6359cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006360debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
6361dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
6362dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
6363diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
6364digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
6365dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006366dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006367dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006368ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
6369emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
6370eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
6371 true, of course!
6372ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
6373extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
6374 |'hlsearch'|
6375farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
6376file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006377filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
6378 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006379find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
6380 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006381float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006382fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
6383 Windows this is not present).
6384folding Compiled with |folding| support.
6385footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
6386fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
6387gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
6388gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
6389gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006390gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006391gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
6392gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
6393gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
6394gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
6395gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006396gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006397gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
6398gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006399hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
6400iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
6401insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
6402 Insert mode.
6403jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
6404keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
6405langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
6406libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
6407linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
6408 support.
6409lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
6410listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
6411 and the argument list |arglist|.
6412localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
Bram Moolenaar0ba04292010-07-14 23:23:17 +02006413lua Compiled with Lua interface |Lua|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006414mac Macintosh version of Vim.
6415macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
6416menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
6417mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
6418modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
6419mouse Compiled with support mouse.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006420mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
6421mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
6422mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
6423mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006424mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02006425mouse_sgr Compiled with support for sgr mouse.
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01006426mouse_urxvt Compiled with support for urxvt mouse.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006427mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006428mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
Bram Moolenaar42022d52008-12-09 09:57:49 +00006429multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
6430multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006431multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
6432multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00006433mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaarb26e6322010-05-22 21:34:09 +02006434netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and connected.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006435netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006436ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
6437os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006438path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
6439perl Compiled with Perl interface.
Bram Moolenaar55debbe2010-05-23 23:34:36 +02006440persistent_undo Compiled with support for persistent undo history.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006441postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
6442printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006443profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar446beb42011-05-10 17:18:44 +02006444python Compiled with Python 2.x interface. |has-python|
6445python3 Compiled with Python 3.x interface. |has-python|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006446qnx QNX version of Vim.
6447quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00006448reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006449rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
6450ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
6451scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
6452showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
6453signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
6454smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00006455sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006456spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
Bram Moolenaaref94eec2009-11-11 13:22:11 +00006457startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006458statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
6459 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
6460sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00006461syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006462syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
6463 current buffer.
6464system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
6465tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
6466 |tag-binary-search|.
6467tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
6468 |tag-old-static|.
6469tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
6470 files |tag-any-white|.
6471tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
6472terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
6473termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
6474textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
6475tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
6476 or terminfo file.
6477title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
6478toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
6479unix Unix version of Vim.
6480user_commands User-defined commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006481vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006482vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place. |startup|
6483viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006484virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
6485visual Compiled with Visual mode.
6486visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
6487 |blockwise-operators|.
6488vms VMS version of Vim.
6489vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
6490wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
6491wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006492win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01006493win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95 and later, 32 or
6494 64 bits)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006495win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006496win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006497win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006498winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
6499windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006500writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
6501xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
6502xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
Bram Moolenaar6ee8d892012-01-10 14:55:01 +01006503xpm_w32 Compiled with pixmap support for Win32.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006504xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
6505xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
6506xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
6507xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
6508 xterm screen.
6509x11 Compiled with X11 support.
6510
6511 *string-match*
6512Matching a pattern in a String
6513
6514A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
6515the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
6516everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
6517like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
6518line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
6519with ".". Example: >
6520 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
6521 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
6522 aa
6523 xx
6524 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
6525 a
6526 x
6527
6528Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
6529"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
6530"\n".
6531
6532==============================================================================
65335. Defining functions *user-functions*
6534
6535New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
6536functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
6537commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
6538
6539The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
6540builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
6541avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
6542the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
6543
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006544It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
6545|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006546
6547 *local-function*
6548A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
6549can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
6550and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006551function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006552instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
6553
6554 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
6555:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
6556
6557:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006558 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6559 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006560 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006561
6562:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
6563 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
6564 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006565<
6566 *:function-verbose*
6567When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
6568last defined. Example: >
6569
6570 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
6571 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
6572 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
6573<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00006574See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006575
Bram Moolenaar15146672011-10-20 22:22:38 +02006576 *E124* *E125* *E853*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006577:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006578 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
6579 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
6580 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006581
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006582 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6583 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006584 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006585< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006586 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006587 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006588 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
6589 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
6590 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006591 *E127* *E122*
6592 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
6593 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
6594 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
6595 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006596
6597 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
6598
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006599 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
6600 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
6601 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
6602 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
6603 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
6604 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
6605 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01006606 The cursor is still moved to the first line of the
6607 range, as is the case with all Ex commands.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006608
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006609 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
6610 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006611
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006612 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006613 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006614 local variable "self" will then be set to the
6615 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006616
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006617 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006618 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006619 will not be changed by the function. This also
6620 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6621 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006622
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006623 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6624:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6625 by its own, without other commands.
6626
6627 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6628:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006629 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6630 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006631 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006632< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006633 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6634 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006635 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6636:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6637 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6638 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6639 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6640 the number 0 is returned.
6641 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6642 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6643
6644 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6645 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6646 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6647 are executed first. This process applies to all
6648 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6649 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6650
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006651 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006652An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006653be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006654 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006655Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6656arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6657may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6658as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006659can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6660that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006661 *E742*
6662The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006663However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006664Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6665it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6666|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006667
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006668When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6669to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6670may be larger.
6671
6672It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6673still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6674until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6675inside a function body.
6676
6677 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006678Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6679will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6680accessed with "g:".
6681
6682Example: >
6683 :function Table(title, ...)
6684 : echohl Title
6685 : echo a:title
6686 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006687 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6688 : for s in a:000
6689 : echon ' ' . s
6690 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006691 :endfunction
6692
6693This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006694 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6695 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006696
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006697To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6698 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006699 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006700 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006701 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006702 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006703 :endfunction
6704
6705This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006706 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006707 :if success == "ok"
6708 : echo div
6709 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006710<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00006711 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006712:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6713 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6714 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006715 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006716 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6717 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6718 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6719 function.
6720 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6721 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6722 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6723 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006724 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006725 this works:
6726 *function-range-example* >
6727 :function Mynumber(arg)
6728 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6729 :endfunction
6730 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6731<
6732 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6733 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6734 the range.
6735
6736 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6737
6738 :function Cont() range
6739 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6740 :endfunction
6741 :4,8call Cont()
6742<
6743 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6744 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6745
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006746 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6747 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6748 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6749< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6750
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006751 *E132*
6752The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6753option.
6754
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006755
6756AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006757 *autoload-functions*
6758When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006759only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6760the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6761
6762
6763Using an autocommand ~
6764
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006765This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6766
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006767The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6768You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006769That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006770again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6771
6772Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6773function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006774
6775 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6776
6777The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6778"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6779
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006780
6781Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006782 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006783This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6784
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006785Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6786exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6787like this: >
6788
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006789 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006790
6791When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6792"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6793"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6794then define the function like this: >
6795
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006796 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006797 echo "Done!"
6798 endfunction
6799
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00006800The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006801exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6802called.
6803
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006804It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6805a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006806
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006807 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006808
6809Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6810
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006811This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6812
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006813 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006814
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00006815However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6816for an unknown variable.
6817
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006818When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6819be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6820
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006821 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6822 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006823
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00006824Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6825defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6826function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006827And you will get an error message every time.
6828
6829Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006830other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006831Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006832
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006833Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6834|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6835
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006836==============================================================================
68376. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6838
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01006839In most places where you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name"
6840variable. This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions
6841wrapped in braces {} like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006842 my_{adjective}_variable
6843
6844When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6845that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6846name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6847"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6848"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6849
6850One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006851value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006852 echo my_{&background}_message
6853
6854would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6855on the current value of 'background'.
6856
6857You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6858 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6859..or even nest them: >
6860 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6861where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6862
6863However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006864variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006865 :let foo='a + b'
6866 :echo c{foo}d
6867.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6868
6869 *curly-braces-function-names*
6870You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6871Example: >
6872 :let func_end='whizz'
6873 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6874
6875This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6876
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01006877This does NOT work: >
6878 :let i = 3
6879 :let @{i} = '' " error
6880 :echo @{i} " error
6881
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006882==============================================================================
68837. Commands *expression-commands*
6884
6885:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6886 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6887 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6888 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6889 is created.
6890
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006891:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6892 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6893 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6894 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6895 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006896 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6897 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6898 can do that like this: >
6899 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6900<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006901 *E711* *E719*
6902:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006903 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6904 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006905 correct number of items.
6906 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6907 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6908 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6909 end of the list, items will be added.
6910
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006911 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006912:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6913:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6914:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6915 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6916 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6917
6918
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006919:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6920 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6921 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006922:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6923 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6924 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6925 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006926
6927:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6928 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6929 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6930 must be the name of a writable register (see
6931 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6932 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6933 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6934 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6935 characterwise.
6936 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6937 :let @/ = ""
6938< This is different from searching for an empty string,
6939 that would match everywhere.
6940
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006941:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006942 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006943 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6944
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006945:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006946 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006947 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6948 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006949 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6950 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00006951 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006952 Example: >
6953 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006954
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006955:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6956 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6957 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6958
6959:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6960:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6961 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6962 {expr1}.
6963
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006964:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006965:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6966:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6967:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006968 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6969 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6970
6971:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006972:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6973:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6974:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006975 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6976 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6977
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006978:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006979 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006980 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6981 {name2}, etc.
6982 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006983 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006984 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6985 command as mentioned above.
6986 Example: >
6987 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006988< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6989 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6990 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6991 :let x = [0, 1]
6992 :let i = 0
6993 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6994 :echo x
6995< The result is [0, 2].
6996
6997:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6998:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6999:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
7000 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007001 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007002
7003:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007004 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007005 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
7006 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
7007 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007008 Example: >
7009 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
7010<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007011:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
7012:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
7013:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
7014 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007015 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +02007016
7017 *E121*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007018:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00007019 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
7020 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00007021 g: global variables
7022 b: local buffer variables
7023 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00007024 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00007025 s: script-local variables
7026 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00007027 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007028
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00007029:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
7030 variable is indicated before the value:
7031 <nothing> String
7032 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00007033 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007034
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007035
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007036:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007037 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
7038 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007039 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007040 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
7041 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007042 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00007043 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
7044 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007045< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00007046 :unlet dict['two']
7047 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00007048< This is especially useful to clean up used global
7049 variables and script-local variables (these are not
7050 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
7051 variables are automatically deleted when the function
7052 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007053
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007054:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
7055 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
7056 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
7057 A locked variable can be deleted: >
7058 :lockvar v
7059 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
7060 :unlet v
7061< *E741*
7062 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
7063 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
7064
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007065 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
7066 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
7067 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007068 cannot add or remove items, but can
7069 still change their values.
7070 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007071 the items. If an item is a |List| or
7072 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007073 items, but can still change the
7074 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007075 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
7076 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
7077 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
7078 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
7079 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007080 *E743*
7081 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
7082 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
7083 loops.
7084
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007085 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
7086 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00007087 locked when used through the other variable.
7088 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007089 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
7090 :let cl = l
7091 :lockvar l
7092 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
7093< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
7094 See |deepcopy()|.
7095
7096
7097:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
7098 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
7099 opposite of |:lockvar|.
7100
7101
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007102:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
7103:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
7104 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
7105
7106 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
7107 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
7108 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
7109 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
7110 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
7111 part was not executed either.
7112
7113 You can use this to remain compatible with older
7114 versions: >
7115 :if version >= 500
7116 : version-5-specific-commands
7117 :endif
7118< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
7119 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
7120 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
7121 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
7122 avoid problems: >
7123 :if version >= 600
7124 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
7125 :endif
7126<
7127 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
7128 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
7129
7130 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
7131:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
7132 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
7133 executed.
7134
7135 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
7136:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
7137 is no extra ":endif".
7138
7139:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007140 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007141:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
7142 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
7143 When an error is detected from a command inside the
7144 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007145 Example: >
7146 :let lnum = 1
7147 :while lnum <= line("$")
7148 :call FixLine(lnum)
7149 :let lnum = lnum + 1
7150 :endwhile
7151<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007152 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00007153 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007154
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007155:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007156:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
7157 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00007158 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007159 value of each item.
7160 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007161 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00007162 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
7163 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007164 :for item in copy(mylist)
7165< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
7166 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007167 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007168 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
7169 it will not be found. Thus the following example
7170 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007171 for item in mylist
7172 call remove(mylist, 0)
7173 endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00007174< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
7175 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
7176 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007177 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
7178 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007179 to allow multiple item types: >
7180 for item in ["foo", ["bar"]]
7181 echo item
7182 unlet item " E706 without this
7183 endfor
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007184
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007185:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
7186:endfo[r]
7187 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
7188 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
7189 {var2}, etc. Example: >
7190 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
7191 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
7192 :endfor
7193<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007194 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007195:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
7196 to the start of the loop.
7197 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
7198 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
7199 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
7200 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
7201 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
7202 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007203
7204 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007205:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
7206 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
7207 ":endfor".
7208 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
7209 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
7210 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
7211 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
7212 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
7213 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007214
7215:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
7216:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
7217 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
7218 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
7219 or autocommand invocations.
7220
7221 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
7222 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
7223 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
7224 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
7225 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
7226 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
7227 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
7228 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
7229 Example: >
7230 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
7231 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
7232<
7233 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
7234 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
7235 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
7236 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
7237 processing is not terminated.
7238
7239 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
7240 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
7241 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
7242 other errors are converted to a value of the form
7243 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
7244 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
7245 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
7246 the error number.
7247 Examples: >
7248 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
7249 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
7250<
7251 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007252:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next |:catch|,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007253 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
7254 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
7255 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
7256 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
7257 commands are skipped.
7258 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
7259 Examples: >
7260 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
7261 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
7262 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
7263 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
7264 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
7265 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
7266 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
7267 :catch " same as /.*/
7268<
7269 Another character can be used instead of / around the
7270 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
7271 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
7272 {pattern}.
7273 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
7274 an error message because it may vary in different
7275 locales.
7276
7277 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
7278:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
7279 are executed whenever the part between the matching
7280 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
7281 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
7282 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
7283 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
7284
7285 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
7286:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
7287 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
7288 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
7289 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
7290 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
7291 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
7292 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
7293 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
7294 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
7295 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
7296 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
7297 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
7298 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
7299 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
7300 is terminated.
7301 Example: >
7302 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
Bram Moolenaar662db672011-03-22 14:05:35 +01007303< Note that "catch" may need to be on a separate line
7304 for when an error causes the parsing to skip the whole
7305 line and not see the "|" that separates the commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007306
7307 *:ec* *:echo*
7308:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
7309 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
7310 Also see |:comment|.
7311 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
7312 cursor to the first column.
7313 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7314 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7315 Example: >
7316 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007317< *:echo-redraw*
7318 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
7319 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
7320 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
7321 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
7322 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
7323 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
7324 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007325 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
7326<
7327 *:echon*
7328:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
7329 |:comment|.
7330 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7331 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7332 Example: >
7333 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
7334<
7335 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
7336 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
7337 command: >
7338 :!echo % --> filename
7339< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
7340 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
7341< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
7342 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
7343 :echo % --> nothing
7344< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
7345 :echo "%" --> %
7346< This just echoes the '%' character. >
7347 :echo expand("%") --> filename
7348< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
7349
7350 *:echoh* *:echohl*
7351:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
7352 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
7353 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
7354 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
7355< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
7356 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
7357
7358 *:echom* *:echomsg*
7359:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
7360 message in the |message-history|.
7361 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
7362 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
7363 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007364 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
7365 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
7366 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
7367 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
7368 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007369 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7370 Example: >
7371 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007372< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
7373 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007374 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
7375:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
7376 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
7377 script or function the line number will be added.
7378 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007379 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007380 the message is raised as an error exception instead
7381 (see |try-echoerr|).
7382 Example: >
7383 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
7384< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
7385 And to get a beep: >
7386 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
7387<
7388 *:exe* *:execute*
7389:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007390 of {expr1} as an Ex command.
7391 Multiple arguments are concatenated, with a space in
7392 between. To avoid the extra space use the "."
7393 operator to concatenate strings into one argument.
7394 {expr1} is used as the processed command, command line
7395 editing keys are not recognized.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007396 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7397 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007398 :execute "buffer" nextbuf
7399 :execute "normal" count . "w"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007400<
7401 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
7402 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
7403 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
7404
7405< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
7406 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
7407 command: >
7408 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
7409< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
7410
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007411 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
7412 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007413 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
7414 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007415 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007416 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007417<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007418 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00007419 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
7420 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007421 :execute 'while i > 5'
7422 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
7423<
7424 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
7425 completely in the executed string: >
7426 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
7427<
7428
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007429 *:exe-comment*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007430 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
7431 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
7432 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
7433 comment. Example: >
7434 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
7435
7436==============================================================================
74378. Exception handling *exception-handling*
7438
7439The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
7440explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
7441
7442Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
7443|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
7444exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
7445
7446
7447TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
7448
7449Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
7450use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
7451a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
7452 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
7453|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
7454a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
7455be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
7456which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
7457clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
7458
7459 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007460 : ...
7461 : ... TRY BLOCK
7462 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007463 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007464 : ...
7465 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7466 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007467 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007468 : ...
7469 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7470 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007471 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007472 : ...
7473 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
7474 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007475 :endtry
7476
7477The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
7478appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
7479from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
7480 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
7481is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
7482script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
7483 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
7484lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
7485patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
7486after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
7487executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
7488":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
7489(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
7490continues in the following line as usual.
7491 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
7492":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
7493that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
7494finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
7495the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
7496the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
7497see |try-nesting|.
7498 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007499remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007500not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
7501try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
7502a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
7503execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
7504exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7505 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007506thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007507clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
7508catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
7509following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
7510clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7511
7512The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
7513a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
7514try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
7515from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
7516sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
7517":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
7518":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
7519from the finally clause.
7520 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
7521try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
7522clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
7523":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
7524clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
7525":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
7526this pending exception or command is discarded.
7527
7528For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
7529
7530
7531NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
7532
7533Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
7534conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
7535clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
7536catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
7537of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
7538checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
7539try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007540otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007541nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
7542one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
7543the inner try conditional.
7544
7545When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
7546finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
7547An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
7548thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
7549implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
7550as usual.
7551
7552For examples see |throw-catch|.
7553
7554
7555EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
7556
7557Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
7558'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
7559script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
7560finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
7561a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
7562(see |debug-scripts|).
7563
7564
7565THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
7566
7567You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
7568and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
7569 :throw 4711
7570 :throw "string"
7571< *throw-expression*
7572You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
7573first, and the result is thrown: >
7574 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
7575 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
7576
7577An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
7578command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
7579The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
7580 Example: >
7581
7582 :function! Foo(arg)
7583 : try
7584 : throw a:arg
7585 : catch /foo/
7586 : endtry
7587 : return 1
7588 :endfunction
7589 :
7590 :function! Bar()
7591 : echo "in Bar"
7592 : return 4710
7593 :endfunction
7594 :
7595 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
7596
7597This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
7598executed. >
7599 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
7600however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
7601
7602Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007603abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007604exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
7605 Example: >
7606
7607 :if Foo("arrgh")
7608 : echo "then"
7609 :else
7610 : echo "else"
7611 :endif
7612
7613Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
7614
7615 *catch-order*
7616Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
7617commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
7618command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
7619gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
7620 Example: >
7621
7622 :function! Foo(value)
7623 : try
7624 : throw a:value
7625 : catch /^\d\+$/
7626 : echo "Number thrown"
7627 : catch /.*/
7628 : echo "String thrown"
7629 : endtry
7630 :endfunction
7631 :
7632 :call Foo(0x1267)
7633 :call Foo('string')
7634
7635The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7636An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7637specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7638specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7639
7640 : catch /.*/
7641 : echo "String thrown"
7642 : catch /^\d\+$/
7643 : echo "Number thrown"
7644
7645The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7646never taken.
7647
7648 *throw-variables*
7649If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7650in the variable |v:exception|: >
7651
7652 : catch /^\d\+$/
7653 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7654
7655You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7656|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7657exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7658 Example: >
7659
7660 :function! Caught()
7661 : if v:exception != ""
7662 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7663 : else
7664 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7665 : endif
7666 :endfunction
7667 :
7668 :function! Foo()
7669 : try
7670 : try
7671 : try
7672 : throw 4711
7673 : finally
7674 : call Caught()
7675 : endtry
7676 : catch /.*/
7677 : call Caught()
7678 : throw "oops"
7679 : endtry
7680 : catch /.*/
7681 : call Caught()
7682 : finally
7683 : call Caught()
7684 : endtry
7685 :endfunction
7686 :
7687 :call Foo()
7688
7689This displays >
7690
7691 Nothing caught
7692 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7693 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7694 Nothing caught
7695
7696A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7697number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7698
7699 :function! LineNumber()
7700 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7701 :endfunction
7702 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7703<
7704 *try-nested*
7705An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7706a surrounding try conditional: >
7707
7708 :try
7709 : try
7710 : throw "foo"
7711 : catch /foobar/
7712 : echo "foobar"
7713 : finally
7714 : echo "inner finally"
7715 : endtry
7716 :catch /foo/
7717 : echo "foo"
7718 :endtry
7719
7720The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7721clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7722conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7723
7724 *throw-from-catch*
7725You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7726catch clause: >
7727
7728 :function! Foo()
7729 : throw "foo"
7730 :endfunction
7731 :
7732 :function! Bar()
7733 : try
7734 : call Foo()
7735 : catch /foo/
7736 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7737 : throw "bar"
7738 : endtry
7739 :endfunction
7740 :
7741 :try
7742 : call Bar()
7743 :catch /.*/
7744 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7745 :endtry
7746
7747This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7748
7749 *rethrow*
7750There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7751"v:exception" instead: >
7752
7753 :function! Bar()
7754 : try
7755 : call Foo()
7756 : catch /.*/
7757 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7758 : throw v:exception
7759 : endtry
7760 :endfunction
7761< *try-echoerr*
7762Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7763exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7764Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7765denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7766the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7767
7768 :try
7769 : try
7770 : asdf
7771 : catch /.*/
7772 : echoerr v:exception
7773 : endtry
7774 :catch /.*/
7775 : echo v:exception
7776 :endtry
7777
7778This code displays
7779
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007780 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007781
7782
7783CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7784
7785Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7786user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007787an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007788a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7789catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7790a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7791normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7792(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007793to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007794clause has been executed.)
7795Example: >
7796
7797 :try
7798 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7799 : set ts=17
7800 :
7801 : " Do the hard work here.
7802 :
7803 :finally
7804 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7805 : unlet s:saved_ts
7806 :endtry
7807
7808This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7809changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7810that function or script part.
7811
7812 *break-finally*
7813Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7814a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7815 Example: >
7816
7817 :let first = 1
7818 :while 1
7819 : try
7820 : if first
7821 : echo "first"
7822 : let first = 0
7823 : continue
7824 : else
7825 : throw "second"
7826 : endif
7827 : catch /.*/
7828 : echo v:exception
7829 : break
7830 : finally
7831 : echo "cleanup"
7832 : endtry
7833 : echo "still in while"
7834 :endwhile
7835 :echo "end"
7836
7837This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7838
7839 :function! Foo()
7840 : try
7841 : return 4711
7842 : finally
7843 : echo "cleanup\n"
7844 : endtry
7845 : echo "Foo still active"
7846 :endfunction
7847 :
7848 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7849
7850This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007851extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007852return value.)
7853
7854 *except-from-finally*
7855Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7856a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7857cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7858exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7859 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7860working correctly: >
7861
7862 :try
7863 : try
7864 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7865 : while 1
7866 : endwhile
7867 : finally
7868 : unlet novar
7869 : endtry
7870 :catch /novar/
7871 :endtry
7872 :echo "Script still running"
7873 :sleep 1
7874
7875If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7876think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7877|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7878
7879
7880CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7881
7882If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7883watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7884presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7885exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7886the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7887the error exception is.
7888 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7889
7890 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7891or >
7892 Vim:{errmsg}
7893
7894{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007895the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007896when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7897a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7898a space.
7899
7900Examples:
7901
7902The command >
7903 :unlet novar
7904normally produces the error message >
7905 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7906which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7907 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7908
7909The command >
7910 :dwim
7911normally produces the error message >
7912 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7913which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7914 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7915
7916You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7917 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7918or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7919 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7920
7921Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7922 :function nofunc
7923and >
7924 :delfunction nofunc
7925both produce the error message >
7926 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7927which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7928 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7929or >
7930 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7931respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7932command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7933 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7934
7935Some commands like >
7936 :let x = novar
7937produce multiple error messages, here: >
7938 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7939 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7940Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7941one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7942 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7943
7944You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7945 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7946
7947You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7948 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7949
7950You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7951 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7952<
7953 *catch-text*
7954NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7955 :catch /No such variable/
7956only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7957a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7958cite the message text in a comment: >
7959 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7960
7961
7962IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7963
7964You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7965
7966 :try
7967 : write
7968 :catch
7969 :endtry
7970
7971But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7972catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7973be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7974
7975 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7976
7977There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7978writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7979then hide the error from the user.
7980 It is much better to use >
7981
7982 :try
7983 : write
7984 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7985 :endtry
7986
7987which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7988intentionally.
7989
7990For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7991even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7992command: >
7993 :silent! nunmap k
7994This works also when a try conditional is active.
7995
7996
7997CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7998
7999When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008000the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008001script is not terminated, then.
8002 Example: >
8003
8004 :function! TASK1()
8005 : sleep 10
8006 :endfunction
8007
8008 :function! TASK2()
8009 : sleep 20
8010 :endfunction
8011
8012 :while 1
8013 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
8014 : try
8015 : if command == ""
8016 : continue
8017 : elseif command == "END"
8018 : break
8019 : elseif command == "TASK1"
8020 : call TASK1()
8021 : elseif command == "TASK2"
8022 : call TASK2()
8023 : else
8024 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
8025 : continue
8026 : endif
8027 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
8028 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
8029 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
8030 : endtry
8031 :endwhile
8032
8033You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008034a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008035
8036For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
8037your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
8038command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
8039
8040
8041CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
8042
8043The commands >
8044
8045 :catch /.*/
8046 :catch //
8047 :catch
8048
8049catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
8050explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
8051a script in order to catch unexpected things.
8052 Example: >
8053
8054 :try
8055 :
8056 : " do the hard work here
8057 :
8058 :catch /MyException/
8059 :
8060 : " handle known problem
8061 :
8062 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
8063 : echo "Script interrupted"
8064 :catch /.*/
8065 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
8066 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
8067 :endtry
8068 :" end of script
8069
8070Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
8071strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
8072specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
8073 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
8074by pressing CTRL-C: >
8075
8076 :while 1
8077 : try
8078 : sleep 1
8079 : catch
8080 : endtry
8081 :endwhile
8082
8083
8084EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
8085
8086Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
8087
8088 :autocmd User x try
8089 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
8090 :autocmd User x catch
8091 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
8092 :autocmd User x endtry
8093 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
8094 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
8095 :
8096 :try
8097 : doautocmd User x
8098 :catch
8099 : echo v:exception
8100 :endtry
8101
8102This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
8103
8104 *except-autocmd-Pre*
8105For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
8106command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
8107of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
8108abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
8109 Example: >
8110
8111 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
8112 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
8113 :
8114 :try
8115 : write
8116 :catch
8117 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
8118 :endtry
8119
8120Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
8121you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
8122autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
8123script displays: >
8124
8125 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
8126<
8127 *except-autocmd-Post*
8128For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
8129command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
8130an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
8131is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
8132 Example: >
8133
8134 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
8135 :
8136 :try
8137 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8138 :catch
8139 : echo v:exception
8140 :endtry
8141
8142This just displays: >
8143
8144 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
8145
8146If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
8147fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
8148 Example: >
8149
8150 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
8151 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
8152 :
8153 :try
8154 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8155 :catch
8156 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8157 :endtry
8158<
8159You can also use ":silent!": >
8160
8161 :let x = "ok"
8162 :let v:errmsg = ""
8163 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
8164 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
8165 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
8166 :try
8167 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8168 :catch
8169 :endtry
8170 :echo x
8171
8172This displays "after fail".
8173
8174If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
8175autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
8176
8177 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
8178 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
8179 :
8180 :try
8181 : write
8182 :catch
8183 : echo v:exception
8184 :endtry
8185<
8186 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
8187For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
8188autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
8189of the command.
8190 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008191had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008192some way. >
8193
8194 :if !exists("cnt")
8195 : let cnt = 0
8196 :
8197 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
8198 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
8199 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
8200 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
8201 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8202 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
8203 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
8204 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
8205 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8206 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
8207 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8208 :endif
8209 :
8210 :try
8211 : write
8212 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
8213 : if &modified
8214 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
8215 : else
8216 : echo "Error after writing"
8217 : endif
8218 :catch /^Vim(write):/
8219 : echo "Error on writing"
8220 :endtry
8221
8222When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
8223first >
8224 File successfully written!
8225then >
8226 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
8227then >
8228 Error after writing
8229etc.
8230
8231 *except-autocmd-ill*
8232You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
8233The following code is ill-formed: >
8234
8235 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
8236 :
8237 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
8238 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
8239 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
8240 :
8241 :write
8242
8243
8244EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
8245
8246Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
8247pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
8248similar things in Vim.
8249 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
8250class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
8251string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
8252 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
8253it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
8254for an error when writing "myfile".
8255 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
8256base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
8257parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
8258 Example: >
8259
8260 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
8261 : if a:a < 0
8262 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
8263 : endif
8264 :endfunction
8265 :
8266 :function! Add(a, b)
8267 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
8268 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
8269 : let c = a:a + a:b
8270 : if c < 0
8271 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
8272 : endif
8273 : return c
8274 :endfunction
8275 :
8276 :function! Div(a, b)
8277 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
8278 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
8279 : if (a:b == 0)
8280 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
8281 : endif
8282 : return a:a / a:b
8283 :endfunction
8284 :
8285 :function! Write(file)
8286 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008287 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008288 : catch /^Vim(write):/
8289 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
8290 : endtry
8291 :endfunction
8292 :
8293 :try
8294 :
8295 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
8296 :
8297 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
8298 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8299 : echo "Range error in" function
8300 :
8301 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
8302 : echo "Math error"
8303 :
8304 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
8305 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
8306 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8307 : if file !~ '^/'
8308 : let file = dir . "/" . file
8309 : endif
8310 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
8311 :
8312 :catch /^EXCEPT/
8313 : echo "Unspecified error"
8314 :
8315 :endtry
8316
8317The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
8318a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
8319exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
8320 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
8321failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
8322
8323
8324PECULIARITIES
8325 *except-compat*
8326The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
8327exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
8328and/or a catch clause.
8329
8330In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
8331continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
8332after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
8333functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
8334or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
8335(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
8336
8337This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
8338immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008339conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
8340be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008341termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
8342catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
8343by specifying a finally clause.)
8344
8345When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
8346behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
8347scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
8348
8349However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
8350commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
8351conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
8352script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
8353error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
8354messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008355|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
8356not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008357where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
8358error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
8359scripts.
8360
8361 *except-syntax-err*
8362Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
8363the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
8364clauses, however, is executed.
8365 Example: >
8366
8367 :try
8368 : try
8369 : throw 4711
8370 : catch /\(/
8371 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
8372 : catch
8373 : echo "inner catch-all"
8374 : finally
8375 : echo "inner finally"
8376 : endtry
8377 :catch
8378 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
8379 : finally
8380 : echo "outer finally"
8381 :endtry
8382
8383This displays: >
8384 inner finally
8385 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
8386 outer finally
8387The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
8388
8389 *except-single-line*
8390The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
8391a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
8392"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
8393 Example: >
8394 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
8395raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
8396argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
8397error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
8398displayed.
8399
8400 *except-several-errors*
8401When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
8402usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
8403 Example: >
8404 echo novar
8405causes >
8406 E121: Undefined variable: novar
8407 E15: Invalid expression: novar
8408The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8409 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
8410< *except-syntax-error*
8411But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
8412the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
8413 Example: >
8414 unlet novar #
8415causes >
8416 E108: No such variable: "novar"
8417 E488: Trailing characters
8418The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8419 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
8420This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
8421not intended by the user. Example: >
8422 try
8423 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
8424 catch /.*/
8425 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
8426 endtry
8427This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
8428a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
8429
8430==============================================================================
84319. Examples *eval-examples*
8432
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008433Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008434>
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01008435 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the binary string representation of a number.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008436 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008437 : let n = a:nr
8438 : let r = ""
8439 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008440 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
8441 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008442 : endwhile
8443 : return r
8444 :endfunc
8445
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008446 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
8447 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
8448 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008449 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008450 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
8451 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
8452 : endfor
8453 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008454 :endfunc
8455
8456Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008457 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
8458result: "100000" >
8459 :echo String2Bin("32")
8460result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008461
8462
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008463Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008464
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008465This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
8466
8467 :func SortBuffer()
8468 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
8469 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
8470 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008471 :endfunction
8472
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008473As a one-liner: >
8474 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008475
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008476
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008477scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008478 *sscanf*
8479There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
8480line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
8481how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
8482"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
8483 :" Set up the match bit
8484 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
8485 :"get the part matching the whole expression
8486 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
8487 :"get each item out of the match
8488 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
8489 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
8490 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
8491
8492The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
8493"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
8494
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008495
8496getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
8497 *scriptnames-dictionary*
8498The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
8499have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
8500(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
8501code can be used: >
8502 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
8503 let scriptnames_output = ''
8504 redir => scriptnames_output
8505 silent scriptnames
8506 redir END
8507
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008508 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008509 " "scripts" dictionary.
8510 let scripts = {}
8511 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
8512 " Only do non-blank lines.
8513 if line =~ '\S'
8514 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008515 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008516 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008517 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008518 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008519 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008520 endif
8521 endfor
8522 unlet scriptnames_output
8523
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008524==============================================================================
852510. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
8526
8527When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
8528evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
8529to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
8530recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
8531and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
8532only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
8533recognized.
8534
8535Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
8536missing: >
8537
8538 :if 1
8539 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
8540 :else
8541 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
8542 :endif
8543
8544==============================================================================
854511. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
8546
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02008547The 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and
8548'foldtext' options may be evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are
8549protected from these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some
8550safety for when these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when
8551the command from a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008552The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008553
8554These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
8555 - changing the buffer text
8556 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
8557 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008558 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008559 - executing a shell command
8560 - reading or writing a file
8561 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00008562 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008563This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
8564
8565 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00008566:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008567 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
8568 'foldexpr'.
8569
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008570 *sandbox-option*
8571A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00008572have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008573restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
8574location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00008575- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008576- while executing in the sandbox
8577- value coming from a modeline
8578
8579Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
8580option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
8581
8582==============================================================================
858312. Textlock *textlock*
8584
8585In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
8586to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
8587is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008588actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008589happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
8590
8591This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
8592 - changing the buffer text
8593 - jumping to another buffer or window
8594 - editing another file
8595 - closing a window or quitting Vim
8596 - etc.
8597
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008598
8599 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: