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Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00001*autocmd.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2008 Jun 27
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Automatic commands *autocommand*
8
9For a basic explanation, see section |40.3| in the user manual.
10
111. Introduction |autocmd-intro|
122. Defining autocommands |autocmd-define|
133. Removing autocommands |autocmd-remove|
144. Listing autocommands |autocmd-list|
155. Events |autocmd-events|
166. Patterns |autocmd-patterns|
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000177. Buffer-local autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|
188. Groups |autocmd-groups|
199. Executing autocommands |autocmd-execute|
2010. Using autocommands |autocmd-use|
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00002111. Disabling autocommands |autocmd-disable|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000022
23{Vi does not have any of these commands}
24{only when the |+autocmd| feature has not been disabled at compile time}
25
26==============================================================================
271. Introduction *autocmd-intro*
28
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +000029You can specify commands to be executed automatically when reading or writing
30a file, when entering or leaving a buffer or window, and when exiting Vim.
31For example, you can create an autocommand to set the 'cindent' option for
32files matching *.c. You can also use autocommands to implement advanced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000033features, such as editing compressed files (see |gzip-example|). The usual
34place to put autocommands is in your .vimrc or .exrc file.
35
36 *E203* *E204* *E143*
37WARNING: Using autocommands is very powerful, and may lead to unexpected side
38effects. Be careful not to destroy your text.
39- It's a good idea to do some testing on an expendable copy of a file first.
40 For example: If you use autocommands to decompress a file when starting to
41 edit it, make sure that the autocommands for compressing when writing work
42 correctly.
43- Be prepared for an error halfway through (e.g., disk full). Vim will mostly
44 be able to undo the changes to the buffer, but you may have to clean up the
45 changes to other files by hand (e.g., compress a file that has been
46 decompressed).
47- If the BufRead* events allow you to edit a compressed file, the FileRead*
48 events should do the same (this makes recovery possible in some rare cases).
49 It's a good idea to use the same autocommands for the File* and Buf* events
50 when possible.
51
52==============================================================================
532. Defining autocommands *autocmd-define*
54
55Note: The ":autocmd" command cannot be followed by another command, since any
56'|' is considered part of the command.
57
58 *:au* *:autocmd*
59:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
60 Add {cmd} to the list of commands that Vim will
61 execute automatically on {event} for a file matching
62 {pat}. Vim always adds the {cmd} after existing
63 autocommands, so that the autocommands execute in the
64 order in which they were given. See |autocmd-nested|
65 for [nested].
66
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000067The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> defines a buffer-local autocommand.
68See |autocmd-buflocal|.
69
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000070Note that special characters (e.g., "%", "<cword>") in the ":autocmd"
71arguments are not expanded when the autocommand is defined. These will be
72expanded when the Event is recognized, and the {cmd} is executed. The only
73exception is that "<sfile>" is expanded when the autocmd is defined. Example:
74>
75 :au BufNewFile,BufRead *.html so <sfile>:h/html.vim
76
77Here Vim expands <sfile> to the name of the file containing this line.
78
79When your .vimrc file is sourced twice, the autocommands will appear twice.
80To avoid this, put this command in your .vimrc file, before defining
81autocommands: >
82
83 :autocmd! " Remove ALL autocommands for the current group.
84
85If you don't want to remove all autocommands, you can instead use a variable
86to ensure that Vim includes the autocommands only once: >
87
88 :if !exists("autocommands_loaded")
89 : let autocommands_loaded = 1
90 : au ...
91 :endif
92
93When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
94with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group]. Note
95that [group] must have been defined before. You cannot define a new group
96with ":au group ..."; use ":augroup" for that.
97
98While testing autocommands, you might find the 'verbose' option to be useful: >
99 :set verbose=9
100This setting makes Vim echo the autocommands as it executes them.
101
102When defining an autocommand in a script, it will be able to call functions
103local to the script and use mappings local to the script. When the event is
104triggered and the command executed, it will run in the context of the script
105it was defined in. This matters if |<SID>| is used in a command.
106
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000107When executing the commands, the message from one command overwrites a
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000108previous message. This is different from when executing the commands
109manually. Mostly the screen will not scroll up, thus there is no hit-enter
110prompt. When one command outputs two messages this can happen anyway.
111
112==============================================================================
1133. Removing autocommands *autocmd-remove*
114
115:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
116 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
117 {pat}, and add the command {cmd}. See
118 |autocmd-nested| for [nested].
119
120:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat}
121 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
122 {pat}.
123
124:au[tocmd]! [group] * {pat}
125 Remove all autocommands associated with {pat} for all
126 events.
127
128:au[tocmd]! [group] {event}
129 Remove ALL autocommands for {event}.
130
131:au[tocmd]! [group] Remove ALL autocommands.
132
133When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
134with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group].
135
136==============================================================================
1374. Listing autocommands *autocmd-list*
138
139:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat}
140 Show the autocommands associated with {event} and
141 {pat}.
142
143:au[tocmd] [group] * {pat}
144 Show the autocommands associated with {pat} for all
145 events.
146
147:au[tocmd] [group] {event}
148 Show all autocommands for {event}.
149
150:au[tocmd] [group] Show all autocommands.
151
152If you provide the [group] argument, Vim lists only the autocommands for
153[group]; otherwise, Vim lists the autocommands for ALL groups. Note that this
154argument behavior differs from that for defining and removing autocommands.
155
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000156In order to list buffer-local autocommands, use a pattern in the form <buffer>
157or <buffer=N>. See |autocmd-buflocal|.
158
Bram Moolenaarac6e65f2005-08-29 22:25:38 +0000159 *:autocmd-verbose*
160When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing an autocommand will also display where it
161was last defined. Example: >
162
163 :verbose autocmd BufEnter
164 FileExplorer BufEnter
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000165 * call s:LocalBrowse(expand("<amatch>"))
Bram Moolenaarac6e65f2005-08-29 22:25:38 +0000166 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/plugin/NetrwPlugin.vim
167<
168See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
169
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000170==============================================================================
1715. Events *autocmd-events* *E215* *E216*
172
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000173You can specify a comma-separated list of event names. No white space can be
174used in this list. The command applies to all the events in the list.
175
176For READING FILES there are four kinds of events possible:
177 BufNewFile starting to edit a non-existent file
178 BufReadPre BufReadPost starting to edit an existing file
179 FilterReadPre FilterReadPost read the temp file with filter output
180 FileReadPre FileReadPost any other file read
181Vim uses only one of these four kinds when reading a file. The "Pre" and
182"Post" events are both triggered, before and after reading the file.
183
184Note that the autocommands for the *ReadPre events and all the Filter events
185are not allowed to change the current buffer (you will get an error message if
186this happens). This is to prevent the file to be read into the wrong buffer.
187
188Note that the 'modified' flag is reset AFTER executing the BufReadPost
189and BufNewFile autocommands. But when the 'modified' option was set by the
190autocommands, this doesn't happen.
191
192You can use the 'eventignore' option to ignore a number of events or all
193events.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000194 *autocommand-events* *{event}*
195Vim recognizes the following events. Vim ignores the case of event names
196(e.g., you can use "BUFread" or "bufread" instead of "BufRead").
197
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000198First an overview by function with a short explanation. Then the list
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +0000199alphabetically with full explanations |autocmd-events-abc|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000200
201Name triggered by ~
202
203 Reading
204|BufNewFile| starting to edit a file that doesn't exist
205|BufReadPre| starting to edit a new buffer, before reading the file
206|BufRead| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
207|BufReadPost| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
208|BufReadCmd| before starting to edit a new buffer |Cmd-event|
209
210|FileReadPre| before reading a file with a ":read" command
211|FileReadPost| after reading a file with a ":read" command
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +0000212|FileReadCmd| before reading a file with a ":read" command |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000213
214|FilterReadPre| before reading a file from a filter command
215|FilterReadPost| after reading a file from a filter command
216
217|StdinReadPre| before reading from stdin into the buffer
218|StdinReadPost| After reading from the stdin into the buffer
219
220 Writing
221|BufWrite| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
222|BufWritePre| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
223|BufWritePost| after writing the whole buffer to a file
224|BufWriteCmd| before writing the whole buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
225
226|FileWritePre| starting to write part of a buffer to a file
227|FileWritePost| after writing part of a buffer to a file
228|FileWriteCmd| before writing part of a buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
229
230|FileAppendPre| starting to append to a file
231|FileAppendPost| after appending to a file
232|FileAppendCmd| before appending to a file |Cmd-event|
233
234|FilterWritePre| starting to write a file for a filter command or diff
235|FilterWritePost| after writing a file for a filter command or diff
236
237 Buffers
238|BufAdd| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
239|BufCreate| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
240|BufDelete| before deleting a buffer from the buffer list
241|BufWipeout| before completely deleting a buffer
242
243|BufFilePre| before changing the name of the current buffer
244|BufFilePost| after changing the name of the current buffer
245
246|BufEnter| after entering a buffer
247|BufLeave| before leaving to another buffer
248|BufWinEnter| after a buffer is displayed in a window
249|BufWinLeave| before a buffer is removed from a window
250
251|BufUnload| before unloading a buffer
252|BufHidden| just after a buffer has become hidden
253|BufNew| just after creating a new buffer
254
255|SwapExists| detected an existing swap file
256
257 Options
258|FileType| when the 'filetype' option has been set
259|Syntax| when the 'syntax' option has been set
260|EncodingChanged| after the 'encoding' option has been changed
261|TermChanged| after the value of 'term' has changed
262
263 Startup and exit
264|VimEnter| after doing all the startup stuff
265|GUIEnter| after starting the GUI successfully
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000266|TermResponse| after the terminal response to |t_RV| is received
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000267
268|VimLeavePre| before exiting Vim, before writing the viminfo file
269|VimLeave| before exiting Vim, after writing the viminfo file
270
271 Various
272|FileChangedShell| Vim notices that a file changed since editing started
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000273|FileChangedShellPost| After handling a file changed since editing started
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000274|FileChangedRO| before making the first change to a read-only file
275
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +0000276|ShellCmdPost| after executing a shell command
277|ShellFilterPost| after filtering with a shell command
278
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000279|FuncUndefined| a user function is used but it isn't defined
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000280|SpellFileMissing| a spell file is used but it can't be found
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +0000281|SourcePre| before sourcing a Vim script
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000282|SourceCmd| before sourcing a Vim script |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000283
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000284|VimResized| after the Vim window size changed
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000285|FocusGained| Vim got input focus
286|FocusLost| Vim lost input focus
287|CursorHold| the user doesn't press a key for a while
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000288|CursorHoldI| the user doesn't press a key for a while in Insert mode
289|CursorMoved| the cursor was moved in Normal mode
290|CursorMovedI| the cursor was moved in Insert mode
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000291
292|WinEnter| after entering another window
293|WinLeave| before leaving a window
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000294|TabEnter| after entering another tab page
295|TabLeave| before leaving a tab page
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000296|CmdwinEnter| after entering the command-line window
297|CmdwinLeave| before leaving the command-line window
298
299|InsertEnter| starting Insert mode
300|InsertChange| when typing <Insert> while in Insert or Replace mode
301|InsertLeave| when leaving Insert mode
302
303|ColorScheme| after loading a color scheme
304
305|RemoteReply| a reply from a server Vim was received
306
307|QuickFixCmdPre| before a quickfix command is run
308|QuickFixCmdPost| after a quickfix command is run
309
310|SessionLoadPost| after loading a session file
311
312|MenuPopup| just before showing the popup menu
313
314|User| to be used in combination with ":doautocmd"
315
316
317The alphabetical list of autocommand events: *autocmd-events-abc*
318
319 *BufCreate* *BufAdd*
320BufAdd or BufCreate Just after creating a new buffer which is
321 added to the buffer list, or adding a buffer
322 to the buffer list.
323 Also used just after a buffer in the buffer
324 list has been renamed.
325 The BufCreate event is for historic reasons.
326 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
327 current buffer "%" may be different from the
328 buffer being created "<afile>".
329 *BufDelete*
330BufDelete Before deleting a buffer from the buffer list.
331 The BufUnload may be called first (if the
332 buffer was loaded).
333 Also used just before a buffer in the buffer
334 list is renamed.
335 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
336 current buffer "%" may be different from the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000337 buffer being deleted "<afile>" and "<abuf>".
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000338 *BufEnter*
339BufEnter After entering a buffer. Useful for setting
340 options for a file type. Also executed when
341 starting to edit a buffer, after the
342 BufReadPost autocommands.
343 *BufFilePost*
344BufFilePost After changing the name of the current buffer
345 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000346 *BufFilePre*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000347BufFilePre Before changing the name of the current buffer
348 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
349 *BufHidden*
350BufHidden Just after a buffer has become hidden. That
351 is, when there are no longer windows that show
352 the buffer, but the buffer is not unloaded or
353 deleted. Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when
354 exiting Vim.
355 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
356 current buffer "%" may be different from the
357 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
358 *BufLeave*
359BufLeave Before leaving to another buffer. Also when
360 leaving or closing the current window and the
361 new current window is not for the same buffer.
362 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
363 *BufNew*
364BufNew Just after creating a new buffer. Also used
365 just after a buffer has been renamed. When
366 the buffer is added to the buffer list BufAdd
367 will be triggered too.
368 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
369 current buffer "%" may be different from the
370 buffer being created "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000371 *BufNewFile*
372BufNewFile When starting to edit a file that doesn't
373 exist. Can be used to read in a skeleton
374 file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000375 *BufRead* *BufReadPost*
376BufRead or BufReadPost When starting to edit a new buffer, after
377 reading the file into the buffer, before
378 executing the modelines. See |BufWinEnter|
379 for when you need to do something after
380 processing the modelines.
381 This does NOT work for ":r file". Not used
382 when the file doesn't exist. Also used after
383 successfully recovering a file.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000384 *BufReadCmd*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000385BufReadCmd Before starting to edit a new buffer. Should
386 read the file into the buffer. |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +0000387 *BufReadPre* *E200* *E201*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000388BufReadPre When starting to edit a new buffer, before
389 reading the file into the buffer. Not used
390 if the file doesn't exist.
391 *BufUnload*
392BufUnload Before unloading a buffer. This is when the
393 text in the buffer is going to be freed. This
394 may be after a BufWritePost and before a
395 BufDelete. Also used for all buffers that are
396 loaded when Vim is going to exit.
397 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
398 current buffer "%" may be different from the
399 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
400 *BufWinEnter*
401BufWinEnter After a buffer is displayed in a window. This
402 can be when the buffer is loaded (after
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000403 processing the modelines) or when a hidden
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000404 buffer is displayed in a window (and is no
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000405 longer hidden).
406 Does not happen for |:split| without
407 arguments, since you keep editing the same
408 buffer, or ":split" with a file that's already
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +0000409 open in a window, because it re-uses an
410 existing buffer. But it does happen for a
411 ":split" with the name of the current buffer,
412 since it reloads that buffer.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000413 *BufWinLeave*
414BufWinLeave Before a buffer is removed from a window.
415 Not when it's still visible in another window.
416 Also triggered when exiting. It's triggered
417 before BufUnload or BufHidden.
418 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
419 current buffer "%" may be different from the
420 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
421 *BufWipeout*
422BufWipeout Before completely deleting a buffer. The
423 BufUnload and BufDelete events may be called
424 first (if the buffer was loaded and was in the
425 buffer list). Also used just before a buffer
426 is renamed (also when it's not in the buffer
427 list).
428 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
429 current buffer "%" may be different from the
430 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000431 *BufWrite* *BufWritePre*
432BufWrite or BufWritePre Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000433 *BufWriteCmd*
434BufWriteCmd Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
435 Should do the writing of the file and reset
Bram Moolenaar1cd871b2004-12-19 22:46:22 +0000436 'modified' if successful, unless '+' is in
437 'cpo' and writing to another file |cpo-+|.
438 The buffer contents should not be changed.
439 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000440 *BufWritePost*
441BufWritePost After writing the whole buffer to a file
442 (should undo the commands for BufWritePre).
443 *CmdwinEnter*
444CmdwinEnter After entering the command-line window.
445 Useful for setting options specifically for
446 this special type of window. This is
447 triggered _instead_ of BufEnter and WinEnter.
448 <afile> is set to a single character,
449 indicating the type of command-line.
450 |cmdwin-char|
451 *CmdwinLeave*
452CmdwinLeave Before leaving the command-line window.
453 Useful to clean up any global setting done
454 with CmdwinEnter. This is triggered _instead_
455 of BufLeave and WinLeave.
456 <afile> is set to a single character,
457 indicating the type of command-line.
458 |cmdwin-char|
459 *ColorScheme*
460ColorScheme After loading a color scheme. |:colorscheme|
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000461
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000462 *CursorHold*
463CursorHold When the user doesn't press a key for the time
464 specified with 'updatetime'. Not re-triggered
465 until the user has pressed a key (i.e. doesn't
466 fire every 'updatetime' ms if you leave Vim to
467 make some coffee. :) See |CursorHold-example|
468 for previewing tags.
469 This event is only triggered in Normal mode.
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000470 It is not triggered when waiting for a command
471 argument to be typed, or a movement after an
472 operator.
Bram Moolenaare3226be2005-12-18 22:10:00 +0000473 While recording the CursorHold event is not
474 triggered. |q|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000475 Note: Interactive commands cannot be used for
476 this event. There is no hit-enter prompt,
477 the screen is updated directly (when needed).
478 Note: In the future there will probably be
479 another option to set the time.
480 Hint: to force an update of the status lines
481 use: >
482 :let &ro = &ro
483< {only on Amiga, Unix, Win32, MSDOS and all GUI
484 versions}
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000485 *CursorHoldI*
486CursorHoldI Just like CursorHold, but in Insert mode.
487
488 *CursorMoved*
489CursorMoved After the cursor was moved in Normal mode.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +0000490 Also when the text of the cursor line has been
491 changed, e.g., with "x", "rx" or "p".
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000492 Not triggered when there is typeahead or when
493 an operator is pending.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +0000494 For an example see |match-parens|.
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000495 Careful: Don't do anything that the user does
496 not expect or that is slow.
497 *CursorMovedI*
498CursorMovedI After the cursor was moved in Insert mode.
499 Otherwise the same as CursorMoved.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000500 *EncodingChanged*
501EncodingChanged Fires off after the 'encoding' option has been
502 changed. Useful to set up fonts, for example.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000503 *FileAppendCmd*
504FileAppendCmd Before appending to a file. Should do the
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000505 appending to the file. Use the '[ and ']
506 marks for the range of lines.|Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000507 *FileAppendPost*
508FileAppendPost After appending to a file.
509 *FileAppendPre*
510FileAppendPre Before appending to a file. Use the '[ and ']
511 marks for the range of lines.
512 *FileChangedRO*
513FileChangedRO Before making the first change to a read-only
514 file. Can be used to check-out the file from
515 a source control system. Not triggered when
516 the change was caused by an autocommand.
517 This event is triggered when making the first
518 change in a buffer or the first change after
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000519 'readonly' was set, just before the change is
520 applied to the text.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000521 WARNING: If the autocommand moves the cursor
522 the effect of the change is undefined.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000523 *E788*
524 It is not allowed to change to another buffer
525 here. You can reload the buffer but not edit
526 another one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000527 *FileChangedShell*
528FileChangedShell When Vim notices that the modification time of
529 a file has changed since editing started.
530 Also when the file attributes of the file
531 change. |timestamp|
532 Mostly triggered after executing a shell
533 command, but also with a |:checktime| command
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000534 or when Gvim regains input focus.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000535 This autocommand is triggered for each changed
536 file. It is not used when 'autoread' is set
537 and the buffer was not changed. If a
538 FileChangedShell autocommand is present the
539 warning message and prompt is not given.
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000540 The |v:fcs_reason| variable is set to indicate
541 what happened and |v:fcs_choice| can be used
542 to tell Vim what to do next.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000543 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
544 current buffer "%" may be different from the
545 buffer that was changed "<afile>".
546 NOTE: The commands must not change the current
547 buffer, jump to another buffer or delete a
548 buffer. *E246*
549 NOTE: This event never nests, to avoid an
550 endless loop. This means that while executing
551 commands for the FileChangedShell event no
552 other FileChangedShell event will be
553 triggered.
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000554 *FileChangedShellPost*
555FileChangedShellPost After handling a file that was changed outside
556 of Vim. Can be used to update the statusline.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000557 *FileEncoding*
558FileEncoding Obsolete. It still works and is equivalent
559 to |EncodingChanged|.
560 *FileReadCmd*
561FileReadCmd Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
562 Should do the reading of the file. |Cmd-event|
563 *FileReadPost*
564FileReadPost After reading a file with a ":read" command.
565 Note that Vim sets the '[ and '] marks to the
566 first and last line of the read. This can be
567 used to operate on the lines just read.
568 *FileReadPre*
569FileReadPre Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
570 *FileType*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000571FileType When the 'filetype' option has been set. The
572 pattern is matched against the filetype.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000573 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
574 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
575 the new value of 'filetype'.
576 See |filetypes|.
577 *FileWriteCmd*
578FileWriteCmd Before writing to a file, when not writing the
579 whole buffer. Should do the writing to the
580 file. Should not change the buffer. Use the
581 '[ and '] marks for the range of lines.
582 |Cmd-event|
583 *FileWritePost*
584FileWritePost After writing to a file, when not writing the
585 whole buffer.
586 *FileWritePre*
587FileWritePre Before writing to a file, when not writing the
588 whole buffer. Use the '[ and '] marks for the
589 range of lines.
590 *FilterReadPost*
591FilterReadPost After reading a file from a filter command.
592 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
593 the current buffer as with FilterReadPre.
594 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
595 *FilterReadPre* *E135*
596FilterReadPre Before reading a file from a filter command.
597 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
598 the current buffer, not the name of the
599 temporary file that is the output of the
600 filter command.
601 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
602 *FilterWritePost*
603FilterWritePost After writing a file for a filter command or
604 making a diff.
605 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
606 the current buffer as with FilterWritePre.
607 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
608 *FilterWritePre*
609FilterWritePre Before writing a file for a filter command or
610 making a diff.
611 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
612 the current buffer, not the name of the
613 temporary file that is the output of the
614 filter command.
615 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000616 *FocusGained*
617FocusGained When Vim got input focus. Only for the GUI
618 version and a few console versions where this
619 can be detected.
620 *FocusLost*
621FocusLost When Vim lost input focus. Only for the GUI
622 version and a few console versions where this
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000623 can be detected. May also happen when a
624 dialog pops up.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000625 *FuncUndefined*
626FuncUndefined When a user function is used but it isn't
627 defined. Useful for defining a function only
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000628 when it's used. The pattern is matched
629 against the function name. Both <amatch> and
630 <afile> are set to the name of the function.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000631 See |autoload-functions|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000632 *GUIEnter*
633GUIEnter After starting the GUI successfully, and after
634 opening the window. It is triggered before
635 VimEnter when using gvim. Can be used to
636 position the window from a .gvimrc file: >
637 :autocmd GUIEnter * winpos 100 50
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000638< *GUIFailed*
639GUIFailed After starting the GUI failed. Vim may
640 continue to run in the terminal, if possible
641 (only on Unix and alikes, when connecting the
642 X server fails). You may want to quit Vim: >
643 :autocmd GUIFailed * qall
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000644< *InsertChange*
645InsertChange When typing <Insert> while in Insert or
646 Replace mode. The |v:insertmode| variable
647 indicates the new mode.
648 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
649 anything else that the user does not expect.
650 *InsertEnter*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000651InsertEnter Just before starting Insert mode. Also for
652 Replace mode and Virtual Replace mode. The
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000653 |v:insertmode| variable indicates the mode.
654 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
655 anything else that the user does not expect.
656 *InsertLeave*
657InsertLeave When leaving Insert mode. Also when using
658 CTRL-O |i_CTRL-O|. But not for |i_CTRL-C|.
659 *MenuPopup*
660MenuPopup Just before showing the popup menu (under the
661 right mouse button). Useful for adjusting the
662 menu for what is under the cursor or mouse
663 pointer.
664 The pattern is matched against a single
665 character representing the mode:
666 n Normal
667 v Visual
668 o Operator-pending
669 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +0000670 c Command line
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000671 *QuickFixCmdPre*
672QuickFixCmdPre Before a quickfix command is run (|:make|,
Bram Moolenaara6557602006-02-04 22:43:20 +0000673 |:lmake|, |:grep|, |:lgrep|, |:grepadd|,
674 |:lgrepadd|, |:vimgrep|, |:lvimgrep|,
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000675 |:vimgrepadd|, |:lvimgrepadd|). The pattern is
Bram Moolenaara6557602006-02-04 22:43:20 +0000676 matched against the command being run. When
677 |:grep| is used but 'grepprg' is set to
678 "internal" it still matches "grep".
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000679 This command cannot be used to set the
680 'makeprg' and 'grepprg' variables.
681 If this command causes an error, the quickfix
682 command is not executed.
683 *QuickFixCmdPost*
684QuickFixCmdPost Like QuickFixCmdPre, but after a quickfix
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000685 command is run, before jumping to the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000686 location. See |QuickFixCmdPost-example|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000687 *RemoteReply*
688RemoteReply When a reply from a Vim that functions as
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000689 server was received |server2client()|. The
690 pattern is matched against the {serverid}.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000691 <amatch> is equal to the {serverid} from which
692 the reply was sent, and <afile> is the actual
693 reply string.
694 Note that even if an autocommand is defined,
695 the reply should be read with |remote_read()|
696 to consume it.
697 *SessionLoadPost*
698SessionLoadPost After loading the session file created using
699 the |:mksession| command.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +0000700 *ShellCmdPost*
701ShellCmdPost After executing a shell command with |:!cmd|,
702 |:shell|, |:make| and |:grep|. Can be used to
703 check for any changed files.
704 *ShellFilterPost*
705ShellFilterPost After executing a shell command with
706 ":{range}!cmd", ":w !cmd" or ":r !cmd".
707 Can be used to check for any changed files.
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +0000708 *SourcePre*
709SourcePre Before sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000710 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
711 *SourceCmd*
712SourceCmd When sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
713 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
714 The autocommand must source this file.
715 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000716 *SpellFileMissing*
717SpellFileMissing When trying to load a spell checking file and
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000718 it can't be found. The pattern is matched
719 against the language. <amatch> is the
720 language, 'encoding' also matters. See
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000721 |spell-SpellFileMissing|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000722 *StdinReadPost*
723StdinReadPost After reading from the stdin into the buffer,
724 before executing the modelines. Only used
725 when the "-" argument was used when Vim was
726 started |--|.
727 *StdinReadPre*
728StdinReadPre Before reading from stdin into the buffer.
729 Only used when the "-" argument was used when
730 Vim was started |--|.
731 *SwapExists*
732SwapExists Detected an existing swap file when starting
733 to edit a file. Only when it is possible to
734 select a way to handle the situation, when Vim
735 would ask the user what to do.
736 The |v:swapname| variable holds the name of
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +0000737 the swap file found, <afile> the file being
738 edited. |v:swapcommand| may contain a command
739 to be executed in the opened file.
740 The commands should set the |v:swapchoice|
741 variable to a string with one character to
742 tell Vim what should be done next:
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000743 'o' open read-only
744 'e' edit the file anyway
745 'r' recover
746 'd' delete the swap file
747 'q' quit, don't edit the file
748 'a' abort, like hitting CTRL-C
749 When set to an empty string the user will be
750 asked, as if there was no SwapExists autocmd.
751 Note: Do not try to change the buffer, the
752 results are unpredictable.
753 *Syntax*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000754Syntax When the 'syntax' option has been set. The
755 pattern is matched against the syntax name.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000756 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
757 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
758 the new value of 'syntax'.
759 See |:syn-on|.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000760 *TabEnter*
761TabEnter Just after entering a tab page. |tab-page|
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +0000762 After triggering the WinEnter and before
763 triggering the BufEnter event.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000764 *TabLeave*
765TabLeave Just before leaving a tab page. |tab-page|
766 A WinLeave event will have been triggered
767 first.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000768 *TermChanged*
769TermChanged After the value of 'term' has changed. Useful
770 for re-loading the syntax file to update the
771 colors, fonts and other terminal-dependent
772 settings. Executed for all loaded buffers.
773 *TermResponse*
774TermResponse After the response to |t_RV| is received from
775 the terminal. The value of |v:termresponse|
776 can be used to do things depending on the
777 terminal version.
778 *User*
779User Never executed automatically. To be used for
780 autocommands that are only executed with
781 ":doautocmd".
782 *UserGettingBored*
783UserGettingBored When the user hits CTRL-C. Just kidding! :-)
784 *VimEnter*
785VimEnter After doing all the startup stuff, including
786 loading .vimrc files, executing the "-c cmd"
787 arguments, creating all windows and loading
788 the buffers in them.
789 *VimLeave*
790VimLeave Before exiting Vim, just after writing the
791 .viminfo file. Executed only once, like
792 VimLeavePre.
793 To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
794 *VimLeavePre*
795VimLeavePre Before exiting Vim, just before writing the
796 .viminfo file. This is executed only once,
797 if there is a match with the name of what
798 happens to be the current buffer when exiting.
799 Mostly useful with a "*" pattern. >
800 :autocmd VimLeavePre * call CleanupStuff()
801< To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000802 *VimResized*
803VimResized After the Vim window was resized, thus 'lines'
804 and/or 'columns' changed. Not when starting
805 up though.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000806 *WinEnter*
807WinEnter After entering another window. Not done for
808 the first window, when Vim has just started.
809 Useful for setting the window height.
810 If the window is for another buffer, Vim
811 executes the BufEnter autocommands after the
812 WinEnter autocommands.
813 Note: When using ":split fname" the WinEnter
814 event is triggered after the split but before
815 the file "fname" is loaded.
816 *WinLeave*
817WinLeave Before leaving a window. If the window to be
818 entered next is for a different buffer, Vim
819 executes the BufLeave autocommands before the
820 WinLeave autocommands (but not for ":new").
821 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000822
823==============================================================================
8246. Patterns *autocmd-patterns* *{pat}*
825
826The file pattern {pat} is tested for a match against the file name in one of
827two ways:
8281. When there is no '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against only
829 the tail part of the file name (without its leading directory path).
8302. When there is a '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against the
831 both short file name (as you typed it) and the full file name (after
832 expanding it to a full path and resolving symbolic links).
833
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000834The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> is used for buffer-local
835autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|. This pattern is not matched against the name
836of a buffer.
837
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000838Examples: >
839 :autocmd BufRead *.txt set et
840Set the 'et' option for all text files. >
841
842 :autocmd BufRead /vim/src/*.c set cindent
843Set the 'cindent' option for C files in the /vim/src directory. >
844
845 :autocmd BufRead /tmp/*.c set ts=5
846If you have a link from "/tmp/test.c" to "/home/nobody/vim/src/test.c", and
847you start editing "/tmp/test.c", this autocommand will match.
848
849Note: To match part of a path, but not from the root directory, use a '*' as
850the first character. Example: >
851 :autocmd BufRead */doc/*.txt set tw=78
852This autocommand will for example be executed for "/tmp/doc/xx.txt" and
853"/usr/home/piet/doc/yy.txt". The number of directories does not matter here.
854
855
856The file name that the pattern is matched against is after expanding
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000857wildcards. Thus if you issue this command: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000858 :e $ROOTDIR/main.$EXT
859The argument is first expanded to: >
860 /usr/root/main.py
861Before it's matched with the pattern of the autocommand. Careful with this
862when using events like FileReadCmd, the value of <amatch> may not be what you
863expect.
864
865
866Environment variables can be used in a pattern: >
867 :autocmd BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt set expandtab
868And ~ can be used for the home directory (if $HOME is defined): >
869 :autocmd BufWritePost ~/.vimrc so ~/.vimrc
870 :autocmd BufRead ~archive/* set readonly
871The environment variable is expanded when the autocommand is defined, not when
872the autocommand is executed. This is different from the command!
873
874 *file-pattern*
875The pattern is interpreted like mostly used in file names:
876 * matches any sequence of characters
877 ? matches any single character
878 \? matches a '?'
879 . matches a '.'
880 ~ matches a '~'
881 , separates patterns
882 \, matches a ','
883 { } like \( \) in a |pattern|
884 , inside { }: like \| in a |pattern|
885 \ special meaning like in a |pattern|
886 [ch] matches 'c' or 'h'
887 [^ch] match any character but 'c' and 'h'
888
889Note that for all systems the '/' character is used for path separator (even
890MS-DOS and OS/2). This was done because the backslash is difficult to use
891in a pattern and to make the autocommands portable across different systems.
892
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000893 *autocmd-changes*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000894Matching with the pattern is done when an event is triggered. Changing the
895buffer name in one of the autocommands, or even deleting the buffer, does not
896change which autocommands will be executed. Example: >
897
898 au BufEnter *.foo bdel
899 au BufEnter *.foo set modified
900
901This will delete the current buffer and then set 'modified' in what has become
902the current buffer instead. Vim doesn't take into account that "*.foo"
903doesn't match with that buffer name. It matches "*.foo" with the name of the
904buffer at the moment the event was triggered.
905
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000906However, buffer-local autocommands will not be executed for a buffer that has
907been wiped out with |:bwipe|. After deleting the buffer with |:bdel| the
908buffer actually still exists (it becomes unlisted), thus the autocommands are
909still executed.
910
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000911==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00009127. Buffer-local autocommands *autocmd-buflocal* *autocmd-buffer-local*
913 *<buffer=N>* *<buffer=abuf>* *E680*
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000914
915Buffer-local autocommands are attached to a specific buffer. They are useful
916if the buffer does not have a name and when the name does not match a specific
917pattern. But it also means they must be explicitly added to each buffer.
918
919Instead of a pattern buffer-local autocommands use one of these forms:
920 <buffer> current buffer
921 <buffer=99> buffer number 99
922 <buffer=abuf> using <abuf> (only when executing autocommands)
923 |<abuf>|
924
925Examples: >
926 :au CursorHold <buffer> echo 'hold'
927 :au CursorHold <buffer=33> echo 'hold'
928 :au CursorHold <buffer=abuf> echo 'hold'
929
930All the commands for autocommands also work with buffer-local autocommands,
931simply use the special string instead of the pattern. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000932 :au! * <buffer> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
933 " current buffer
934 :au! * <buffer=33> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
935 " buffer #33
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000936 :bufdo :au! CursorHold <buffer> " remove autocmd for given event for all
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000937 " buffers
938 :au * <buffer> " list buffer-local autocommands for
939 " current buffer
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000940
941Note that when an autocommand is defined for the current buffer, it is stored
942with the buffer number. Thus it uses the form "<buffer=12>", where 12 is the
943number of the current buffer. You will see this when listing autocommands,
944for example.
945
946To test for presence of buffer-local autocommands use the |exists()| function
947as follows: >
948 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer=12>") | ... | endif
949 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer>") | ... | endif " for current buffer
950
951When a buffer is wiped out its buffer-local autocommands are also gone, of
952course. Note that when deleting a buffer, e.g., with ":bdel", it is only
953unlisted, the autocommands are still present. In order to see the removal of
954buffer-local autocommands: >
955 :set verbose=6
956
957It is not possible to define buffer-local autocommands for a non-existent
958buffer.
959
960==============================================================================
9618. Groups *autocmd-groups*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000962
963Autocommands can be put together in a group. This is useful for removing or
964executing a group of autocommands. For example, all the autocommands for
965syntax highlighting are put in the "highlight" group, to be able to execute
966":doautoall highlight BufRead" when the GUI starts.
967
968When no specific group is selected, Vim uses the default group. The default
969group does not have a name. You cannot execute the autocommands from the
970default group separately; you can execute them only by executing autocommands
971for all groups.
972
973Normally, when executing autocommands automatically, Vim uses the autocommands
974for all groups. The group only matters when executing autocommands with
975":doautocmd" or ":doautoall", or when defining or deleting autocommands.
976
977The group name can contain any characters except white space. The group name
978"end" is reserved (also in uppercase).
979
980The group name is case sensitive. Note that this is different from the event
981name!
982
983 *:aug* *:augroup*
984:aug[roup] {name} Define the autocmd group name for the
985 following ":autocmd" commands. The name "end"
986 or "END" selects the default group.
987
988 *:augroup-delete* *E367*
989:aug[roup]! {name} Delete the autocmd group {name}. Don't use
990 this if there is still an autocommand using
991 this group! This is not checked.
992
993To enter autocommands for a specific group, use this method:
9941. Select the group with ":augroup {name}".
9952. Delete any old autocommands with ":au!".
9963. Define the autocommands.
9974. Go back to the default group with "augroup END".
998
999Example: >
1000 :augroup uncompress
1001 : au!
1002 : au BufEnter *.gz %!gunzip
1003 :augroup END
1004
1005This prevents having the autocommands defined twice (e.g., after sourcing the
1006.vimrc file again).
1007
1008==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000010099. Executing autocommands *autocmd-execute*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001010
1011Vim can also execute Autocommands non-automatically. This is useful if you
1012have changed autocommands, or when Vim has executed the wrong autocommands
1013(e.g., the file pattern match was wrong).
1014
1015Note that the 'eventignore' option applies here too. Events listed in this
1016option will not cause any commands to be executed.
1017
1018 *:do* *:doau* *:doautocmd* *E217*
1019:do[autocmd] [group] {event} [fname]
1020 Apply the autocommands matching [fname] (default:
1021 current file name) for {event} to the current buffer.
1022 You can use this when the current file name does not
1023 match the right pattern, after changing settings, or
1024 to execute autocommands for a certain event.
1025 It's possible to use this inside an autocommand too,
1026 so you can base the autocommands for one extension on
1027 another extension. Example: >
1028 :au Bufenter *.cpp so ~/.vimrc_cpp
1029 :au Bufenter *.cpp doau BufEnter x.c
1030< Be careful to avoid endless loops. See
1031 |autocmd-nested|.
1032
1033 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim executes
1034 the autocommands for all groups. When the [group]
1035 argument is included, Vim executes only the matching
1036 autocommands for that group. Note: if you use an
1037 undefined group name, Vim gives you an error message.
1038
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001039 After applying the autocommands the modelines are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001040 processed, so that their settings overrule the
1041 settings from autocommands, like what happens when
1042 editing a file.
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001043
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001044 *:doautoa* *:doautoall*
1045:doautoa[ll] [group] {event} [fname]
1046 Like ":doautocmd", but apply the autocommands to each
1047 loaded buffer. Note that {fname} is used to select
1048 the autocommands, not the buffers to which they are
1049 applied.
1050 Careful: Don't use this for autocommands that delete a
1051 buffer, change to another buffer or change the
1052 contents of a buffer; the result is unpredictable.
1053 This command is intended for autocommands that set
1054 options, change highlighting, and things like that.
1055
1056==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000105710. Using autocommands *autocmd-use*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001058
1059For WRITING FILES there are four possible sets of events. Vim uses only one
1060of these sets for a write command:
1061
1062BufWriteCmd BufWritePre BufWritePost writing the whole buffer
1063 FilterWritePre FilterWritePost writing to filter temp file
1064FileAppendCmd FileAppendPre FileAppendPost appending to a file
1065FileWriteCmd FileWritePre FileWritePost any other file write
1066
1067When there is a matching "*Cmd" autocommand, it is assumed it will do the
1068writing. No further writing is done and the other events are not triggered.
1069|Cmd-event|
1070
1071Note that the *WritePost commands should undo any changes to the buffer that
1072were caused by the *WritePre commands; otherwise, writing the file will have
1073the side effect of changing the buffer.
1074
1075Before executing the autocommands, the buffer from which the lines are to be
1076written temporarily becomes the current buffer. Unless the autocommands
1077change the current buffer or delete the previously current buffer, the
1078previously current buffer is made the current buffer again.
1079
1080The *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands must not delete the buffer from
1081which the lines are to be written.
1082
1083The '[ and '] marks have a special position:
1084- Before the *ReadPre event the '[ mark is set to the line just above where
1085 the new lines will be inserted.
1086- Before the *ReadPost event the '[ mark is set to the first line that was
1087 just read, the '] mark to the last line.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001088- Before executing the *WriteCmd, *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands the '[
1089 mark is set to the first line that will be written, the '] mark to the last
1090 line.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001091Careful: '[ and '] change when using commands that change the buffer.
1092
1093In commands which expect a file name, you can use "<afile>" for the file name
1094that is being read |:<afile>| (you can also use "%" for the current file
1095name). "<abuf>" can be used for the buffer number of the currently effective
1096buffer. This also works for buffers that doesn't have a name. But it doesn't
1097work for files without a buffer (e.g., with ":r file").
1098
1099 *gzip-example*
1100Examples for reading and writing compressed files: >
1101 :augroup gzip
1102 : autocmd!
1103 : autocmd BufReadPre,FileReadPre *.gz set bin
1104 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz '[,']!gunzip
1105 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz set nobin
1106 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz execute ":doautocmd BufReadPost " . expand("%:r")
1107 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1108 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1109
1110 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !gunzip <afile>
1111 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !mv <afile>:r <afile>
1112 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1113 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1114 :augroup END
1115
1116The "gzip" group is used to be able to delete any existing autocommands with
1117":autocmd!", for when the file is sourced twice.
1118
1119("<afile>:r" is the file name without the extension, see |:_%:|)
1120
1121The commands executed for the BufNewFile, BufRead/BufReadPost, BufWritePost,
1122FileAppendPost and VimLeave events do not set or reset the changed flag of the
1123buffer. When you decompress the buffer with the BufReadPost autocommands, you
1124can still exit with ":q". When you use ":undo" in BufWritePost to undo the
1125changes made by BufWritePre commands, you can still do ":q" (this also makes
1126"ZZ" work). If you do want the buffer to be marked as modified, set the
1127'modified' option.
1128
1129To execute Normal mode commands from an autocommand, use the ":normal"
1130command. Use with care! If the Normal mode command is not finished, the user
1131needs to type characters (e.g., after ":normal m" you need to type a mark
1132name).
1133
1134If you want the buffer to be unmodified after changing it, reset the
1135'modified' option. This makes it possible to exit the buffer with ":q"
1136instead of ":q!".
1137
1138 *autocmd-nested* *E218*
1139By default, autocommands do not nest. If you use ":e" or ":w" in an
1140autocommand, Vim does not execute the BufRead and BufWrite autocommands for
1141those commands. If you do want this, use the "nested" flag for those commands
1142in which you want nesting. For example: >
1143 :autocmd FileChangedShell *.c nested e!
1144The nesting is limited to 10 levels to get out of recursive loops.
1145
1146It's possible to use the ":au" command in an autocommand. This can be a
1147self-modifying command! This can be useful for an autocommand that should
1148execute only once.
1149
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001150If you want to skip autocommands for one command, use the |:noautocmd| command
1151modifier or the 'eventignore' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001152
1153Note: When reading a file (with ":read file" or with a filter command) and the
1154last line in the file does not have an <EOL>, Vim remembers this. At the next
1155write (with ":write file" or with a filter command), if the same line is
1156written again as the last line in a file AND 'binary' is set, Vim does not
1157supply an <EOL>. This makes a filter command on the just read lines write the
1158same file as was read, and makes a write command on just filtered lines write
1159the same file as was read from the filter. For example, another way to write
1160a compressed file: >
1161
1162 :autocmd FileWritePre *.gz set bin|'[,']!gzip
1163 :autocmd FileWritePost *.gz undo|set nobin
1164<
1165 *autocommand-pattern*
1166You can specify multiple patterns, separated by commas. Here are some
1167examples: >
1168
1169 :autocmd BufRead * set tw=79 nocin ic infercase fo=2croq
1170 :autocmd BufRead .letter set tw=72 fo=2tcrq
1171 :autocmd BufEnter .letter set dict=/usr/lib/dict/words
1172 :autocmd BufLeave .letter set dict=
1173 :autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.c,*.h set tw=0 cin noic
1174 :autocmd BufEnter *.c,*.h abbr FOR for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i)<CR>{<CR>}<Esc>O
1175 :autocmd BufLeave *.c,*.h unabbr FOR
1176
1177For makefiles (makefile, Makefile, imakefile, makefile.unix, etc.): >
1178
1179 :autocmd BufEnter ?akefile* set include=^s\=include
1180 :autocmd BufLeave ?akefile* set include&
1181
1182To always start editing C files at the first function: >
1183
1184 :autocmd BufRead *.c,*.h 1;/^{
1185
1186Without the "1;" above, the search would start from wherever the file was
1187entered, rather than from the start of the file.
1188
1189 *skeleton* *template*
1190To read a skeleton (template) file when opening a new file: >
1191
1192 :autocmd BufNewFile *.c 0r ~/vim/skeleton.c
1193 :autocmd BufNewFile *.h 0r ~/vim/skeleton.h
1194 :autocmd BufNewFile *.java 0r ~/vim/skeleton.java
1195
1196To insert the current date and time in a *.html file when writing it: >
1197
1198 :autocmd BufWritePre,FileWritePre *.html ks|call LastMod()|'s
1199 :fun LastMod()
1200 : if line("$") > 20
1201 : let l = 20
1202 : else
1203 : let l = line("$")
1204 : endif
1205 : exe "1," . l . "g/Last modified: /s/Last modified: .*/Last modified: " .
1206 : \ strftime("%Y %b %d")
1207 :endfun
1208
1209You need to have a line "Last modified: <date time>" in the first 20 lines
1210of the file for this to work. Vim replaces <date time> (and anything in the
1211same line after it) with the current date and time. Explanation:
1212 ks mark current position with mark 's'
1213 call LastMod() call the LastMod() function to do the work
1214 's return the cursor to the old position
1215The LastMod() function checks if the file is shorter than 20 lines, and then
1216uses the ":g" command to find lines that contain "Last modified: ". For those
1217lines the ":s" command is executed to replace the existing date with the
1218current one. The ":execute" command is used to be able to use an expression
1219for the ":g" and ":s" commands. The date is obtained with the strftime()
1220function. You can change its argument to get another date string.
1221
1222When entering :autocmd on the command-line, completion of events and command
1223names may be done (with <Tab>, CTRL-D, etc.) where appropriate.
1224
1225Vim executes all matching autocommands in the order that you specify them.
1226It is recommended that your first autocommand be used for all files by using
1227"*" as the file pattern. This means that you can define defaults you like
1228here for any settings, and if there is another matching autocommand it will
1229override these. But if there is no other matching autocommand, then at least
1230your default settings are recovered (if entering this file from another for
1231which autocommands did match). Note that "*" will also match files starting
1232with ".", unlike Unix shells.
1233
1234 *autocmd-searchpat*
1235Autocommands do not change the current search patterns. Vim saves the current
1236search patterns before executing autocommands then restores them after the
1237autocommands finish. This means that autocommands do not affect the strings
1238highlighted with the 'hlsearch' option. Within autocommands, you can still
1239use search patterns normally, e.g., with the "n" command.
1240If you want an autocommand to set the search pattern, such that it is used
1241after the autocommand finishes, use the ":let @/ =" command.
1242The search-highlighting cannot be switched off with ":nohlsearch" in an
1243autocommand. Use the 'h' flag in the 'viminfo' option to disable search-
1244highlighting when starting Vim.
1245
1246 *Cmd-event*
1247When using one of the "*Cmd" events, the matching autocommands are expected to
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +00001248do the file reading, writing or sourcing. This can be used when working with
1249a special kind of file, for example on a remote system.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001250CAREFUL: If you use these events in a wrong way, it may have the effect of
1251making it impossible to read or write the matching files! Make sure you test
1252your autocommands properly. Best is to use a pattern that will never match a
1253normal file name, for example "ftp://*".
1254
1255When defining a BufReadCmd it will be difficult for Vim to recover a crashed
1256editing session. When recovering from the original file, Vim reads only those
1257parts of a file that are not found in the swap file. Since that is not
1258possible with a BufReadCmd, use the |:preserve| command to make sure the
1259original file isn't needed for recovery. You might want to do this only when
1260you expect the file to be modified.
1261
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +00001262For file read and write commands the |v:cmdarg| variable holds the "++enc="
1263and "++ff=" argument that are effective. These should be used for the command
1264that reads/writes the file. The |v:cmdbang| variable is one when "!" was
1265used, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001266
1267See the $VIMRUNTIME/plugin/netrw.vim for examples.
1268
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001269==============================================================================
127011. Disabling autocommands *autocmd-disable*
1271
1272To disable autocommands for some time use the 'eventignore' option. Note that
1273this may cause unexpected behavior, make sure you restore 'eventignore'
1274afterwards, using a |:try| block with |:finally|.
1275
1276 *:noautocmd* *:noa*
1277To disable autocommands for just one command use the ":noautocmd" command
1278modifier. This will set 'eventignore' to "all" for the duration of the
1279following command. Example: >
1280
1281 :noautocmd w fname.gz
1282
1283This will write the file without triggering the autocommands defined by the
1284gzip plugin.
1285
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00001286
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001287 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: