blob: 80032e038a63a043c6e3edf73a41c093b8c64760 [file] [log] [blame]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001*autocmd.txt* For Vim version 7.2a. Last change: 2008 Jun 24
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
409 open in a window. But it does happen for
410 a ":split" with the name of the current
411 buffer, since it reloads that buffer.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000412 *BufWinLeave*
413BufWinLeave Before a buffer is removed from a window.
414 Not when it's still visible in another window.
415 Also triggered when exiting. It's triggered
416 before BufUnload or BufHidden.
417 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
418 current buffer "%" may be different from the
419 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
420 *BufWipeout*
421BufWipeout Before completely deleting a buffer. The
422 BufUnload and BufDelete events may be called
423 first (if the buffer was loaded and was in the
424 buffer list). Also used just before a buffer
425 is renamed (also when it's not in the buffer
426 list).
427 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
428 current buffer "%" may be different from the
429 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000430 *BufWrite* *BufWritePre*
431BufWrite or BufWritePre Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000432 *BufWriteCmd*
433BufWriteCmd Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
434 Should do the writing of the file and reset
Bram Moolenaar1cd871b2004-12-19 22:46:22 +0000435 'modified' if successful, unless '+' is in
436 'cpo' and writing to another file |cpo-+|.
437 The buffer contents should not be changed.
438 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000439 *BufWritePost*
440BufWritePost After writing the whole buffer to a file
441 (should undo the commands for BufWritePre).
442 *CmdwinEnter*
443CmdwinEnter After entering the command-line window.
444 Useful for setting options specifically for
445 this special type of window. This is
446 triggered _instead_ of BufEnter and WinEnter.
447 <afile> is set to a single character,
448 indicating the type of command-line.
449 |cmdwin-char|
450 *CmdwinLeave*
451CmdwinLeave Before leaving the command-line window.
452 Useful to clean up any global setting done
453 with CmdwinEnter. This is triggered _instead_
454 of BufLeave and WinLeave.
455 <afile> is set to a single character,
456 indicating the type of command-line.
457 |cmdwin-char|
458 *ColorScheme*
459ColorScheme After loading a color scheme. |:colorscheme|
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000460
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000461 *CursorHold*
462CursorHold When the user doesn't press a key for the time
463 specified with 'updatetime'. Not re-triggered
464 until the user has pressed a key (i.e. doesn't
465 fire every 'updatetime' ms if you leave Vim to
466 make some coffee. :) See |CursorHold-example|
467 for previewing tags.
468 This event is only triggered in Normal mode.
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000469 It is not triggered when waiting for a command
470 argument to be typed, or a movement after an
471 operator.
Bram Moolenaare3226be2005-12-18 22:10:00 +0000472 While recording the CursorHold event is not
473 triggered. |q|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000474 Note: Interactive commands cannot be used for
475 this event. There is no hit-enter prompt,
476 the screen is updated directly (when needed).
477 Note: In the future there will probably be
478 another option to set the time.
479 Hint: to force an update of the status lines
480 use: >
481 :let &ro = &ro
482< {only on Amiga, Unix, Win32, MSDOS and all GUI
483 versions}
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000484 *CursorHoldI*
485CursorHoldI Just like CursorHold, but in Insert mode.
486
487 *CursorMoved*
488CursorMoved After the cursor was moved in Normal mode.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +0000489 Also when the text of the cursor line has been
490 changed, e.g., with "x", "rx" or "p".
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000491 Not triggered when there is typeahead or when
492 an operator is pending.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +0000493 For an example see |match-parens|.
Bram Moolenaar754b5602006-02-09 23:53:20 +0000494 Careful: Don't do anything that the user does
495 not expect or that is slow.
496 *CursorMovedI*
497CursorMovedI After the cursor was moved in Insert mode.
498 Otherwise the same as CursorMoved.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000499 *EncodingChanged*
500EncodingChanged Fires off after the 'encoding' option has been
501 changed. Useful to set up fonts, for example.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000502 *FileAppendCmd*
503FileAppendCmd Before appending to a file. Should do the
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000504 appending to the file. Use the '[ and ']
505 marks for the range of lines.|Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000506 *FileAppendPost*
507FileAppendPost After appending to a file.
508 *FileAppendPre*
509FileAppendPre Before appending to a file. Use the '[ and ']
510 marks for the range of lines.
511 *FileChangedRO*
512FileChangedRO Before making the first change to a read-only
513 file. Can be used to check-out the file from
514 a source control system. Not triggered when
515 the change was caused by an autocommand.
516 This event is triggered when making the first
517 change in a buffer or the first change after
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000518 'readonly' was set, just before the change is
519 applied to the text.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000520 WARNING: If the autocommand moves the cursor
521 the effect of the change is undefined.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000522 *E788*
523 It is not allowed to change to another buffer
524 here. You can reload the buffer but not edit
525 another one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000526 *FileChangedShell*
527FileChangedShell When Vim notices that the modification time of
528 a file has changed since editing started.
529 Also when the file attributes of the file
530 change. |timestamp|
531 Mostly triggered after executing a shell
532 command, but also with a |:checktime| command
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000533 or when Gvim regains input focus.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000534 This autocommand is triggered for each changed
535 file. It is not used when 'autoread' is set
536 and the buffer was not changed. If a
537 FileChangedShell autocommand is present the
538 warning message and prompt is not given.
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000539 The |v:fcs_reason| variable is set to indicate
540 what happened and |v:fcs_choice| can be used
541 to tell Vim what to do next.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000542 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
543 current buffer "%" may be different from the
544 buffer that was changed "<afile>".
545 NOTE: The commands must not change the current
546 buffer, jump to another buffer or delete a
547 buffer. *E246*
548 NOTE: This event never nests, to avoid an
549 endless loop. This means that while executing
550 commands for the FileChangedShell event no
551 other FileChangedShell event will be
552 triggered.
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000553 *FileChangedShellPost*
554FileChangedShellPost After handling a file that was changed outside
555 of Vim. Can be used to update the statusline.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000556 *FileEncoding*
557FileEncoding Obsolete. It still works and is equivalent
558 to |EncodingChanged|.
559 *FileReadCmd*
560FileReadCmd Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
561 Should do the reading of the file. |Cmd-event|
562 *FileReadPost*
563FileReadPost After reading a file with a ":read" command.
564 Note that Vim sets the '[ and '] marks to the
565 first and last line of the read. This can be
566 used to operate on the lines just read.
567 *FileReadPre*
568FileReadPre Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
569 *FileType*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000570FileType When the 'filetype' option has been set. The
571 pattern is matched against the filetype.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000572 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
573 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
574 the new value of 'filetype'.
575 See |filetypes|.
576 *FileWriteCmd*
577FileWriteCmd Before writing to a file, when not writing the
578 whole buffer. Should do the writing to the
579 file. Should not change the buffer. Use the
580 '[ and '] marks for the range of lines.
581 |Cmd-event|
582 *FileWritePost*
583FileWritePost After writing to a file, when not writing the
584 whole buffer.
585 *FileWritePre*
586FileWritePre Before writing to a file, when not writing the
587 whole buffer. Use the '[ and '] marks for the
588 range of lines.
589 *FilterReadPost*
590FilterReadPost After reading a file from a filter command.
591 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
592 the current buffer as with FilterReadPre.
593 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
594 *FilterReadPre* *E135*
595FilterReadPre Before reading a file from a filter command.
596 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
597 the current buffer, not the name of the
598 temporary file that is the output of the
599 filter command.
600 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
601 *FilterWritePost*
602FilterWritePost After writing a file for a filter command or
603 making a diff.
604 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
605 the current buffer as with FilterWritePre.
606 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
607 *FilterWritePre*
608FilterWritePre Before writing a file for a filter command or
609 making a diff.
610 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
611 the current buffer, not the name of the
612 temporary file that is the output of the
613 filter command.
614 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000615 *FocusGained*
616FocusGained When Vim got input focus. Only for the GUI
617 version and a few console versions where this
618 can be detected.
619 *FocusLost*
620FocusLost When Vim lost input focus. Only for the GUI
621 version and a few console versions where this
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000622 can be detected. May also happen when a
623 dialog pops up.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000624 *FuncUndefined*
625FuncUndefined When a user function is used but it isn't
626 defined. Useful for defining a function only
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000627 when it's used. The pattern is matched
628 against the function name. Both <amatch> and
629 <afile> are set to the name of the function.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000630 See |autoload-functions|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000631 *GUIEnter*
632GUIEnter After starting the GUI successfully, and after
633 opening the window. It is triggered before
634 VimEnter when using gvim. Can be used to
635 position the window from a .gvimrc file: >
636 :autocmd GUIEnter * winpos 100 50
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000637< *GUIFailed*
638GUIFailed After starting the GUI failed. Vim may
639 continue to run in the terminal, if possible
640 (only on Unix and alikes, when connecting the
641 X server fails). You may want to quit Vim: >
642 :autocmd GUIFailed * qall
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000643< *InsertChange*
644InsertChange When typing <Insert> while in Insert or
645 Replace mode. The |v:insertmode| variable
646 indicates the new mode.
647 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
648 anything else that the user does not expect.
649 *InsertEnter*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000650InsertEnter Just before starting Insert mode. Also for
651 Replace mode and Virtual Replace mode. The
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000652 |v:insertmode| variable indicates the mode.
653 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
654 anything else that the user does not expect.
655 *InsertLeave*
656InsertLeave When leaving Insert mode. Also when using
657 CTRL-O |i_CTRL-O|. But not for |i_CTRL-C|.
658 *MenuPopup*
659MenuPopup Just before showing the popup menu (under the
660 right mouse button). Useful for adjusting the
661 menu for what is under the cursor or mouse
662 pointer.
663 The pattern is matched against a single
664 character representing the mode:
665 n Normal
666 v Visual
667 o Operator-pending
668 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +0000669 c Command line
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000670 *QuickFixCmdPre*
671QuickFixCmdPre Before a quickfix command is run (|:make|,
Bram Moolenaara6557602006-02-04 22:43:20 +0000672 |:lmake|, |:grep|, |:lgrep|, |:grepadd|,
673 |:lgrepadd|, |:vimgrep|, |:lvimgrep|,
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000674 |:vimgrepadd|, |:lvimgrepadd|). The pattern is
Bram Moolenaara6557602006-02-04 22:43:20 +0000675 matched against the command being run. When
676 |:grep| is used but 'grepprg' is set to
677 "internal" it still matches "grep".
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000678 This command cannot be used to set the
679 'makeprg' and 'grepprg' variables.
680 If this command causes an error, the quickfix
681 command is not executed.
682 *QuickFixCmdPost*
683QuickFixCmdPost Like QuickFixCmdPre, but after a quickfix
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000684 command is run, before jumping to the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000685 location. See |QuickFixCmdPost-example|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000686 *RemoteReply*
687RemoteReply When a reply from a Vim that functions as
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000688 server was received |server2client()|. The
689 pattern is matched against the {serverid}.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000690 <amatch> is equal to the {serverid} from which
691 the reply was sent, and <afile> is the actual
692 reply string.
693 Note that even if an autocommand is defined,
694 the reply should be read with |remote_read()|
695 to consume it.
696 *SessionLoadPost*
697SessionLoadPost After loading the session file created using
698 the |:mksession| command.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +0000699 *ShellCmdPost*
700ShellCmdPost After executing a shell command with |:!cmd|,
701 |:shell|, |:make| and |:grep|. Can be used to
702 check for any changed files.
703 *ShellFilterPost*
704ShellFilterPost After executing a shell command with
705 ":{range}!cmd", ":w !cmd" or ":r !cmd".
706 Can be used to check for any changed files.
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +0000707 *SourcePre*
708SourcePre Before sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000709 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
710 *SourceCmd*
711SourceCmd When sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
712 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
713 The autocommand must source this file.
714 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000715 *SpellFileMissing*
716SpellFileMissing When trying to load a spell checking file and
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +0000717 it can't be found. The pattern is matched
718 against the language. <amatch> is the
719 language, 'encoding' also matters. See
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +0000720 |spell-SpellFileMissing|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000721 *StdinReadPost*
722StdinReadPost After reading from the stdin into the buffer,
723 before executing the modelines. Only used
724 when the "-" argument was used when Vim was
725 started |--|.
726 *StdinReadPre*
727StdinReadPre Before reading from stdin into the buffer.
728 Only used when the "-" argument was used when
729 Vim was started |--|.
730 *SwapExists*
731SwapExists Detected an existing swap file when starting
732 to edit a file. Only when it is possible to
733 select a way to handle the situation, when Vim
734 would ask the user what to do.
735 The |v:swapname| variable holds the name of
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +0000736 the swap file found, <afile> the file being
737 edited. |v:swapcommand| may contain a command
738 to be executed in the opened file.
739 The commands should set the |v:swapchoice|
740 variable to a string with one character to
741 tell Vim what should be done next:
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000742 'o' open read-only
743 'e' edit the file anyway
744 'r' recover
745 'd' delete the swap file
746 'q' quit, don't edit the file
747 'a' abort, like hitting CTRL-C
748 When set to an empty string the user will be
749 asked, as if there was no SwapExists autocmd.
750 Note: Do not try to change the buffer, the
751 results are unpredictable.
752 *Syntax*
Bram Moolenaard7afed32007-05-06 13:26:41 +0000753Syntax When the 'syntax' option has been set. The
754 pattern is matched against the syntax name.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000755 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
756 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
757 the new value of 'syntax'.
758 See |:syn-on|.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000759 *TabEnter*
760TabEnter Just after entering a tab page. |tab-page|
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +0000761 After triggering the WinEnter and before
762 triggering the BufEnter event.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +0000763 *TabLeave*
764TabLeave Just before leaving a tab page. |tab-page|
765 A WinLeave event will have been triggered
766 first.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000767 *TermChanged*
768TermChanged After the value of 'term' has changed. Useful
769 for re-loading the syntax file to update the
770 colors, fonts and other terminal-dependent
771 settings. Executed for all loaded buffers.
772 *TermResponse*
773TermResponse After the response to |t_RV| is received from
774 the terminal. The value of |v:termresponse|
775 can be used to do things depending on the
776 terminal version.
777 *User*
778User Never executed automatically. To be used for
779 autocommands that are only executed with
780 ":doautocmd".
781 *UserGettingBored*
782UserGettingBored When the user hits CTRL-C. Just kidding! :-)
783 *VimEnter*
784VimEnter After doing all the startup stuff, including
785 loading .vimrc files, executing the "-c cmd"
786 arguments, creating all windows and loading
787 the buffers in them.
788 *VimLeave*
789VimLeave Before exiting Vim, just after writing the
790 .viminfo file. Executed only once, like
791 VimLeavePre.
792 To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
793 *VimLeavePre*
794VimLeavePre Before exiting Vim, just before writing the
795 .viminfo file. This is executed only once,
796 if there is a match with the name of what
797 happens to be the current buffer when exiting.
798 Mostly useful with a "*" pattern. >
799 :autocmd VimLeavePre * call CleanupStuff()
800< To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
Bram Moolenaar7d47b6e2006-03-15 22:59:18 +0000801 *VimResized*
802VimResized After the Vim window was resized, thus 'lines'
803 and/or 'columns' changed. Not when starting
804 up though.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000805 *WinEnter*
806WinEnter After entering another window. Not done for
807 the first window, when Vim has just started.
808 Useful for setting the window height.
809 If the window is for another buffer, Vim
810 executes the BufEnter autocommands after the
811 WinEnter autocommands.
812 Note: When using ":split fname" the WinEnter
813 event is triggered after the split but before
814 the file "fname" is loaded.
815 *WinLeave*
816WinLeave Before leaving a window. If the window to be
817 entered next is for a different buffer, Vim
818 executes the BufLeave autocommands before the
819 WinLeave autocommands (but not for ":new").
820 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000821
822==============================================================================
8236. Patterns *autocmd-patterns* *{pat}*
824
825The file pattern {pat} is tested for a match against the file name in one of
826two ways:
8271. When there is no '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against only
828 the tail part of the file name (without its leading directory path).
8292. When there is a '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against the
830 both short file name (as you typed it) and the full file name (after
831 expanding it to a full path and resolving symbolic links).
832
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000833The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> is used for buffer-local
834autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|. This pattern is not matched against the name
835of a buffer.
836
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000837Examples: >
838 :autocmd BufRead *.txt set et
839Set the 'et' option for all text files. >
840
841 :autocmd BufRead /vim/src/*.c set cindent
842Set the 'cindent' option for C files in the /vim/src directory. >
843
844 :autocmd BufRead /tmp/*.c set ts=5
845If you have a link from "/tmp/test.c" to "/home/nobody/vim/src/test.c", and
846you start editing "/tmp/test.c", this autocommand will match.
847
848Note: To match part of a path, but not from the root directory, use a '*' as
849the first character. Example: >
850 :autocmd BufRead */doc/*.txt set tw=78
851This autocommand will for example be executed for "/tmp/doc/xx.txt" and
852"/usr/home/piet/doc/yy.txt". The number of directories does not matter here.
853
854
855The file name that the pattern is matched against is after expanding
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000856wildcards. Thus if you issue this command: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000857 :e $ROOTDIR/main.$EXT
858The argument is first expanded to: >
859 /usr/root/main.py
860Before it's matched with the pattern of the autocommand. Careful with this
861when using events like FileReadCmd, the value of <amatch> may not be what you
862expect.
863
864
865Environment variables can be used in a pattern: >
866 :autocmd BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt set expandtab
867And ~ can be used for the home directory (if $HOME is defined): >
868 :autocmd BufWritePost ~/.vimrc so ~/.vimrc
869 :autocmd BufRead ~archive/* set readonly
870The environment variable is expanded when the autocommand is defined, not when
871the autocommand is executed. This is different from the command!
872
873 *file-pattern*
874The pattern is interpreted like mostly used in file names:
875 * matches any sequence of characters
876 ? matches any single character
877 \? matches a '?'
878 . matches a '.'
879 ~ matches a '~'
880 , separates patterns
881 \, matches a ','
882 { } like \( \) in a |pattern|
883 , inside { }: like \| in a |pattern|
884 \ special meaning like in a |pattern|
885 [ch] matches 'c' or 'h'
886 [^ch] match any character but 'c' and 'h'
887
888Note that for all systems the '/' character is used for path separator (even
889MS-DOS and OS/2). This was done because the backslash is difficult to use
890in a pattern and to make the autocommands portable across different systems.
891
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000892 *autocmd-changes*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000893Matching with the pattern is done when an event is triggered. Changing the
894buffer name in one of the autocommands, or even deleting the buffer, does not
895change which autocommands will be executed. Example: >
896
897 au BufEnter *.foo bdel
898 au BufEnter *.foo set modified
899
900This will delete the current buffer and then set 'modified' in what has become
901the current buffer instead. Vim doesn't take into account that "*.foo"
902doesn't match with that buffer name. It matches "*.foo" with the name of the
903buffer at the moment the event was triggered.
904
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000905However, buffer-local autocommands will not be executed for a buffer that has
906been wiped out with |:bwipe|. After deleting the buffer with |:bdel| the
907buffer actually still exists (it becomes unlisted), thus the autocommands are
908still executed.
909
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000910==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00009117. Buffer-local autocommands *autocmd-buflocal* *autocmd-buffer-local*
912 *<buffer=N>* *<buffer=abuf>* *E680*
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000913
914Buffer-local autocommands are attached to a specific buffer. They are useful
915if the buffer does not have a name and when the name does not match a specific
916pattern. But it also means they must be explicitly added to each buffer.
917
918Instead of a pattern buffer-local autocommands use one of these forms:
919 <buffer> current buffer
920 <buffer=99> buffer number 99
921 <buffer=abuf> using <abuf> (only when executing autocommands)
922 |<abuf>|
923
924Examples: >
925 :au CursorHold <buffer> echo 'hold'
926 :au CursorHold <buffer=33> echo 'hold'
927 :au CursorHold <buffer=abuf> echo 'hold'
928
929All the commands for autocommands also work with buffer-local autocommands,
930simply use the special string instead of the pattern. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000931 :au! * <buffer> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
932 " current buffer
933 :au! * <buffer=33> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
934 " buffer #33
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000935 :bufdo :au! CursorHold <buffer> " remove autocmd for given event for all
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +0000936 " buffers
937 :au * <buffer> " list buffer-local autocommands for
938 " current buffer
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000939
940Note that when an autocommand is defined for the current buffer, it is stored
941with the buffer number. Thus it uses the form "<buffer=12>", where 12 is the
942number of the current buffer. You will see this when listing autocommands,
943for example.
944
945To test for presence of buffer-local autocommands use the |exists()| function
946as follows: >
947 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer=12>") | ... | endif
948 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer>") | ... | endif " for current buffer
949
950When a buffer is wiped out its buffer-local autocommands are also gone, of
951course. Note that when deleting a buffer, e.g., with ":bdel", it is only
952unlisted, the autocommands are still present. In order to see the removal of
953buffer-local autocommands: >
954 :set verbose=6
955
956It is not possible to define buffer-local autocommands for a non-existent
957buffer.
958
959==============================================================================
9608. Groups *autocmd-groups*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000961
962Autocommands can be put together in a group. This is useful for removing or
963executing a group of autocommands. For example, all the autocommands for
964syntax highlighting are put in the "highlight" group, to be able to execute
965":doautoall highlight BufRead" when the GUI starts.
966
967When no specific group is selected, Vim uses the default group. The default
968group does not have a name. You cannot execute the autocommands from the
969default group separately; you can execute them only by executing autocommands
970for all groups.
971
972Normally, when executing autocommands automatically, Vim uses the autocommands
973for all groups. The group only matters when executing autocommands with
974":doautocmd" or ":doautoall", or when defining or deleting autocommands.
975
976The group name can contain any characters except white space. The group name
977"end" is reserved (also in uppercase).
978
979The group name is case sensitive. Note that this is different from the event
980name!
981
982 *:aug* *:augroup*
983:aug[roup] {name} Define the autocmd group name for the
984 following ":autocmd" commands. The name "end"
985 or "END" selects the default group.
986
987 *:augroup-delete* *E367*
988:aug[roup]! {name} Delete the autocmd group {name}. Don't use
989 this if there is still an autocommand using
990 this group! This is not checked.
991
992To enter autocommands for a specific group, use this method:
9931. Select the group with ":augroup {name}".
9942. Delete any old autocommands with ":au!".
9953. Define the autocommands.
9964. Go back to the default group with "augroup END".
997
998Example: >
999 :augroup uncompress
1000 : au!
1001 : au BufEnter *.gz %!gunzip
1002 :augroup END
1003
1004This prevents having the autocommands defined twice (e.g., after sourcing the
1005.vimrc file again).
1006
1007==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000010089. Executing autocommands *autocmd-execute*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001009
1010Vim can also execute Autocommands non-automatically. This is useful if you
1011have changed autocommands, or when Vim has executed the wrong autocommands
1012(e.g., the file pattern match was wrong).
1013
1014Note that the 'eventignore' option applies here too. Events listed in this
1015option will not cause any commands to be executed.
1016
1017 *:do* *:doau* *:doautocmd* *E217*
1018:do[autocmd] [group] {event} [fname]
1019 Apply the autocommands matching [fname] (default:
1020 current file name) for {event} to the current buffer.
1021 You can use this when the current file name does not
1022 match the right pattern, after changing settings, or
1023 to execute autocommands for a certain event.
1024 It's possible to use this inside an autocommand too,
1025 so you can base the autocommands for one extension on
1026 another extension. Example: >
1027 :au Bufenter *.cpp so ~/.vimrc_cpp
1028 :au Bufenter *.cpp doau BufEnter x.c
1029< Be careful to avoid endless loops. See
1030 |autocmd-nested|.
1031
1032 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim executes
1033 the autocommands for all groups. When the [group]
1034 argument is included, Vim executes only the matching
1035 autocommands for that group. Note: if you use an
1036 undefined group name, Vim gives you an error message.
1037
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001038 After applying the autocommands the modelines are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001039 processed, so that their settings overrule the
1040 settings from autocommands, like what happens when
1041 editing a file.
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00001042
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001043 *:doautoa* *:doautoall*
1044:doautoa[ll] [group] {event} [fname]
1045 Like ":doautocmd", but apply the autocommands to each
1046 loaded buffer. Note that {fname} is used to select
1047 the autocommands, not the buffers to which they are
1048 applied.
1049 Careful: Don't use this for autocommands that delete a
1050 buffer, change to another buffer or change the
1051 contents of a buffer; the result is unpredictable.
1052 This command is intended for autocommands that set
1053 options, change highlighting, and things like that.
1054
1055==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000105610. Using autocommands *autocmd-use*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001057
1058For WRITING FILES there are four possible sets of events. Vim uses only one
1059of these sets for a write command:
1060
1061BufWriteCmd BufWritePre BufWritePost writing the whole buffer
1062 FilterWritePre FilterWritePost writing to filter temp file
1063FileAppendCmd FileAppendPre FileAppendPost appending to a file
1064FileWriteCmd FileWritePre FileWritePost any other file write
1065
1066When there is a matching "*Cmd" autocommand, it is assumed it will do the
1067writing. No further writing is done and the other events are not triggered.
1068|Cmd-event|
1069
1070Note that the *WritePost commands should undo any changes to the buffer that
1071were caused by the *WritePre commands; otherwise, writing the file will have
1072the side effect of changing the buffer.
1073
1074Before executing the autocommands, the buffer from which the lines are to be
1075written temporarily becomes the current buffer. Unless the autocommands
1076change the current buffer or delete the previously current buffer, the
1077previously current buffer is made the current buffer again.
1078
1079The *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands must not delete the buffer from
1080which the lines are to be written.
1081
1082The '[ and '] marks have a special position:
1083- Before the *ReadPre event the '[ mark is set to the line just above where
1084 the new lines will be inserted.
1085- Before the *ReadPost event the '[ mark is set to the first line that was
1086 just read, the '] mark to the last line.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001087- Before executing the *WriteCmd, *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands the '[
1088 mark is set to the first line that will be written, the '] mark to the last
1089 line.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001090Careful: '[ and '] change when using commands that change the buffer.
1091
1092In commands which expect a file name, you can use "<afile>" for the file name
1093that is being read |:<afile>| (you can also use "%" for the current file
1094name). "<abuf>" can be used for the buffer number of the currently effective
1095buffer. This also works for buffers that doesn't have a name. But it doesn't
1096work for files without a buffer (e.g., with ":r file").
1097
1098 *gzip-example*
1099Examples for reading and writing compressed files: >
1100 :augroup gzip
1101 : autocmd!
1102 : autocmd BufReadPre,FileReadPre *.gz set bin
1103 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz '[,']!gunzip
1104 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz set nobin
1105 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz execute ":doautocmd BufReadPost " . expand("%:r")
1106 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1107 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1108
1109 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !gunzip <afile>
1110 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !mv <afile>:r <afile>
1111 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1112 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1113 :augroup END
1114
1115The "gzip" group is used to be able to delete any existing autocommands with
1116":autocmd!", for when the file is sourced twice.
1117
1118("<afile>:r" is the file name without the extension, see |:_%:|)
1119
1120The commands executed for the BufNewFile, BufRead/BufReadPost, BufWritePost,
1121FileAppendPost and VimLeave events do not set or reset the changed flag of the
1122buffer. When you decompress the buffer with the BufReadPost autocommands, you
1123can still exit with ":q". When you use ":undo" in BufWritePost to undo the
1124changes made by BufWritePre commands, you can still do ":q" (this also makes
1125"ZZ" work). If you do want the buffer to be marked as modified, set the
1126'modified' option.
1127
1128To execute Normal mode commands from an autocommand, use the ":normal"
1129command. Use with care! If the Normal mode command is not finished, the user
1130needs to type characters (e.g., after ":normal m" you need to type a mark
1131name).
1132
1133If you want the buffer to be unmodified after changing it, reset the
1134'modified' option. This makes it possible to exit the buffer with ":q"
1135instead of ":q!".
1136
1137 *autocmd-nested* *E218*
1138By default, autocommands do not nest. If you use ":e" or ":w" in an
1139autocommand, Vim does not execute the BufRead and BufWrite autocommands for
1140those commands. If you do want this, use the "nested" flag for those commands
1141in which you want nesting. For example: >
1142 :autocmd FileChangedShell *.c nested e!
1143The nesting is limited to 10 levels to get out of recursive loops.
1144
1145It's possible to use the ":au" command in an autocommand. This can be a
1146self-modifying command! This can be useful for an autocommand that should
1147execute only once.
1148
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001149If you want to skip autocommands for one command, use the |:noautocmd| command
1150modifier or the 'eventignore' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001151
1152Note: When reading a file (with ":read file" or with a filter command) and the
1153last line in the file does not have an <EOL>, Vim remembers this. At the next
1154write (with ":write file" or with a filter command), if the same line is
1155written again as the last line in a file AND 'binary' is set, Vim does not
1156supply an <EOL>. This makes a filter command on the just read lines write the
1157same file as was read, and makes a write command on just filtered lines write
1158the same file as was read from the filter. For example, another way to write
1159a compressed file: >
1160
1161 :autocmd FileWritePre *.gz set bin|'[,']!gzip
1162 :autocmd FileWritePost *.gz undo|set nobin
1163<
1164 *autocommand-pattern*
1165You can specify multiple patterns, separated by commas. Here are some
1166examples: >
1167
1168 :autocmd BufRead * set tw=79 nocin ic infercase fo=2croq
1169 :autocmd BufRead .letter set tw=72 fo=2tcrq
1170 :autocmd BufEnter .letter set dict=/usr/lib/dict/words
1171 :autocmd BufLeave .letter set dict=
1172 :autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.c,*.h set tw=0 cin noic
1173 :autocmd BufEnter *.c,*.h abbr FOR for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i)<CR>{<CR>}<Esc>O
1174 :autocmd BufLeave *.c,*.h unabbr FOR
1175
1176For makefiles (makefile, Makefile, imakefile, makefile.unix, etc.): >
1177
1178 :autocmd BufEnter ?akefile* set include=^s\=include
1179 :autocmd BufLeave ?akefile* set include&
1180
1181To always start editing C files at the first function: >
1182
1183 :autocmd BufRead *.c,*.h 1;/^{
1184
1185Without the "1;" above, the search would start from wherever the file was
1186entered, rather than from the start of the file.
1187
1188 *skeleton* *template*
1189To read a skeleton (template) file when opening a new file: >
1190
1191 :autocmd BufNewFile *.c 0r ~/vim/skeleton.c
1192 :autocmd BufNewFile *.h 0r ~/vim/skeleton.h
1193 :autocmd BufNewFile *.java 0r ~/vim/skeleton.java
1194
1195To insert the current date and time in a *.html file when writing it: >
1196
1197 :autocmd BufWritePre,FileWritePre *.html ks|call LastMod()|'s
1198 :fun LastMod()
1199 : if line("$") > 20
1200 : let l = 20
1201 : else
1202 : let l = line("$")
1203 : endif
1204 : exe "1," . l . "g/Last modified: /s/Last modified: .*/Last modified: " .
1205 : \ strftime("%Y %b %d")
1206 :endfun
1207
1208You need to have a line "Last modified: <date time>" in the first 20 lines
1209of the file for this to work. Vim replaces <date time> (and anything in the
1210same line after it) with the current date and time. Explanation:
1211 ks mark current position with mark 's'
1212 call LastMod() call the LastMod() function to do the work
1213 's return the cursor to the old position
1214The LastMod() function checks if the file is shorter than 20 lines, and then
1215uses the ":g" command to find lines that contain "Last modified: ". For those
1216lines the ":s" command is executed to replace the existing date with the
1217current one. The ":execute" command is used to be able to use an expression
1218for the ":g" and ":s" commands. The date is obtained with the strftime()
1219function. You can change its argument to get another date string.
1220
1221When entering :autocmd on the command-line, completion of events and command
1222names may be done (with <Tab>, CTRL-D, etc.) where appropriate.
1223
1224Vim executes all matching autocommands in the order that you specify them.
1225It is recommended that your first autocommand be used for all files by using
1226"*" as the file pattern. This means that you can define defaults you like
1227here for any settings, and if there is another matching autocommand it will
1228override these. But if there is no other matching autocommand, then at least
1229your default settings are recovered (if entering this file from another for
1230which autocommands did match). Note that "*" will also match files starting
1231with ".", unlike Unix shells.
1232
1233 *autocmd-searchpat*
1234Autocommands do not change the current search patterns. Vim saves the current
1235search patterns before executing autocommands then restores them after the
1236autocommands finish. This means that autocommands do not affect the strings
1237highlighted with the 'hlsearch' option. Within autocommands, you can still
1238use search patterns normally, e.g., with the "n" command.
1239If you want an autocommand to set the search pattern, such that it is used
1240after the autocommand finishes, use the ":let @/ =" command.
1241The search-highlighting cannot be switched off with ":nohlsearch" in an
1242autocommand. Use the 'h' flag in the 'viminfo' option to disable search-
1243highlighting when starting Vim.
1244
1245 *Cmd-event*
1246When using one of the "*Cmd" events, the matching autocommands are expected to
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +00001247do the file reading, writing or sourcing. This can be used when working with
1248a special kind of file, for example on a remote system.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001249CAREFUL: If you use these events in a wrong way, it may have the effect of
1250making it impossible to read or write the matching files! Make sure you test
1251your autocommands properly. Best is to use a pattern that will never match a
1252normal file name, for example "ftp://*".
1253
1254When defining a BufReadCmd it will be difficult for Vim to recover a crashed
1255editing session. When recovering from the original file, Vim reads only those
1256parts of a file that are not found in the swap file. Since that is not
1257possible with a BufReadCmd, use the |:preserve| command to make sure the
1258original file isn't needed for recovery. You might want to do this only when
1259you expect the file to be modified.
1260
Bram Moolenaar8dd1aa52007-01-16 20:33:19 +00001261For file read and write commands the |v:cmdarg| variable holds the "++enc="
1262and "++ff=" argument that are effective. These should be used for the command
1263that reads/writes the file. The |v:cmdbang| variable is one when "!" was
1264used, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001265
1266See the $VIMRUNTIME/plugin/netrw.vim for examples.
1267
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001268==============================================================================
126911. Disabling autocommands *autocmd-disable*
1270
1271To disable autocommands for some time use the 'eventignore' option. Note that
1272this may cause unexpected behavior, make sure you restore 'eventignore'
1273afterwards, using a |:try| block with |:finally|.
1274
1275 *:noautocmd* *:noa*
1276To disable autocommands for just one command use the ":noautocmd" command
1277modifier. This will set 'eventignore' to "all" for the duration of the
1278following command. Example: >
1279
1280 :noautocmd w fname.gz
1281
1282This will write the file without triggering the autocommands defined by the
1283gzip plugin.
1284
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00001285
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001286 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: