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Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.0d. Last change: 2006 Apr 14
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000040There are five types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number.
43 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
45String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
46 Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
47
48Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
49 Example: function("strlen")
50
51List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
52 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000053
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000054Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
55 value. |Dictionary|
56 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
57
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000058The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
59are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000060
61Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
62the Number. Examples: >
63 Number 123 --> String "123"
64 Number 0 --> String "0"
65 Number -1 --> String "-1"
66
67Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
68to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
69the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
70 String "456" --> Number 456
71 String "6bar" --> Number 6
72 String "foo" --> Number 0
73 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
74 String "0100" --> Number 64
75 String "-8" --> Number -8
76 String "+8" --> Number 0
77
78To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
79 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000080< 64 ~
81
82To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
83base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000084
85For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
86
87Note that in the command >
88 :if "foo"
89"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
90use strlen(): >
91 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000092< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
93List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000094
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000095 *E706*
96You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
97to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000098equivalent though. Consider this sequence of commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000099 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000100 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000101 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000102
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000103
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001041.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000105 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000106A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000107in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
108around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000109
110 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
111 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000112< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000113A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
114cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000116A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
117Dictionary entry. Example: >
118 :function dict.init() dict
119 : let self.val = 0
120 :endfunction
121
122The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
123function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
124
125A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
126 :call Fn()
127 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000128
129The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000130 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000131
132You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
133arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000134 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000135
136
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001371.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000138 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000139A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
140can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
141position in the sequence.
142
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144List creation ~
145 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000146A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000147Examples: >
148 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
149 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000150
151An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000152nested List: >
153 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000154
155An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
156
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000157
158List index ~
159 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000160An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000161after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
162 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000163 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000164
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000165When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000166 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000167<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000168A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
169the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000170 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
171
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000172To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000173is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000174 :echo get(mylist, idx)
175 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
176
177
178List concatenation ~
179
180Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
181 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000182 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000183
184To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
185it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
186
187
188Sublist ~
189
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000190A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
191separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000192 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000193
194Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
195similar to -1. The difference is that there is no error if the items are not
196available. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000197 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
198 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
199 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000200
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000201If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list there
202is no error and the length minus one is used: >
203 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
204 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
205
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000206The second index can be just before the first index. In that case the result
207is an empty list. If the second index is lower, this results in an error. >
208 :echo mylist[2:1] " result: []
209 :echo mylist[2:0] " error!
210
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000211NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
212using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
213mylist[s : e].
214
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000215
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000216List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000217 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000218When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
219variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
220change "bb": >
221 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
222 :let bb = aa
223 :call add(aa, 4)
224 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000225< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000226
227Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
228works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000229a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000230 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
231 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000232 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000233 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
234 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000237< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000238
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000239To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000240copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000241
242The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000243List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000244the same value. >
245 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
246 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
247 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000248< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000249 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000250< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000251
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000252Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
253same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000254exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
255different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
256variables. Example: >
257 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000258< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000259 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000260< 0
261
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000262Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
263can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a string: >
264
265 :let a = 5
266 :let b = "5"
267 echo a == b
268< 1 >
269 echo [a] == [b]
270< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000271
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000272
273List unpack ~
274
275To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
276square brackets, like list items: >
277 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
278
279When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
280this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
281and a variable name: >
282 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
283
284This works like: >
285 :let var1 = mylist[0]
286 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000287 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000288
289Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
290empty list then.
291
292
293List modification ~
294 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000295To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000296 :let list[4] = "four"
297 :let listlist[0][3] = item
298
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000299To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000300modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000301 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
302
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000303Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
304examples: >
305 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
306 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
307 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000308 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000309 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
310 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000311 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000312 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000313 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000314 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000315
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000316Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000317 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
318 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
319
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000320
321For loop ~
322
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000323The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
324to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000325 :for item in mylist
326 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000327 :endfor
328
329This works like: >
330 :let index = 0
331 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000332 : let item = mylist[index]
333 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000334 : let index = index + 1
335 :endwhile
336
337Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000338results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000339the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000340
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000341If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000342function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000343
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000344Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
345requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
346 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
347 : call Doit(lnum, col)
348 :endfor
349
350This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
351must remain the same to avoid an error.
352
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000353It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000354 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
355 : call Doit(i, j)
356 : if !empty(rest)
357 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
358 : endif
359 :endfor
360
361
362List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000363 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000365 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000366 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000367 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
368 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
369 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000370 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
371 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000372 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
373 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000374 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
375 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000376 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
377 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000378
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000379Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
380example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
381 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
382
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000383
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003841.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000385 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000386A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000387entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
388ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000389
390
391Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000392 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000393A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000394braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
395only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
397 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000398< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000399A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
400String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000401entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
402Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000405nested Dictionary: >
406 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
407
408An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
409
410
411Accessing entries ~
412
413The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
414 :let val = mydict["one"]
415 :let mydict["four"] = 4
416
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000417You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000418
419For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
420form can be used |expr-entry|: >
421 :let val = mydict.one
422 :let mydict.four = 4
423
424Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
425key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000426 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000427
428
429Dictionary to List conversion ~
430
431You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
432turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
433
434Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
435 :for key in keys(mydict)
436 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
437 :endfor
438
439The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
440 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
441
442To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
443 :for v in values(mydict)
444 : echo "value: " . v
445 :endfor
446
447If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000448a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000449 :for entry in items(mydict)
450 : echo entry[0] . ': ' . entry[1]
451 :endfor
452
453
454Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000455 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000456Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
457Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
458Dictionary: >
459 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
460 :let adict = onedict
461 :let adict['a'] = 11
462 :echo onedict['a']
463 11
464
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000465Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
466more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000467
468
469Dictionary modification ~
470 *dict-modification*
471To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
472use |:let| this way: >
473 :let dict[4] = "four"
474 :let dict['one'] = item
475
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000476Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
477Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
478 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
479 :unlet dict.aaa
480 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000481
482Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000483 :call extend(adict, bdict)
484This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
485in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000486Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
487expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
488adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000489
490Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +0000491 :call filter(dict 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000492This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000493
494
495Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000496 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000497When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
498special way with a dictionary. Example: >
499 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000500 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000501 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000502 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
503 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000504
505This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
506Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
507the function was invoked from.
508
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000509It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
510Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
511
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000512 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000513To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
514assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000515 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
516 :function mydict.len() dict
517 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000518 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000520
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000521The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
522that references this function. The function can only be used through a
523|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
524remaining that refers to it.
525
526It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000527
528
529Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000530 *E715*
531Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000532 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
533 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
534 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
535 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
536 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
537 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
538 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
539 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000540
541
5421.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000543 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000544If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
545function.
546
547When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
548start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
549stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
550
551When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
552start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
553stored in the session file |session-file|.
554
555variable name can be stored where ~
556my_var_6 not
557My_Var_6 session file
558MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
559
560
561It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
562|curly-braces-names|.
563
564==============================================================================
5652. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
566
567Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
568
569|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
570
571|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
572
573|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
574
575|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
576 expr5 != expr5 not equal
577 expr5 > expr5 greater than
578 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
579 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
580 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
581 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
582 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
583
584 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
585 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
586 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
587 matching case
588
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000589 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
590 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000591
592|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000593 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
594 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
595
596|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
597 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
598 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
599
600|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
601 - expr7 unary minus
602 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000603
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000604
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000605|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
606 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
607 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
608 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000609
610|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000611 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000612 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000613 [expr1, ...] |List|
614 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000615 &option option value
616 (expr1) nested expression
617 variable internal variable
618 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
619 $VAR environment variable
620 @r contents of register 'r'
621 function(expr1, ...) function call
622 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
623
624
625".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
626Example: >
627 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
628
629All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
630
631
632expr1 *expr1* *E109*
633-----
634
635expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
636
637The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
638non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
639otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
640Example: >
641 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
642
643Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
644other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
645Example: >
646 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
647
648To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
649 :echo lnum == 1
650 :\ ? "top"
651 :\ : lnum == 1000
652 :\ ? "last"
653 :\ : lnum
654
655
656expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
657---------------
658
659 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
660The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
661are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
662
663 input output ~
664n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
665zero zero zero zero
666zero non-zero non-zero zero
667non-zero zero non-zero zero
668non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
669
670The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
671
672 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
673
674Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
675
676 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
677
678Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
679arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
680
681 let a = 1
682 echo a || b
683
684This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
685so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
686
687 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
688
689This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
690only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
691
692
693expr4 *expr4*
694-----
695
696expr5 {cmp} expr5
697
698Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
699if it evaluates to true.
700
701 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
702 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
703 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
704 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
705 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
706 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000707 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000708 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
709equal == ==# ==?
710not equal != !=# !=?
711greater than > ># >?
712greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
713smaller than < <# <?
714smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
715regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
716regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000717same instance is
718different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000719
720Examples:
721"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
722"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
723"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
724
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000725 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000726A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
727"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
728Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000729
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000730 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000731A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
732equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000733recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
734
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000735 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000736A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
737equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000738
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000739When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
740referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
741the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
742using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000743different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
744is false.
745
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000746When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
747and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
748because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
749
750When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
751results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
752necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
753
754When using the operators with a trailing '#", or the short version and
755'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp().
756
757When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
758'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp().
759
760The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
761argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
762This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
763matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
764portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
765single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
766Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
767(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
768can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
769 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
770 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
771
772
773expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
774---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000775expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000776expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
777expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000778
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000779For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000780result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000781
782expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
783expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
784expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000785
786For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
787
788Note the difference between "+" and ".":
789 "123" + "456" = 579
790 "123" . "456" = "123456"
791
792When the righthand side of '/' is zero, the result is 0x7fffffff.
793When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
794
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000795None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000796
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000797
798expr7 *expr7*
799-----
800! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
801- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
802+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
803
804For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
805For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
806For '+' the number is unchanged.
807
808A String will be converted to a Number first.
809
810These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
811 !-1 == 0
812 !!8 == 1
813 --9 == 9
814
815
816expr8 *expr8*
817-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000818expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000819
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000820If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
821expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000822Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000823
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000824Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
825text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
826cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000827 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000828
829If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000830String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
831compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
832
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000833If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000834for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
835error. Example: >
836 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
837
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000838Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
839|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
840error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000841
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000842
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000843expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000844
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000845If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
846from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000847expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
848encodings.
849
850If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
851string minus one is used.
852
853A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
854the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
855
856If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
857expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
858
859Examples: >
860 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
861 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
862 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
863 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
864
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000865If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
866the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
867just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000868 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
869 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
870 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
871
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000872Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
873error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000874
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000875
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000876expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000877
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000878If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
879name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
880expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000881
882The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
883but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
884
885There must not be white space before or after the dot.
886
887Examples: >
888 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
889 :echo dict.one
890 :echo dict .2
891
892Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
893always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
894
895
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000896expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000897
898When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
899
900
901
902 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000903number
904------
905number number constant *expr-number*
906
907Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
908
909
910string *expr-string* *E114*
911------
912"string" string constant *expr-quote*
913
914Note that double quotes are used.
915
916A string constant accepts these special characters:
917\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
918\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
919\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
920\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
921\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
922\X.. same as \x..
923\X. same as \x.
924\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
925 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
926\U.... same as \u....
927\b backspace <BS>
928\e escape <Esc>
929\f formfeed <FF>
930\n newline <NL>
931\r return <CR>
932\t tab <Tab>
933\\ backslash
934\" double quote
935\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
936
937Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
938
939
940literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
941---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000942'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000943
944Note that single quotes are used.
945
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000946This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000947meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000948
949Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
950to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
951 if a =~ "\\s*"
952 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000953
954
955option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
956------
957&option option value, local value if possible
958&g:option global option value
959&l:option local option value
960
961Examples: >
962 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
963 if &insertmode
964
965Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
966and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
967anyway.
968
969
970register *expr-register*
971--------
972@r contents of register 'r'
973
974The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
975Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +0000976register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
977registers.
978
979When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
980evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000981
982
983nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
984-------
985(expr1) nested expression
986
987
988environment variable *expr-env*
989--------------------
990$VAR environment variable
991
992The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
993result is an empty string.
994 *expr-env-expand*
995Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
996expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
997are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
998the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
999fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1000does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1001 :echo $version
1002 :echo expand("$version")
1003The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1004variable (if your shell supports it).
1005
1006
1007internal variable *expr-variable*
1008-----------------
1009variable internal variable
1010See below |internal-variables|.
1011
1012
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001013function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001014-------------
1015function(expr1, ...) function call
1016See below |functions|.
1017
1018
1019==============================================================================
10203. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1021 *E461*
1022An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1023cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1024|curly-braces-names|.
1025
1026An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001027An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1028|:unlet|.
1029Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1030been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001031
1032There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1033specified by what is prepended:
1034
1035 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1036|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1037|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001038|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001039|global-variable| g: Global.
1040|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1041|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1042|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1043|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1044
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001045The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1046delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001047 :for k in keys(s:)
1048 : unlet s:[k]
1049 :endfor
1050<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001051 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1052A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1053Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1054This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1055|:bdelete|.
1056
1057One local buffer variable is predefined:
1058 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1059b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1060 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1061 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1062 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1063 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1064 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1065 : call My_Update()
1066 :endif
1067<
1068 *window-variable* *w:var*
1069A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1070is deleted when the window is closed.
1071
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001072 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1073A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1074It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1075without the +windows feature}
1076
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001077 *global-variable* *g:var*
1078Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1079access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1080place if you like.
1081
1082 *local-variable* *l:var*
1083Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1084But you can also prepend "l:" if you like.
1085
1086 *script-variable* *s:var*
1087In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1088accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1089
1090They can be used in:
1091- commands executed while the script is sourced
1092- functions defined in the script
1093- autocommands defined in the script
1094- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1095 defined in the script (recursively)
1096- user defined commands defined in the script
1097Thus not in:
1098- other scripts sourced from this one
1099- mappings
1100- etc.
1101
1102script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1103Take this example:
1104
1105 let s:counter = 0
1106 function MyCounter()
1107 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1108 echo s:counter
1109 endfunction
1110 command Tick call MyCounter()
1111
1112You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1113that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1114"Tick" was defined is used.
1115
1116Another example that does the same: >
1117
1118 let s:counter = 0
1119 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1120
1121When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001122script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001123defined.
1124
1125The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1126function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1127
1128 let s:counter = 0
1129 function StartCounting(incr)
1130 if a:incr
1131 function MyCounter()
1132 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1133 endfunction
1134 else
1135 function MyCounter()
1136 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1137 endfunction
1138 endif
1139 endfunction
1140
1141This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1142when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1143called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1144
1145When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1146They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1147maintain a counter: >
1148
1149 if !exists("s:counter")
1150 let s:counter = 1
1151 echo "script executed for the first time"
1152 else
1153 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1154 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1155 endif
1156
1157Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1158variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1159
1160
1161Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1162
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001163 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1164v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1165 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1166 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1167
1168 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1169v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1170 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1171
1172 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1173v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1174 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1175
1176 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001177v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1178 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1179 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1180 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001181 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1182 highlighted text is used.
1183 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1184
1185 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1186v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1187 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1188
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001189 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1190v:charconvert_from
1191 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1192 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1193
1194 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1195v:charconvert_to
1196 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1197 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1198
1199 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1200v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1201 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1202 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1203 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1204 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1205 possible to append this variable directly after the
1206 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1207 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1208 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1209 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1210 in 'printexpr'.
1211
1212 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1213v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1214 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1215 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1216 can be used.
1217
1218 *v:count* *count-variable*
1219v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1220 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1221 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1222< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1223 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001224 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001225 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1226
1227 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1228v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1229 used.
1230
1231 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1232v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1233 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1234 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1235 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1236 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1237 command.
1238 See |multi-lang|.
1239
1240 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1241v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1242 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1243 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1244 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1245 Example: >
1246 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1247<
1248 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1249v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1250 Example: >
1251 :let v:errmsg = ""
1252 :silent! next
1253 :if v:errmsg != ""
1254 : ... handle error
1255< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1256
1257 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1258v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1259 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1260 Example: >
1261 :try
1262 : throw "oops"
1263 :catch /.*/
1264 : echo "caught" v:exception
1265 :endtry
1266< Output: "caught oops".
1267
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001268 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1269v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1270 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1271 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1272 deleted file no longer exists
1273 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1274 changed and buffer is modified
1275 changed file contents has changed
1276 mode mode of file changed
1277 time only file timestamp changed
1278
1279 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1280v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1281 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1282 do with the affected buffer:
1283 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1284 the file was deleted).
1285 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1286 was no autocommand. Except that when
1287 only the timestamp changed nothing
1288 will happen.
1289 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1290 everything that needs to be done.
1291 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1292 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1293
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001294 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001295v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001296 option used for ~
1297 'charconvert' file to be converted
1298 'diffexpr' original file
1299 'patchexpr' original file
1300 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001301 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001302
1303 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1304v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1305 evaluating:
1306 option used for ~
1307 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1308 'diffexpr' output of diff
1309 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1310 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1311 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1312 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1313 file and different from v:fname_in.
1314
1315 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1316v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1317 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1318
1319 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1320v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1321 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1322
1323 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1324v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1325 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001326 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001327
1328 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1329v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001330 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001331
1332 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1333v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001334 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001335
1336 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1337v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001338 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001339
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001340 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1341v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1342 events. Values:
1343 i Insert mode
1344 r Replace mode
1345 v Virtual Replace mode
1346
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001347 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001348v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001349 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1350 Read-only.
1351
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001352 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1353v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1354 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1355 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1356 The value is system dependent.
1357 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1358 command.
1359 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1360 in a different language than what is used for character
1361 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1362
1363 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1364v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1365 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1366 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1367 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1368 command. See |multi-lang|.
1369
1370 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001371v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00001372 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'. Only valid
1373 while one of these expressions is being evaluated. Read-only
1374 when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001375
1376 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1377v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1378 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1379 you want to cancel Visual mode and then use the count. >
1380 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1381< Read-only.
1382
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001383 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1384v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1385 See |profiling|.
1386
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001387 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1388v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1389 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1390 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1391 Read-only.
1392
1393 *v:register* *register-variable*
1394v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1395 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1396
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001397 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1398v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1399 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1400 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1401 typed command.
1402 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1403 hit-enter prompt.
1404
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001405 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1406v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1407 Read-only.
1408
1409 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1410v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1411 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1412 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1413 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1414 executed. Read-only.
1415 Example: >
1416 :!mv foo bar
1417 :if v:shell_error
1418 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1419 :endif
1420< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1421
1422 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1423v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1424
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001425 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1426v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1427 the swap file found. Read-only.
1428
1429 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1430v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1431 for handling an existing swap file:
1432 'o' Open read-only
1433 'e' Edit anyway
1434 'r' Recover
1435 'd' Delete swapfile
1436 'q' Quit
1437 'a' Abort
1438 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1439 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1440 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1441
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001442 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001443v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001444 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1445 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1446 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001447 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001448
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001449 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1450v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1451 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1452 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1453 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1454 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1455 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1456 terminal.
1457 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1458 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1459 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1460 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1461 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1462
1463 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1464v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1465 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1466 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1467 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1468
1469 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1470v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1471 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1472 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1473 Example: >
1474 :try
1475 : throw "oops"
1476 :catch /.*/
1477 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1478 :endtry
1479< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1480
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001481 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001482v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
1483 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001484 |filter()|. Read-only.
1485
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001486 *v:version* *version-variable*
1487v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1488 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1489 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1490 compatibility.
1491 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1492 if has("patch123")
1493< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1494 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1495 completely different.
1496
1497 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1498v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1499
1500==============================================================================
15014. Builtin Functions *functions*
1502
1503See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1504
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001505(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001506
1507USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1508
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001509add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001510append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001511append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001512argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001513argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001514argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001515argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001516browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1517 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001518browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001519bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001520buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1521bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001522bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1523bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1524bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1525byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001526byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001527call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1528 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001529changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001530char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001531cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001532col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00001533complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001534complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1535complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001536confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1537 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001538copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001539count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1540 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001541cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1542 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001543cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1544 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1545cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001546deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001547delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1548did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001549diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1550diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001551empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001552escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001553eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001554eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001555executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1556exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001557extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
1558 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001559expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
1560filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001561filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001562filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1563 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001564finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001565 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001566findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001567 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001568fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001569foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1570foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001571foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001572foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001573foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001574foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001575function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001576garbagecollect() none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001577get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001578get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001579getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1580 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001581getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001582getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1583getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001584getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1585getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001586getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001587getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001588getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1589getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001590getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001591getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001592getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001593getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1594getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001595getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001596getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001597getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001598getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001599getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001600getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1601getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001602getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001603glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1604globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1605has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001606has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001607hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1608 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001609histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1610histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1611histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1612histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1613hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1614hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1615hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001616iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1617indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001618index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1619 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001620input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1621 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001622inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001623inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001624inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1625inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001626inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001627insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001628isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001629islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001630items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001631join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001632keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001633len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1634libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001635libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1636line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1637line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001638lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001639localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001640map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001641maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1642 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1643mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1644 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001645match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001646 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001647matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001648matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001649 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001650matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1651 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001652matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1653 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001654max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1655min({list}) Number minumum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001656mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1657 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001658mode() String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001659nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1660nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001661pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001662prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00001663printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001664pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001665range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1666 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001667readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1668 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001669reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1670reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001671remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1672 String send expression
1673remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1674remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1675 Number check for reply string
1676remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1677remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1678 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001679remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001680remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001681rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1682repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1683resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001684reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001685search( {pattern} [, {flags}]) Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001686searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1687 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001688searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001689 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001690searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001691 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001692searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001693 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001694server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1695 Number send reply string
1696serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1697setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1698setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1699setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001700setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1701 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001702setpos( {expr}, {list}) none set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001703setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001704setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001705setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001706simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001707sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001708soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001709spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001710spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1711 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001712split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001713 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001714str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert string to number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001715strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001716stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1717 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001718string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001719strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1720strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1721 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001722strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1723 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001724strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001725submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001726substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1727 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001728synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001729synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1730 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1731synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001732system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001733tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1734tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1735tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1736 Number number of current window in tab page
1737taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00001738tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001739tempname() String name for a temporary file
1740tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1741toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001742tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1743 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001744type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001745values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001746virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1747visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1748winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1749wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1750winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1751winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001752winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001753winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001754winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1755winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001756winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001757writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1758 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001759
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001760add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001761 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1762 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001763 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1764 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001765< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001766 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001767 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001768
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001769
1770append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001771 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1772 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001773 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1774 the current buffer.
1775 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001776 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1777 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001778 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001779 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001780<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001781 *argc()*
1782argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1783 current window. See |arglist|.
1784
1785 *argidx()*
1786argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1787 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1788
1789 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001790argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001791 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1792 Example: >
1793 :let i = 0
1794 :while i < argc()
1795 : let f = escape(argv(i), '. ')
1796 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1797 : let i = i + 1
1798 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001799< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
1800 returned.
1801
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001802 *browse()*
1803browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1804 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1805 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1806 The input fields are:
1807 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1808 {title} title for the requester
1809 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1810 {default} default file name
1811 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1812 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1813
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001814 *browsedir()*
1815browsedir({title}, {initdir})
1816 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
1817 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1818 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
1819 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
1820 to be used.
1821 The input fields are:
1822 {title} title for the requester
1823 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1824 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1825 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1826
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001827bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
1828 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1829 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001830 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001831 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001832 exactly. The name can be:
1833 - Relative to the current directory.
1834 - A full path.
1835 - The name of a buffer with 'filetype' set to "nofile".
1836 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001837 Unlisted buffers will be found.
1838 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
1839 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
1840 long name to be able to find them.
1841 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
1842 file name.
1843 *buffer_exists()*
1844 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
1845
1846buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
1847 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1848 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001849 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001850
1851bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
1852 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1853 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001854 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001855
1856bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
1857 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
1858 ":ls" command.
1859 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
1860 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
1861 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
1862 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
1863 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
1864 match an empty string is returned.
1865 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
1866 alternate buffer.
1867 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
1868 or middle of the buffer name is accepted.
1869 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
1870 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
1871 buffers are searched for.
1872 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
1873 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
1874 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
1875< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
1876 string is returned. >
1877 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
1878 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
1879 bufname("%") name of current buffer
1880 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
1881< *buffer_name()*
1882 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
1883
1884 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001885bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
1886 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001887 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00001888 above.
1889 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
1890 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
1891 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001892 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
1893 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
1894< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
1895 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
1896 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
1897 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
1898 *buffer_number()*
1899 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
1900 *last_buffer_nr()*
1901 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
1902
1903bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
1904 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
1905 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
1906 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
1907 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
1908
1909 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
1910
1911< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
1912 |:wincmd|.
1913
1914
1915byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
1916 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
1917 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
1918 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
1919 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
1920 one.
1921 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
1922 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
1923 feature}
1924
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00001925byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
1926 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
1927 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
1928 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
1929 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
1930 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
1931 Example : >
1932 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
1933< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
1934 same: >
1935 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
1936 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
1937< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
1938 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
1939 is returned.
1940
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001941call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001942 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001943 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001944 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001945 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
1946 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001947 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
1948 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001949
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00001950changenr() *changenr()*
1951 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
1952 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
1953 with the |:undo| command.
1954 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
1955 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
1956 one less than the number of the undone change.
1957
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001958char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
1959 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
1960 char2nr(" ") returns 32
1961 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
1962< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00001963 char2nr("?") returns 225
1964 char2nr("?"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001965< nr2char() does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001966
1967cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
1968 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
1969 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
1970 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
1971 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
1972 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
1973 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00001974 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001975
1976 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001977col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001978 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
1979 . the cursor position
1980 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
1981 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
1982 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
1983 returned)
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001984 To get the line number use |col()|. To get both use
1985 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001986 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
1987 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
1988 Examples: >
1989 col(".") column of cursor
1990 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
1991 col("'t") column of mark t
1992 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
1993< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
1994 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
1995 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
1996 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
1997 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
1998 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
1999 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2000 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2001<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002002
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002003complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2004 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2005 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
2006 with an expression argument |:map-<expr>| or CTRL-R =
2007 |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O.
2008 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2009 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2010 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2011 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2012 match.
2013 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2014 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2015 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2016 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2017 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2018 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2019 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2020 Example: >
2021 inoremap <expr> <F5> ListMonths()
2022
2023 func! ListMonths()
2024 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2025 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2026 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2027 return ''
2028 endfunc
2029< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2030 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2031
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002032complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2033 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2034 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2035 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2036 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2037 the list.
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002038 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
2039 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002040
2041complete_check() *complete_check()*
2042 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2043 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2044 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2045 zero otherwise.
2046 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2047 'completefunc' option.
2048
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002049 *confirm()*
2050confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2051 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2052 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2053 choice this is 1.
2054 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2055 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2056 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2057 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2058 used (and translated).
2059 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2060 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2061 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2062 by '\n', e.g. >
2063 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2064< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2065 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2066 not need to be the first letter: >
2067 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2068< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2069 the default shortcut key.
2070 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2071 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2072 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2073 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
2074 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2075 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2076 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2077 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2078 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2079 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2080 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2081
2082 An example: >
2083 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2084 :if choice == 0
2085 : echo "make up your mind!"
2086 :elseif choice == 3
2087 : echo "tasteful"
2088 :else
2089 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2090 :endif
2091< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2092 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
2093 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
2094 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2095 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2096 the horizontal layout is always used.
2097
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002098 *copy()*
2099copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2100 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002101 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2102 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002103 copy, and vise versa. But the items are identical, thus
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002104 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002105 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002106
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002107count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002108 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002109 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002110 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002111 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002112 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2113
2114
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002115 *cscope_connection()*
2116cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2117 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2118 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2119 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2120 if there are no cscope connections;
2121 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2122
2123 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2124 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2125
2126 {num} Description of existence check
2127 ----- ------------------------------
2128 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2129 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2130 {dbpath}.
2131 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2132 {dbpath}.
2133 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2134 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2135 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2136 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2137
2138 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2139
2140 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2141
2142 # pid database name prepend path
2143 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2144<
2145 Invocation Return Val ~
2146 ---------- ---------- >
2147 cscope_connection() 1
2148 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2149 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2150 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2151 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2152 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2153 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2154 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2155<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002156cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2157cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002158 Positions the cursor at the column {col} in the line {lnum}.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002159 The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002160 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002161 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2162 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002163 Does not change the jumplist.
2164 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2165 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2166 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002167 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002168 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2169 line.
2170 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002171 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2172 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
2173 position within a Tab or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002174
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002175
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002176deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002177 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2178 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002179 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2180 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
2181 copy, and vise versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002182 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002183 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2184 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2185 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2186 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2187 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2188 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002189 *E724*
2190 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002191 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2192 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002193 Also see |copy()|.
2194
2195delete({fname}) *delete()*
2196 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002197 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2198 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002199 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002200
2201 *did_filetype()*
2202did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2203 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2204 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2205 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2206 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2207 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2208 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2209 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2210 file.
2211
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002212diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2213 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2214 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2215 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2216 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2217 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2218 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2219 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2220
2221diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2222 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2223 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2224 diff change zero is returned.
2225 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2226 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2227 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2228 line.
2229 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2230 syntax information about the highlighting.
2231
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002232empty({expr}) *empty()*
2233 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002234 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
2235 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2236 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2237 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002238
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002239escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2240 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2241 backslash. Example: >
2242 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2243< results in: >
2244 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002245
2246< *eval()*
2247eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2248 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2249 This works for Numbers, Strings and composites of them.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002250 Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002251
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002252eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2253 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2254 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2255 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2256 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2257
2258executable({expr}) *executable()*
2259 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2260 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002261 arguments.
2262 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2263 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2264 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2265 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2266 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2267 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2268 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2269 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2270 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2271 extension.
2272 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2273 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002274 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2275 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2276 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002277 The result is a Number:
2278 1 exists
2279 0 does not exist
2280 -1 not implemented on this system
2281
2282 *exists()*
2283exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2284 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2285 which contains one of these:
2286 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2287 not if it really works)
2288 +option-name Vim option that works.
2289 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2290 done by comparing with an empty
2291 string)
2292 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2293 or user defined function (see
2294 |user-functions|).
2295 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002296 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002297 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2298 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
2299 that this may cause functions to be
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002300 invoked cause an error message for an
2301 invalid expression.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002302 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2303 command or command modifier |:command|.
2304 Returns:
2305 1 for match with start of a command
2306 2 full match with a command
2307 3 matches several user commands
2308 To check for a supported command
2309 always check the return value to be 2.
2310 #event autocommand defined for this event
2311 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2312 pattern (the pattern is taken
2313 literally and compared to the
2314 autocommand patterns character by
2315 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002316 #group autocommand group exists
2317 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2318 event.
2319 #group#event#pattern
2320 autocommand defined for this group,
2321 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002322 ##event autocommand for this event is
2323 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002324 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2325
2326 Examples: >
2327 exists("&shortname")
2328 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2329 exists("*strftime")
2330 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2331 exists("bufcount")
2332 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002333 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002334 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002335 exists("#filetypeindent")
2336 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2337 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002338 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002339< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2340 name.
2341 Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2342 variable itself! For example: >
2343 exists(bufcount)
2344< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
2345 but gets the contents of "bufcount", and checks if that
2346 exists.
2347
2348expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2349 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2350 The result is a String.
2351
2352 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2353 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2354 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2355
2356 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2357 for a non-existing file is not included.
2358
2359 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2360 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2361 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2362
2363 % current file name
2364 # alternate file name
2365 #n alternate file name n
2366 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2367 <afile> autocmd file name
2368 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2369 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2370 <sfile> sourced script file name
2371 <cword> word under the cursor
2372 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2373 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2374 message |server2client()|
2375 Modifiers:
2376 :p expand to full path
2377 :h head (last path component removed)
2378 :t tail (last path component only)
2379 :r root (one extension removed)
2380 :e extension only
2381
2382 Example: >
2383 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2384< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2385 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2386 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2387< Use this: >
2388 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2389< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2390 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2391 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2392 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2393 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2394<
2395 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2396 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2397 to modify normal file names.
2398
2399 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2400 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2401 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2402 '/' added.
2403
2404 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2405 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2406 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2407 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002408 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2409 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2410 files in the current directory and below: >
2411 :echo expand("**/README")
2412<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002413 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2414 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2415 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2416 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2417 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2418 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2419 "$FOOBAR".
2420
2421 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2422 getting the raw output of an external command.
2423
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002424extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002425 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2426 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002427
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002428 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002429 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2430 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2431 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2432 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002433 Examples: >
2434 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2435 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002436< Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2437 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002438 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002439<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002440 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002441 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2442 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2443 used to decide what to do:
2444 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2445 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00002446 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002447 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2448
2449 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2450 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2451 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2452 Returns {expr1}.
2453
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002454
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002455filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2456 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2457 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2458 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2459 expression, which is used as a String.
2460 *file_readable()*
2461 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2462
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002463
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002464filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002465 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002466 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002467 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002468 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002469 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002470 Examples: >
2471 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2472< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2473 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2474< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2475 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002476< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002477
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002478 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2479 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2480 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2481
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002482 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2483 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002484 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002485
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002486< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002487 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2488 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002489
2490
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002491finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002492 Find directory {name} in {path}. Returns the path of the
2493 first found match. When the found directory is below the
2494 current directory a relative path is returned. Otherwise a
2495 full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002496 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2497 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002498 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002499 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002500 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002501 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2502
2503findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2504 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002505 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2506 Example: >
2507 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2508< Searches from the current directory upwards until it finds
2509 the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002510
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002511filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2512 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2513 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2514 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If (file) is a
2515 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2516
2517fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2518 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2519 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2520 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2521 Example: >
2522 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2523< results in: >
2524 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2525< Note: Environment variables and "~" don't work in {fname}, use
2526 |expand()| first then.
2527
2528foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2529 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2530 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2531 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2532
2533foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2534 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2535 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2536 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2537
2538foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2539 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2540 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2541 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2542 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2543 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2544 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2545 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2546 previous line is usually available.
2547
2548 *foldtext()*
2549foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2550 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2551 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2552 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2553 The returned string looks like this: >
2554 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2555< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2556 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2557 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2558 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2559 options is removed.
2560 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2561
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002562foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2563 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2564 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2565 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2566 returned.
2567 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2568 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2569 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2570 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2571
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002572 *foreground()*
2573foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2574 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2575 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2576 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2577 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2578 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2579 Win32 console version}
2580
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002581
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002582function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002583 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002584 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2585
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002586
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002587garbagecollect() *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002588 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002589 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2590 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2591 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2592 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2593 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002594 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2595 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2596 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002597
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002598get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002599 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002600 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2601 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002602get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002603 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002604 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2605 {default} is omitted.
2606
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002607 *getbufline()*
2608getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002609 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2610 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2611 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002612
2613 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2614
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002615 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2616 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002617
2618 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002619 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002620
2621 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2622 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002623 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002624 returned.
2625
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002626 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002627 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002628
2629 Example: >
2630 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002631
2632getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2633 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2634 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2635 must be used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002636 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2637 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2638 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002639 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2640 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2641 returned, there is no error message.
2642 Examples: >
2643 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2644 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2645<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002646getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
2647 Get a single character from the user. If it is an 8-bit
2648 character, the result is a number. Otherwise a String is
2649 returned with the encoded character. For a special key it's a
2650 sequence of bytes starting with 0x80 (decimal: 128).
2651 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2652 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
2653 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
2654 not consumed. If a normal character is
2655 available, it is returned, otherwise a
2656 non-zero value is returned.
2657 If a normal character available, it is returned as a Number.
2658 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2659 The returned value is zero if no character is available.
2660 The returned value is a string of characters for special keys
2661 and when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used.
2662 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
2663 user that a character has to be typed.
2664 There is no mapping for the character.
2665 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
2666 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
2667 sequence. Examples: >
2668 getchar() == "\<Del>"
2669 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
2670< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
2671 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
2672 :function FindChar()
2673 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
2674 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
2675 : normal l
2676 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
2677 : break
2678 : endif
2679 : endwhile
2680 :endfunction
2681
2682getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
2683 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
2684 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
2685 These values are added together:
2686 2 shift
2687 4 control
2688 8 alt (meta)
2689 16 mouse double click
2690 32 mouse triple click
2691 64 mouse quadruple click
2692 128 Macintosh only: command
2693 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
2694 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
2695 with no modifier.
2696
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002697getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
2698 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
2699 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
2700 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
2701 Example: >
2702 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002703< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002704
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002705getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002706 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
2707 byte count. The first column is 1.
2708 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2709 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002710 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
2711
2712getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
2713 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
2714 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002715 : normal Ex command
2716 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
2717 / forward search command
2718 ? backward search command
2719 @ |input()| command
2720 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002721 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2722 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
2723 otherwise.
2724 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002725
2726 *getcwd()*
2727getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
2728 working directory.
2729
2730getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
2731 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
2732 given file {fname}.
2733 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
2734 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
2735
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002736getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
2737 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
2738 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
2739 |hl-Normal|.
2740 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
2741 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
2742 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
2743 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00002744 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002745 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
2746 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002747 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
2748 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002749
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002750getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
2751 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
2752 permissions of the given file {fname}.
2753 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
2754 empty string is returned.
2755 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
2756 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
2757 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
2758 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
2759 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
2760 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
2761< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
2762 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00002763
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002764getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
2765 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
2766 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
2767 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
2768 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
2769 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
2770
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002771getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
2772 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
2773 file of the given file {fname}.
2774 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
2775 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
2776 results:
2777 Normal file "file"
2778 Directory "dir"
2779 Symbolic link "link"
2780 Block device "bdev"
2781 Character device "cdev"
2782 Socket "socket"
2783 FIFO "fifo"
2784 All other "other"
2785 Example: >
2786 getftype("/home")
2787< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
2788 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
2789 "file" are returned.
2790
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002791 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002792getline({lnum} [, {end}])
2793 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
2794 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002795 getline(1)
2796< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
2797 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
2798 To get the line under the cursor: >
2799 getline(".")
2800< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2801 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
2802
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002803 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
2804 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002805 including line {end}.
2806 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
2807 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002808 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002809 Example: >
2810 :let start = line('.')
2811 :let end = search("^$") - 1
2812 :let lines = getline(start, end)
2813
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002814getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
2815 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
2816 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
2817 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002818 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
2819 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002820
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002821getqflist() *getqflist()*
2822 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
2823 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
2824 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
2825 bufname() to get the name
2826 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
2827 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00002828 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
2829 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002830 nr error number
2831 text description of the error
2832 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
2833 valid non-zero: recognized error message
2834
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00002835 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
2836 returned.
2837
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002838 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
2839 do something with them: >
2840 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
2841 :for d in getqflist()
2842 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
2843 :endfor
2844
2845
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002846getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002847 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002848 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002849 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
2850< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002851 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002852 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
2853 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
2854 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002855 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2856
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002857
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002858getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
2859 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
2860 The value will be one of:
2861 "v" for |characterwise| text
2862 "V" for |linewise| text
2863 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
2864 0 for an empty or unknown register
2865 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
2866 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2867
2868 *getwinposx()*
2869getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
2870 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
2871 -1 if the information is not available.
2872
2873 *getwinposy()*
2874getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
2875 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
2876 information is not available.
2877
2878getwinvar({nr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
2879 The result is the value of option or local window variable
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00002880 {varname} in window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current
2881 window is used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002882 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
2883 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
2884 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002885 Note that the name without "w:" must be used.
2886 Examples: >
2887 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
2888 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
2889<
2890 *glob()*
2891glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. The result is a String.
2892 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2893 characters.
2894 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
2895 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
2896
2897 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
2898 any external command. Example: >
2899 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
2900 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
2901< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
2902 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
2903
2904 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
2905 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
2906
2907globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
2908 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
2909 the results. Example: >
2910 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
2911< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
2912 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
2913 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
2914 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
2915 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
2916 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
2917 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
2918 error message.
2919 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
2920 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
2921
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002922 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
2923 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
2924 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
2925 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
2926<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002927 *has()*
2928has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
2929 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
2930 string. See |feature-list| below.
2931 Also see |exists()|.
2932
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002933
2934has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002935 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
2936 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002937
2938
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002939hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002940 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
2941 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
2942 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
2943 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00002944 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002945 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
2946 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002947 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
2948 buffer are checked for a match.
2949 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
2950 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
2951 n Normal mode
2952 v Visual mode
2953 o Operator-pending mode
2954 i Insert mode
2955 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
2956 c Command-line mode
2957 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
2958
2959 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
2960 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
2961 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
2962 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
2963 :endif
2964< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
2965 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
2966
2967histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
2968 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
2969 one of: *hist-names*
2970 "cmd" or ":" command line history
2971 "search" or "/" search pattern history
2972 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
2973 "input" or "@" input line history
2974 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
2975 shifted to become the newest entry.
2976 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
2977 otherwise 0 is returned.
2978
2979 Example: >
2980 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
2981 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
2982< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
2983
2984histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002985 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002986 for the possible values of {history}.
2987
2988 If the parameter {item} is given as String, this is seen
2989 as regular expression. All entries matching that expression
2990 will be removed from the history (if there are any).
2991 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
2992 If {item} is a Number, it will be interpreted as index, see
2993 |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will be removed
2994 if it exists.
2995
2996 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
2997 otherwise 0 is returned.
2998
2999 Examples:
3000 Clear expression register history: >
3001 :call histdel("expr")
3002<
3003 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3004 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3005<
3006 The following three are equivalent: >
3007 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3008 :call histdel("search", -1)
3009 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3010<
3011 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3012 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3013 :call histdel("search", -1)
3014 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3015
3016histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3017 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3018 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3019 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3020 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3021 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3022
3023 Examples:
3024 Redo the second last search from history. >
3025 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3026
3027< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3028 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3029 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3030<
3031histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3032 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3033 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3034 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3035
3036 Example: >
3037 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3038<
3039hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3040 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3041 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3042 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3043 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3044 item.
3045 *highlight_exists()*
3046 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3047
3048 *hlID()*
3049hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3050 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3051 zero is returned.
3052 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
3053 group. For example, to get the background color of the
3054 "Comment" group: >
3055 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3056< *highlightID()*
3057 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3058
3059hostname() *hostname()*
3060 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003061 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003062 256 characters long are truncated.
3063
3064iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3065 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3066 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3067 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3068 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3069 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3070 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3071 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3072 can be done.
3073 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3074 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3075 UTF-8 and use: >
3076 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3077< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3078 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3079 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3080 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3081
3082 *indent()*
3083indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3084 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3085 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3086 |getline()|.
3087 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3088
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003089
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003090index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003091 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003092 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003093 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3094 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003095 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3096 case must match.
3097 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3098 Example: >
3099 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003100 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003101
3102
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003103input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003104 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3105 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3106 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003107 prompt to start a new line.
3108 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3109 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
3110 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
3111 for lines typed for input().
3112 Example: >
3113 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3114 : echo "Cheers!"
3115 :endif
3116<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003117 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3118 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003119 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3120
3121< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3122 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
3123 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
3124 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
3125 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
3126 more information. Example: >
3127 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3128<
3129 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3130 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003131 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3132 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3133 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3134 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3135 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3136 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3137 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3138
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003139 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003140 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3141 :function GetFoo()
3142 : call inputsave()
3143 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3144 : call inputrestore()
3145 :endfunction
3146
3147inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3148 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3149 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3150 Example: >
3151 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3152 :if n != ""
3153 : let &sw = n
3154 :endif
3155< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3156 omitted an empty string is returned.
3157 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3158 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003159 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003160
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003161inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003162 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3163 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3164 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003165 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3166 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3167 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3168 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3169 is returned.
3170 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3171 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3172 the start of the string. Example: >
3173 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3174 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3175
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003176inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3177 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3178 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3179 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3180 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3181
3182inputsave() *inputsave()*
3183 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3184 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3185 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3186 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3187 many inputrestore() calls.
3188 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3189
3190inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3191 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3192 two exceptions:
3193 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3194 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3195 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3196 |history| stack.
3197 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3198 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003199 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003200
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003201insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003202 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003203 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3204 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3205 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3206 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003207 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003208 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3209 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3210 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003211< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003212 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003213 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003214
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003215isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3216 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3217 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3218 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3219 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3220
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003221islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003222 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3223 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003224 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3225 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003226 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3227 :lockvar 1 alist
3228 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3229 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3230
3231< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
3232 message. Use |exists()| to check for existance.
3233
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003234items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003235 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3236 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3237 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3238 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003239
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003240
3241join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3242 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3243 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3244 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3245 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3246 add it there too: >
3247 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003248< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003249 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3250 The opposite function is |split()|.
3251
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003252keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003253 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003254 arbitrary order.
3255
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003256 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003257len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3258 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3259 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003260 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003261 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003262 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3263 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003264 Otherwise an error is given.
3265
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003266 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3267libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3268 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3269 with single argument {argument}.
3270 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3271 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3272 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3273 limited.
3274 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3275 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3276 to Vim.
3277 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3278 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3279 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3280 null-terminated string.
3281 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3282
3283 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3284 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3285 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3286 very probably crash.
3287
3288 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3289 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3290 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3291 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3292 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3293 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3294 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3295 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3296 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3297 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3298
3299 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3300 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3301 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3302 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3303 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3304 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3305 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3306 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3307 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3308 feature is present}
3309 Examples: >
3310 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3311 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3312<
3313 *libcallnr()*
3314libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3315 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3316 int instead of a string.
3317 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3318 feature is present}
3319 Example (not very useful...): >
3320 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3321 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3322<
3323 *line()*
3324line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3325 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3326 . the cursor position
3327 $ the last line in the current buffer
3328 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3329 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003330 w0 first line visible in current window
3331 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003332 Note that a mark in another file can be used.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003333 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3334 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003335 Examples: >
3336 line(".") line number of the cursor
3337 line("'t") line number of mark t
3338 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3339< *last-position-jump*
3340 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3341 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3342 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003343
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003344line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3345 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3346 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3347 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3348 line returns 1.
3349 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3350 below the last line: >
3351 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3352< This is the file size plus one.
3353 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3354 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3355 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3356
3357lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3358 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3359 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3360 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3361 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3362 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3363 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3364
3365localtime() *localtime()*
3366 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3367 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3368
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003369
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003370map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003371 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003372 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3373 {string}.
3374 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003375 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003376 Example: >
3377 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003378< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003379
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003380 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003381 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003382 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3383 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003384
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003385 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3386 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003387 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003388
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003389< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003390 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3391 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003392
3393
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003394maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003395 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3396 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003397 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003398 "n" Normal
3399 "v" Visual
3400 "o" Operator-pending
3401 "i" Insert
3402 "c" Cmd-line
3403 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3404 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003405 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003406 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3407 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003408 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3409 command. The returned String has special characters
3410 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3411 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3412 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003413 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3414 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3415 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3416
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003417
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003418mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003419 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3420 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3421 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003422 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3423 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003424 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3425 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3426
3427 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3428 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3429 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3430 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3431 mapcheck("b") no no no
3432
3433 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3434 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3435 mapping for {name} exactly.
3436 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3437 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3438 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3439 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3440 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3441 then the global mappings.
3442 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3443 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3444 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3445 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3446 :endif
3447< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3448 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3449
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003450match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003451 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3452 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003453 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003454 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3455 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3456 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003457 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003458 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3459 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003460 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003461 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003462< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003463 *strpbrk()*
3464 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3465 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3466< *strcasestr()*
3467 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3468 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3469 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3470<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003471 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003472 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003473 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003474 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003475 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3476< result is again "4". >
3477 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3478< result is again "4". >
3479 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3480< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003481 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003482 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3483 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3484 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3485 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003486 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3487 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003488 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
3489 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003490
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003491 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003492 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003493 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3494 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3495< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003496 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
3497 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003498
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003499 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3500 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
3501 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
3502 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3503
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003504
3505matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
3506 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
3507 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
3508 Return a |List| with two elements:
3509 The name of the highlight group used
3510 The pattern used.
3511 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
3512 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
3513 This is usef to save and restore a |:match|.
3514
3515
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003516matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003517 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3518 the match. Example: >
3519 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3520< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003521 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3522 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3523 do it with matchend(): >
3524 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3525 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3526< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3527
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003528 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3529 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3530< results in "7". >
3531 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3532< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003533 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003534
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003535matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003536 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003537 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3538 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
3539 in |:substitute|.
3540 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
3541
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003542matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003543 Same as match(), but return the matched string. Example: >
3544 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
3545< results in "ing".
3546 When there is no match "" is returned.
3547 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3548 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
3549< results in "ing". >
3550 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
3551< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003552 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003553 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003554
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003555 *max()*
3556max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
3557 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3558 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003559 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003560
3561 *min()*
3562min({list}) Return the minumum value of all items in {list}.
3563 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3564 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003565 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003566
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003567 *mkdir()* *E749*
3568mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
3569 Create directory {name}.
3570 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
3571 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
3572 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
3573 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
3574 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
3575 for others.
3576 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3577 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
3578 :if exists("*mkdir")
3579<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003580 *mode()*
3581mode() Return a string that indicates the current mode:
3582 n Normal
3583 v Visual by character
3584 V Visual by line
3585 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
3586 s Select by character
3587 S Select by line
3588 CTRL-S Select blockwise
3589 i Insert
3590 R Replace
3591 c Command-line
3592 r Hit-enter prompt
3593 This is useful in the 'statusline' option. In most other
3594 places it always returns "c" or "n".
3595
3596nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
3597 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
3598 that is not blank. Example: >
3599 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
3600< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3601 below it, zero is returned.
3602 See also |prevnonblank()|.
3603
3604nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
3605 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
3606 value {expr}. Examples: >
3607 nr2char(64) returns "@"
3608 nr2char(32) returns " "
3609< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
3610 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
3611< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
3612 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
3613 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003614 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003615
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003616 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003617getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
3618 see |line()|.
3619 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
3620 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
3621 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
3622 is the buffer number of the mark.
3623 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
3624 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003625 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
3626 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
3627 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
3628 character.
3629 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
3630 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
3631 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00003632 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003633< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003634
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003635pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
3636 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
3637 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
3638 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
3639 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
3640 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
3641< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
3642 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
3643
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003644prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
3645 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
3646 that is not blank. Example: >
3647 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
3648< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3649 above it, zero is returned.
3650 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
3651
3652
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003653printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
3654 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
3655 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003656 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003657< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003658 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003659
3660 Often used items are:
3661 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003662 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
3663 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003664 %c single byte
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003665 %d decimal number
3666 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
3667 %x hex number
3668 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
3669 %X hex number using upper case letters
3670 %o octal number
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003671 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003672
3673 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
3674 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
3675 the result.
3676
3677 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003678 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003679
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003680 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003681
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003682 flags
3683 Zero or more of the following flags:
3684
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003685 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
3686 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
3687 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
3688 of the number is increased to force the first
3689 character of the output string to a zero (except
3690 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
3691 precision of zero).
3692 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
3693 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
3694 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003695
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003696 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
3697 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
3698 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
3699 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
3700 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003701
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003702 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
3703 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
3704 The converted value is padded on the right with
3705 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
3706 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003707
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003708 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
3709 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003710
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003711 + A sign must always be placed before a number
3712 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
3713 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003714
3715 field-width
3716 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003717 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
3718 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
3719 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
3720 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003721
3722 .precision
3723 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
3724 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
3725 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
3726 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
3727 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003728 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003729
3730 type
3731 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
3732 be applied, see below.
3733
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003734 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
3735 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
3736 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
3737 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
3738 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
3739 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003740 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003741< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003742 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003743
3744 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003745
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003746 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
3747 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
3748 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
3749 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003750 conversions.
3751 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
3752 digits that must appear; if the converted value
3753 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
3754 zeros.
3755 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
3756 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
3757 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
3758 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
3759
3760 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
3761 resulting character is written.
3762
3763 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
3764 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
3765 specified are used.
3766
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003767 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
3768 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003769
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003770 Each argument can be Number or String and is converted
3771 automatically to fit the conversion specifier. Any other
3772 argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003773
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00003774 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003775 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
3776 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003777 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003778
3779
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003780pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
3781 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
3782 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00003783 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
3784 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003785
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00003786 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003787range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003788 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003789 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
3790 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
3791 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
3792 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
3793 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003794 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
3795 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
3796 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003797 Examples: >
3798 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
3799 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
3800 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
3801 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003802 range(0) " []
3803 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003804<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003805 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003806readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003807 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
3808 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003809 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
3810 NL appears somewhere).
3811 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
3812 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
3813 added.
3814 - No CR characters are removed.
3815 Otherwise:
3816 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
3817 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
3818 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003819 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
3820 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
3821 lines of a file: >
3822 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
3823 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
3824 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003825< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
3826 are returned, or as many as there are.
3827 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003828 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
3829 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
3830 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003831 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
3832 the result is an empty list.
3833 Also see |writefile()|.
3834
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003835reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
3836 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
3837 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
3838 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
3839 Without an argument it returns the current time.
3840 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
3841 specified in the argument.
3842 With two arguments it returns the time passed betweein {start}
3843 and {end}.
3844 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
3845 reltime().
3846 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3847
3848reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
3849 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
3850 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
3851 microseconds. Example: >
3852 let start = reltime()
3853 call MyFunction()
3854 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
3855< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
3856 The accuracy depends on the system.
3857 Also see |profiling|.
3858 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
3859
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003860 *remote_expr()* *E449*
3861remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
3862 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
3863 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003864 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
3865 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
3866 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003867 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3868 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3869 remote_read() is stored there.
3870 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3871 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3872 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3873 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
3874 and the result will be the empty string.
3875 Examples: >
3876 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
3877 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
3878<
3879
3880remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
3881 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
3882 This works like: >
3883 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
3884< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
3885 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
3886 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00003887 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
3888 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003889 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3890 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3891 Win32 console version}
3892
3893
3894remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
3895 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
3896 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
3897 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
3898 name of a variable.
3899 Returns zero if none are available.
3900 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
3901 See also |clientserver|.
3902 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3903 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3904 Examples: >
3905 :let repl = ""
3906 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
3907
3908remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
3909 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
3910 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
3911 See also |clientserver|.
3912 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3913 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3914 Example: >
3915 :echo remote_read(id)
3916<
3917 *remote_send()* *E241*
3918remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00003919 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
3920 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
3921 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003922 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
3923 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
3924 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003925 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3926 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3927 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3928 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
3929 up the display.
3930 Examples: >
3931 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
3932 \ remote_read(serverid)
3933
3934 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
3935 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
3936 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
3937 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003938<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003939remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003940 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003941 return it.
3942 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
3943 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
3944 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
3945 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
3946 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003947 Example: >
3948 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003949 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003950remove({dict}, {key})
3951 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
3952 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
3953< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
3954
3955 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003956
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003957rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
3958 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
3959 should also work to move files across file systems. The
3960 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
3961 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
3962 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3963
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003964repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
3965 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
3966 result. Example: >
3967 :let seperator = repeat('-', 80)
3968< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003969 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003970 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003971 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
3972< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003973
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003974
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003975resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
3976 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
3977 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
3978 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
3979 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
3980 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
3981 stopped after 100 iterations.
3982 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
3983 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
3984 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
3985 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
3986 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
3987
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003988 *reverse()*
3989reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
3990 {list}.
3991 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
3992 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
3993
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003994search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003995 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003996 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00003997
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003998 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
3999 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004000 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
4001 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004002 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004003 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4004 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004005 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4006 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4007 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4008
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004009 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4010 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4011 flag.
4012
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004013 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4014 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4015 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4016 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4017 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4018< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4019 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
4020
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004021 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4022 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004023 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4024 *search()-sub-match*
4025 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4026 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4027 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004028 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004029
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004030 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4031 flag is used.
4032
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004033 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4034 :let n = 1
4035 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4036 : exe "argument " . n
4037 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4038 : " first search to find match at start of file
4039 : normal G$
4040 : let flags = "w"
4041 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
4042 : s/foo/bar/g
4043 : let flags = "W"
4044 : endwhile
4045 : update " write the file if modified
4046 : let n = n + 1
4047 :endwhile
4048<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004049 Example for using some flags: >
4050 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4051< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4052 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4053 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4054 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4055 line:
4056 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4057 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4058 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4059 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4060 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4061
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004062
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004063searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4064 Search for the declaration of {name}.
4065
4066 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4067 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4068 first match in the function.
4069
4070 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4071 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4072 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4073
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004074 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4075 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4076 Example: >
4077 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4078 echo getline('.')
4079 endif
4080<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004081 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004082searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004083 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4084 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4085 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004086 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4087 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4088 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4089 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4090 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4091 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004092
4093 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4094 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4095 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4096 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4097 typical use is: >
4098 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4099< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4100
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004101 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4102 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004103 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
4104 outer pair
4105 'm' return number of Matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004106 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004107
4108 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4109 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4110 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4111 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4112 or a string.
4113 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4114 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4115 and -1 returned.
4116
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004117 For {stopline} see |search()|.
4118
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004119 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4120 patterns are used like it's on.
4121
4122 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4123 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4124 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4125 if 1
4126 if 2
4127 endif 2
4128 endif 1
4129< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4130 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4131 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
4132 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
4133 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4134 "endif 2".
4135 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4136 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4137 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4138 the matching start.
4139
4140 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4141
4142 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4143 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4144
4145< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4146 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4147 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4148 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4149 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4150 match.
4151 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4152
4153 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4154
4155< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4156 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4157 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4158
4159 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4160 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4161<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004162 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004163searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004164 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4165 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4166 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004167 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4168 returns [0, 0].
4169>
4170 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4171<
4172 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4173
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004174searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *searchpos()*
4175 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004176 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4177 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4178 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4179 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004180 Example: >
4181 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4182
4183< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4184 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4185 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4186< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4187 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4188
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004189server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4190 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4191 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4192 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4193 Note:
4194 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004195 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004196 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4197 See also |clientserver|.
4198 Example: >
4199 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4200<
4201serverlist() *serverlist()*
4202 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4203 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4204 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4205 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4206 Example: >
4207 :echo serverlist()
4208<
4209setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4210 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4211 {val}.
4212 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4213 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4214 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4215 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4216 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4217 Examples: >
4218 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4219 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4220< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4221
4222setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4223 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
4224 {pos}. The first position is 1.
4225 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4226 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004227 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4228 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4229 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4230 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4231 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004232 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4233 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4234 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4235 line.
4236
4237setline({lnum}, {line}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004238 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {line}.
4239 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004240 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {line} will be
4241 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004242 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4243 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004244 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004245< When {line} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004246 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4247 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4248< This is equivalent to: >
4249 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4250 : call setline(n, l)
4251 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004252< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4253
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004254setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4255 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4256 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004257 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4258 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004259 Otherwise, same as setqflist().
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004260
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004261 *setpos()*
4262setpos({expr}, {list})
4263 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4264 . the cursor
4265 'x mark x
4266
4267 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4268 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4269
4270 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
4271 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
4272 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4273 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4274 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004275 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004276
4277 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4278 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4279
4280 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4281 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4282 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4283 character.
4284
4285 Also see |getpos()|
4286
4287
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004288setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004289 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4290 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4291 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4292 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004293
4294 filename name of a file
4295 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004296 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004297 col column number
4298 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
4299 when zero: "col" is byte index
4300 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004301 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004302 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004303
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004304 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4305 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4306 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004307 If the "filename" entry is not present or neither the "lnum"
4308 or "pattern" entries are present, then the item will not be
4309 handled as an error line.
4310 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4311 be used.
4312
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004313 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4314 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4315 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4316 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4317 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4318 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4319
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004320 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4321
4322 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4323 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4324 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4325
4326
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004327 *setreg()*
4328setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4329 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4330 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4331 then the value is appended.
4332 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4333 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4334 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4335 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4336 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4337 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4338 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
4339 in the longest line (counting a <TAB> as 1 character).
4340
4341 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4342 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4343 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4344 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4345
4346 Examples: >
4347 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4348 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4349 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4350
4351< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4352 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004353 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004354 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4355 ....
4356 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4357
4358< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4359 nothing: >
4360 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4361
4362setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4363 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {nr} to
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004364 {val}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004365 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4366 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4367 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4368 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
4369 Examples: >
4370 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4371 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
4372< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4373
4374simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4375 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4376 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4377 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4378 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4379 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4380 not removed either.
4381 Example: >
4382 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
4383< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
4384 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
4385 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
4386 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
4387 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
4388
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004389
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004390sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004391 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
4392 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4393 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
4394< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004395 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004396 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004397 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004398 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
4399 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004400 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
4401 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
4402 sorts before the second one. Example: >
4403 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
4404 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
4405 endfunc
4406 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004407<
4408
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004409 *soundfold()*
4410soundfold({word})
4411 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
4412 language in 'spellang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004413 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
4414 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004415 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
4416 the method can be quite slow.
4417
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004418 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004419spellbadword([{sentence}])
4420 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
4421 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
4422 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
4423 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
4424
4425 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
4426 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
4427 result is an empty string.
4428
4429 The return value is a list with two items:
4430 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
4431 - The type of the spelling error:
4432 "bad" spelling mistake
4433 "rare" rare word
4434 "local" word only valid in another region
4435 "caps" word should start with Capital
4436 Example: >
4437 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
4438< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
4439
4440 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
4441 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
4442 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004443
4444 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004445spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004446 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004447 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
4448 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
4449
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004450 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
4451 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
4452 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
4453
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004454 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
4455 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00004456 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
4457 replace a line.
4458
4459 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004460 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
4461 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004462
4463 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004464 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
4465 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004466
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004467
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004468split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004469 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
4470 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
4471 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004472 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004473 removing the matched characters.
4474 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
4475 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00004476 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
4477 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004478 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004479 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004480< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004481 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00004482< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
4483 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
4484< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004485 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
4486 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
4487< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004488
4489
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004490str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
4491 Convert string {expr} to a number.
4492 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
4493 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
4494 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
4495 with the default String to Number conversion.
4496 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
4497 different base the result will be zero.
4498 Text after the number is silently ignored.
4499
4500
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004501strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
4502 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
4503 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
4504 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
4505 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
4506 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
4507 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
4508 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
4509 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
4510 Examples: >
4511 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
4512 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
4513 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
4514 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
4515 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
4516 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004517< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4518 :if exists("*strftime")
4519
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004520stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
4521 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4522 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004523 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
4524 This can be used to find a second match: >
4525 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
4526 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
4527< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004528 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004529 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004530 See also |strridx()|.
4531 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004532 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
4533 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
4534 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004535< *strstr()* *strchr()*
4536 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
4537 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
4538
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004539 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004540string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
4541 String or a composition of them, then the result can be parsed
4542 back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004543 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004544 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004545 Number 123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004546 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004547 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004548 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004549 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004550
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004551 *strlen()*
4552strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004553 {expr} in bytes.
4554 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
4555 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004556
4557 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004558<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004559 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
4560 For other types an error is given.
4561 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004562
4563strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
4564 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004565 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004566 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
4567 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
4568 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
4569 end of the {src}. >
4570 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
4571 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
4572 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
4573 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
4574< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
4575 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00004576 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004577<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004578strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
4579 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4580 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
4581 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
4582 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
4583 match: >
4584 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
4585 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
4586< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004587 For pattern searches use |match()|.
4588 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004589 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004590 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004591 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004592< *strrchr()*
4593 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
4594 function strrchr().
4595
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004596strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
4597 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
4598 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
4599 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
4600 echo strtrans(@a)
4601< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
4602 starting a new line.
4603
4604submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
4605 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
4606 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
4607 the whole matched text is returned.
4608 Example: >
4609 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
4610< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
4611 A line break is included as a newline character.
4612
4613substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
4614 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
4615 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
4616 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
4617 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
4618 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
4619 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
4620 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
4621 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
4622 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
4623 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
4624 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
4625 unmodified.
4626 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
4627 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
4628 Example: >
4629 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
4630< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
4631 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
4632< results in "TESTING".
4633
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004634synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004635 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004636 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004637 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
4638 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004639
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004640 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004641 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
4642
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004643 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
4644 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
4645 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
4646 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
4647 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
4648 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
4649 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
4650
4651 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
4652 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
4653<
4654synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
4655 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
4656 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
4657 about a syntax item.
4658 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
4659 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
4660 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
4661 used (GUI, cterm or term).
4662 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
4663 {what} result
4664 "name" the name of the syntax item
4665 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
4666 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
4667 term: empty string)
4668 "bg" background color (like "fg")
4669 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
4670 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
4671 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
4672 "bold" "1" if bold
4673 "italic" "1" if italic
4674 "reverse" "1" if reverse
4675 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
4676 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004677 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004678
4679 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
4680 cursor): >
4681 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
4682<
4683synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
4684 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
4685 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
4686 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
4687 ":highlight link" are followed.
4688
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004689system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
4690 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
4691 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
4692 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
4693 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004694 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004695 Note: newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail. The
4696 characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also cause
4697 trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004698 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
4699 The result is a String. Example: >
4700
4701 :let files = system("ls")
4702
4703< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
4704 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
4705 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
4706 The command executed is constructed using several options:
4707 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
4708 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
4709 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
4710 concatenated commands.
4711
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004712 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
4713 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
4714
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004715 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
4716 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00004717
4718 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
4719 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
4720 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004721 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
4722 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
4723
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004724
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004725tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004726 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004727 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
4728 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
4729 omitted the current tab page is used.
4730 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
4731 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
4732 tablist = []
4733 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
4734 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
4735 endfor
4736< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
4737
4738
4739tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004740 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4741 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
4742 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
4743 page is returned (the tab page count).
4744 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
4745
4746
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004747tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
4748 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
4749 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
4750 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
4751 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
4752 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
4753 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
4754 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
4755 Useful examples: >
4756 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
4757 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
4758< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
4759
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00004760 *tagfiles()*
4761tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
4762 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
4763
4764
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004765taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
4766 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00004767 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
4768 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004769 name Name of the tag.
4770 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004771 defined.
4772 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
4773 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004774 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004775 entry depends on the language specific
4776 kind values generated by the ctags
4777 tool.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004778 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004779 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004780 The "kind" entry is only available when using Exuberant ctags
4781 generated tags file. More entries may be present, depending
4782 on the content of the tags file: access, implementation,
4783 inherits and signature. Refer to the ctags documentation for
4784 information about these fields. For C code the fields
4785 "struct", "class" and "enum" may appear, they give the name of
4786 the entity the tag is contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004787
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004788 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
4789 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004790
4791 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
4792
4793 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
4794 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
4795 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
4796
4797 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
4798 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
4799 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
4800
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004801tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
4802 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
4803 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
4804 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
4805 :let tmpfile = tempname()
4806 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
4807< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
4808 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
4809 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
4810 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
4811 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
4812 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
4813
4814tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
4815 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
4816 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
4817 the string).
4818
4819toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
4820 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
4821 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
4822 the string).
4823
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00004824tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
4825 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
4826 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
4827 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
4828 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
4829 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
4830 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
4831
4832 Examples: >
4833 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
4834< returns "Hello THere" >
4835 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
4836< returns "{blob}"
4837
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004838 *type()*
4839type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004840 Number: 0
4841 String: 1
4842 Funcref: 2
4843 List: 3
4844 Dictionary: 4
4845 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004846 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
4847 :if type(myvar) == type("")
4848 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
4849 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004850 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004851
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004852values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004853 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
4854 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004855
4856
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004857virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
4858 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
4859 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
4860 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
4861 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
4862 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
4863 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
4864 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004865 For the use of {expr} see |col()|. Additionally you can use
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00004866 [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line and column number. When
4867 "lnum" or "col" is out of range then virtcol() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004868 When 'virtualedit' is used it can be [lnum, col, off], where
4869 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4870 character. E.g., a position within a Tab or after the last
4871 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004872 For the byte position use |col()|.
4873 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
4874 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
4875 The accepted positions are:
4876 . the cursor position
4877 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
4878 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
4879 plus one)
4880 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4881 returned)
4882 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
4883 Examples: >
4884 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
4885 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
4886 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
4887< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
4888
4889visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
4890 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
4891 used. Initially it returns an empty string, but once Visual
4892 mode has been used, it returns "v", "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a
4893 single CTRL-V character) for character-wise, line-wise, or
4894 block-wise Visual mode respectively.
4895 Example: >
4896 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
4897< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
4898 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
4899 Visual mode that was used.
4900
4901 If an expression is supplied that results in a non-zero number
4902 or a non-empty string, then the Visual mode will be cleared
4903 and the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
4904 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared.
4905
4906 *winbufnr()*
4907winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004908 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004909 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
4910 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4911 Example: >
4912 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
4913<
4914 *wincol()*
4915wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
4916 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
4917 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
4918
4919winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
4920 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
4921 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
4922 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4923 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
4924 Examples: >
4925 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
4926<
4927 *winline()*
4928winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
4929 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
4930 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004931 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
4932 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004933
4934 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004935winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4936 window. The top window has number 1.
4937 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004938 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004939 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
4940 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
4941 If there is no previous window 0 is returned.
4942 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
4943 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004944
4945 *winrestcmd()*
4946winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
4947 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004948 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
4949 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004950 Example: >
4951 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
4952 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
4953 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004954<
4955 *winrestview()*
4956winrestview({dict})
4957 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
4958 the view of the current window.
4959 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
4960 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
4961
4962 *winsaveview()*
4963winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
4964 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
4965 restore the view.
4966 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
4967 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
4968 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004969 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
4970 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004971 The return value includes:
4972 lnum cursor line number
4973 col cursor column
4974 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
4975 curswant column for vertical movement
4976 topline first line in the window
4977 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
4978 leftcol first column displayed
4979 skipcol columns skipped
4980 Note that no option values are saved.
4981
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004982
4983winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
4984 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
4985 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
4986 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4987 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
4988 Examples: >
4989 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
4990 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
4991 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
4992 :endif
4993<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004994 *writefile()*
4995writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004996 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004997 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
4998 Number.
4999 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
5000 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
5001 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
5002 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
5003 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
5004 to writefile().
5005 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
5006 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
5007 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
5008 fails.
5009 Also see |readfile()|.
5010 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5011 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5012 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5013<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005014
5015 *feature-list*
5016There are three types of features:
50171. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5018 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5019 :if has("cindent")
50202. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5021 Example: >
5022 :if has("gui_running")
5023< *has-patch*
50243. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5025 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5026 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5027 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
5028
5029all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5030amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5031arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5032arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00005033autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005034balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00005035balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005036beos BeOS version of Vim.
5037browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5038 work.
5039builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5040byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5041cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5042clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5043clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5044cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5045cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5046cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5047comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5048cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5049cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5050compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5051debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5052dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5053dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5054diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5055digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5056dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5057dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5058dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5059ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5060emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5061eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5062 true, of course!
5063ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5064extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5065 |'hlsearch'|
5066farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5067file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005068filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5069 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005070find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5071 |+find_in_path|.
5072fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5073 Windows this is not present).
5074folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5075footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5076fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5077gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5078gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5079gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005080gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5081gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
5082gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5083gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5084gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5085gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5086gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5087gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5088hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5089iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5090insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5091 Insert mode.
5092jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5093keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5094langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5095libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5096linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5097 support.
5098lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5099listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5100 and the argument list |arglist|.
5101localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5102mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5103macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5104menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5105mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5106modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5107mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5108mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5109mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5110mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5111mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5112mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
5113mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
5114multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
5115multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5116multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00005117mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005118netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00005119netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005120ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5121os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5122osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5123path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5124perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5125postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5126printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005127profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005128python Compiled with Python interface.
5129qnx QNX version of Vim.
5130quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
5131rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5132ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5133scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5134showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5135signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5136smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00005137sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005138statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5139 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5140sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00005141spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5142syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005143syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5144 current buffer.
5145system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5146tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5147 |tag-binary-search|.
5148tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5149 |tag-old-static|.
5150tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
5151 files |tag-any-white|.
5152tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
5153terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
5154termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
5155textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
5156tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
5157 or terminfo file.
5158title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
5159toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
5160unix Unix version of Vim.
5161user_commands User-defined commands.
5162viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
5163vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
5164vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
5165virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
5166visual Compiled with Visual mode.
5167visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
5168 |blockwise-operators|.
5169vms VMS version of Vim.
5170vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
5171wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
5172wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
5173windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
5174winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
5175win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
5176win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
5177win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
5178win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
5179win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
5180writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
5181xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
5182xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
5183xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
5184xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
5185xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
5186xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
5187 xterm screen.
5188x11 Compiled with X11 support.
5189
5190 *string-match*
5191Matching a pattern in a String
5192
5193A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
5194the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
5195everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
5196like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
5197line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
5198with ".". Example: >
5199 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
5200 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
5201 aa
5202 xx
5203 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
5204 a
5205 x
5206
5207Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
5208"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
5209"\n".
5210
5211==============================================================================
52125. Defining functions *user-functions*
5213
5214New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
5215functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
5216commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
5217
5218The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
5219builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
5220avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
5221the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
5222
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005223It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
5224|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005225
5226 *local-function*
5227A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
5228can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
5229and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
5230function from a mappings defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
5231instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
5232
5233 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
5234:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
5235
5236:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005237 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5238 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005239 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005240
5241:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
5242 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
5243 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005244<
5245 *:function-verbose*
5246When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
5247last defined. Example: >
5248
5249 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
5250 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
5251 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
5252<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00005253See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005254
5255 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005256:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005257 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
5258 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
5259 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005260
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005261 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5262 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005263 :function dict.init(arg)
5264< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
5265 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
5266 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
5267 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
5268 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
5269 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005270 *E127* *E122*
5271 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
5272 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
5273 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
5274 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005275
5276 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
5277
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005278 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
5279 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
5280 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
5281 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
5282 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
5283 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
5284 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005285
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005286 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
5287 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005288
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005289 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005290 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005291 local variable "self" will then be set to the
5292 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005293
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00005294 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
5295 will not be changed by the function.
5296
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005297 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
5298:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
5299 by its own, without other commands.
5300
5301 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
5302:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005303 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5304 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005305 :delfunc dict.init
5306< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
5307 function is deleted if there are no more references to
5308 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005309 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
5310:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
5311 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
5312 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
5313 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
5314 the number 0 is returned.
5315 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
5316 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
5317
5318 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
5319 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
5320 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
5321 are executed first. This process applies to all
5322 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
5323 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
5324
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005325 *function-argument* *a:var*
5326An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
5327be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
5328 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740*
5329Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
5330arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
5331may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
5332as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005333can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
5334that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005335 *E742*
5336The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005337However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can changes their contents.
5338Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
5339it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
5340|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005341
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005342When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
5343to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
5344may be larger.
5345
5346It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
5347still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
5348until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
5349inside a function body.
5350
5351 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005352Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
5353will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
5354accessed with "g:".
5355
5356Example: >
5357 :function Table(title, ...)
5358 : echohl Title
5359 : echo a:title
5360 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005361 : echo a:0 . " items:"
5362 : for s in a:000
5363 : echon ' ' . s
5364 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005365 :endfunction
5366
5367This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005368 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
5369 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005370
5371To return more than one value, pass the name of a global variable: >
5372 :function Compute(n1, n2, divname)
5373 : if a:n2 == 0
5374 : return "fail"
5375 : endif
5376 : let g:{a:divname} = a:n1 / a:n2
5377 : return "ok"
5378 :endfunction
5379
5380This function can then be called with: >
5381 :let success = Compute(13, 1324, "div")
5382 :if success == "ok"
5383 : echo div
5384 :endif
5385
5386An alternative is to return a command that can be executed. This also works
5387with local variables in a calling function. Example: >
5388 :function Foo()
5389 : execute Bar()
5390 : echo "line " . lnum . " column " . col
5391 :endfunction
5392
5393 :function Bar()
5394 : return "let lnum = " . line(".") . " | let col = " . col(".")
5395 :endfunction
5396
5397The names "lnum" and "col" could also be passed as argument to Bar(), to allow
5398the caller to set the names.
5399
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00005400 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005401:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
5402 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
5403 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
5404 used.
5405 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
5406 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
5407 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
5408 function.
5409 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
5410 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
5411 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
5412 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
5413 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
5414 this works:
5415 *function-range-example* >
5416 :function Mynumber(arg)
5417 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
5418 :endfunction
5419 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
5420<
5421 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
5422 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
5423 the range.
5424
5425 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
5426
5427 :function Cont() range
5428 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
5429 :endfunction
5430 :4,8call Cont()
5431<
5432 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
5433 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
5434
5435 *E132*
5436The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
5437option.
5438
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005439
5440AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005441 *autoload-functions*
5442When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005443only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
5444the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
5445
5446
5447Using an autocommand ~
5448
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005449This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
5450
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005451The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
5452You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
5453That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
5454again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
5455
5456Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
5457function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005458
5459 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
5460
5461The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
5462"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
5463
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005464
5465Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005466 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005467This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
5468
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005469Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
5470exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
5471like this: >
5472
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005473 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005474
5475When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
5476"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
5477"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
5478then define the function like this: >
5479
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005480 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005481 echo "Done!"
5482 endfunction
5483
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00005484The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005485exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
5486called.
5487
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005488It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
5489a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005490
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005491 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005492
5493Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
5494
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005495This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
5496
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005497 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005498
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005499However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
5500for an unknown variable.
5501
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005502When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
5503be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
5504
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005505 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
5506 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005507
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00005508Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
5509defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
5510function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005511And you will get an error message every time.
5512
5513Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
5514other and vise versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
5515Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005516
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005517Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
5518|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
5519
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005520==============================================================================
55216. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
5522
5523Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
5524This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
5525{} like this: >
5526 my_{adjective}_variable
5527
5528When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
5529that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
5530name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
5531"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
5532"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
5533
5534One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
5535value. For example, the statement >
5536 echo my_{&background}_message
5537
5538would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
5539on the current value of 'background'.
5540
5541You can use multiple brace pairs: >
5542 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
5543..or even nest them: >
5544 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
5545where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
5546
5547However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005548variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005549 :let foo='a + b'
5550 :echo c{foo}d
5551.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
5552
5553 *curly-braces-function-names*
5554You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
5555Example: >
5556 :let func_end='whizz'
5557 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
5558
5559This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
5560
5561==============================================================================
55627. Commands *expression-commands*
5563
5564:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
5565 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
5566 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
5567 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
5568 is created.
5569
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005570:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
5571 Set a list item to the result of the expression
5572 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
5573 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
5574 the index can be repeated.
5575 This cannot be used to add an item to a list.
5576
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005577 *E711* *E719*
5578:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005579 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
5580 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005581 correct number of items.
5582 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
5583 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
5584 When the selected range of items is partly past the
5585 end of the list, items will be added.
5586
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005587 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005588:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
5589:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
5590:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
5591 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
5592 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
5593
5594
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005595:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
5596 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
5597 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005598:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
5599 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
5600 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
5601 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005602
5603:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
5604 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
5605 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
5606 must be the name of a writable register (see
5607 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
5608 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
5609 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
5610 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
5611 characterwise.
5612 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
5613 :let @/ = ""
5614< This is different from searching for an empty string,
5615 that would match everywhere.
5616
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005617:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
5618 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
5619 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
5620
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005621:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-star*
5622 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005623 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
5624 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005625 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
5626 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00005627 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005628 Example: >
5629 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005630
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005631:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
5632 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
5633 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
5634
5635:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
5636:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
5637 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
5638 {expr1}.
5639
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005640:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005641:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5642:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
5643:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005644 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
5645 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
5646
5647:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005648:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5649:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
5650:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005651 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
5652 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
5653
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005654:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005655 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005656 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
5657 {name2}, etc.
5658 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005659 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005660 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
5661 command as mentioned above.
5662 Example: >
5663 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005664< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
5665 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
5666 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
5667 :let x = [0, 1]
5668 :let i = 0
5669 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
5670 :echo x
5671< The result is [0, 2].
5672
5673:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
5674:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
5675:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
5676 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005677 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005678
5679:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005680 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005681 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
5682 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
5683 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005684 Example: >
5685 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
5686<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005687:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
5688:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
5689:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
5690 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005691 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005692 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005693:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005694 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
5695 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005696 g: global variables
5697 b: local buffer variables
5698 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005699 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00005700 s: script-local variables
5701 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005702 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005703
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005704:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
5705 variable is indicated before the value:
5706 <nothing> String
5707 # Number
5708 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005709
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005710
5711:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108*
5712 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
5713 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005714 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005715 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
5716 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005717 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005718 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
5719 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005720< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005721 :unlet dict['two']
5722 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005723
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005724:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
5725 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
5726 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
5727 A locked variable can be deleted: >
5728 :lockvar v
5729 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
5730 :unlet v
5731< *E741*
5732 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
5733 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
5734
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005735 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
5736 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
5737 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005738 cannot add or remove items, but can
5739 still change their values.
5740 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005741 the items. If an item is a |List| or
5742 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005743 items, but can still change the
5744 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005745 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
5746 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
5747 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
5748 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
5749 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005750 *E743*
5751 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
5752 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
5753 loops.
5754
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005755 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
5756 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00005757 locked when used through the other variable.
5758 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005759 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
5760 :let cl = l
5761 :lockvar l
5762 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
5763< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
5764 See |deepcopy()|.
5765
5766
5767:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
5768 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
5769 opposite of |:lockvar|.
5770
5771
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005772:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
5773:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5774 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5775
5776 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
5777 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
5778 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
5779 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
5780 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
5781 part was not executed either.
5782
5783 You can use this to remain compatible with older
5784 versions: >
5785 :if version >= 500
5786 : version-5-specific-commands
5787 :endif
5788< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
5789 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
5790 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
5791 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
5792 avoid problems: >
5793 :if version >= 600
5794 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
5795 :endif
5796<
5797 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
5798 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
5799
5800 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
5801:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5802 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
5803 executed.
5804
5805 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
5806:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
5807 is no extra ":endif".
5808
5809:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005810 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005811:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
5812 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5813 When an error is detected from a command inside the
5814 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005815 Example: >
5816 :let lnum = 1
5817 :while lnum <= line("$")
5818 :call FixLine(lnum)
5819 :let lnum = lnum + 1
5820 :endwhile
5821<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005822 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005823 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005824
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005825:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005826:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
5827 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005828 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005829 value of each item.
5830 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005831 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00005832 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
5833 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005834 :for item in copy(mylist)
5835< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
5836 next item in the list, before executing the commands
5837 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
5838 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
5839 it will not be found. Thus the following example
5840 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
5841 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005842 :call remove(mylist, 0)
5843 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005844< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
5845 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
5846 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005847 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
5848 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
5849 to allow multiple item types.
5850
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005851:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
5852:endfo[r]
5853 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
5854 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
5855 {var2}, etc. Example: >
5856 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
5857 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
5858 :endfor
5859<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005860 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005861:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
5862 to the start of the loop.
5863 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5864 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5865 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5866 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5867 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5868 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005869
5870 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005871:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
5872 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
5873 ":endfor".
5874 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5875 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5876 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5877 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5878 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5879 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005880
5881:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
5882:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
5883 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
5884 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
5885 or autocommand invocations.
5886
5887 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
5888 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
5889 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
5890 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
5891 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
5892 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
5893 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
5894 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
5895 Example: >
5896 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
5897 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
5898<
5899 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
5900 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
5901 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
5902 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
5903 processing is not terminated.
5904
5905 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
5906 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
5907 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
5908 other errors are converted to a value of the form
5909 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
5910 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
5911 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
5912 the error number.
5913 Examples: >
5914 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
5915 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
5916<
5917 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
5918:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
5919 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
5920 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
5921 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
5922 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
5923 commands are skipped.
5924 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
5925 Examples: >
5926 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
5927 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
5928 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
5929 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
5930 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
5931 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
5932 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
5933 :catch " same as /.*/
5934<
5935 Another character can be used instead of / around the
5936 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
5937 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
5938 {pattern}.
5939 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
5940 an error message because it may vary in different
5941 locales.
5942
5943 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
5944:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
5945 are executed whenever the part between the matching
5946 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
5947 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
5948 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
5949 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
5950
5951 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
5952:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
5953 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
5954 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
5955 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
5956 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
5957 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
5958 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
5959 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
5960 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
5961 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
5962 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
5963 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
5964 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
5965 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
5966 is terminated.
5967 Example: >
5968 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
5969<
5970
5971 *:ec* *:echo*
5972:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
5973 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
5974 Also see |:comment|.
5975 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
5976 cursor to the first column.
5977 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5978 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5979 Example: >
5980 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
5981< A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
5982 To avoid that a command from before the ":echo" causes
5983 a redraw afterwards (redraws are often postponed until
5984 you type something), force a redraw with the |:redraw|
5985 command. Example: >
5986 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
5987<
5988 *:echon*
5989:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
5990 |:comment|.
5991 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5992 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5993 Example: >
5994 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
5995<
5996 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
5997 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
5998 command: >
5999 :!echo % --> filename
6000< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
6001 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
6002< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
6003 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
6004 :echo % --> nothing
6005< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
6006 :echo "%" --> %
6007< This just echoes the '%' character. >
6008 :echo expand("%") --> filename
6009< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
6010
6011 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6012:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6013 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6014 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6015 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6016< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6017 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6018
6019 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6020:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6021 message in the |message-history|.
6022 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6023 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6024 displayed, not interpreted.
6025 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6026 Example: >
6027 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
6028<
6029 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6030:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6031 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6032 script or function the line number will be added.
6033 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6034 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
6035 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6036 (see |try-echoerr|).
6037 Example: >
6038 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6039< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6040 And to get a beep: >
6041 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6042<
6043 *:exe* *:execute*
6044:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6045 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
6046 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
6047 used as the processed command, command line editing
6048 keys are not recognized.
6049 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6050 Examples: >
6051 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6052 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6053<
6054 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6055 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6056 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6057
6058< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6059 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6060 command: >
6061 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6062< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6063
6064 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006065 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6066 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006067 :execute 'while i > 5'
6068 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6069<
6070 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6071 completely in the executed string: >
6072 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6073<
6074
6075 *:comment*
6076 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6077 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6078 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6079 comment. Example: >
6080 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6081
6082==============================================================================
60838. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6084
6085The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6086explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6087
6088Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6089|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6090exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6091
6092
6093TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6094
6095Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6096use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6097a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6098 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6099|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6100a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6101be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6102which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6103clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6104
6105 :try
6106 : ...
6107 : ... TRY BLOCK
6108 : ...
6109 :catch /{pattern}/
6110 : ...
6111 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6112 : ...
6113 :catch /{pattern}/
6114 : ...
6115 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6116 : ...
6117 :finally
6118 : ...
6119 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6120 : ...
6121 :endtry
6122
6123The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6124appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6125from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6126 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6127is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6128script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6129 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6130lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6131patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6132after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6133executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
6134":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
6135(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
6136continues in the following line as usual.
6137 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
6138":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
6139that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
6140finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
6141the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
6142the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
6143see |try-nesting|.
6144 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
6145remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
6146not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
6147try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
6148a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
6149execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
6150exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6151 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
6152thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
6153clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
6154catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
6155following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
6156clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6157
6158The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
6159a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
6160try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
6161from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
6162sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
6163":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
6164":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
6165from the finally clause.
6166 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
6167try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
6168clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
6169":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
6170clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
6171":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
6172this pending exception or command is discarded.
6173
6174For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
6175
6176
6177NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
6178
6179Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
6180conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
6181clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
6182catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
6183of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
6184checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
6185try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
6186otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
6187nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
6188one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
6189the inner try conditional.
6190
6191When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
6192finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
6193An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
6194thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
6195implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
6196as usual.
6197
6198For examples see |throw-catch|.
6199
6200
6201EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
6202
6203Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
6204'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
6205script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
6206finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
6207a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
6208(see |debug-scripts|).
6209
6210
6211THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
6212
6213You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
6214and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
6215 :throw 4711
6216 :throw "string"
6217< *throw-expression*
6218You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
6219first, and the result is thrown: >
6220 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
6221 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
6222
6223An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
6224command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
6225The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
6226 Example: >
6227
6228 :function! Foo(arg)
6229 : try
6230 : throw a:arg
6231 : catch /foo/
6232 : endtry
6233 : return 1
6234 :endfunction
6235 :
6236 :function! Bar()
6237 : echo "in Bar"
6238 : return 4710
6239 :endfunction
6240 :
6241 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
6242
6243This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
6244executed. >
6245 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
6246however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
6247
6248Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
6249abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
6250exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
6251 Example: >
6252
6253 :if Foo("arrgh")
6254 : echo "then"
6255 :else
6256 : echo "else"
6257 :endif
6258
6259Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
6260
6261 *catch-order*
6262Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
6263commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
6264command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
6265gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
6266 Example: >
6267
6268 :function! Foo(value)
6269 : try
6270 : throw a:value
6271 : catch /^\d\+$/
6272 : echo "Number thrown"
6273 : catch /.*/
6274 : echo "String thrown"
6275 : endtry
6276 :endfunction
6277 :
6278 :call Foo(0x1267)
6279 :call Foo('string')
6280
6281The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
6282An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
6283specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
6284specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
6285
6286 : catch /.*/
6287 : echo "String thrown"
6288 : catch /^\d\+$/
6289 : echo "Number thrown"
6290
6291The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
6292never taken.
6293
6294 *throw-variables*
6295If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
6296in the variable |v:exception|: >
6297
6298 : catch /^\d\+$/
6299 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
6300
6301You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
6302|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
6303exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
6304 Example: >
6305
6306 :function! Caught()
6307 : if v:exception != ""
6308 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
6309 : else
6310 : echo 'Nothing caught'
6311 : endif
6312 :endfunction
6313 :
6314 :function! Foo()
6315 : try
6316 : try
6317 : try
6318 : throw 4711
6319 : finally
6320 : call Caught()
6321 : endtry
6322 : catch /.*/
6323 : call Caught()
6324 : throw "oops"
6325 : endtry
6326 : catch /.*/
6327 : call Caught()
6328 : finally
6329 : call Caught()
6330 : endtry
6331 :endfunction
6332 :
6333 :call Foo()
6334
6335This displays >
6336
6337 Nothing caught
6338 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
6339 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
6340 Nothing caught
6341
6342A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
6343number in the script or function where it has been used: >
6344
6345 :function! LineNumber()
6346 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
6347 :endfunction
6348 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
6349<
6350 *try-nested*
6351An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
6352a surrounding try conditional: >
6353
6354 :try
6355 : try
6356 : throw "foo"
6357 : catch /foobar/
6358 : echo "foobar"
6359 : finally
6360 : echo "inner finally"
6361 : endtry
6362 :catch /foo/
6363 : echo "foo"
6364 :endtry
6365
6366The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
6367clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
6368conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
6369
6370 *throw-from-catch*
6371You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
6372catch clause: >
6373
6374 :function! Foo()
6375 : throw "foo"
6376 :endfunction
6377 :
6378 :function! Bar()
6379 : try
6380 : call Foo()
6381 : catch /foo/
6382 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
6383 : throw "bar"
6384 : endtry
6385 :endfunction
6386 :
6387 :try
6388 : call Bar()
6389 :catch /.*/
6390 : echo "Caught" v:exception
6391 :endtry
6392
6393This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
6394
6395 *rethrow*
6396There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
6397"v:exception" instead: >
6398
6399 :function! Bar()
6400 : try
6401 : call Foo()
6402 : catch /.*/
6403 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
6404 : throw v:exception
6405 : endtry
6406 :endfunction
6407< *try-echoerr*
6408Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
6409exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
6410Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
6411denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
6412the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
6413
6414 :try
6415 : try
6416 : asdf
6417 : catch /.*/
6418 : echoerr v:exception
6419 : endtry
6420 :catch /.*/
6421 : echo v:exception
6422 :endtry
6423
6424This code displays
6425
6426 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
6427
6428
6429CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
6430
6431Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
6432user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
6433an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
6434a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
6435catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
6436a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
6437normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
6438(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
6439to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
6440clause has been executed.)
6441Example: >
6442
6443 :try
6444 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
6445 : set ts=17
6446 :
6447 : " Do the hard work here.
6448 :
6449 :finally
6450 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
6451 : unlet s:saved_ts
6452 :endtry
6453
6454This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
6455changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
6456that function or script part.
6457
6458 *break-finally*
6459Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
6460a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
6461 Example: >
6462
6463 :let first = 1
6464 :while 1
6465 : try
6466 : if first
6467 : echo "first"
6468 : let first = 0
6469 : continue
6470 : else
6471 : throw "second"
6472 : endif
6473 : catch /.*/
6474 : echo v:exception
6475 : break
6476 : finally
6477 : echo "cleanup"
6478 : endtry
6479 : echo "still in while"
6480 :endwhile
6481 :echo "end"
6482
6483This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
6484
6485 :function! Foo()
6486 : try
6487 : return 4711
6488 : finally
6489 : echo "cleanup\n"
6490 : endtry
6491 : echo "Foo still active"
6492 :endfunction
6493 :
6494 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
6495
6496This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
6497extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
6498return value.)
6499
6500 *except-from-finally*
6501Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
6502a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
6503cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
6504exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
6505 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
6506working correctly: >
6507
6508 :try
6509 : try
6510 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
6511 : while 1
6512 : endwhile
6513 : finally
6514 : unlet novar
6515 : endtry
6516 :catch /novar/
6517 :endtry
6518 :echo "Script still running"
6519 :sleep 1
6520
6521If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
6522think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
6523|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
6524
6525
6526CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
6527
6528If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
6529watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
6530presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
6531exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
6532the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
6533the error exception is.
6534 Error exceptions have the following format: >
6535
6536 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
6537or >
6538 Vim:{errmsg}
6539
6540{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
6541the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
6542when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
6543a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
6544a space.
6545
6546Examples:
6547
6548The command >
6549 :unlet novar
6550normally produces the error message >
6551 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6552which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6553 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
6554
6555The command >
6556 :dwim
6557normally produces the error message >
6558 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6559which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6560 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6561
6562You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
6563 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
6564or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
6565 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
6566
6567Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
6568 :function nofunc
6569and >
6570 :delfunction nofunc
6571both produce the error message >
6572 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6573which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6574 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6575or >
6576 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6577respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
6578command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
6579 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
6580
6581Some commands like >
6582 :let x = novar
6583produce multiple error messages, here: >
6584 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6585 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6586Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
6587one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
6588 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
6589
6590You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
6591 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
6592
6593You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
6594 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
6595
6596You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
6597 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
6598<
6599 *catch-text*
6600NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
6601 :catch /No such variable/
6602only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
6603a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
6604cite the message text in a comment: >
6605 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
6606
6607
6608IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
6609
6610You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
6611
6612 :try
6613 : write
6614 :catch
6615 :endtry
6616
6617But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
6618catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
6619be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
6620
6621 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
6622
6623There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
6624writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
6625then hide the error from the user.
6626 It is much better to use >
6627
6628 :try
6629 : write
6630 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6631 :endtry
6632
6633which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
6634intentionally.
6635
6636For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
6637even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
6638command: >
6639 :silent! nunmap k
6640This works also when a try conditional is active.
6641
6642
6643CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
6644
6645When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
6646the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
6647script is not terminated, then.
6648 Example: >
6649
6650 :function! TASK1()
6651 : sleep 10
6652 :endfunction
6653
6654 :function! TASK2()
6655 : sleep 20
6656 :endfunction
6657
6658 :while 1
6659 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
6660 : try
6661 : if command == ""
6662 : continue
6663 : elseif command == "END"
6664 : break
6665 : elseif command == "TASK1"
6666 : call TASK1()
6667 : elseif command == "TASK2"
6668 : call TASK2()
6669 : else
6670 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
6671 : continue
6672 : endif
6673 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6674 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
6675 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
6676 : endtry
6677 :endwhile
6678
6679You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
6680a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
6681
6682For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
6683your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
6684command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
6685
6686
6687CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
6688
6689The commands >
6690
6691 :catch /.*/
6692 :catch //
6693 :catch
6694
6695catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
6696explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
6697a script in order to catch unexpected things.
6698 Example: >
6699
6700 :try
6701 :
6702 : " do the hard work here
6703 :
6704 :catch /MyException/
6705 :
6706 : " handle known problem
6707 :
6708 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6709 : echo "Script interrupted"
6710 :catch /.*/
6711 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
6712 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
6713 :endtry
6714 :" end of script
6715
6716Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
6717strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
6718specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
6719 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
6720by pressing CTRL-C: >
6721
6722 :while 1
6723 : try
6724 : sleep 1
6725 : catch
6726 : endtry
6727 :endwhile
6728
6729
6730EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
6731
6732Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
6733
6734 :autocmd User x try
6735 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
6736 :autocmd User x catch
6737 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
6738 :autocmd User x endtry
6739 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
6740 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
6741 :
6742 :try
6743 : doautocmd User x
6744 :catch
6745 : echo v:exception
6746 :endtry
6747
6748This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
6749
6750 *except-autocmd-Pre*
6751For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
6752command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
6753of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
6754abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
6755 Example: >
6756
6757 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
6758 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
6759 :
6760 :try
6761 : write
6762 :catch
6763 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
6764 :endtry
6765
6766Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
6767you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
6768autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
6769script displays: >
6770
6771 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
6772<
6773 *except-autocmd-Post*
6774For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
6775command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
6776an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
6777is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
6778 Example: >
6779
6780 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
6781 :
6782 :try
6783 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6784 :catch
6785 : echo v:exception
6786 :endtry
6787
6788This just displays: >
6789
6790 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
6791
6792If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
6793fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
6794 Example: >
6795
6796 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
6797 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
6798 :
6799 :try
6800 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6801 :catch
6802 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6803 :endtry
6804<
6805You can also use ":silent!": >
6806
6807 :let x = "ok"
6808 :let v:errmsg = ""
6809 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
6810 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
6811 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
6812 :try
6813 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6814 :catch
6815 :endtry
6816 :echo x
6817
6818This displays "after fail".
6819
6820If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
6821autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
6822
6823 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
6824 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
6825 :
6826 :try
6827 : write
6828 :catch
6829 : echo v:exception
6830 :endtry
6831<
6832 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
6833For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
6834autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
6835of the command.
6836 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
6837had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
6838some way. >
6839
6840 :if !exists("cnt")
6841 : let cnt = 0
6842 :
6843 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
6844 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
6845 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
6846 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6847 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6848 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
6849 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
6850 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6851 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6852 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
6853 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6854 :endif
6855 :
6856 :try
6857 : write
6858 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
6859 : if &modified
6860 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
6861 : else
6862 : echo "Error after writing"
6863 : endif
6864 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6865 : echo "Error on writing"
6866 :endtry
6867
6868When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
6869first >
6870 File successfully written!
6871then >
6872 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
6873then >
6874 Error after writing
6875etc.
6876
6877 *except-autocmd-ill*
6878You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
6879The following code is ill-formed: >
6880
6881 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
6882 :
6883 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
6884 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
6885 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
6886 :
6887 :write
6888
6889
6890EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
6891
6892Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
6893pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
6894similar things in Vim.
6895 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
6896class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
6897string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
6898 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
6899it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
6900for an error when writing "myfile".
6901 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
6902base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
6903parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
6904 Example: >
6905
6906 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
6907 : if a:a < 0
6908 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
6909 : endif
6910 :endfunction
6911 :
6912 :function! Add(a, b)
6913 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
6914 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
6915 : let c = a:a + a:b
6916 : if c < 0
6917 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
6918 : endif
6919 : return c
6920 :endfunction
6921 :
6922 :function! Div(a, b)
6923 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
6924 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
6925 : if (a:b == 0)
6926 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
6927 : endif
6928 : return a:a / a:b
6929 :endfunction
6930 :
6931 :function! Write(file)
6932 : try
6933 : execute "write" a:file
6934 : catch /^Vim(write):/
6935 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
6936 : endtry
6937 :endfunction
6938 :
6939 :try
6940 :
6941 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
6942 :
6943 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
6944 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6945 : echo "Range error in" function
6946 :
6947 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
6948 : echo "Math error"
6949 :
6950 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
6951 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
6952 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6953 : if file !~ '^/'
6954 : let file = dir . "/" . file
6955 : endif
6956 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
6957 :
6958 :catch /^EXCEPT/
6959 : echo "Unspecified error"
6960 :
6961 :endtry
6962
6963The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
6964a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
6965exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
6966 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
6967failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
6968
6969
6970PECULIARITIES
6971 *except-compat*
6972The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
6973exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
6974and/or a catch clause.
6975
6976In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
6977continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
6978after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
6979functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
6980or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
6981(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
6982
6983This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
6984immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
6985conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
6986be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
6987termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
6988catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
6989by specifying a finally clause.)
6990
6991When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
6992behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
6993scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
6994
6995However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
6996commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
6997conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
6998script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
6999error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
7000messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
7001|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
7002not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
7003where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
7004error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
7005scripts.
7006
7007 *except-syntax-err*
7008Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
7009the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
7010clauses, however, is executed.
7011 Example: >
7012
7013 :try
7014 : try
7015 : throw 4711
7016 : catch /\(/
7017 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7018 : catch
7019 : echo "inner catch-all"
7020 : finally
7021 : echo "inner finally"
7022 : endtry
7023 :catch
7024 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7025 : finally
7026 : echo "outer finally"
7027 :endtry
7028
7029This displays: >
7030 inner finally
7031 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7032 outer finally
7033The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7034
7035 *except-single-line*
7036The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7037a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7038"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7039 Example: >
7040 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7041raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7042argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7043error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7044displayed.
7045
7046 *except-several-errors*
7047When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7048usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7049 Example: >
7050 echo novar
7051causes >
7052 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7053 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7054The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7055 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7056< *except-syntax-error*
7057But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7058the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7059 Example: >
7060 unlet novar #
7061causes >
7062 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7063 E488: Trailing characters
7064The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7065 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7066This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7067not intended by the user. Example: >
7068 try
7069 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7070 catch /.*/
7071 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7072 endtry
7073This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7074a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7075
7076==============================================================================
70779. Examples *eval-examples*
7078
7079Printing in Hex ~
7080>
7081 :" The function Nr2Hex() returns the Hex string of a number.
7082 :func Nr2Hex(nr)
7083 : let n = a:nr
7084 : let r = ""
7085 : while n
7086 : let r = '0123456789ABCDEF'[n % 16] . r
7087 : let n = n / 16
7088 : endwhile
7089 : return r
7090 :endfunc
7091
7092 :" The function String2Hex() converts each character in a string to a two
7093 :" character Hex string.
7094 :func String2Hex(str)
7095 : let out = ''
7096 : let ix = 0
7097 : while ix < strlen(a:str)
7098 : let out = out . Nr2Hex(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7099 : let ix = ix + 1
7100 : endwhile
7101 : return out
7102 :endfunc
7103
7104Example of its use: >
7105 :echo Nr2Hex(32)
7106result: "20" >
7107 :echo String2Hex("32")
7108result: "3332"
7109
7110
7111Sorting lines (by Robert Webb) ~
7112
7113Here is a Vim script to sort lines. Highlight the lines in Vim and type
7114":Sort". This doesn't call any external programs so it'll work on any
7115platform. The function Sort() actually takes the name of a comparison
7116function as its argument, like qsort() does in C. So you could supply it
7117with different comparison functions in order to sort according to date etc.
7118>
7119 :" Function for use with Sort(), to compare two strings.
7120 :func! Strcmp(str1, str2)
7121 : if (a:str1 < a:str2)
7122 : return -1
7123 : elseif (a:str1 > a:str2)
7124 : return 1
7125 : else
7126 : return 0
7127 : endif
7128 :endfunction
7129
7130 :" Sort lines. SortR() is called recursively.
7131 :func! SortR(start, end, cmp)
7132 : if (a:start >= a:end)
7133 : return
7134 : endif
7135 : let partition = a:start - 1
7136 : let middle = partition
7137 : let partStr = getline((a:start + a:end) / 2)
7138 : let i = a:start
7139 : while (i <= a:end)
7140 : let str = getline(i)
7141 : exec "let result = " . a:cmp . "(str, partStr)"
7142 : if (result <= 0)
7143 : " Need to put it before the partition. Swap lines i and partition.
7144 : let partition = partition + 1
7145 : if (result == 0)
7146 : let middle = partition
7147 : endif
7148 : if (i != partition)
7149 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7150 : call setline(i, str2)
7151 : call setline(partition, str)
7152 : endif
7153 : endif
7154 : let i = i + 1
7155 : endwhile
7156
7157 : " Now we have a pointer to the "middle" element, as far as partitioning
7158 : " goes, which could be anywhere before the partition. Make sure it is at
7159 : " the end of the partition.
7160 : if (middle != partition)
7161 : let str = getline(middle)
7162 : let str2 = getline(partition)
7163 : call setline(middle, str2)
7164 : call setline(partition, str)
7165 : endif
7166 : call SortR(a:start, partition - 1, a:cmp)
7167 : call SortR(partition + 1, a:end, a:cmp)
7168 :endfunc
7169
7170 :" To Sort a range of lines, pass the range to Sort() along with the name of a
7171 :" function that will compare two lines.
7172 :func! Sort(cmp) range
7173 : call SortR(a:firstline, a:lastline, a:cmp)
7174 :endfunc
7175
7176 :" :Sort takes a range of lines and sorts them.
7177 :command! -nargs=0 -range Sort <line1>,<line2>call Sort("Strcmp")
7178<
7179 *sscanf*
7180There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7181line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7182how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7183"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7184 :" Set up the match bit
7185 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7186 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7187 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7188 :"get each item out of the match
7189 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
7190 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
7191 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
7192
7193The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
7194"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
7195
7196==============================================================================
719710. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
7198
7199When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
7200evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
7201to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
7202recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
7203and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
7204only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
7205recognized.
7206
7207Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
7208missing: >
7209
7210 :if 1
7211 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
7212 :else
7213 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
7214 :endif
7215
7216==============================================================================
721711. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
7218
7219The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
7220options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
7221these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
7222these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00007223a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007224The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007225
7226These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
7227 - changing the buffer text
7228 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
7229 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
7230 - executing a shell command
7231 - reading or writing a file
7232 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00007233 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007234This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
7235
7236 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00007237:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007238 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
7239 'foldexpr'.
7240
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007241 *sandbox-option*
7242A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00007243have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007244restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
7245location. Insecure in this context are:
7246- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directlry
7247- while executing in the sandbox
7248- value coming from a modeline
7249
7250Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
7251option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
7252
7253==============================================================================
725412. Textlock *textlock*
7255
7256In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
7257to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
7258is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
7259actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
7260happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
7261
7262This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
7263 - changing the buffer text
7264 - jumping to another buffer or window
7265 - editing another file
7266 - closing a window or quitting Vim
7267 - etc.
7268
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007269
7270 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: