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Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2008 Aug 09
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000040There are six types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number. |expr-number| *Number*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000043 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000045Float A floating point number. |floating-point-format| *Float*
46 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
47 Examples: 123.456 1.15e-6 -1.1e3
48
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000049String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000050 |expr-string| Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000051
52Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
53 Example: function("strlen")
54
55List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
56 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000057
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000058Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
59 value. |Dictionary|
60 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
61
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000062The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
63are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000064
65Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
66the Number. Examples: >
67 Number 123 --> String "123"
68 Number 0 --> String "0"
69 Number -1 --> String "-1"
70
71Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
72to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
73the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
74 String "456" --> Number 456
75 String "6bar" --> Number 6
76 String "foo" --> Number 0
77 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
78 String "0100" --> Number 64
79 String "-8" --> Number -8
80 String "+8" --> Number 0
81
82To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
83 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000084< 64 ~
85
86To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
87base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000088
89For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
90
91Note that in the command >
92 :if "foo"
93"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
94use strlen(): >
95 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000096< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
97List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000099 *E805* *E806* *E808*
100When mixing Number and Float the Number is converted to Float. Otherwise
101there is no automatic conversion of Float. You can use str2float() for String
102to Float, printf() for Float to String and float2nr() for Float to Number.
103
104 *E706* *sticky-type-checking*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000105You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
106to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000107equivalent though, as well are Float and Number. Consider this sequence of
108commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000110 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000111 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error! l is still a Number
112 :let l = 4.4 " changes type from Number to Float
113 :let l = "string" " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000114
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001161.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000117 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000118A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000119in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
120around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000121
122 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
123 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000124< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000125A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
126cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000127
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000128A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
129Dictionary entry. Example: >
130 :function dict.init() dict
131 : let self.val = 0
132 :endfunction
133
134The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
135function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
136
137A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
138 :call Fn()
139 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000140
141The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000142 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
145arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000146 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000147
148
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001491.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000150 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000151A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000152can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000153position in the sequence.
154
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000155
156List creation ~
157 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000158A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000159Examples: >
160 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
161 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000162
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000163An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000164List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000165 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166
167An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
168
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000169
170List index ~
171 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000172An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000173after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
174 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000175 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000176
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000177When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000178 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000179<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000180A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
181the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000182 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
183
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000184To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000185is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000186 :echo get(mylist, idx)
187 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
188
189
190List concatenation ~
191
192Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
193 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000194 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000195
196To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
197it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
198
199
200Sublist ~
201
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000202A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
203separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000204 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000205
206Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000207similar to -1. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000208 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
209 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
210 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000211
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000212If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
213before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
214message.
215
216If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
217length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000218 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
219 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
220
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000221NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000222using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000223mylist[s : e].
224
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000225
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000226List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000227 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
229variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
230change "bb": >
231 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
232 :let bb = aa
233 :call add(aa, 4)
234 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
237Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
238works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000239a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000240 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
241 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000242 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000243 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
244 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000245< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000246 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000247< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000248
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000249To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000250copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000251
252The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000253List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000254the same value. >
255 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
256 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
257 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000258< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000259 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000260< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000261
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
263same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000264exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
265different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
266variables. Example: >
267 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000268< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000269 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000270< 0
271
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000272Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000273can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000274
275 :let a = 5
276 :let b = "5"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000277 :echo a == b
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000278< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000279 :echo [a] == [b]
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000280< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000281
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000282
283List unpack ~
284
285To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
286square brackets, like list items: >
287 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
288
289When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
290this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
291and a variable name: >
292 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
293
294This works like: >
295 :let var1 = mylist[0]
296 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000297 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000298
299Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
300empty list then.
301
302
303List modification ~
304 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000305To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306 :let list[4] = "four"
307 :let listlist[0][3] = item
308
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000309To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000310modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000311 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
312
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000313Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
314examples: >
315 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
316 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
317 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000318 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000319 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
320 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000321 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000322 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000323 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000324 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000326Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000327 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
328 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
329
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000330
331For loop ~
332
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000333The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
334to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000335 :for item in mylist
336 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000337 :endfor
338
339This works like: >
340 :let index = 0
341 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000342 : let item = mylist[index]
343 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000344 : let index = index + 1
345 :endwhile
346
347Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000348results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000349the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000350
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000351If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000352function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000353
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000354Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
356 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
357 : call Doit(lnum, col)
358 :endfor
359
360This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
361must remain the same to avoid an error.
362
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000363It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
365 : call Doit(i, j)
366 : if !empty(rest)
367 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
368 : endif
369 :endfor
370
371
372List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000373 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000375 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000377 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
378 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
379 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000380 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
381 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000382 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
383 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000384 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
385 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000386 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
387 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000388
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000389Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
390example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
391 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
392
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000393
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003941.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000397entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
398ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000399
400
401Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000402 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
405only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000406 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
407 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
410String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000411entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000412Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000413
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000414A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000415nested Dictionary: >
416 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
417
418An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
419
420
421Accessing entries ~
422
423The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
424 :let val = mydict["one"]
425 :let mydict["four"] = 4
426
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000427You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000428
429For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
430form can be used |expr-entry|: >
431 :let val = mydict.one
432 :let mydict.four = 4
433
434Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
435key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000436 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000437
438
439Dictionary to List conversion ~
440
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000441You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000442turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
443
444Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
445 :for key in keys(mydict)
446 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
447 :endfor
448
449The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
450 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
451
452To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
453 :for v in values(mydict)
454 : echo "value: " . v
455 :endfor
456
457If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000458a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000459 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
460 : echo key . ': ' . value
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000461 :endfor
462
463
464Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000465 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000466Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
467Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
468Dictionary: >
469 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
470 :let adict = onedict
471 :let adict['a'] = 11
472 :echo onedict['a']
473 11
474
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000475Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
476more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000477
478
479Dictionary modification ~
480 *dict-modification*
481To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
482use |:let| this way: >
483 :let dict[4] = "four"
484 :let dict['one'] = item
485
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000486Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
487Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
488 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
489 :unlet dict.aaa
490 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000491
492Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :call extend(adict, bdict)
494This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
495in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000496Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
497expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
498adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000499
500Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000501 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000502This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000503
504
505Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000507When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000508special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
513 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000514
515This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
516Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
517the function was invoked from.
518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
520Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
521
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000522 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
524assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000525 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
526 :function mydict.len() dict
527 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000528 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000529 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000531The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000532that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000533|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
534remaining that refers to it.
535
536It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000537
538
539Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000540 *E715*
541Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000542 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
543 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
544 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
545 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
546 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
547 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
548 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
549 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000550
551
5521.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000553 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000554If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
555function.
556
557When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
558start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
559stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
560
561When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
562start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
563stored in the session file |session-file|.
564
565variable name can be stored where ~
566my_var_6 not
567My_Var_6 session file
568MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
569
570
571It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
572|curly-braces-names|.
573
574==============================================================================
5752. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
576
577Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
578
579|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
580
581|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
582
583|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
584
585|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
586 expr5 != expr5 not equal
587 expr5 > expr5 greater than
588 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
589 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
590 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
591 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
592 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
593
594 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
595 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
596 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
597 matching case
598
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000599 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
600 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000601
602|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000603 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
604 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
605
606|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
607 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
608 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
609
610|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
611 - expr7 unary minus
612 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000613
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000614
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000615|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
616 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
617 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
618 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000619
620|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000621 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000622 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000623 [expr1, ...] |List|
624 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000625 &option option value
626 (expr1) nested expression
627 variable internal variable
628 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
629 $VAR environment variable
630 @r contents of register 'r'
631 function(expr1, ...) function call
632 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
633
634
635".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
636Example: >
637 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
638
639All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
640
641
642expr1 *expr1* *E109*
643-----
644
645expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
646
647The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
648non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
649otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
650Example: >
651 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
652
653Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
654other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
655Example: >
656 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
657
658To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
659 :echo lnum == 1
660 :\ ? "top"
661 :\ : lnum == 1000
662 :\ ? "last"
663 :\ : lnum
664
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000665You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
666use in a variable such as "a:1".
667
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000668
669expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
670---------------
671
672 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
673The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
674are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
675
676 input output ~
677n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
678zero zero zero zero
679zero non-zero non-zero zero
680non-zero zero non-zero zero
681non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
682
683The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
684
685 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
686
687Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
688
689 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
690
691Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
692arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
693
694 let a = 1
695 echo a || b
696
697This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
698so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
699
700 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
701
702This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
703only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
704
705
706expr4 *expr4*
707-----
708
709expr5 {cmp} expr5
710
711Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
712if it evaluates to true.
713
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000714 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000715 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
716 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
717 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
718 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
719 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000720 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000721 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
722equal == ==# ==?
723not equal != !=# !=?
724greater than > ># >?
725greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
726smaller than < <# <?
727smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
728regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
729regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000730same instance is
731different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000732
733Examples:
734"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
735"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
736"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
737
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000738 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000739A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
740"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
741Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000742
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000743 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000744A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
745equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000746recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
747
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000748 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000749A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
750equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000751
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000752When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000753referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000754the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
755using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000756different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000757is false.
758
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000759When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000760and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000761because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
762
763When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
764results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
765necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
766
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000767When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000768'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000769
770When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000771'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
772
773'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000774
775The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
776argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
777This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
778matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
779portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
780single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
781Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
782(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
783can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
784 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
785 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
786
787
788expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
789---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000790expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000791expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
792expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000793
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000794For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000795result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000796
797expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
798expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
799expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000800
801For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
802
803Note the difference between "+" and ".":
804 "123" + "456" = 579
805 "123" . "456" = "123456"
806
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000807Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
808 1 . 90 + 90.0
809As: >
810 (1 . 90) + 90.0
811That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
812190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
813 1 . 90 * 90.0
814Should be read as: >
815 1 . (90 * 90.0)
816Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
817attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
818
819When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
820 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
821 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
822 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
823 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
824
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000825When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
826
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000827None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000828
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000829. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
830
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000831
832expr7 *expr7*
833-----
834! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
835- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
836+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
837
838For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
839For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
840For '+' the number is unchanged.
841
842A String will be converted to a Number first.
843
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000844These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000845 !-1 == 0
846 !!8 == 1
847 --9 == 9
848
849
850expr8 *expr8*
851-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000852expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000853
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000854If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
855expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000856Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000857
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000858Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
859text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
860cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000861 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000862
863If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000864String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
865compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
866
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000867If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000868for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000869error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000870 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
871
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000872Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
873|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
874error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000875
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000876
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000877expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000878
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000879If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
880from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000881expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
882encodings.
883
884If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
885string minus one is used.
886
887A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
888the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
889
890If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
891expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
892
893Examples: >
894 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
895 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
896 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
897 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
898
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000899If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000900the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000901just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000902 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
903 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
904 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
905
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000906Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
907error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000908
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000909
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000910expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000911
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000912If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
913name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
914expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000915
916The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
917but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
918
919There must not be white space before or after the dot.
920
921Examples: >
922 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
923 :echo dict.one
924 :echo dict .2
925
926Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
927always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
928
929
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000930expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000931
932When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
933
934
935
936 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000937number
938------
939number number constant *expr-number*
940
941Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
942
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000943 *floating-point-format*
944Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
945
946 [-+]{N}.{M}
947 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
948
949{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
950contain digits.
951[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
952{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
953Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
954locale is.
955{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
956
957Examples:
958 123.456
959 +0.0001
960 55.0
961 -0.123
962 1.234e03
963 1.0E-6
964 -3.1416e+88
965
966These are INVALID:
967 3. empty {M}
968 1e40 missing .{M}
969
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000970 *float-pi* *float-e*
971A few useful values to copy&paste: >
972 :let pi = 3.14159265359
973 :let e = 2.71828182846
974
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000975Rationale:
976Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
977the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
978resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000979could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000980incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
981for floating point numbers.
982
983 *floating-point-precision*
984The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
985means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
986runtime.
987
988The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
989printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
990function. Example: >
991 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
992< 7.853981633974483e-01
993
994
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000995
996string *expr-string* *E114*
997------
998"string" string constant *expr-quote*
999
1000Note that double quotes are used.
1001
1002A string constant accepts these special characters:
1003\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1004\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1005\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1006\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1007\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1008\X.. same as \x..
1009\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001010\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001011 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1012\U.... same as \u....
1013\b backspace <BS>
1014\e escape <Esc>
1015\f formfeed <FF>
1016\n newline <NL>
1017\r return <CR>
1018\t tab <Tab>
1019\\ backslash
1020\" double quote
1021\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
1022
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001023Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1024encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1025of 'encoding'.
1026
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001027Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1028
1029
1030literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1031---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001032'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001033
1034Note that single quotes are used.
1035
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001036This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001037meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001038
1039Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001040to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001041 if a =~ "\\s*"
1042 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001043
1044
1045option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1046------
1047&option option value, local value if possible
1048&g:option global option value
1049&l:option local option value
1050
1051Examples: >
1052 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1053 if &insertmode
1054
1055Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1056and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1057anyway.
1058
1059
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001060register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001061--------
1062@r contents of register 'r'
1063
1064The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1065Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001066register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001067registers.
1068
1069When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1070evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001071
1072
1073nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1074-------
1075(expr1) nested expression
1076
1077
1078environment variable *expr-env*
1079--------------------
1080$VAR environment variable
1081
1082The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1083result is an empty string.
1084 *expr-env-expand*
1085Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1086expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1087are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1088the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1089fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1090does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1091 :echo $version
1092 :echo expand("$version")
1093The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1094variable (if your shell supports it).
1095
1096
1097internal variable *expr-variable*
1098-----------------
1099variable internal variable
1100See below |internal-variables|.
1101
1102
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001103function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001104-------------
1105function(expr1, ...) function call
1106See below |functions|.
1107
1108
1109==============================================================================
11103. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1111 *E461*
1112An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1113cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1114|curly-braces-names|.
1115
1116An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001117An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1118|:unlet|.
1119Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1120been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001121
1122There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1123specified by what is prepended:
1124
1125 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1126|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1127|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001128|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001129|global-variable| g: Global.
1130|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1131|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1132|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001133|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001134
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001135The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1136delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001137 :for k in keys(s:)
1138 : unlet s:[k]
1139 :endfor
1140<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001141 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1142A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1143Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1144This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1145|:bdelete|.
1146
1147One local buffer variable is predefined:
1148 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1149b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1150 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1151 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1152 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1153 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001154 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1155 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001156 :endif
1157<
1158 *window-variable* *w:var*
1159A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1160is deleted when the window is closed.
1161
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001162 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1163A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1164It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1165without the +windows feature}
1166
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001167 *global-variable* *g:var*
1168Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001169access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001170place if you like.
1171
1172 *local-variable* *l:var*
1173Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001174But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1175you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1176refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1177same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001178
1179 *script-variable* *s:var*
1180In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1181accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1182
1183They can be used in:
1184- commands executed while the script is sourced
1185- functions defined in the script
1186- autocommands defined in the script
1187- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1188 defined in the script (recursively)
1189- user defined commands defined in the script
1190Thus not in:
1191- other scripts sourced from this one
1192- mappings
1193- etc.
1194
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001195Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1196Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001197
1198 let s:counter = 0
1199 function MyCounter()
1200 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1201 echo s:counter
1202 endfunction
1203 command Tick call MyCounter()
1204
1205You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1206that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1207"Tick" was defined is used.
1208
1209Another example that does the same: >
1210
1211 let s:counter = 0
1212 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1213
1214When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001215script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001216defined.
1217
1218The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1219function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1220
1221 let s:counter = 0
1222 function StartCounting(incr)
1223 if a:incr
1224 function MyCounter()
1225 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1226 endfunction
1227 else
1228 function MyCounter()
1229 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1230 endfunction
1231 endif
1232 endfunction
1233
1234This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1235when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1236called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1237
1238When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1239They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1240maintain a counter: >
1241
1242 if !exists("s:counter")
1243 let s:counter = 1
1244 echo "script executed for the first time"
1245 else
1246 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1247 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1248 endif
1249
1250Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1251variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1252
1253
1254Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1255
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001256 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1257v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1258 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1259 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1260
1261 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1262v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1263 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1264
1265 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1266v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1267 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1268
1269 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001270v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1271 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1272 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1273 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001274 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1275 highlighted text is used.
1276 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1277
1278 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1279v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1280 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1281
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001282 *v:char* *char-variable*
1283v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr'.
1284
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001285 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1286v:charconvert_from
1287 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1288 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1289
1290 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1291v:charconvert_to
1292 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1293 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1294
1295 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1296v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1297 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1298 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1299 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1300 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1301 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001302 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001303 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1304 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1305 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1306 in 'printexpr'.
1307
1308 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1309v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1310 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1311 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1312 can be used.
1313
1314 *v:count* *count-variable*
1315v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001316 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001317 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1318< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1319 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001320 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001321 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1322
1323 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1324v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1325 used.
1326
1327 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1328v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1329 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1330 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1331 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1332 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1333 command.
1334 See |multi-lang|.
1335
1336 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001337v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001338 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1339 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1340 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1341 Example: >
1342 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1343<
1344 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1345v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1346 Example: >
1347 :let v:errmsg = ""
1348 :silent! next
1349 :if v:errmsg != ""
1350 : ... handle error
1351< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1352
1353 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1354v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1355 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1356 Example: >
1357 :try
1358 : throw "oops"
1359 :catch /.*/
1360 : echo "caught" v:exception
1361 :endtry
1362< Output: "caught oops".
1363
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001364 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1365v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1366 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1367 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1368 deleted file no longer exists
1369 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1370 changed and buffer is modified
1371 changed file contents has changed
1372 mode mode of file changed
1373 time only file timestamp changed
1374
1375 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1376v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1377 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1378 do with the affected buffer:
1379 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1380 the file was deleted).
1381 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1382 was no autocommand. Except that when
1383 only the timestamp changed nothing
1384 will happen.
1385 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1386 everything that needs to be done.
1387 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1388 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1389
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001390 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001391v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001392 option used for ~
1393 'charconvert' file to be converted
1394 'diffexpr' original file
1395 'patchexpr' original file
1396 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001397 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001398
1399 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1400v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1401 evaluating:
1402 option used for ~
1403 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1404 'diffexpr' output of diff
1405 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1406 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001407 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001408 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1409 file and different from v:fname_in.
1410
1411 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1412v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1413 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1414
1415 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1416v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1417 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1418
1419 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1420v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1421 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001422 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001423
1424 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1425v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001426 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001427
1428 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1429v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001430 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001431
1432 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1433v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001434 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001435
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001436 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1437v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1438 events. Values:
1439 i Insert mode
1440 r Replace mode
1441 v Virtual Replace mode
1442
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001443 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001444v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001445 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1446 Read-only.
1447
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001448 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1449v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1450 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1451 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1452 The value is system dependent.
1453 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1454 command.
1455 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1456 in a different language than what is used for character
1457 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1458
1459 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1460v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1461 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1462 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1463 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1464 command. See |multi-lang|.
1465
1466 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001467v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar57657d82006-04-21 22:12:41 +00001468 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel' and
1469 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1470 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001471
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001472 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1473v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1474 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1475 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1476
1477 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1478v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1479 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1480 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1481
1482 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1483v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1484 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1485 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1486
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001487 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1488v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1489 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1490 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1491 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1492 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1493 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1494< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1495 don't expect it to be empty.
1496 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1497 commands.
1498 Read-only.
1499
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001500 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1501v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1502 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001503 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1504 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001505 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1506< Read-only.
1507
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001508 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001509v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001510 See |profiling|.
1511
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001512 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1513v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1514 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1515 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1516 Read-only.
1517
1518 *v:register* *register-variable*
1519v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1520 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1521
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001522 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1523v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1524 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1525 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1526 typed command.
1527 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1528 hit-enter prompt.
1529
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001530 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1531v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1532 Read-only.
1533
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001534
1535v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1536 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1537 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1538 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1539 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1540 function. |function-search-undo|.
1541 Read-write.
1542
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001543 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1544v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1545 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1546 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1547 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1548 executed. Read-only.
1549 Example: >
1550 :!mv foo bar
1551 :if v:shell_error
1552 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1553 :endif
1554< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1555
1556 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1557v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1558
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001559 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1560v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1561 the swap file found. Read-only.
1562
1563 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1564v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1565 for handling an existing swap file:
1566 'o' Open read-only
1567 'e' Edit anyway
1568 'r' Recover
1569 'd' Delete swapfile
1570 'q' Quit
1571 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001572 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001573 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1574 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1575
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001576 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001577v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001578 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001579 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001580 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001581 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001582
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001583 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1584v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001585 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001586 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1587 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1588 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1589 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1590 terminal.
1591 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1592 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1593 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1594 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1595 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1596
1597 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1598v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1599 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1600 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1601 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1602
1603 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1604v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001605 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001606 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1607 Example: >
1608 :try
1609 : throw "oops"
1610 :catch /.*/
1611 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1612 :endtry
1613< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1614
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001615 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001616v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001617 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001618 |filter()|. Read-only.
1619
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001620 *v:version* *version-variable*
1621v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1622 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1623 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1624 compatibility.
1625 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1626 if has("patch123")
1627< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1628 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1629 completely different.
1630
1631 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1632v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1633
1634==============================================================================
16354. Builtin Functions *functions*
1636
1637See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1638
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001639(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001640
1641USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1642
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001643abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001644add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001645append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001646append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001647argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001648argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001649argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001650argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001651atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001652browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1653 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001654browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001655bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001656buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1657bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001658bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1659bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1660bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1661byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001662byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001663call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1664 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001665ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1666changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001667char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001668cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001669clearmatches() None clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001670col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001671complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001672complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001673complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001674confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1675 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001676copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001677cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001678count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1679 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001680cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1681 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001682cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1683 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1684cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001685deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001686delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1687did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001688diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1689diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001690empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001691escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001692eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001693eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001694executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1695exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001696extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
1697 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001698expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001699feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001700filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001701filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001702filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1703 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001704finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001705 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001706findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001707 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001708float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1709floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001710fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001711fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001712foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1713foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001714foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001715foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001716foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001717foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001718function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00001719garbagecollect( [at_exit]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001720get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001721get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001722getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1723 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001724getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001725getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1726getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001727getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1728getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001729getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001730getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001731getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1732getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001733getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001734getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001735getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001736getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1737getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001738getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001739getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001740getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001741getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001742getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001743getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001744getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001745gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1746 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001747getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1748getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001749getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001750glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1751globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1752has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001753has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001754haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001755hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1756 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001757histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1758histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1759histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1760histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1761hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1762hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1763hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001764iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1765indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001766index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1767 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001768input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1769 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001770inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001771inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001772inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1773inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001774inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001775insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001776isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001777islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001778items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001779join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001780keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001781len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1782libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001783libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1784line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1785line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001786lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001787localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001788log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001789map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001790maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1791 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1792mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1793 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001794match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001795 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001796matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1797 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001798matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001799matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001800matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001801 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001802matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1803 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001804matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1805 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001806max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00001807min({list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001808mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1809 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001810mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001811nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1812nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001813pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001814pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001815prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001816printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1817pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001818range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1819 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001820readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1821 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001822reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1823reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001824remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1825 String send expression
1826remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1827remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1828 Number check for reply string
1829remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1830remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1831 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001832remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001833remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001834rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1835repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1836resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001837reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001838round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001839search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1840 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001841searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001842 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001843searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001844 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001845searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001846 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001847searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001848 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001849server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1850 Number send reply string
1851serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1852setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1853setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1854setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001855setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1856 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001857setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001858setpos( {expr}, {list}) none set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001859setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001860setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001861settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1862 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001863setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001864shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1865 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001866 command argument
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001867simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001868sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001869sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001870soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001871spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001872spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1873 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001874split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001875 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001876sqrt( {expr} Float squar root of {expr}
1877str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1878str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001879strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001880stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1881 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001882string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001883strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1884strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1885 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001886strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1887 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001888strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001889submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001890substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1891 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001892synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001893synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1894 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1895synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001896synstack({lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001897system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001898tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1899tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1900tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1901 Number number of current window in tab page
1902taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001903tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001904tempname() String name for a temporary file
1905tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1906toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001907tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1908 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001909trunc( {expr} Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001910type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001911values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001912virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1913visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1914winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1915wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1916winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1917winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001918winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001919winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001920winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1921winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001922winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001923writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1924 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001925
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001926abs({expr}) *abs()*
1927 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
1928 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
1929 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
1930 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
1931 Examples: >
1932 echo abs(1.456)
1933< 1.456 >
1934 echo abs(-5.456)
1935< 5.456 >
1936 echo abs(-4)
1937< 4
1938 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1939
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001940add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001941 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1942 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001943 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1944 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001945< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001946 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001947 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001948
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001949
1950append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001951 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1952 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001953 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1954 the current buffer.
1955 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001956 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001957 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001958 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001959 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001960<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001961 *argc()*
1962argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1963 current window. See |arglist|.
1964
1965 *argidx()*
1966argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1967 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1968
1969 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001970argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001971 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1972 Example: >
1973 :let i = 0
1974 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001975 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001976 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1977 : let i = i + 1
1978 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001979< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
1980 returned.
1981
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001982atan({expr}) *atan()*
1983 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
1984 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
1985 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
1986 Examples: >
1987 :echo atan(100)
1988< 1.560797 >
1989 :echo atan(-4.01)
1990< -1.326405
1991 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1992
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001993 *browse()*
1994browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1995 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1996 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1997 The input fields are:
1998 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1999 {title} title for the requester
2000 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2001 {default} default file name
2002 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2003 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2004
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002005 *browsedir()*
2006browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2007 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2008 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2009 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2010 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2011 to be used.
2012 The input fields are:
2013 {title} title for the requester
2014 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2015 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2016 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2017
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002018bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2019 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2020 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002021 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002022 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002023 exactly. The name can be:
2024 - Relative to the current directory.
2025 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002026 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002027 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002028 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2029 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2030 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2031 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002032 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2033 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2034 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002035 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2036 file name.
2037 *buffer_exists()*
2038 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2039
2040buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2041 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2042 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002043 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002044
2045bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2046 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2047 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002048 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002049
2050bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2051 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2052 ":ls" command.
2053 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2054 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2055 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002056 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002057 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2058 match an empty string is returned.
2059 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2060 alternate buffer.
2061 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002062 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2063 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2064 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002065 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2066 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2067 buffers are searched for.
2068 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2069 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2070 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2071< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2072 string is returned. >
2073 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2074 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2075 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2076 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2077< *buffer_name()*
2078 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2079
2080 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002081bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2082 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002083 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002084 above.
2085 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2086 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2087 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002088 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2089 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2090< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2091 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2092 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2093 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2094 *buffer_number()*
2095 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2096 *last_buffer_nr()*
2097 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2098
2099bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2100 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2101 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002102 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002103 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2104
2105 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2106
2107< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2108 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002109 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002110
2111
2112byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2113 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2114 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2115 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2116 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2117 one.
2118 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2119 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2120 feature}
2121
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002122byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2123 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2124 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2125 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2126 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2127 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2128 Example : >
2129 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2130< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2131 same: >
2132 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2133 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2134< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2135 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2136 is returned.
2137
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002138call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002139 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002140 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002141 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002142 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2143 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002144 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2145 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002146
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002147ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2148 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2149 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2150 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2151 Examples: >
2152 echo ceil(1.456)
2153< 2.0 >
2154 echo ceil(-5.456)
2155< -5.0 >
2156 echo ceil(4.0)
2157< 4.0
2158 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2159
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002160changenr() *changenr()*
2161 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2162 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2163 with the |:undo| command.
2164 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2165 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2166 one less than the number of the undone change.
2167
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002168char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
2169 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2170 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2171 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
2172< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002173 char2nr("á") returns 225
2174 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002175< |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002176
2177cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2178 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2179 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2180 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2181 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2182 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2183 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002184 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002185
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002186clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2187 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2188 |:match| commands.
2189
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002190 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002191col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002192 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2193 . the cursor position
2194 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
2195 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
2196 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2197 returned)
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002198 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2199 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002200 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002201 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002202 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002203 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002204 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2205 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2206 Examples: >
2207 col(".") column of cursor
2208 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2209 col("'t") column of mark t
2210 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002211< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002212 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2213 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002214 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2215 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2216 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2217 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2218 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2219 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2220 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2221<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002222
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002223complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2224 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2225 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002226 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2227 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002228 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2229 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2230 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2231 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2232 match.
2233 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2234 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2235 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2236 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2237 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2238 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2239 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2240 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002241 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002242
2243 func! ListMonths()
2244 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2245 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2246 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2247 return ''
2248 endfunc
2249< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2250 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2251
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002252complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2253 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2254 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2255 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2256 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2257 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002258 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002259 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002260
2261complete_check() *complete_check()*
2262 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2263 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2264 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2265 zero otherwise.
2266 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2267 'completefunc' option.
2268
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002269 *confirm()*
2270confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2271 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2272 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2273 choice this is 1.
2274 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2275 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2276 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2277 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2278 used (and translated).
2279 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2280 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2281 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2282 by '\n', e.g. >
2283 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2284< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2285 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2286 not need to be the first letter: >
2287 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2288< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2289 the default shortcut key.
2290 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2291 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2292 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2293 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002294 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002295 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2296 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2297 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2298 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2299 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2300 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2301
2302 An example: >
2303 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2304 :if choice == 0
2305 : echo "make up your mind!"
2306 :elseif choice == 3
2307 : echo "tasteful"
2308 :else
2309 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2310 :endif
2311< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2312 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002313 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002314 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2315 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2316 the horizontal layout is always used.
2317
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002318 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002319copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002320 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002321 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2322 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002323 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2324 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002325 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002326
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002327cos({expr}) *cos()*
2328 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2329 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2330 Examples: >
2331 :echo cos(100)
2332< 0.862319 >
2333 :echo cos(-4.01)
2334< -0.646043
2335 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2336
2337
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002338count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002339 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002340 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002341 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002342 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002343 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2344
2345
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002346 *cscope_connection()*
2347cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2348 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2349 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2350 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2351 if there are no cscope connections;
2352 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2353
2354 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2355 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2356
2357 {num} Description of existence check
2358 ----- ------------------------------
2359 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2360 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2361 {dbpath}.
2362 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2363 {dbpath}.
2364 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2365 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2366 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2367 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2368
2369 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2370
2371 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2372
2373 # pid database name prepend path
2374 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2375<
2376 Invocation Return Val ~
2377 ---------- ---------- >
2378 cscope_connection() 1
2379 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2380 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2381 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2382 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2383 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2384 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2385 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2386<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002387cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2388cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002389 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2390 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002391 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002392 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2393 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002394 Does not change the jumplist.
2395 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2396 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2397 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002398 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002399 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2400 line.
2401 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002402 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2403 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002404 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002405
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002406
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002407deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002408 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002409 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002410 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2411 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002412 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002413 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002414 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2415 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2416 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2417 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2418 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2419 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002420 *E724*
2421 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002422 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2423 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002424 Also see |copy()|.
2425
2426delete({fname}) *delete()*
2427 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002428 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2429 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002430 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002431
2432 *did_filetype()*
2433did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2434 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2435 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2436 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2437 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2438 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2439 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2440 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2441 file.
2442
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002443diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2444 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2445 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2446 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2447 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2448 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2449 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2450 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2451
2452diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2453 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2454 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2455 diff change zero is returned.
2456 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2457 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2458 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2459 line.
2460 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2461 syntax information about the highlighting.
2462
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002463empty({expr}) *empty()*
2464 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002465 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002466 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002467 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2468 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002469
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002470escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2471 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2472 backslash. Example: >
2473 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2474< results in: >
2475 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002476< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002477
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002478 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002479eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2480 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002481 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2482 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2483 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002484
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002485eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2486 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2487 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2488 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2489 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2490
2491executable({expr}) *executable()*
2492 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2493 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002494 arguments.
2495 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2496 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2497 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2498 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002499 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2500 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002501 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002502 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002503 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2504 extension.
2505 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2506 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002507 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2508 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2509 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002510 The result is a Number:
2511 1 exists
2512 0 does not exist
2513 -1 not implemented on this system
2514
2515 *exists()*
2516exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2517 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2518 which contains one of these:
2519 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2520 not if it really works)
2521 +option-name Vim option that works.
2522 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2523 done by comparing with an empty
2524 string)
2525 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2526 or user defined function (see
2527 |user-functions|).
2528 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002529 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002530 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2531 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002532 that evaluating an index may cause an
2533 error message for an invalid
2534 expression. E.g.: >
2535 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2536 :echo exists("l[5]")
2537< 0 >
2538 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2539< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2540 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002541 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2542 command or command modifier |:command|.
2543 Returns:
2544 1 for match with start of a command
2545 2 full match with a command
2546 3 matches several user commands
2547 To check for a supported command
2548 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002549 :2match The |:2match| command.
2550 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002551 #event autocommand defined for this event
2552 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2553 pattern (the pattern is taken
2554 literally and compared to the
2555 autocommand patterns character by
2556 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002557 #group autocommand group exists
2558 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2559 event.
2560 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002561 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002562 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002563 ##event autocommand for this event is
2564 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002565 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2566
2567 Examples: >
2568 exists("&shortname")
2569 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2570 exists("*strftime")
2571 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2572 exists("bufcount")
2573 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002574 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002575 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002576 exists("#filetypeindent")
2577 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2578 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002579 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002580< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2581 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002582 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2583 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2584 the future, thus don't count on it!
2585 Working example: >
2586 exists(":make")
2587< NOT working example: >
2588 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002589
2590< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2591 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002592 exists(bufcount)
2593< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002594 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002595
2596expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2597 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2598 The result is a String.
2599
2600 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2601 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2602 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2603
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002604 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002605 for a non-existing file is not included.
2606
2607 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2608 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2609 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2610
2611 % current file name
2612 # alternate file name
2613 #n alternate file name n
2614 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2615 <afile> autocmd file name
2616 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2617 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2618 <sfile> sourced script file name
2619 <cword> word under the cursor
2620 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2621 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2622 message |server2client()|
2623 Modifiers:
2624 :p expand to full path
2625 :h head (last path component removed)
2626 :t tail (last path component only)
2627 :r root (one extension removed)
2628 :e extension only
2629
2630 Example: >
2631 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2632< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2633 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2634 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2635< Use this: >
2636 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2637< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2638 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2639 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2640 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2641 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2642<
2643 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2644 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2645 to modify normal file names.
2646
2647 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2648 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2649 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2650 '/' added.
2651
2652 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2653 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2654 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2655 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002656 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2657 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2658 files in the current directory and below: >
2659 :echo expand("**/README")
2660<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002661 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2662 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002663 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002664 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002665 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002666 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2667 "$FOOBAR".
2668
2669 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2670 getting the raw output of an external command.
2671
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002672extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002673 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2674 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002675
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002676 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002677 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2678 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2679 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2680 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002681 Examples: >
2682 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2683 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002684< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2685 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2686 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2687 (where N is the original length of the List).
2688 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002689 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002690 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002691<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002692 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002693 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2694 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2695 used to decide what to do:
2696 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2697 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002698 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002699 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2700
2701 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2702 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2703 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2704 Returns {expr1}.
2705
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002706
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002707feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2708 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002709 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002710 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002711 being executed these characters come after them.
2712 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2713 {string}.
2714 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2715 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002716 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002717 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2718 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2719 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002720 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2721 'n' Do not remap keys.
2722 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2723 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2724 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002725 Return value is always 0.
2726
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002727filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2728 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2729 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2730 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2731 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002732 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2733 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002734 *file_readable()*
2735 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2736
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002737
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002738filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2739 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2740 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002741 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002742 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2743
2744
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002745filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002746 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002747 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002748 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002749 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002750 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002751 Examples: >
2752 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2753< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2754 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2755< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2756 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002757< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002758
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002759 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2760 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2761 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2762
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002763 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2764 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002765 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002766
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002767< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002768 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2769 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002770
2771
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002772finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00002773 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2774 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2775 for the syntax of {path}.
2776 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2777 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2778 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002779 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2780 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002781 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002782 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002783 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002784 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2785
2786findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2787 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002788 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2789 Example: >
2790 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002791< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2792 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002793
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002794float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2795 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2796 decimal point.
2797 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2798 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2799 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2800 in -0x80000000.
2801 Examples: >
2802 echo float2nr(3.95)
2803< 3 >
2804 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2805< -23 >
2806 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2807< 2147483647 >
2808 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2809< -2147483647 >
2810 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2811< 0
2812 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2813
2814
2815floor({expr}) *floor()*
2816 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2817 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2818 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2819 Examples: >
2820 echo floor(1.856)
2821< 1.0 >
2822 echo floor(-5.456)
2823< -6.0 >
2824 echo floor(4.0)
2825< 4.0
2826 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2827
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002828fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002829 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002830 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
2831 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002832 For most systems the characters escaped are
2833 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
2834 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002835 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
2836 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002837 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002838 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002839 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
2840< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002841 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002842
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002843fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2844 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2845 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2846 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2847 Example: >
2848 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2849< results in: >
2850 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002851< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002852 |expand()| first then.
2853
2854foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2855 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2856 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2857 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2858
2859foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2860 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2861 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2862 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2863
2864foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2865 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002866 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002867 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2868 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2869 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2870 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2871 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2872 previous line is usually available.
2873
2874 *foldtext()*
2875foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2876 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2877 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2878 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2879 The returned string looks like this: >
2880 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002881< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002882 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2883 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2884 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2885 options is removed.
2886 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2887
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002888foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2889 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2890 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2891 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2892 returned.
2893 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2894 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2895 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2896 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2897
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002898 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002899foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002900 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2901 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2902 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2903 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2904 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2905 Win32 console version}
2906
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002907
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002908function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002909 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002910 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2911
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002912
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00002913garbagecollect([at_exit]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002914 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002915 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2916 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2917 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2918 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2919 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002920 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2921 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2922 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00002923 When the optional "at_exit" argument is one, garbage
2924 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
2925 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002926
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002927get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002928 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002929 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2930 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002931get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002932 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002933 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2934 {default} is omitted.
2935
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002936 *getbufline()*
2937getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002938 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2939 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2940 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002941
2942 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2943
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002944 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2945 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002946
2947 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002948 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002949
2950 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2951 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002952 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002953 returned.
2954
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002955 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002956 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002957
2958 Example: >
2959 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002960
2961getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2962 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2963 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2964 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002965 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
2966 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002967 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2968 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2969 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002970 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2971 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2972 returned, there is no error message.
2973 Examples: >
2974 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2975 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2976<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002977getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002978 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002979 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2980 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002981 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002982 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002983 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
2984
2985 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
2986 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
2987 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2988 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
2989 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00002990 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
2991 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
2992 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
2993 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002994
2995 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00002996 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
2997 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002998
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00002999 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3000 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3001 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3002 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3003 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003004 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003005 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3006 exe v:mouse_lnum
3007 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3008 endif
3009<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003010 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3011 user that a character has to be typed.
3012 There is no mapping for the character.
3013 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3014 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3015 sequence. Examples: >
3016 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3017 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3018< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3019 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3020 :function FindChar()
3021 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3022 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3023 : normal l
3024 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3025 : break
3026 : endif
3027 : endwhile
3028 :endfunction
3029
3030getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3031 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3032 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3033 These values are added together:
3034 2 shift
3035 4 control
3036 8 alt (meta)
3037 16 mouse double click
3038 32 mouse triple click
3039 64 mouse quadruple click
3040 128 Macintosh only: command
3041 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003042 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003043 with no modifier.
3044
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003045getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3046 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3047 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3048 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3049 Example: >
3050 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003051< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003052
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003053getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003054 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3055 byte count. The first column is 1.
3056 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3057 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003058 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3059
3060getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3061 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3062 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003063 : normal Ex command
3064 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3065 / forward search command
3066 ? backward search command
3067 @ |input()| command
3068 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003069 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3070 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
3071 otherwise.
3072 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003073
3074 *getcwd()*
3075getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3076 working directory.
3077
3078getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3079 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3080 given file {fname}.
3081 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3082 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003083 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3084 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003085
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003086getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3087 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3088 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3089 |hl-Normal|.
3090 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3091 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3092 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3093 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003094 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003095 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3096 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003097 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3098 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003099
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003100getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3101 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3102 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3103 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3104 empty string is returned.
3105 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3106 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3107 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3108 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
3109 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
3110 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
3111< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3112 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003113
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003114getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3115 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3116 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3117 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3118 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3119 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3120
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003121getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3122 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3123 file of the given file {fname}.
3124 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3125 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3126 results:
3127 Normal file "file"
3128 Directory "dir"
3129 Symbolic link "link"
3130 Block device "bdev"
3131 Character device "cdev"
3132 Socket "socket"
3133 FIFO "fifo"
3134 All other "other"
3135 Example: >
3136 getftype("/home")
3137< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3138 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3139 "file" are returned.
3140
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003141 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003142getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3143 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3144 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003145 getline(1)
3146< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3147 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3148 To get the line under the cursor: >
3149 getline(".")
3150< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3151 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3152
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003153 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3154 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003155 including line {end}.
3156 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3157 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003158 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003159 Example: >
3160 :let start = line('.')
3161 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3162 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3163
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003164< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3165
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003166getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3167 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3168 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3169 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003170 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
3171 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003172
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003173getmatches() *getmatches()*
3174 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3175 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3176 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3177 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3178 Example: >
3179 :echo getmatches()
3180< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3181 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3182 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3183 :let m = getmatches()
3184 :call clearmatches()
3185 :echo getmatches()
3186< [] >
3187 :call setmatches(m)
3188 :echo getmatches()
3189< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3190 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3191 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3192 :unlet m
3193<
3194
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003195getqflist() *getqflist()*
3196 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3197 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3198 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3199 bufname() to get the name
3200 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3201 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003202 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3203 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003204 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003205 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003206 text description of the error
3207 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3208 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3209
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003210 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003211 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3212 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003213
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003214 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3215 do something with them: >
3216 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3217 :for d in getqflist()
3218 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3219 :endfor
3220
3221
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003222getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003223 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003224 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003225 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3226< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003227 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003228 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3229 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3230 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003231 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3232
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003233
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003234getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3235 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3236 The value will be one of:
3237 "v" for |characterwise| text
3238 "V" for |linewise| text
3239 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3240 0 for an empty or unknown register
3241 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3242 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3243
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003244gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003245 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3246 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3247 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3248 option.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003249 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3250 use |getwinvar()|.
3251 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3252 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3253 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3254 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003255 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3256 variables is returned.
3257 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003258 Examples: >
3259 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3260 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003261<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003262 *getwinposx()*
3263getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3264 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3265 -1 if the information is not available.
3266
3267 *getwinposy()*
3268getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003269 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003270 information is not available.
3271
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003272getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
3273 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003274 Examples: >
3275 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3276 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3277<
3278 *glob()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003279glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
3280 use of special characters.
3281 The result is a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003282 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
3283 characters.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003284 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
3285 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003286 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
3287 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
3288
3289 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3290 any external command. Example: >
3291 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3292 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3293< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003294 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003295
3296 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3297 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3298
3299globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
3300 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3301 the results. Example: >
3302 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3303< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3304 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
3305 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
3306 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3307 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3308 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3309 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3310 error message.
3311 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
3312 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
3313
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003314 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3315 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3316 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3317 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003318< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3319 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3320
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003321 *has()*
3322has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3323 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3324 string. See |feature-list| below.
3325 Also see |exists()|.
3326
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003327
3328has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003329 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3330 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003331
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003332haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3333 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003334 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003335
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003336hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003337 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3338 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3339 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3340 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003341 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003342 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3343 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003344 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3345 buffer are checked for a match.
3346 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3347 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3348 n Normal mode
3349 v Visual mode
3350 o Operator-pending mode
3351 i Insert mode
3352 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3353 c Command-line mode
3354 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3355
3356 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003357 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003358 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3359 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3360 :endif
3361< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3362 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3363
3364histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3365 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3366 one of: *hist-names*
3367 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3368 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003369 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003370 "input" or "@" input line history
3371 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3372 shifted to become the newest entry.
3373 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3374 otherwise 0 is returned.
3375
3376 Example: >
3377 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3378 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3379< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3380
3381histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003382 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003383 for the possible values of {history}.
3384
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003385 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3386 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3387 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003388 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003389 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3390 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3391 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003392
3393 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3394 otherwise 0 is returned.
3395
3396 Examples:
3397 Clear expression register history: >
3398 :call histdel("expr")
3399<
3400 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3401 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3402<
3403 The following three are equivalent: >
3404 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3405 :call histdel("search", -1)
3406 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3407<
3408 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3409 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3410 :call histdel("search", -1)
3411 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3412
3413histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3414 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3415 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3416 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3417 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3418 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3419
3420 Examples:
3421 Redo the second last search from history. >
3422 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3423
3424< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3425 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3426 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3427<
3428histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3429 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3430 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3431 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3432
3433 Example: >
3434 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3435<
3436hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3437 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3438 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3439 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3440 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3441 item.
3442 *highlight_exists()*
3443 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3444
3445 *hlID()*
3446hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3447 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3448 zero is returned.
3449 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003450 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003451 "Comment" group: >
3452 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3453< *highlightID()*
3454 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3455
3456hostname() *hostname()*
3457 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003458 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003459 256 characters long are truncated.
3460
3461iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3462 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3463 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3464 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3465 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3466 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3467 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3468 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3469 can be done.
3470 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3471 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3472 UTF-8 and use: >
3473 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3474< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3475 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3476 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3477 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3478
3479 *indent()*
3480indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3481 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3482 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3483 |getline()|.
3484 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3485
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003486
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003487index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003488 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003489 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003490 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3491 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003492 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3493 case must match.
3494 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3495 Example: >
3496 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003497 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003498
3499
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003500input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003501 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3502 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3503 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003504 prompt to start a new line.
3505 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3506 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003507 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003508 for lines typed for input().
3509 Example: >
3510 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3511 : echo "Cheers!"
3512 :endif
3513<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003514 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3515 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003516 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3517
3518< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3519 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003520 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003521 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003522 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003523 more information. Example: >
3524 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3525<
3526 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3527 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003528 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3529 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3530 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3531 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3532 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3533 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3534 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3535
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003536 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003537 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3538 :function GetFoo()
3539 : call inputsave()
3540 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3541 : call inputrestore()
3542 :endfunction
3543
3544inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3545 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3546 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3547 Example: >
3548 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3549 :if n != ""
3550 : let &sw = n
3551 :endif
3552< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3553 omitted an empty string is returned.
3554 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3555 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003556 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003557
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003558inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003559 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3560 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3561 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003562 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003563 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003564 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3565 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3566 is returned.
3567 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003568 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003569 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3570 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003571 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3572 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3573
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003574inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3575 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3576 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3577 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3578 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3579
3580inputsave() *inputsave()*
3581 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3582 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3583 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3584 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3585 many inputrestore() calls.
3586 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3587
3588inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3589 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3590 two exceptions:
3591 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3592 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3593 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3594 |history| stack.
3595 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3596 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003597 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003598
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003599insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003600 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003601 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003602 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003603 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3604 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003605 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003606 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3607 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3608 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003609< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003610 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003611 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003612
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003613isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3614 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3615 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3616 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3617 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3618
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003619islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003620 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3621 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003622 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3623 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003624 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3625 :lockvar 1 alist
3626 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3627 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3628
3629< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003630 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003631
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003632items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003633 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3634 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3635 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3636 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003637
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003638
3639join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3640 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3641 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3642 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3643 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3644 add it there too: >
3645 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003646< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003647 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3648 The opposite function is |split()|.
3649
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003650keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003651 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003652 arbitrary order.
3653
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003654 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003655len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3656 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3657 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003658 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003659 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003660 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3661 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003662 Otherwise an error is given.
3663
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003664 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3665libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3666 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3667 with single argument {argument}.
3668 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3669 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3670 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3671 limited.
3672 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3673 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3674 to Vim.
3675 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3676 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3677 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3678 null-terminated string.
3679 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3680
3681 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3682 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3683 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3684 very probably crash.
3685
3686 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3687 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3688 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3689 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3690 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3691 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3692 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3693 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3694 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3695 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3696
3697 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003698 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003699 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3700 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3701 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3702 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3703 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3704 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3705 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3706 feature is present}
3707 Examples: >
3708 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003709<
3710 *libcallnr()*
3711libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3712 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3713 int instead of a string.
3714 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3715 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003716 Examples: >
3717 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003718 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3719 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3720<
3721 *line()*
3722line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3723 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3724 . the cursor position
3725 $ the last line in the current buffer
3726 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3727 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003728 w0 first line visible in current window
3729 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00003730 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3731 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3732 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3733 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003734 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3735 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003736 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3737 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003738 Examples: >
3739 line(".") line number of the cursor
3740 line("'t") line number of mark t
3741 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3742< *last-position-jump*
3743 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3744 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003745 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003746
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003747line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3748 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3749 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3750 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3751 line returns 1.
3752 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3753 below the last line: >
3754 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3755< This is the file size plus one.
3756 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3757 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3758 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3759
3760lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3761 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3762 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3763 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3764 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3765 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3766 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3767
3768localtime() *localtime()*
3769 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3770 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3771
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003772
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003773log10({expr}) *log10()*
3774 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
3775 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3776 Examples: >
3777 :echo log10(1000)
3778< 3.0 >
3779 :echo log10(0.01)
3780< -2.0
3781 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3782
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003783map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003784 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003785 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3786 {string}.
3787 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003788 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003789 Example: >
3790 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003791< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003792
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003793 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003794 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003795 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3796 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003797
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003798 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3799 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003800 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003801
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003802< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003803 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3804 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003805
3806
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003807maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003808 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3809 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003810 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003811 "n" Normal
3812 "v" Visual
3813 "o" Operator-pending
3814 "i" Insert
3815 "c" Cmd-line
3816 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3817 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003818 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003819 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3820 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003821 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3822 command. The returned String has special characters
3823 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3824 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3825 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003826 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3827 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3828 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3829
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003830
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003831mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003832 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3833 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3834 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003835 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3836 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003837 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3838 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3839
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003840 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003841 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3842 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3843 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3844 mapcheck("b") no no no
3845
3846 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3847 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3848 mapping for {name} exactly.
3849 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3850 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3851 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3852 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3853 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3854 then the global mappings.
3855 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3856 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3857 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3858 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3859 :endif
3860< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3861 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3862
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003863match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003864 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3865 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003866 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003867 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003868 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3869 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003870 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003871 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3872 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003873 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00003874 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003875< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003876 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003877 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003878 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3879< *strcasestr()*
3880 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3881 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3882 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3883<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003884 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003885 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003886 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003887 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003888 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3889< result is again "4". >
3890 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3891< result is again "4". >
3892 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3893< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003894 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003895 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3896 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3897 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3898 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003899 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3900 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003901 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
3902 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003903
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003904 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00003905 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003906 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3907 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3908< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003909 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
3910 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003911
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003912 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3913 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003914 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003915 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3916
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003917 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
3918matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
3919 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
3920 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
3921 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
3922 match using |matchdelete()|.
3923
3924 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003925 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003926 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
3927 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
3928 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
3929 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
3930 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
3931 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
3932 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
3933 always overrule syntax highlighting.
3934
3935 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
3936 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
3937 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
3938 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
3939 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
3940 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
3941 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
3942
3943 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
3944 the |:match| commands.
3945
3946 Example: >
3947 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
3948 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
3949< Deletion of the pattern: >
3950 :call matchdelete(m)
3951
3952< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003953 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003954 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003955
3956matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00003957 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003958 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
3959 Return a |List| with two elements:
3960 The name of the highlight group used
3961 The pattern used.
3962 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
3963 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003964 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
3965 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
3966 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003967
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003968matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
3969 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003970 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003971 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
3972 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003973
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003974matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003975 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3976 the match. Example: >
3977 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3978< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003979 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3980 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3981 do it with matchend(): >
3982 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3983 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3984< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3985
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003986 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3987 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3988< results in "7". >
3989 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3990< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003991 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003992
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003993matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003994 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003995 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3996 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003997 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
3998 empty string is used. Example: >
3999 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4000< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004001 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4002
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004003matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004004 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004005 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4006< results in "ing".
4007 When there is no match "" is returned.
4008 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
4009 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4010< results in "ing". >
4011 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4012< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004013 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004014 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004015
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004016 *max()*
4017max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4018 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4019 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004020 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004021
4022 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004023min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004024 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4025 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004026 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004027
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004028 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004029mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4030 Create directory {name}.
4031 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4032 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4033 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4034 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004035 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004036 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4037 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4038 with 0755.
4039 Example: >
4040 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4041< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004042 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4043 :if exists("*mkdir")
4044<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004045 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004046mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004047 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4048 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4049 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4050 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004051
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004052 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004053 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004054 v Visual by character
4055 V Visual by line
4056 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4057 s Select by character
4058 S Select by line
4059 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4060 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004061 R Replace |R|
4062 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004063 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004064 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4065 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004066 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004067 rm The -- more -- prompt
4068 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4069 ! Shell or external command is executing
4070 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4071 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4072 "c" or "n".
4073 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004074
4075nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4076 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4077 that is not blank. Example: >
4078 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4079< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4080 below it, zero is returned.
4081 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4082
4083nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
4084 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4085 value {expr}. Examples: >
4086 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4087 nr2char(32) returns " "
4088< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
4089 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
4090< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
4091 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4092 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004093 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004094
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004095 *getpid()*
4096getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004097 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4098 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004099
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004100 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004101getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4102 see |line()|.
4103 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4104 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4105 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4106 is the buffer number of the mark.
4107 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4108 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004109 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4110 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004111 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004112 character.
4113 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4114 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4115 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004116 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004117< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004118
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004119pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4120 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4121 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4122 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4123 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4124 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4125< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4126 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4127
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004128pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4129 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4130 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4131 Examples: >
4132 :echo pow(3, 3)
4133< 27.0 >
4134 :echo pow(2, 16)
4135< 65536.0 >
4136 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4137< 2.0
4138 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4139
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004140prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4141 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4142 that is not blank. Example: >
4143 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4144< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4145 above it, zero is returned.
4146 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4147
4148
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004149printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4150 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4151 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004152 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004153< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004154 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004155
4156 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004157 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004158 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004159 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4160 %c single byte
4161 %d decimal number
4162 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4163 %x hex number
4164 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4165 %X hex number using upper case letters
4166 %o octal number
4167 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4168 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4169 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4170 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4171 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4172 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004173
4174 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4175 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4176 the result.
4177
4178 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004179 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004180
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004181 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004182
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004183 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004184 Zero or more of the following flags:
4185
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004186 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4187 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4188 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4189 of the number is increased to force the first
4190 character of the output string to a zero (except
4191 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4192 precision of zero).
4193 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4194 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4195 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004196
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004197 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4198 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4199 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4200 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4201 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004202
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004203 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4204 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4205 The converted value is padded on the right with
4206 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4207 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004208
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004209 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4210 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004211
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004212 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004213 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004214 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004215
4216 field-width
4217 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004218 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4219 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4220 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4221 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004222
4223 .precision
4224 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4225 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4226 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4227 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4228 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004229 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004230 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4231 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004232
4233 type
4234 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4235 be applied, see below.
4236
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004237 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4238 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004239 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004240 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4241 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4242 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004243 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004244< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004245 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004246
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004247 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004248
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004249 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4250 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004251 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4252 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4253 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004254 conversions.
4255 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4256 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4257 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4258 zeros.
4259 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4260 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4261 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4262 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4263
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004264 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004265 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4266 resulting character is written.
4267
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004268 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004269 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4270 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4271 specified are used.
4272
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004273 *printf-f* *E807*
4274 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4275 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4276 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4277 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4278 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4279 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4280 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4281 Example: >
4282 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4283< 12.12
4284 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4285 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4286
4287 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4288 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4289 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4290 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4291 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4292
4293 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4294 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4295 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4296 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4297 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4298 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4299 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4300 results in 1.0e7.
4301
4302 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004303 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4304 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004305
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004306 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4307 accepted and automatically converted.
4308 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4309 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4310 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004311
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004312 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004313 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4314 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004315 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004316
4317
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004318pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4319 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4320 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004321 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4322 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004323
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004324 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004325range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004326 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004327 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4328 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4329 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4330 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4331 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004332 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4333 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4334 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004335 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004336 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004337 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4338 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004339 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004340 range(0) " []
4341 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004342<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004343 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004344readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004345 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4346 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004347 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4348 NL appears somewhere).
4349 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4350 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4351 added.
4352 - No CR characters are removed.
4353 Otherwise:
4354 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4355 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
4356 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004357 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4358 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4359 lines of a file: >
4360 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4361 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4362 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004363< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4364 are returned, or as many as there are.
4365 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004366 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4367 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4368 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004369 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4370 the result is an empty list.
4371 Also see |writefile()|.
4372
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004373reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4374 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4375 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4376 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4377 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4378 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4379 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004380 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004381 and {end}.
4382 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4383 reltime().
4384 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4385
4386reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4387 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4388 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4389 microseconds. Example: >
4390 let start = reltime()
4391 call MyFunction()
4392 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4393< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4394 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004395 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4396 can use split() to remove it. >
4397 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4398< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004399 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4400
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004401 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4402remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004403 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004404 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004405 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4406 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4407 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004408 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4409 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4410 remote_read() is stored there.
4411 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4412 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4413 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4414 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4415 and the result will be the empty string.
4416 Examples: >
4417 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4418 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4419<
4420
4421remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4422 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4423 This works like: >
4424 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4425< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4426 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4427 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004428 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4429 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004430 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4431 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4432 Win32 console version}
4433
4434
4435remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4436 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4437 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004438 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004439 name of a variable.
4440 Returns zero if none are available.
4441 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4442 See also |clientserver|.
4443 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4444 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4445 Examples: >
4446 :let repl = ""
4447 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4448
4449remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4450 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4451 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4452 See also |clientserver|.
4453 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4454 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4455 Example: >
4456 :echo remote_read(id)
4457<
4458 *remote_send()* *E241*
4459remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004460 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004461 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4462 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004463 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4464 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4465 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004466 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4467 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4468 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4469 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4470 up the display.
4471 Examples: >
4472 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4473 \ remote_read(serverid)
4474
4475 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4476 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4477 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4478 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004479<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004480remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004481 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004482 return it.
4483 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
4484 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
4485 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4486 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4487 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004488 Example: >
4489 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004490 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004491remove({dict}, {key})
4492 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4493 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4494< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4495
4496 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004497
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004498rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4499 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4500 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4501 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4502 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
4503 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4504
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004505repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4506 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4507 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004508 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004509< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004510 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004511 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004512 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4513< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004514
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004515
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004516resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4517 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4518 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4519 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4520 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4521 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4522 stopped after 100 iterations.
4523 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4524 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4525 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4526 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4527 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4528
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004529 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004530reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004531 {list}.
4532 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4533 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4534
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004535round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004536 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004537 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4538 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4539 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4540 Examples: >
4541 echo round(0.456)
4542< 0.0 >
4543 echo round(4.5)
4544< 5.0 >
4545 echo round(-4.5)
4546< -5.0
4547 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4548
4549
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004550search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004551 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004552 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004553
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004554 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4555 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004556 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004557 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004558 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004559 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4560 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004561 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4562 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4563 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4564
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004565 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4566 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4567 flag.
4568
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004569 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4570
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004571 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4572 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4573 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4574 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4575 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4576< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4577 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004578 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4579
4580 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004581 more than this many milli seconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004582 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4583 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4584 giving the argument.
4585 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004586
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004587 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4588 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004589 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4590 *search()-sub-match*
4591 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4592 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4593 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004594 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004595
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004596 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4597 flag is used.
4598
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004599 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4600 :let n = 1
4601 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4602 : exe "argument " . n
4603 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4604 : " first search to find match at start of file
4605 : normal G$
4606 : let flags = "w"
4607 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004608 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004609 : let flags = "W"
4610 : endwhile
4611 : update " write the file if modified
4612 : let n = n + 1
4613 :endwhile
4614<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004615 Example for using some flags: >
4616 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4617< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4618 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4619 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4620 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4621 line:
4622 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4623 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4624 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4625 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4626 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4627
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004628
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004629searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4630 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004631
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004632 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4633 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4634 first match in the function.
4635
4636 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4637 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4638 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4639
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004640 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4641 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4642 Example: >
4643 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4644 echo getline('.')
4645 endif
4646<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004647 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004648searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4649 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004650 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4651 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4652 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004653 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4654 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4655 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4656 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4657 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4658 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004659
4660 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4661 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4662 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4663 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4664 typical use is: >
4665 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4666< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4667
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004668 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4669 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004670 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004671 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
4672 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004673 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004674 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
4675 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004676
4677 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4678 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4679 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4680 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4681 or a string.
4682 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4683 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4684 and -1 returned.
4685
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004686 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004687
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004688 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4689 patterns are used like it's on.
4690
4691 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4692 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4693 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4694 if 1
4695 if 2
4696 endif 2
4697 endif 1
4698< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4699 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4700 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004701 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004702 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4703 "endif 2".
4704 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4705 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4706 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4707 the matching start.
4708
4709 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4710
4711 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4712 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4713
4714< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4715 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4716 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4717 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4718 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4719 match.
4720 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4721
4722 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4723
4724< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4725 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4726 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4727
4728 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4729 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4730<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004731 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004732searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4733 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004734 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4735 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4736 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004737 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4738 returns [0, 0].
4739>
4740 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4741<
4742 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4743
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004744searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004745 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004746 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4747 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4748 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4749 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004750 Example: >
4751 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4752
4753< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4754 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4755 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4756< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4757 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4758
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004759server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4760 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4761 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4762 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4763 Note:
4764 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004765 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004766 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4767 See also |clientserver|.
4768 Example: >
4769 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4770<
4771serverlist() *serverlist()*
4772 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4773 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4774 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4775 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4776 Example: >
4777 :echo serverlist()
4778<
4779setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4780 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4781 {val}.
4782 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4783 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4784 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4785 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4786 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4787 Examples: >
4788 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4789 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4790< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4791
4792setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4793 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004794 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004795 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4796 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004797 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4798 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4799 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4800 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4801 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004802 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4803 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4804 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4805 line.
4806
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004807setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
4808 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004809 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004810 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004811 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004812 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4813 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004814 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004815< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004816 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4817 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4818< This is equivalent to: >
4819 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4820 : call setline(n, l)
4821 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004822< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4823
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004824setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4825 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4826 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004827 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4828 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004829 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
4830 Also see |location-list|.
4831
4832setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
4833 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004834 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004835 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004836
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004837 *setpos()*
4838setpos({expr}, {list})
4839 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4840 . the cursor
4841 'x mark x
4842
4843 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4844 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4845
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004846 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004847 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004848 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4849 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4850 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004851 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004852
4853 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4854 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4855
4856 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4857 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004858 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004859 character.
4860
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00004861 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
4862 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
4863
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004864 Also see |getpos()|
4865
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004866 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
4867 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
4868
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004869
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004870setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004871 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4872 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4873 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4874 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004875
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004876 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004877 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004878 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004879 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004880 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004881 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004882 col column number
4883 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004884 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004885 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004886 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004887 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004888
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004889 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4890 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4891 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004892 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
4893 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
4894 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004895 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4896 be used.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00004897 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
4898 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004899
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004900 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4901 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4902 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4903 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4904 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4905 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4906
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004907 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4908
4909 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4910 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4911 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4912
4913
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004914 *setreg()*
4915setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4916 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4917 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4918 then the value is appended.
4919 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4920 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4921 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4922 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4923 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4924 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4925 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004926 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004927
4928 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4929 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4930 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4931 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4932
4933 Examples: >
4934 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4935 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4936 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4937
4938< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4939 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004940 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004941 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4942 ....
4943 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4944
4945< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4946 nothing: >
4947 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4948
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004949settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
4950 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
4951 {val}.
4952 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
4953 use |setwinvar()|.
4954 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004955 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4956 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4957 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4958 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00004959 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
4960 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
4961 Examples: >
4962 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
4963 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
4964< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4965
4966setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4967 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004968 Examples: >
4969 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4970 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004971
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004972shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004973 Escape {string} for use as shell command argument.
4974 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004975 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004976 quotes within {string}.
4977 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
4978 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004979 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
4980 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00004981 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
4982 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004983 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00004984 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
4985 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
4986 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
4987 even when inside single quotes.
4988 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
4989 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
4990 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004991 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
4992 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
4993< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
4994 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
4995 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00004996
4997
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004998simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4999 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5000 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5001 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5002 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5003 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5004 not removed either.
5005 Example: >
5006 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5007< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5008 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5009 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5010 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5011 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5012
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005013
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005014sin({expr}) *sin()*
5015 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5016 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5017 Examples: >
5018 :echo sin(100)
5019< -0.506366 >
5020 :echo sin(-4.01)
5021< 0.763301
5022 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5023
5024
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005025sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005026 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5027 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5028 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5029< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005030 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005031 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005032 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005033 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5034 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005035 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
5036 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
5037 sorts before the second one. Example: >
5038 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5039 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5040 endfunc
5041 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005042<
5043
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005044 *soundfold()*
5045soundfold({word})
5046 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005047 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005048 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5049 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005050 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5051 the method can be quite slow.
5052
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005053 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005054spellbadword([{sentence}])
5055 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5056 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5057 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5058 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5059
5060 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5061 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5062 result is an empty string.
5063
5064 The return value is a list with two items:
5065 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5066 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005067 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005068 "rare" rare word
5069 "local" word only valid in another region
5070 "caps" word should start with Capital
5071 Example: >
5072 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5073< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5074
5075 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5076 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5077 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005078
5079 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005080spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005081 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005082 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5083 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5084
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005085 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5086 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5087 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5088
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005089 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5090 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005091 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5092 replace a line.
5093
5094 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005095 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5096 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005097
5098 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005099 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5100 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005101
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005102
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005103split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005104 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5105 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5106 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005107 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005108 removing the matched characters.
5109 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5110 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005111 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5112 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005113 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005114 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005115< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005116 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005117< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5118 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5119< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005120 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5121 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5122< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005123
5124
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005125sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5126 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5127 |Float|.
5128 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5129 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5130 Examples: >
5131 :echo sqrt(100)
5132< 10.0 >
5133 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5134< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005135 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005136 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5137
5138
5139str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5140 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5141 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5142 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5143 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5144 write "1.0e40".
5145 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5146 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5147 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5148 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5149 |substitute()|: >
5150 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5151< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5152
5153
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005154str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5155 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5156 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5157 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5158 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5159 with the default String to Number conversion.
5160 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5161 different base the result will be zero.
5162 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005163
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005164
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005165strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5166 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5167 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5168 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5169 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5170 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5171 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5172 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5173 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5174 Examples: >
5175 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5176 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5177 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5178 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5179 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5180 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005181< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5182 :if exists("*strftime")
5183
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005184stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5185 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5186 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005187 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5188 This can be used to find a second match: >
5189 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
5190 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
5191< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005192 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005193 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005194 See also |strridx()|.
5195 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005196 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5197 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5198 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005199< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005200 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5201 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5202
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005203 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005204string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005205 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5206 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005207 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005208 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005209 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005210 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005211 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005212 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005213 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005214 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005215 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005216
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005217 *strlen()*
5218strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005219 {expr} in bytes.
5220 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5221 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005222
5223 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005224<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005225 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5226 For other types an error is given.
5227 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005228
5229strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5230 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005231 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005232 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5233 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5234 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5235 end of the {src}. >
5236 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5237 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5238 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005239 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005240< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5241 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00005242 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005243<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005244strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5245 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5246 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5247 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5248 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5249 match: >
5250 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5251 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5252< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005253 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5254 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005255 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005256 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005257 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005258< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005259 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5260 function strrchr().
5261
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005262strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5263 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5264 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5265 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5266 echo strtrans(@a)
5267< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5268 starting a new line.
5269
5270submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
5271 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
5272 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
5273 the whole matched text is returned.
5274 Example: >
5275 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5276< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5277 A line break is included as a newline character.
5278
5279substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5280 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
5281 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
5282 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
5283 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
5284 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005285 'ignorecase' is still relevant. 'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005286 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
5287 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
5288 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005289 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005290 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
5291 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5292 unmodified.
5293 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5294 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5295 Example: >
5296 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5297< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5298 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5299< results in "TESTING".
5300
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005301synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005302 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005303 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005304 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5305 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005306
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005307 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005308 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5309
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005310 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005311 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005312 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5313 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5314 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5315 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5316 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5317
5318 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5319 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5320<
5321synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5322 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5323 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5324 about a syntax item.
5325 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005326 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005327 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5328 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5329 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5330 {what} result
5331 "name" the name of the syntax item
5332 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5333 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5334 term: empty string)
5335 "bg" background color (like "fg")
5336 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5337 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5338 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
5339 "bold" "1" if bold
5340 "italic" "1" if italic
5341 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5342 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
5343 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005344 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005345
5346 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5347 cursor): >
5348 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5349<
5350synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5351 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5352 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5353 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5354 ":highlight link" are followed.
5355
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005356synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5357 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5358 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5359 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005360 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5361 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5362 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5363 transparent item.
5364 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5365 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5366 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5367 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5368 endfor
5369
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00005370system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5371 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5372 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5373 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5374 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005375 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005376 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5377 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5378 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5379 also cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005380 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005381
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005382 The result is a String. Example: >
5383 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005384
5385< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5386 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5387 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5388 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5389 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5390 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5391 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5392 concatenated commands.
5393
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005394 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5395 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5396
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005397 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5398 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00005399
5400 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5401 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5402 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005403 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5404 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5405
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005406
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005407tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005408 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005409 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5410 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5411 omitted the current tab page is used.
5412 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5413 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
5414 tablist = []
5415 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
5416 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
5417 endfor
5418< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5419
5420
5421tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005422 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5423 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5424 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5425 page is returned (the tab page count).
5426 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5427
5428
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005429tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
5430 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
5431 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5432 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5433 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5434 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5435 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5436 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5437 Useful examples: >
5438 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5439 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5440< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5441
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00005442 *tagfiles()*
5443tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5444 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5445
5446
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005447taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5448 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00005449 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5450 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005451 name Name of the tag.
5452 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005453 defined. It is either relative to the
5454 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005455 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5456 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005457 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005458 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005459 kind values. Only available when
5460 using a tags file generated by
5461 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005462 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005463 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005464 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5465 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5466 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5467 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5468 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5469 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005470
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00005471 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5472 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005473
5474 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5475
5476 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
5477 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
5478 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
5479
5480 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5481 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5482 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5483
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005484tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5485 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005486 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005487 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5488 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5489 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
5490< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
5491 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
5492 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
5493 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
5494 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5495 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5496
5497tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
5498 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
5499 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
5500 the string).
5501
5502toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
5503 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
5504 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
5505 the string).
5506
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00005507tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
5508 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
5509 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
5510 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
5511 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
5512 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
5513 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
5514
5515 Examples: >
5516 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
5517< returns "Hello THere" >
5518 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
5519< returns "{blob}"
5520
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005521trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005522 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005523 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
5524 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5525 Examples: >
5526 echo trunc(1.456)
5527< 1.0 >
5528 echo trunc(-5.456)
5529< -5.0 >
5530 echo trunc(4.0)
5531< 4.0
5532 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5533
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005534 *type()*
5535type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005536 Number: 0
5537 String: 1
5538 Funcref: 2
5539 List: 3
5540 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005541 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005542 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005543 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
5544 :if type(myvar) == type("")
5545 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
5546 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005547 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005548 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005549
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005550values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005551 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005552 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005553
5554
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005555virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
5556 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
5557 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
5558 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
5559 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
5560 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
5561 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
5562 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00005563 For the byte position use |col()|.
5564 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
5565 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005566 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005567 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005568 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005569 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
5570 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
5571 The accepted positions are:
5572 . the cursor position
5573 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
5574 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
5575 plus one)
5576 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
5577 returned)
5578 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
5579 Examples: >
5580 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
5581 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005582 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
5583< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005584 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
5585 all lines: >
5586 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
5587
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005588
5589visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
5590 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005591 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
5592 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
5593 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
5594 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
5595 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005596 Example: >
5597 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
5598< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
5599 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
5600 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005601 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
5602 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005603 *non-zero-arg*
5604 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
5605 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005606 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005607 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
5608 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
5609 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005610
5611 *winbufnr()*
5612winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005613 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005614 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
5615 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5616 Example: >
5617 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
5618<
5619 *wincol()*
5620wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
5621 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
5622 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
5623
5624winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
5625 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
5626 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
5627 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5628 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
5629 Examples: >
5630 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
5631<
5632 *winline()*
5633winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005634 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005635 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00005636 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
5637 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005638
5639 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005640winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5641 window. The top window has number 1.
5642 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005643 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005644 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
5645 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005646 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
5647 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005648 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
5649 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005650 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005651
5652 *winrestcmd()*
5653winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
5654 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005655 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
5656 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005657 Example: >
5658 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5659 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
5660 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005661<
5662 *winrestview()*
5663winrestview({dict})
5664 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
5665 the view of the current window.
5666 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
5667 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
5668
5669 *winsaveview()*
5670winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
5671 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
5672 restore the view.
5673 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
5674 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
5675 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005676 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
5677 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005678 The return value includes:
5679 lnum cursor line number
5680 col cursor column
5681 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
5682 curswant column for vertical movement
5683 topline first line in the window
5684 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
5685 leftcol first column displayed
5686 skipcol columns skipped
5687 Note that no option values are saved.
5688
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005689
5690winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
5691 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
5692 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
5693 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5694 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
5695 Examples: >
5696 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
5697 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
5698 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
5699 :endif
5700<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005701 *writefile()*
5702writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005703 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005704 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
5705 Number.
5706 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
5707 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
5708 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
5709 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
5710 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
5711 to writefile().
5712 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
5713 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
5714 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
5715 fails.
5716 Also see |readfile()|.
5717 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5718 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5719 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5720<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005721
5722 *feature-list*
5723There are three types of features:
57241. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5725 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5726 :if has("cindent")
57272. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5728 Example: >
5729 :if has("gui_running")
5730< *has-patch*
57313. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5732 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5733 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5734 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005735< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
5736 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005737
5738all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5739amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5740arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5741arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00005742autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005743balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00005744balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005745beos BeOS version of Vim.
5746browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5747 work.
5748builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5749byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5750cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5751clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5752clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5753cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5754cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5755cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5756comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5757cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5758cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5759compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5760debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5761dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5762dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5763diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5764digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5765dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5766dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5767dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5768ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5769emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5770eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5771 true, of course!
5772ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5773extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5774 |'hlsearch'|
5775farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5776file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005777filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5778 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005779find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5780 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005781float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005782fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5783 Windows this is not present).
5784folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5785footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5786fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5787gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5788gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5789gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005790gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5791gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005792gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005793gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5794gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5795gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5796gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5797gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5798gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5799hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5800iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5801insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5802 Insert mode.
5803jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5804keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5805langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5806libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5807linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5808 support.
5809lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5810listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5811 and the argument list |arglist|.
5812localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5813mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5814macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5815menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5816mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5817modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5818mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5819mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5820mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5821mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5822mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5823mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005824mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005825mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
5826multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
5827multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5828multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00005829mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005830netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00005831netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005832ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5833os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5834osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5835path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5836perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5837postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5838printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005839profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005840python Compiled with Python interface.
5841qnx QNX version of Vim.
5842quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00005843reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005844rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5845ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5846scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5847showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5848signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5849smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00005850sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005851statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5852 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5853sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00005854spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5855syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005856syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5857 current buffer.
5858system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5859tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5860 |tag-binary-search|.
5861tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5862 |tag-old-static|.
5863tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
5864 files |tag-any-white|.
5865tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
5866terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
5867termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
5868textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
5869tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
5870 or terminfo file.
5871title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
5872toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
5873unix Unix version of Vim.
5874user_commands User-defined commands.
5875viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
5876vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
5877vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
5878virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
5879visual Compiled with Visual mode.
5880visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
5881 |blockwise-operators|.
5882vms VMS version of Vim.
5883vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
5884wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
5885wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
5886windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
5887winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
5888win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
5889win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
5890win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
5891win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
5892win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
5893writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
5894xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
5895xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
5896xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
5897xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
5898xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
5899xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
5900 xterm screen.
5901x11 Compiled with X11 support.
5902
5903 *string-match*
5904Matching a pattern in a String
5905
5906A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
5907the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
5908everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
5909like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
5910line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
5911with ".". Example: >
5912 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
5913 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
5914 aa
5915 xx
5916 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
5917 a
5918 x
5919
5920Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
5921"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
5922"\n".
5923
5924==============================================================================
59255. Defining functions *user-functions*
5926
5927New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
5928functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
5929commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
5930
5931The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
5932builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
5933avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
5934the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
5935
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005936It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
5937|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005938
5939 *local-function*
5940A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
5941can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
5942and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005943function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005944instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
5945
5946 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
5947:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
5948
5949:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005950 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5951 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005952 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005953
5954:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
5955 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
5956 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005957<
5958 *:function-verbose*
5959When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
5960last defined. Example: >
5961
5962 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
5963 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
5964 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
5965<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00005966See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00005967
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005968 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005969:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005970 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
5971 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
5972 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005973
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005974 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5975 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005976 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005977< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005978 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005979 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005980 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
5981 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
5982 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005983 *E127* *E122*
5984 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
5985 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
5986 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
5987 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005988
5989 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
5990
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005991 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
5992 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
5993 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
5994 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
5995 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
5996 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
5997 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005998
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005999 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
6000 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006001
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006002 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006003 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006004 local variable "self" will then be set to the
6005 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006006
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006007 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006008 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006009 will not be changed by the function. This also
6010 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6011 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006012
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006013 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6014:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6015 by its own, without other commands.
6016
6017 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6018:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006019 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6020 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006021 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006022< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006023 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6024 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006025 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6026:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6027 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6028 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6029 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6030 the number 0 is returned.
6031 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6032 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6033
6034 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6035 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6036 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6037 are executed first. This process applies to all
6038 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6039 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6040
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006041 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006042An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006043be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006044 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006045Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6046arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6047may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6048as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006049can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6050that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006051 *E742*
6052The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006053However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006054Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6055it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6056|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006057
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006058When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6059to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6060may be larger.
6061
6062It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6063still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6064until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6065inside a function body.
6066
6067 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006068Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6069will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6070accessed with "g:".
6071
6072Example: >
6073 :function Table(title, ...)
6074 : echohl Title
6075 : echo a:title
6076 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006077 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6078 : for s in a:000
6079 : echon ' ' . s
6080 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006081 :endfunction
6082
6083This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006084 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6085 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006086
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006087To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6088 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006089 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006090 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006091 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006092 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006093 :endfunction
6094
6095This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006096 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006097 :if success == "ok"
6098 : echo div
6099 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006100<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00006101 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006102:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6103 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6104 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006105 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006106 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6107 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6108 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6109 function.
6110 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6111 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6112 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6113 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006114 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006115 this works:
6116 *function-range-example* >
6117 :function Mynumber(arg)
6118 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6119 :endfunction
6120 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6121<
6122 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6123 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6124 the range.
6125
6126 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6127
6128 :function Cont() range
6129 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6130 :endfunction
6131 :4,8call Cont()
6132<
6133 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6134 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6135
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006136 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6137 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6138 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6139< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6140
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006141 *E132*
6142The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6143option.
6144
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006145
6146AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006147 *autoload-functions*
6148When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006149only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6150the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6151
6152
6153Using an autocommand ~
6154
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006155This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6156
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006157The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6158You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006159That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006160again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6161
6162Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6163function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006164
6165 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6166
6167The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6168"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6169
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006170
6171Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006172 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006173This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6174
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006175Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6176exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6177like this: >
6178
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006179 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006180
6181When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6182"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6183"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6184then define the function like this: >
6185
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006186 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006187 echo "Done!"
6188 endfunction
6189
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00006190The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006191exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6192called.
6193
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006194It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6195a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006196
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006197 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006198
6199Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6200
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006201This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6202
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006203 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006204
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00006205However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6206for an unknown variable.
6207
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006208When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6209be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6210
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006211 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6212 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006213
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00006214Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6215defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6216function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006217And you will get an error message every time.
6218
6219Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006220other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006221Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006222
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006223Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6224|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6225
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006226==============================================================================
62276. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6228
6229Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
6230This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
6231{} like this: >
6232 my_{adjective}_variable
6233
6234When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6235that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6236name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6237"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6238"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6239
6240One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006241value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006242 echo my_{&background}_message
6243
6244would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6245on the current value of 'background'.
6246
6247You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6248 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6249..or even nest them: >
6250 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6251where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6252
6253However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006254variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006255 :let foo='a + b'
6256 :echo c{foo}d
6257.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6258
6259 *curly-braces-function-names*
6260You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6261Example: >
6262 :let func_end='whizz'
6263 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6264
6265This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6266
6267==============================================================================
62687. Commands *expression-commands*
6269
6270:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6271 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6272 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6273 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6274 is created.
6275
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006276:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6277 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6278 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6279 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6280 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006281 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6282 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6283 can do that like this: >
6284 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6285<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006286 *E711* *E719*
6287:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006288 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6289 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006290 correct number of items.
6291 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6292 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6293 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6294 end of the list, items will be added.
6295
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006296 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006297:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6298:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6299:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6300 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6301 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6302
6303
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006304:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6305 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6306 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006307:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6308 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6309 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6310 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006311
6312:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6313 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6314 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6315 must be the name of a writable register (see
6316 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6317 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6318 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6319 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6320 characterwise.
6321 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6322 :let @/ = ""
6323< This is different from searching for an empty string,
6324 that would match everywhere.
6325
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006326:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006327 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006328 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6329
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006330:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006331 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006332 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6333 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006334 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6335 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00006336 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006337 Example: >
6338 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006339
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006340:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6341 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6342 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6343
6344:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6345:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6346 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6347 {expr1}.
6348
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006349:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006350:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6351:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6352:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006353 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6354 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6355
6356:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006357:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6358:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6359:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006360 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6361 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6362
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006363:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006364 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006365 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6366 {name2}, etc.
6367 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006368 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006369 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6370 command as mentioned above.
6371 Example: >
6372 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006373< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6374 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6375 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6376 :let x = [0, 1]
6377 :let i = 0
6378 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6379 :echo x
6380< The result is [0, 2].
6381
6382:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6383:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6384:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
6385 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006386 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006387
6388:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006389 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006390 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
6391 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
6392 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006393 Example: >
6394 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
6395<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006396:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
6397:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
6398:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
6399 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006400 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006401 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006402:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006403 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
6404 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006405 g: global variables
6406 b: local buffer variables
6407 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006408 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006409 s: script-local variables
6410 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006411 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006412
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006413:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
6414 variable is indicated before the value:
6415 <nothing> String
6416 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006417 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006418
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006419
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006420:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006421 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
6422 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006423 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006424 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
6425 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006426 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006427 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
6428 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006429< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006430 :unlet dict['two']
6431 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006432< This is especially useful to clean up used global
6433 variables and script-local variables (these are not
6434 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
6435 variables are automatically deleted when the function
6436 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006437
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006438:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
6439 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
6440 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
6441 A locked variable can be deleted: >
6442 :lockvar v
6443 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
6444 :unlet v
6445< *E741*
6446 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
6447 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
6448
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006449 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
6450 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
6451 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006452 cannot add or remove items, but can
6453 still change their values.
6454 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006455 the items. If an item is a |List| or
6456 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006457 items, but can still change the
6458 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006459 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
6460 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
6461 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
6462 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
6463 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006464 *E743*
6465 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
6466 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
6467 loops.
6468
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006469 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
6470 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006471 locked when used through the other variable.
6472 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006473 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
6474 :let cl = l
6475 :lockvar l
6476 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
6477< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
6478 See |deepcopy()|.
6479
6480
6481:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
6482 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
6483 opposite of |:lockvar|.
6484
6485
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006486:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
6487:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6488 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6489
6490 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
6491 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
6492 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
6493 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
6494 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
6495 part was not executed either.
6496
6497 You can use this to remain compatible with older
6498 versions: >
6499 :if version >= 500
6500 : version-5-specific-commands
6501 :endif
6502< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
6503 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
6504 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
6505 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
6506 avoid problems: >
6507 :if version >= 600
6508 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
6509 :endif
6510<
6511 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6512 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
6513
6514 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
6515:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6516 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
6517 executed.
6518
6519 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
6520:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
6521 is no extra ":endif".
6522
6523:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006524 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006525:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
6526 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6527 When an error is detected from a command inside the
6528 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006529 Example: >
6530 :let lnum = 1
6531 :while lnum <= line("$")
6532 :call FixLine(lnum)
6533 :let lnum = lnum + 1
6534 :endwhile
6535<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006536 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006537 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006538
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006539:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006540:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
6541 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006542 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006543 value of each item.
6544 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006545 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00006546 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
6547 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006548 :for item in copy(mylist)
6549< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
6550 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006551 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006552 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
6553 it will not be found. Thus the following example
6554 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
6555 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006556 :call remove(mylist, 0)
6557 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006558< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
6559 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
6560 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006561 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
6562 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
6563 to allow multiple item types.
6564
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006565:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
6566:endfo[r]
6567 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
6568 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
6569 {var2}, etc. Example: >
6570 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
6571 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
6572 :endfor
6573<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006574 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006575:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
6576 to the start of the loop.
6577 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6578 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6579 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6580 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6581 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6582 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006583
6584 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006585:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
6586 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
6587 ":endfor".
6588 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6589 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6590 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6591 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6592 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6593 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006594
6595:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
6596:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
6597 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
6598 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
6599 or autocommand invocations.
6600
6601 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
6602 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
6603 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
6604 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
6605 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
6606 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
6607 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
6608 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
6609 Example: >
6610 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
6611 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
6612<
6613 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
6614 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
6615 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
6616 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
6617 processing is not terminated.
6618
6619 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
6620 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
6621 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
6622 other errors are converted to a value of the form
6623 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
6624 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
6625 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
6626 the error number.
6627 Examples: >
6628 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
6629 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
6630<
6631 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
6632:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
6633 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
6634 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
6635 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
6636 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
6637 commands are skipped.
6638 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
6639 Examples: >
6640 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
6641 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
6642 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
6643 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
6644 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
6645 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
6646 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
6647 :catch " same as /.*/
6648<
6649 Another character can be used instead of / around the
6650 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
6651 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
6652 {pattern}.
6653 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
6654 an error message because it may vary in different
6655 locales.
6656
6657 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
6658:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
6659 are executed whenever the part between the matching
6660 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
6661 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
6662 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
6663 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
6664
6665 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
6666:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
6667 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
6668 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
6669 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
6670 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
6671 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
6672 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
6673 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
6674 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
6675 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
6676 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
6677 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
6678 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
6679 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
6680 is terminated.
6681 Example: >
6682 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
6683<
6684
6685 *:ec* *:echo*
6686:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
6687 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
6688 Also see |:comment|.
6689 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
6690 cursor to the first column.
6691 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6692 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6693 Example: >
6694 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006695< *:echo-redraw*
6696 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
6697 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
6698 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
6699 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
6700 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
6701 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
6702 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006703 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
6704<
6705 *:echon*
6706:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
6707 |:comment|.
6708 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6709 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6710 Example: >
6711 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
6712<
6713 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
6714 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
6715 command: >
6716 :!echo % --> filename
6717< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
6718 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
6719< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
6720 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
6721 :echo % --> nothing
6722< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
6723 :echo "%" --> %
6724< This just echoes the '%' character. >
6725 :echo expand("%") --> filename
6726< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
6727
6728 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6729:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6730 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6731 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6732 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6733< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6734 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6735
6736 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6737:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6738 message in the |message-history|.
6739 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6740 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6741 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006742 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
6743 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
6744 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
6745 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
6746 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006747 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6748 Example: >
6749 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006750< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
6751 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006752 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6753:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6754 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6755 script or function the line number will be added.
6756 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006757 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006758 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6759 (see |try-echoerr|).
6760 Example: >
6761 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6762< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6763 And to get a beep: >
6764 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6765<
6766 *:exe* *:execute*
6767:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6768 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006769 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006770 used as the processed command, command line editing
6771 keys are not recognized.
6772 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6773 Examples: >
6774 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6775 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6776<
6777 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6778 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6779 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6780
6781< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6782 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6783 command: >
6784 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6785< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6786
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006787 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
6788 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006789 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
6790 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006791 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006792 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006793<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006794 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006795 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6796 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006797 :execute 'while i > 5'
6798 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6799<
6800 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6801 completely in the executed string: >
6802 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6803<
6804
6805 *:comment*
6806 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6807 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6808 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6809 comment. Example: >
6810 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6811
6812==============================================================================
68138. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6814
6815The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6816explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6817
6818Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6819|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6820exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6821
6822
6823TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6824
6825Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6826use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6827a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6828 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6829|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6830a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6831be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6832which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6833clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6834
6835 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006836 : ...
6837 : ... TRY BLOCK
6838 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006839 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006840 : ...
6841 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6842 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006843 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006844 : ...
6845 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6846 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006847 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006848 : ...
6849 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6850 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006851 :endtry
6852
6853The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6854appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6855from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6856 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6857is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6858script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6859 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6860lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6861patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6862after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6863executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
6864":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
6865(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
6866continues in the following line as usual.
6867 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
6868":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
6869that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
6870finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
6871the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
6872the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
6873see |try-nesting|.
6874 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006875remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006876not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
6877try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
6878a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
6879execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
6880exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6881 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006882thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006883clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
6884catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
6885following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
6886clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
6887
6888The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
6889a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
6890try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
6891from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
6892sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
6893":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
6894":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
6895from the finally clause.
6896 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
6897try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
6898clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
6899":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
6900clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
6901":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
6902this pending exception or command is discarded.
6903
6904For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
6905
6906
6907NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
6908
6909Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
6910conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
6911clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
6912catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
6913of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
6914checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
6915try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006916otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006917nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
6918one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
6919the inner try conditional.
6920
6921When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
6922finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
6923An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
6924thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
6925implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
6926as usual.
6927
6928For examples see |throw-catch|.
6929
6930
6931EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
6932
6933Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
6934'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
6935script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
6936finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
6937a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
6938(see |debug-scripts|).
6939
6940
6941THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
6942
6943You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
6944and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
6945 :throw 4711
6946 :throw "string"
6947< *throw-expression*
6948You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
6949first, and the result is thrown: >
6950 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
6951 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
6952
6953An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
6954command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
6955The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
6956 Example: >
6957
6958 :function! Foo(arg)
6959 : try
6960 : throw a:arg
6961 : catch /foo/
6962 : endtry
6963 : return 1
6964 :endfunction
6965 :
6966 :function! Bar()
6967 : echo "in Bar"
6968 : return 4710
6969 :endfunction
6970 :
6971 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
6972
6973This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
6974executed. >
6975 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
6976however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
6977
6978Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006979abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006980exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
6981 Example: >
6982
6983 :if Foo("arrgh")
6984 : echo "then"
6985 :else
6986 : echo "else"
6987 :endif
6988
6989Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
6990
6991 *catch-order*
6992Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
6993commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
6994command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
6995gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
6996 Example: >
6997
6998 :function! Foo(value)
6999 : try
7000 : throw a:value
7001 : catch /^\d\+$/
7002 : echo "Number thrown"
7003 : catch /.*/
7004 : echo "String thrown"
7005 : endtry
7006 :endfunction
7007 :
7008 :call Foo(0x1267)
7009 :call Foo('string')
7010
7011The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7012An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7013specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7014specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7015
7016 : catch /.*/
7017 : echo "String thrown"
7018 : catch /^\d\+$/
7019 : echo "Number thrown"
7020
7021The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7022never taken.
7023
7024 *throw-variables*
7025If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7026in the variable |v:exception|: >
7027
7028 : catch /^\d\+$/
7029 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7030
7031You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7032|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7033exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7034 Example: >
7035
7036 :function! Caught()
7037 : if v:exception != ""
7038 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7039 : else
7040 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7041 : endif
7042 :endfunction
7043 :
7044 :function! Foo()
7045 : try
7046 : try
7047 : try
7048 : throw 4711
7049 : finally
7050 : call Caught()
7051 : endtry
7052 : catch /.*/
7053 : call Caught()
7054 : throw "oops"
7055 : endtry
7056 : catch /.*/
7057 : call Caught()
7058 : finally
7059 : call Caught()
7060 : endtry
7061 :endfunction
7062 :
7063 :call Foo()
7064
7065This displays >
7066
7067 Nothing caught
7068 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7069 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7070 Nothing caught
7071
7072A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7073number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7074
7075 :function! LineNumber()
7076 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7077 :endfunction
7078 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7079<
7080 *try-nested*
7081An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7082a surrounding try conditional: >
7083
7084 :try
7085 : try
7086 : throw "foo"
7087 : catch /foobar/
7088 : echo "foobar"
7089 : finally
7090 : echo "inner finally"
7091 : endtry
7092 :catch /foo/
7093 : echo "foo"
7094 :endtry
7095
7096The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7097clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7098conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7099
7100 *throw-from-catch*
7101You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7102catch clause: >
7103
7104 :function! Foo()
7105 : throw "foo"
7106 :endfunction
7107 :
7108 :function! Bar()
7109 : try
7110 : call Foo()
7111 : catch /foo/
7112 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7113 : throw "bar"
7114 : endtry
7115 :endfunction
7116 :
7117 :try
7118 : call Bar()
7119 :catch /.*/
7120 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7121 :endtry
7122
7123This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7124
7125 *rethrow*
7126There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7127"v:exception" instead: >
7128
7129 :function! Bar()
7130 : try
7131 : call Foo()
7132 : catch /.*/
7133 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7134 : throw v:exception
7135 : endtry
7136 :endfunction
7137< *try-echoerr*
7138Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7139exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7140Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7141denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7142the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7143
7144 :try
7145 : try
7146 : asdf
7147 : catch /.*/
7148 : echoerr v:exception
7149 : endtry
7150 :catch /.*/
7151 : echo v:exception
7152 :endtry
7153
7154This code displays
7155
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007156 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007157
7158
7159CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7160
7161Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7162user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007163an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007164a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7165catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7166a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7167normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7168(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007169to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007170clause has been executed.)
7171Example: >
7172
7173 :try
7174 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7175 : set ts=17
7176 :
7177 : " Do the hard work here.
7178 :
7179 :finally
7180 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7181 : unlet s:saved_ts
7182 :endtry
7183
7184This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7185changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7186that function or script part.
7187
7188 *break-finally*
7189Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7190a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7191 Example: >
7192
7193 :let first = 1
7194 :while 1
7195 : try
7196 : if first
7197 : echo "first"
7198 : let first = 0
7199 : continue
7200 : else
7201 : throw "second"
7202 : endif
7203 : catch /.*/
7204 : echo v:exception
7205 : break
7206 : finally
7207 : echo "cleanup"
7208 : endtry
7209 : echo "still in while"
7210 :endwhile
7211 :echo "end"
7212
7213This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7214
7215 :function! Foo()
7216 : try
7217 : return 4711
7218 : finally
7219 : echo "cleanup\n"
7220 : endtry
7221 : echo "Foo still active"
7222 :endfunction
7223 :
7224 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7225
7226This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007227extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007228return value.)
7229
7230 *except-from-finally*
7231Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7232a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7233cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7234exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7235 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7236working correctly: >
7237
7238 :try
7239 : try
7240 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7241 : while 1
7242 : endwhile
7243 : finally
7244 : unlet novar
7245 : endtry
7246 :catch /novar/
7247 :endtry
7248 :echo "Script still running"
7249 :sleep 1
7250
7251If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7252think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7253|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7254
7255
7256CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7257
7258If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7259watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7260presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7261exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7262the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7263the error exception is.
7264 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7265
7266 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7267or >
7268 Vim:{errmsg}
7269
7270{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007271the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007272when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7273a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7274a space.
7275
7276Examples:
7277
7278The command >
7279 :unlet novar
7280normally produces the error message >
7281 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7282which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7283 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7284
7285The command >
7286 :dwim
7287normally produces the error message >
7288 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7289which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7290 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7291
7292You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7293 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7294or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7295 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7296
7297Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7298 :function nofunc
7299and >
7300 :delfunction nofunc
7301both produce the error message >
7302 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7303which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7304 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7305or >
7306 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7307respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7308command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7309 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7310
7311Some commands like >
7312 :let x = novar
7313produce multiple error messages, here: >
7314 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7315 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7316Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7317one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7318 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7319
7320You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7321 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7322
7323You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7324 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7325
7326You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7327 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7328<
7329 *catch-text*
7330NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7331 :catch /No such variable/
7332only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7333a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7334cite the message text in a comment: >
7335 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7336
7337
7338IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7339
7340You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7341
7342 :try
7343 : write
7344 :catch
7345 :endtry
7346
7347But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7348catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7349be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7350
7351 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7352
7353There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7354writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7355then hide the error from the user.
7356 It is much better to use >
7357
7358 :try
7359 : write
7360 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7361 :endtry
7362
7363which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7364intentionally.
7365
7366For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7367even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7368command: >
7369 :silent! nunmap k
7370This works also when a try conditional is active.
7371
7372
7373CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7374
7375When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007376the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007377script is not terminated, then.
7378 Example: >
7379
7380 :function! TASK1()
7381 : sleep 10
7382 :endfunction
7383
7384 :function! TASK2()
7385 : sleep 20
7386 :endfunction
7387
7388 :while 1
7389 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
7390 : try
7391 : if command == ""
7392 : continue
7393 : elseif command == "END"
7394 : break
7395 : elseif command == "TASK1"
7396 : call TASK1()
7397 : elseif command == "TASK2"
7398 : call TASK2()
7399 : else
7400 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
7401 : continue
7402 : endif
7403 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7404 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
7405 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
7406 : endtry
7407 :endwhile
7408
7409You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007410a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007411
7412For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
7413your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
7414command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
7415
7416
7417CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
7418
7419The commands >
7420
7421 :catch /.*/
7422 :catch //
7423 :catch
7424
7425catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
7426explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
7427a script in order to catch unexpected things.
7428 Example: >
7429
7430 :try
7431 :
7432 : " do the hard work here
7433 :
7434 :catch /MyException/
7435 :
7436 : " handle known problem
7437 :
7438 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7439 : echo "Script interrupted"
7440 :catch /.*/
7441 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
7442 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
7443 :endtry
7444 :" end of script
7445
7446Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
7447strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
7448specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
7449 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
7450by pressing CTRL-C: >
7451
7452 :while 1
7453 : try
7454 : sleep 1
7455 : catch
7456 : endtry
7457 :endwhile
7458
7459
7460EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
7461
7462Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
7463
7464 :autocmd User x try
7465 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
7466 :autocmd User x catch
7467 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
7468 :autocmd User x endtry
7469 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
7470 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
7471 :
7472 :try
7473 : doautocmd User x
7474 :catch
7475 : echo v:exception
7476 :endtry
7477
7478This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
7479
7480 *except-autocmd-Pre*
7481For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
7482command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
7483of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
7484abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
7485 Example: >
7486
7487 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
7488 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
7489 :
7490 :try
7491 : write
7492 :catch
7493 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
7494 :endtry
7495
7496Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
7497you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
7498autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
7499script displays: >
7500
7501 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
7502<
7503 *except-autocmd-Post*
7504For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
7505command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
7506an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
7507is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
7508 Example: >
7509
7510 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
7511 :
7512 :try
7513 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7514 :catch
7515 : echo v:exception
7516 :endtry
7517
7518This just displays: >
7519
7520 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
7521
7522If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
7523fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
7524 Example: >
7525
7526 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
7527 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
7528 :
7529 :try
7530 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7531 :catch
7532 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7533 :endtry
7534<
7535You can also use ":silent!": >
7536
7537 :let x = "ok"
7538 :let v:errmsg = ""
7539 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
7540 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
7541 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
7542 :try
7543 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7544 :catch
7545 :endtry
7546 :echo x
7547
7548This displays "after fail".
7549
7550If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
7551autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
7552
7553 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
7554 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
7555 :
7556 :try
7557 : write
7558 :catch
7559 : echo v:exception
7560 :endtry
7561<
7562 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
7563For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
7564autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
7565of the command.
7566 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007567had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007568some way. >
7569
7570 :if !exists("cnt")
7571 : let cnt = 0
7572 :
7573 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
7574 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
7575 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
7576 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7577 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7578 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
7579 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
7580 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7581 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7582 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
7583 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7584 :endif
7585 :
7586 :try
7587 : write
7588 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
7589 : if &modified
7590 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
7591 : else
7592 : echo "Error after writing"
7593 : endif
7594 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7595 : echo "Error on writing"
7596 :endtry
7597
7598When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
7599first >
7600 File successfully written!
7601then >
7602 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
7603then >
7604 Error after writing
7605etc.
7606
7607 *except-autocmd-ill*
7608You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
7609The following code is ill-formed: >
7610
7611 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
7612 :
7613 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
7614 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
7615 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
7616 :
7617 :write
7618
7619
7620EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
7621
7622Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
7623pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
7624similar things in Vim.
7625 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
7626class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
7627string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
7628 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
7629it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
7630for an error when writing "myfile".
7631 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
7632base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
7633parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
7634 Example: >
7635
7636 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
7637 : if a:a < 0
7638 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
7639 : endif
7640 :endfunction
7641 :
7642 :function! Add(a, b)
7643 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
7644 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
7645 : let c = a:a + a:b
7646 : if c < 0
7647 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
7648 : endif
7649 : return c
7650 :endfunction
7651 :
7652 :function! Div(a, b)
7653 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
7654 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
7655 : if (a:b == 0)
7656 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
7657 : endif
7658 : return a:a / a:b
7659 :endfunction
7660 :
7661 :function! Write(file)
7662 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007663 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007664 : catch /^Vim(write):/
7665 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
7666 : endtry
7667 :endfunction
7668 :
7669 :try
7670 :
7671 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
7672 :
7673 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
7674 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7675 : echo "Range error in" function
7676 :
7677 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
7678 : echo "Math error"
7679 :
7680 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
7681 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
7682 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7683 : if file !~ '^/'
7684 : let file = dir . "/" . file
7685 : endif
7686 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
7687 :
7688 :catch /^EXCEPT/
7689 : echo "Unspecified error"
7690 :
7691 :endtry
7692
7693The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
7694a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
7695exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
7696 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
7697failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
7698
7699
7700PECULIARITIES
7701 *except-compat*
7702The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
7703exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
7704and/or a catch clause.
7705
7706In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
7707continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
7708after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
7709functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
7710or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
7711(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
7712
7713This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
7714immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007715conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
7716be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007717termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
7718catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
7719by specifying a finally clause.)
7720
7721When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
7722behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
7723scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
7724
7725However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
7726commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
7727conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
7728script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
7729error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
7730messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007731|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
7732not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007733where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
7734error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
7735scripts.
7736
7737 *except-syntax-err*
7738Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
7739the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
7740clauses, however, is executed.
7741 Example: >
7742
7743 :try
7744 : try
7745 : throw 4711
7746 : catch /\(/
7747 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7748 : catch
7749 : echo "inner catch-all"
7750 : finally
7751 : echo "inner finally"
7752 : endtry
7753 :catch
7754 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7755 : finally
7756 : echo "outer finally"
7757 :endtry
7758
7759This displays: >
7760 inner finally
7761 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7762 outer finally
7763The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7764
7765 *except-single-line*
7766The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7767a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7768"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7769 Example: >
7770 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7771raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7772argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7773error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7774displayed.
7775
7776 *except-several-errors*
7777When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7778usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7779 Example: >
7780 echo novar
7781causes >
7782 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7783 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7784The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7785 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7786< *except-syntax-error*
7787But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7788the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7789 Example: >
7790 unlet novar #
7791causes >
7792 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7793 E488: Trailing characters
7794The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7795 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7796This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7797not intended by the user. Example: >
7798 try
7799 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7800 catch /.*/
7801 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7802 endtry
7803This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7804a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7805
7806==============================================================================
78079. Examples *eval-examples*
7808
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007809Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007810>
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007811 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the Hex string of a number.
7812 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007813 : let n = a:nr
7814 : let r = ""
7815 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007816 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
7817 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007818 : endwhile
7819 : return r
7820 :endfunc
7821
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007822 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
7823 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
7824 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007825 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007826 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
7827 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7828 : endfor
7829 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007830 :endfunc
7831
7832Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007833 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
7834result: "100000" >
7835 :echo String2Bin("32")
7836result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007837
7838
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007839Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007840
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007841This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
7842
7843 :func SortBuffer()
7844 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
7845 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
7846 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007847 :endfunction
7848
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007849As a one-liner: >
7850 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007851
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007852
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007853scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007854 *sscanf*
7855There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7856line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7857how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7858"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7859 :" Set up the match bit
7860 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7861 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7862 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7863 :"get each item out of the match
7864 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
7865 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
7866 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
7867
7868The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
7869"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
7870
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007871
7872getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
7873 *scriptnames-dictionary*
7874The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
7875have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
7876(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
7877code can be used: >
7878 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
7879 let scriptnames_output = ''
7880 redir => scriptnames_output
7881 silent scriptnames
7882 redir END
7883
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007884 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007885 " "scripts" dictionary.
7886 let scripts = {}
7887 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
7888 " Only do non-blank lines.
7889 if line =~ '\S'
7890 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007891 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007892 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007893 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007894 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007895 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007896 endif
7897 endfor
7898 unlet scriptnames_output
7899
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007900==============================================================================
790110. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
7902
7903When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
7904evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
7905to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
7906recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
7907and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
7908only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
7909recognized.
7910
7911Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
7912missing: >
7913
7914 :if 1
7915 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
7916 :else
7917 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
7918 :endif
7919
7920==============================================================================
792111. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
7922
7923The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
7924options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
7925these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007926these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00007927a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007928The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007929
7930These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
7931 - changing the buffer text
7932 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
7933 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007934 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007935 - executing a shell command
7936 - reading or writing a file
7937 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00007938 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007939This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
7940
7941 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00007942:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00007943 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
7944 'foldexpr'.
7945
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007946 *sandbox-option*
7947A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00007948have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007949restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
7950location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00007951- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007952- while executing in the sandbox
7953- value coming from a modeline
7954
7955Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
7956option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
7957
7958==============================================================================
795912. Textlock *textlock*
7960
7961In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
7962to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
7963is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007964actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00007965happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
7966
7967This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
7968 - changing the buffer text
7969 - jumping to another buffer or window
7970 - editing another file
7971 - closing a window or quitting Vim
7972 - etc.
7973
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007974
7975 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: