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Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2006 Feb 27
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000040There are five types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number.
43 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
45String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
46 Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
47
48Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
49 Example: function("strlen")
50
51List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
52 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000053
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000054Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
55 value. |Dictionary|
56 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
57
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000058The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
59are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000060
61Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
62the Number. Examples: >
63 Number 123 --> String "123"
64 Number 0 --> String "0"
65 Number -1 --> String "-1"
66
67Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
68to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
69the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
70 String "456" --> Number 456
71 String "6bar" --> Number 6
72 String "foo" --> Number 0
73 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
74 String "0100" --> Number 64
75 String "-8" --> Number -8
76 String "+8" --> Number 0
77
78To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
79 :echo "0100" + 0
80
81For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
82
83Note that in the command >
84 :if "foo"
85"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
86use strlen(): >
87 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000088< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
89List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000090
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000091 *E706*
92You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
93to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000094equivalent though. Consider this sequence of commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000095 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000096 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000097 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +000099
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001001.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000101 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000102A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000103in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
104around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000105
106 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
107 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000108< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:" or "b:". You cannot
110have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000111
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000112A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
113Dictionary entry. Example: >
114 :function dict.init() dict
115 : let self.val = 0
116 :endfunction
117
118The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
119function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
120
121A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
122 :call Fn()
123 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000124
125The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000126 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000127
128You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
129arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000130 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000131
132
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001331.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000134 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000135A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
136can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
137position in the sequence.
138
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000139
140List creation ~
141 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000142A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143Examples: >
144 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
145 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000146
147An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000148nested List: >
149 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000150
151An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
152
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000153
154List index ~
155 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000156An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000157after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
158 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000159 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000160
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000161When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000162 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000163<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000164A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
165the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
167
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000168To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000169is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000170 :echo get(mylist, idx)
171 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
172
173
174List concatenation ~
175
176Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
177 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000178 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000179
180To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
181it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
182
183
184Sublist ~
185
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000186A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
187separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000188 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000189
190Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
191similar to -1. The difference is that there is no error if the items are not
192available. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000193 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
194 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
195 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000196
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000197The second index can be just before the first index. In that case the result
198is an empty list. If the second index is lower, this results in an error. >
199 :echo mylist[2:1] " result: []
200 :echo mylist[2:0] " error!
201
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000202NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
203using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
204mylist[s : e].
205
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000206
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000207List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000208 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000209When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
210variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
211change "bb": >
212 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
213 :let bb = aa
214 :call add(aa, 4)
215 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000216< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000217
218Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
219works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000220a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000221 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
222 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000223 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000224 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
225 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000226< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000227 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000228< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000229
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000230To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000231copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000232
233The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000234List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000235the same value. >
236 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
237 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
238 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000239< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000240 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000241< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000242
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000243Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
244same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000245exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
246different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
247variables. Example: >
248 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000249< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000250 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000251< 0
252
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000253Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
254can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a string: >
255
256 :let a = 5
257 :let b = "5"
258 echo a == b
259< 1 >
260 echo [a] == [b]
261< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000263
264List unpack ~
265
266To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
267square brackets, like list items: >
268 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
269
270When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
271this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
272and a variable name: >
273 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
274
275This works like: >
276 :let var1 = mylist[0]
277 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000278 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000279
280Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
281empty list then.
282
283
284List modification ~
285 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000286To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000287 :let list[4] = "four"
288 :let listlist[0][3] = item
289
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000290To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000291modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000292 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
293
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000294Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
295examples: >
296 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
297 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
298 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000299 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000300 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
301 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000302 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000303 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000304 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000305 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000307Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000308 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
309 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
310
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000311
312For loop ~
313
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000314The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
315to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000316 :for item in mylist
317 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000318 :endfor
319
320This works like: >
321 :let index = 0
322 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000323 : let item = mylist[index]
324 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325 : let index = index + 1
326 :endwhile
327
328Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000329results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000330the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000331
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000332If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000333function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000334
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000335Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
336requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
337 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
338 : call Doit(lnum, col)
339 :endfor
340
341This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
342must remain the same to avoid an error.
343
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000344It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000345 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
346 : call Doit(i, j)
347 : if !empty(rest)
348 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
349 : endif
350 :endfor
351
352
353List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000354 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000356 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000357 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000358 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
359 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
360 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000361 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
362 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000363 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
364 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000365 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
366 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000367 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
368 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000369
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000370Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
371example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
372 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
373
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003751.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000376 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000377A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000378entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
379ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000380
381
382Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000383 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000384A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000385braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
386only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000387 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
388 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000389< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000390A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
391String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000392entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
393Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000394
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396nested Dictionary: >
397 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
398
399An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
400
401
402Accessing entries ~
403
404The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
405 :let val = mydict["one"]
406 :let mydict["four"] = 4
407
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409
410For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
411form can be used |expr-entry|: >
412 :let val = mydict.one
413 :let mydict.four = 4
414
415Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
416key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000417 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000418
419
420Dictionary to List conversion ~
421
422You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
423turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
424
425Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
426 :for key in keys(mydict)
427 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
428 :endfor
429
430The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
431 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
432
433To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
434 :for v in values(mydict)
435 : echo "value: " . v
436 :endfor
437
438If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000439a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000440 :for entry in items(mydict)
441 : echo entry[0] . ': ' . entry[1]
442 :endfor
443
444
445Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000446 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000447Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
448Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
449Dictionary: >
450 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
451 :let adict = onedict
452 :let adict['a'] = 11
453 :echo onedict['a']
454 11
455
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000456Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
457more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000458
459
460Dictionary modification ~
461 *dict-modification*
462To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
463use |:let| this way: >
464 :let dict[4] = "four"
465 :let dict['one'] = item
466
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000467Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
468Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
469 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
470 :unlet dict.aaa
471 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000472
473Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000474 :call extend(adict, bdict)
475This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
476in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000477Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
478expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
479adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000480
481Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +0000482 :call filter(dict 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000483This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000484
485
486Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000487 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000488When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
489special way with a dictionary. Example: >
490 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000491 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000492 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
494 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000495
496This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
497Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
498the function was invoked from.
499
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000500It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
501Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
502
503 *numbered-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000504To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
505assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
507 :function mydict.len() dict
508 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
513that references this function. The function can only be used through a
514|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
515remaining that refers to it.
516
517It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000518
519
520Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000521 *E715*
522Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
524 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
525 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
526 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
527 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
528 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
529 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
530 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000531
532
5331.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000534 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000535If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
536function.
537
538When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
539start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
540stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
541
542When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
543start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
544stored in the session file |session-file|.
545
546variable name can be stored where ~
547my_var_6 not
548My_Var_6 session file
549MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
550
551
552It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
553|curly-braces-names|.
554
555==============================================================================
5562. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
557
558Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
559
560|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
561
562|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
563
564|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
565
566|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
567 expr5 != expr5 not equal
568 expr5 > expr5 greater than
569 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
570 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
571 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
572 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
573 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
574
575 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
576 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
577 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
578 matching case
579
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000580 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
581 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000582
583|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000584 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
585 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
586
587|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
588 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
589 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
590
591|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
592 - expr7 unary minus
593 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000594
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000595
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000596|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
597 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
598 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
599 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000600
601|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000602 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000603 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000604 [expr1, ...] |List|
605 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000606 &option option value
607 (expr1) nested expression
608 variable internal variable
609 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
610 $VAR environment variable
611 @r contents of register 'r'
612 function(expr1, ...) function call
613 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
614
615
616".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
617Example: >
618 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
619
620All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
621
622
623expr1 *expr1* *E109*
624-----
625
626expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
627
628The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
629non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
630otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
631Example: >
632 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
633
634Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
635other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
636Example: >
637 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
638
639To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
640 :echo lnum == 1
641 :\ ? "top"
642 :\ : lnum == 1000
643 :\ ? "last"
644 :\ : lnum
645
646
647expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
648---------------
649
650 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
651The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
652are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
653
654 input output ~
655n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
656zero zero zero zero
657zero non-zero non-zero zero
658non-zero zero non-zero zero
659non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
660
661The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
662
663 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
664
665Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
666
667 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
668
669Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
670arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
671
672 let a = 1
673 echo a || b
674
675This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
676so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
677
678 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
679
680This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
681only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
682
683
684expr4 *expr4*
685-----
686
687expr5 {cmp} expr5
688
689Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
690if it evaluates to true.
691
692 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
693 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
694 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
695 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
696 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
697 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000698 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000699 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
700equal == ==# ==?
701not equal != !=# !=?
702greater than > ># >?
703greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
704smaller than < <# <?
705smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
706regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
707regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000708same instance is
709different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000710
711Examples:
712"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
713"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
714"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
715
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000716 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000717A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
718"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
719Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000720
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000721 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000722A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
723equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000724recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
725
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000726 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000727A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
728equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000729
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000730When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
731referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
732the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
733using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000734different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
735is false.
736
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000737When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
738and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
739because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
740
741When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
742results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
743necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
744
745When using the operators with a trailing '#", or the short version and
746'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp().
747
748When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
749'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp().
750
751The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
752argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
753This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
754matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
755portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
756single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
757Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
758(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
759can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
760 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
761 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
762
763
764expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
765---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000766expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000767expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
768expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000769
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000770For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000771result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000772
773expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
774expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
775expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000776
777For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
778
779Note the difference between "+" and ".":
780 "123" + "456" = 579
781 "123" . "456" = "123456"
782
783When the righthand side of '/' is zero, the result is 0x7fffffff.
784When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
785
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000786None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000787
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000788
789expr7 *expr7*
790-----
791! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
792- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
793+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
794
795For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
796For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
797For '+' the number is unchanged.
798
799A String will be converted to a Number first.
800
801These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
802 !-1 == 0
803 !!8 == 1
804 --9 == 9
805
806
807expr8 *expr8*
808-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000809expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000810
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000811If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
812expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000813Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000814
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000815Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
816text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
817cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000818 :let c = getline(line("."))[col(".") - 1]
819
820If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000821String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
822compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
823
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000824If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000825for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
826error. Example: >
827 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
828
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000829Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
830|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
831error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000832
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000833
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000834expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000835
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000836If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
837from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000838expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
839encodings.
840
841If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
842string minus one is used.
843
844A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
845the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
846
847If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
848expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
849
850Examples: >
851 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
852 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
853 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
854 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
855
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000856If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
857the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
858just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000859 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
860 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
861 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
862
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000863Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
864error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000865
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000866
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000867expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000868
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000869If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
870name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
871expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000872
873The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
874but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
875
876There must not be white space before or after the dot.
877
878Examples: >
879 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
880 :echo dict.one
881 :echo dict .2
882
883Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
884always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
885
886
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000887expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000888
889When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
890
891
892
893 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000894number
895------
896number number constant *expr-number*
897
898Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
899
900
901string *expr-string* *E114*
902------
903"string" string constant *expr-quote*
904
905Note that double quotes are used.
906
907A string constant accepts these special characters:
908\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
909\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
910\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
911\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
912\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
913\X.. same as \x..
914\X. same as \x.
915\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
916 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
917\U.... same as \u....
918\b backspace <BS>
919\e escape <Esc>
920\f formfeed <FF>
921\n newline <NL>
922\r return <CR>
923\t tab <Tab>
924\\ backslash
925\" double quote
926\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
927
928Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
929
930
931literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
932---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000933'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000934
935Note that single quotes are used.
936
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000937This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000938meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000939
940Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
941to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
942 if a =~ "\\s*"
943 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000944
945
946option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
947------
948&option option value, local value if possible
949&g:option global option value
950&l:option local option value
951
952Examples: >
953 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
954 if &insertmode
955
956Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
957and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
958anyway.
959
960
961register *expr-register*
962--------
963@r contents of register 'r'
964
965The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
966Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +0000967register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
968registers.
969
970When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
971evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000972
973
974nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
975-------
976(expr1) nested expression
977
978
979environment variable *expr-env*
980--------------------
981$VAR environment variable
982
983The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
984result is an empty string.
985 *expr-env-expand*
986Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
987expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
988are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
989the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
990fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
991does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
992 :echo $version
993 :echo expand("$version")
994The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
995variable (if your shell supports it).
996
997
998internal variable *expr-variable*
999-----------------
1000variable internal variable
1001See below |internal-variables|.
1002
1003
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001004function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001005-------------
1006function(expr1, ...) function call
1007See below |functions|.
1008
1009
1010==============================================================================
10113. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1012 *E461*
1013An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1014cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1015|curly-braces-names|.
1016
1017An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001018An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1019|:unlet|.
1020Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1021been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001022
1023There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1024specified by what is prepended:
1025
1026 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1027|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1028|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
1029|global-variable| g: Global.
1030|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1031|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1032|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1033|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1034
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001035The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1036delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001037 :for k in keys(s:)
1038 : unlet s:[k]
1039 :endfor
1040<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001041 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1042A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1043Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1044This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1045|:bdelete|.
1046
1047One local buffer variable is predefined:
1048 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1049b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1050 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1051 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1052 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1053 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1054 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1055 : call My_Update()
1056 :endif
1057<
1058 *window-variable* *w:var*
1059A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1060is deleted when the window is closed.
1061
1062 *global-variable* *g:var*
1063Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1064access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1065place if you like.
1066
1067 *local-variable* *l:var*
1068Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1069But you can also prepend "l:" if you like.
1070
1071 *script-variable* *s:var*
1072In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1073accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1074
1075They can be used in:
1076- commands executed while the script is sourced
1077- functions defined in the script
1078- autocommands defined in the script
1079- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1080 defined in the script (recursively)
1081- user defined commands defined in the script
1082Thus not in:
1083- other scripts sourced from this one
1084- mappings
1085- etc.
1086
1087script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1088Take this example:
1089
1090 let s:counter = 0
1091 function MyCounter()
1092 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1093 echo s:counter
1094 endfunction
1095 command Tick call MyCounter()
1096
1097You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1098that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1099"Tick" was defined is used.
1100
1101Another example that does the same: >
1102
1103 let s:counter = 0
1104 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1105
1106When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001107script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001108defined.
1109
1110The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1111function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1112
1113 let s:counter = 0
1114 function StartCounting(incr)
1115 if a:incr
1116 function MyCounter()
1117 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1118 endfunction
1119 else
1120 function MyCounter()
1121 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1122 endfunction
1123 endif
1124 endfunction
1125
1126This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1127when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1128called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1129
1130When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1131They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1132maintain a counter: >
1133
1134 if !exists("s:counter")
1135 let s:counter = 1
1136 echo "script executed for the first time"
1137 else
1138 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1139 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1140 endif
1141
1142Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1143variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1144
1145
1146Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1147
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001148 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1149v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1150 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1151 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1152
1153 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1154v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1155 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1156
1157 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1158v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1159 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1160
1161 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001162v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1163 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1164 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1165 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001166 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1167 highlighted text is used.
1168 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1169
1170 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1171v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1172 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1173
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001174 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1175v:charconvert_from
1176 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1177 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1178
1179 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1180v:charconvert_to
1181 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1182 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1183
1184 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1185v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1186 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1187 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1188 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1189 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1190 possible to append this variable directly after the
1191 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1192 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1193 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1194 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1195 in 'printexpr'.
1196
1197 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1198v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1199 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1200 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1201 can be used.
1202
1203 *v:count* *count-variable*
1204v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1205 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1206 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1207< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1208 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001209 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001210 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1211
1212 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1213v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1214 used.
1215
1216 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1217v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1218 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1219 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1220 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1221 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1222 command.
1223 See |multi-lang|.
1224
1225 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1226v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1227 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1228 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1229 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1230 Example: >
1231 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1232<
1233 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1234v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1235 Example: >
1236 :let v:errmsg = ""
1237 :silent! next
1238 :if v:errmsg != ""
1239 : ... handle error
1240< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1241
1242 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1243v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1244 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1245 Example: >
1246 :try
1247 : throw "oops"
1248 :catch /.*/
1249 : echo "caught" v:exception
1250 :endtry
1251< Output: "caught oops".
1252
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001253 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1254v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1255 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1256 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1257 deleted file no longer exists
1258 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1259 changed and buffer is modified
1260 changed file contents has changed
1261 mode mode of file changed
1262 time only file timestamp changed
1263
1264 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1265v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1266 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1267 do with the affected buffer:
1268 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1269 the file was deleted).
1270 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1271 was no autocommand. Except that when
1272 only the timestamp changed nothing
1273 will happen.
1274 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1275 everything that needs to be done.
1276 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1277 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1278
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001279 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001280v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001281 option used for ~
1282 'charconvert' file to be converted
1283 'diffexpr' original file
1284 'patchexpr' original file
1285 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001286 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001287
1288 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1289v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1290 evaluating:
1291 option used for ~
1292 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1293 'diffexpr' output of diff
1294 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1295 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1296 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1297 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1298 file and different from v:fname_in.
1299
1300 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1301v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1302 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1303
1304 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1305v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1306 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1307
1308 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1309v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1310 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001311 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001312
1313 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1314v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001315 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001316
1317 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1318v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001319 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001320
1321 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1322v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001323 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001324
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001325 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1326v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1327 events. Values:
1328 i Insert mode
1329 r Replace mode
1330 v Virtual Replace mode
1331
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001332 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001333v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001334 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1335 Read-only.
1336
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001337 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1338v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1339 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1340 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1341 The value is system dependent.
1342 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1343 command.
1344 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1345 in a different language than what is used for character
1346 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1347
1348 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1349v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1350 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1351 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1352 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1353 command. See |multi-lang|.
1354
1355 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001356v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00001357 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'. Only valid
1358 while one of these expressions is being evaluated. Read-only
1359 when in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001360
1361 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1362v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1363 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1364 you want to cancel Visual mode and then use the count. >
1365 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1366< Read-only.
1367
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001368 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1369v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1370 See |profiling|.
1371
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001372 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1373v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1374 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1375 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1376 Read-only.
1377
1378 *v:register* *register-variable*
1379v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1380 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1381
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001382 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1383v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1384 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1385 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1386 typed command.
1387 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1388 hit-enter prompt.
1389
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001390 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1391v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1392 Read-only.
1393
1394 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1395v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1396 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1397 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1398 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1399 executed. Read-only.
1400 Example: >
1401 :!mv foo bar
1402 :if v:shell_error
1403 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1404 :endif
1405< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1406
1407 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1408v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1409
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001410 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1411v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1412 the swap file found. Read-only.
1413
1414 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1415v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1416 for handling an existing swap file:
1417 'o' Open read-only
1418 'e' Edit anyway
1419 'r' Recover
1420 'd' Delete swapfile
1421 'q' Quit
1422 'a' Abort
1423 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1424 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1425 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1426
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001427 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001428v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001429 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1430 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1431 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
1432
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001433 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1434v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1435 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1436 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1437 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1438 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1439 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1440 terminal.
1441 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1442 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1443 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1444 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1445 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1446
1447 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1448v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1449 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1450 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1451 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1452
1453 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1454v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1455 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1456 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1457 Example: >
1458 :try
1459 : throw "oops"
1460 :catch /.*/
1461 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1462 :endtry
1463< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1464
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001465 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001466v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
1467 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001468 |filter()|. Read-only.
1469
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001470 *v:version* *version-variable*
1471v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1472 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1473 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1474 compatibility.
1475 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1476 if has("patch123")
1477< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1478 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1479 completely different.
1480
1481 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1482v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1483
1484==============================================================================
14854. Builtin Functions *functions*
1486
1487See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1488
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001489(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001490
1491USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1492
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001493add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001494append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001495append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001496argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001497argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001498argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
1499browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1500 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001501browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001502bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001503buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1504bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001505bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1506bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1507bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1508byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001509byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001510call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1511 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001512char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001513cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001514col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001515complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1516complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001517confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1518 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001519copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001520count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1521 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001522cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1523 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001524cursor( {lnum}, {col}) Number position cursor at {lnum}, {col}
1525deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001526delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1527did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001528diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1529diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001530empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001531escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001532eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001533eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001534executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1535exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
1536expand( {expr}) String expand special keywords in {expr}
1537filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001538filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1539 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001540finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
1541 String Find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001542findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001543 String Find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001544filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
1545fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001546foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1547foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001548foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001549foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001550foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001551function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001552get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001553get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001554getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1555 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001556getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1557getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001558getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
1559getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1560getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001561getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001562getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001563getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1564getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001565getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001566getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001567getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001568getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1569getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001570getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001571getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001572getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001573getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001574getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1575getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1576getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) variable {varname} in window {nr}
1577glob( {expr}) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1578globpath( {path}, {expr}) String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1579has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001580has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001581hasmapto( {what} [, {mode}]) Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
1582histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1583histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1584histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1585histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1586hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1587hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1588hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001589iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1590indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001591index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1592 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001593input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1594 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001595inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001596inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1597inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001598inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001599insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001600isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001601islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001602items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001603join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001604keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001605len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1606libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001607libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1608line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1609line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001610lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001611localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001612map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001613maparg( {name}[, {mode}]) String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1614mapcheck( {name}[, {mode}]) String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001615match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001616 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001617matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001618 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001619matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1620 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001621matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1622 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001623max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1624min({list}) Number minumum value of items in {list}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001625mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1626 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001627mode() String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001628nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1629nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
1630prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00001631printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001632pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001633range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1634 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001635readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1636 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001637remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1638 String send expression
1639remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1640remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1641 Number check for reply string
1642remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1643remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1644 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001645remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001646remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001647rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1648repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1649resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001650reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001651search( {pattern} [, {flags}]) Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00001652searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1653 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001654searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001655 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001656searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001657 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001658searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001659 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001660server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1661 Number send reply string
1662serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1663setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1664setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1665setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001666setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1667 Number modify location list using {list}
1668setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001669setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001670setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001671simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001672sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001673soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001674spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001675spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1676 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001677split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001678 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001679strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001680stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1681 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001682string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001683strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1684strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1685 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001686strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1687 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001688strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001689submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001690substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1691 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001692synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001693synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1694 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1695synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001696system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001697tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1698tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1699tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1700 Number number of current window in tab page
1701taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00001702tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001703tempname() String name for a temporary file
1704tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1705toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001706tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1707 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001708type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001709values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001710virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1711visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1712winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1713wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1714winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1715winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001716winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001717winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001718winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001719writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1720 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001721
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001722add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001723 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1724 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001725 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1726 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001727< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00001728 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001729 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001730
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001731
1732append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001733 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1734 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00001735 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1736 the current buffer.
1737 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001738 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1739 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001740 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001741 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001742<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001743 *argc()*
1744argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1745 current window. See |arglist|.
1746
1747 *argidx()*
1748argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1749 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1750
1751 *argv()*
1752argv({nr}) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
1753 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1754 Example: >
1755 :let i = 0
1756 :while i < argc()
1757 : let f = escape(argv(i), '. ')
1758 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
1759 : let i = i + 1
1760 :endwhile
1761<
1762 *browse()*
1763browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1764 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
1765 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1766 The input fields are:
1767 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
1768 {title} title for the requester
1769 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1770 {default} default file name
1771 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1772 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1773
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001774 *browsedir()*
1775browsedir({title}, {initdir})
1776 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
1777 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
1778 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
1779 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
1780 to be used.
1781 The input fields are:
1782 {title} title for the requester
1783 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
1784 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
1785 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
1786
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001787bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
1788 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1789 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001790 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001791 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001792 exactly. The name can be:
1793 - Relative to the current directory.
1794 - A full path.
1795 - The name of a buffer with 'filetype' set to "nofile".
1796 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001797 Unlisted buffers will be found.
1798 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
1799 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
1800 long name to be able to find them.
1801 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
1802 file name.
1803 *buffer_exists()*
1804 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
1805
1806buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
1807 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1808 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001809 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001810
1811bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
1812 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
1813 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001814 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001815
1816bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
1817 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
1818 ":ls" command.
1819 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
1820 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
1821 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
1822 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
1823 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
1824 match an empty string is returned.
1825 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
1826 alternate buffer.
1827 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
1828 or middle of the buffer name is accepted.
1829 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
1830 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
1831 buffers are searched for.
1832 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
1833 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
1834 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
1835< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
1836 string is returned. >
1837 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
1838 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
1839 bufname("%") name of current buffer
1840 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
1841< *buffer_name()*
1842 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
1843
1844 *bufnr()*
1845bufnr({expr}) The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
1846 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
1847 above. If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
1848 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
1849 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
1850< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
1851 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
1852 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
1853 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
1854 *buffer_number()*
1855 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
1856 *last_buffer_nr()*
1857 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
1858
1859bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
1860 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
1861 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
1862 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
1863 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
1864
1865 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
1866
1867< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
1868 |:wincmd|.
1869
1870
1871byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
1872 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
1873 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
1874 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
1875 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
1876 one.
1877 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
1878 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
1879 feature}
1880
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00001881byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
1882 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
1883 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
1884 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
1885 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
1886 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
1887 Example : >
1888 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
1889< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
1890 same: >
1891 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
1892 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
1893< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
1894 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
1895 is returned.
1896
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001897call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001898 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001899 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001900 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001901 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
1902 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001903 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
1904 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001905
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001906char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
1907 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
1908 char2nr(" ") returns 32
1909 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
1910< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00001911 char2nr("?") returns 225
1912 char2nr("?"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001913< nr2char() does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001914
1915cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
1916 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
1917 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
1918 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
1919 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
1920 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
1921 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00001922 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001923
1924 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001925col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001926 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
1927 . the cursor position
1928 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
1929 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
1930 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
1931 returned)
1932 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
1933 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
1934 Examples: >
1935 col(".") column of cursor
1936 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
1937 col("'t") column of mark t
1938 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
1939< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
1940 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
1941 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
1942 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
1943 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
1944 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
1945 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
1946 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
1947<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001948
1949complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
1950 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
1951 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
1952 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
1953 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
1954 the list.
1955
1956complete_check() *complete_check()*
1957 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
1958 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
1959 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
1960 zero otherwise.
1961 Only to be used by the function specified with the
1962 'completefunc' option.
1963
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001964 *confirm()*
1965confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1966 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
1967 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
1968 choice this is 1.
1969 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
1970 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
1971 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
1972 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
1973 used (and translated).
1974 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
1975 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
1976 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
1977 by '\n', e.g. >
1978 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
1979< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
1980 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
1981 not need to be the first letter: >
1982 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
1983< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
1984 the default shortcut key.
1985 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
1986 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
1987 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
1988 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
1989 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
1990 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
1991 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
1992 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
1993 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
1994 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
1995 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
1996
1997 An example: >
1998 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
1999 :if choice == 0
2000 : echo "make up your mind!"
2001 :elseif choice == 3
2002 : echo "tasteful"
2003 :else
2004 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2005 :endif
2006< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2007 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
2008 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
2009 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2010 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2011 the horizontal layout is always used.
2012
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002013 *copy()*
2014copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2015 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002016 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2017 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002018 copy, and vise versa. But the items are identical, thus
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002019 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002020 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002021
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002022count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002023 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002024 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002025 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002026 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002027 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2028
2029
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002030 *cscope_connection()*
2031cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2032 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2033 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2034 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2035 if there are no cscope connections;
2036 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2037
2038 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2039 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2040
2041 {num} Description of existence check
2042 ----- ------------------------------
2043 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2044 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2045 {dbpath}.
2046 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2047 {dbpath}.
2048 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2049 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2050 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2051 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2052
2053 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2054
2055 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2056
2057 # pid database name prepend path
2058 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2059<
2060 Invocation Return Val ~
2061 ---------- ---------- >
2062 cscope_connection() 1
2063 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2064 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2065 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2066 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2067 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2068 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2069 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2070<
2071cursor({lnum}, {col}) *cursor()*
2072 Positions the cursor at the column {col} in the line {lnum}.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002073 The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002074 Does not change the jumplist.
2075 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2076 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2077 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002078 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002079 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2080 line.
2081 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
2082
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002083
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002084deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002085 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2086 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002087 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2088 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
2089 copy, and vise versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002090 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002091 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2092 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2093 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2094 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2095 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2096 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002097 *E724*
2098 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002099 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2100 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002101 Also see |copy()|.
2102
2103delete({fname}) *delete()*
2104 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002105 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2106 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002107 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002108
2109 *did_filetype()*
2110did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2111 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2112 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2113 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2114 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2115 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2116 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2117 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2118 file.
2119
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002120diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2121 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2122 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2123 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2124 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2125 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2126 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2127 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2128
2129diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2130 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2131 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2132 diff change zero is returned.
2133 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2134 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2135 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2136 line.
2137 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2138 syntax information about the highlighting.
2139
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002140empty({expr}) *empty()*
2141 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002142 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
2143 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2144 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2145 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002146
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002147escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2148 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2149 backslash. Example: >
2150 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2151< results in: >
2152 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002153
2154< *eval()*
2155eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2156 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2157 This works for Numbers, Strings and composites of them.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002158 Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002159
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002160eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2161 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2162 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2163 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2164 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2165
2166executable({expr}) *executable()*
2167 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2168 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002169 arguments.
2170 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2171 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2172 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2173 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2174 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2175 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2176 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2177 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2178 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2179 extension.
2180 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2181 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002182 The result is a Number:
2183 1 exists
2184 0 does not exist
2185 -1 not implemented on this system
2186
2187 *exists()*
2188exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2189 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2190 which contains one of these:
2191 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2192 not if it really works)
2193 +option-name Vim option that works.
2194 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2195 done by comparing with an empty
2196 string)
2197 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2198 or user defined function (see
2199 |user-functions|).
2200 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002201 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002202 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2203 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
2204 that this may cause functions to be
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002205 invoked cause an error message for an
2206 invalid expression.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002207 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2208 command or command modifier |:command|.
2209 Returns:
2210 1 for match with start of a command
2211 2 full match with a command
2212 3 matches several user commands
2213 To check for a supported command
2214 always check the return value to be 2.
2215 #event autocommand defined for this event
2216 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2217 pattern (the pattern is taken
2218 literally and compared to the
2219 autocommand patterns character by
2220 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002221 #group autocommand group exists
2222 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2223 event.
2224 #group#event#pattern
2225 autocommand defined for this group,
2226 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002227 ##event autocommand for this event is
2228 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002229 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2230
2231 Examples: >
2232 exists("&shortname")
2233 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2234 exists("*strftime")
2235 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2236 exists("bufcount")
2237 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002238 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002239 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002240 exists("#filetypeindent")
2241 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2242 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002243 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002244< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2245 name.
2246 Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2247 variable itself! For example: >
2248 exists(bufcount)
2249< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
2250 but gets the contents of "bufcount", and checks if that
2251 exists.
2252
2253expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2254 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2255 The result is a String.
2256
2257 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2258 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2259 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2260
2261 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2262 for a non-existing file is not included.
2263
2264 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2265 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2266 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2267
2268 % current file name
2269 # alternate file name
2270 #n alternate file name n
2271 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2272 <afile> autocmd file name
2273 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2274 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2275 <sfile> sourced script file name
2276 <cword> word under the cursor
2277 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2278 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2279 message |server2client()|
2280 Modifiers:
2281 :p expand to full path
2282 :h head (last path component removed)
2283 :t tail (last path component only)
2284 :r root (one extension removed)
2285 :e extension only
2286
2287 Example: >
2288 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2289< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2290 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2291 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2292< Use this: >
2293 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2294< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2295 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2296 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2297 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2298 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2299<
2300 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2301 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2302 to modify normal file names.
2303
2304 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2305 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2306 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2307 '/' added.
2308
2309 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2310 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2311 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2312 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002313 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2314 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2315 files in the current directory and below: >
2316 :echo expand("**/README")
2317<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002318 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2319 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2320 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2321 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2322 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2323 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2324 "$FOOBAR".
2325
2326 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2327 getting the raw output of an external command.
2328
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002329extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002330 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2331 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002332
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002333 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002334 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2335 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2336 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2337 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002338 Examples: >
2339 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2340 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002341< Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2342 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002343 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002344<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002345 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002346 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2347 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2348 used to decide what to do:
2349 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2350 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00002351 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002352 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2353
2354 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2355 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2356 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2357 Returns {expr1}.
2358
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002359
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002360filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2361 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2362 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2363 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2364 expression, which is used as a String.
2365 *file_readable()*
2366 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2367
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002368
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002369filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002370 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002371 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002372 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002373 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002374 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002375 Examples: >
2376 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2377< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2378 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2379< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2380 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002381< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002382
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002383 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2384 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2385 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2386
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002387 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2388 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002389 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002390
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002391< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002392 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2393 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002394
2395
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002396finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
2397 Find directory {name} in {path}.
2398 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2399 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
2400 {name} in {path}.
2401 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
2402 When the found directory is below the current directory a
2403 relative path is returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
2404 Example: >
2405 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2406< Searches from the current directory upwards until it finds
2407 the file "tags.vim".
2408 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2409
2410findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2411 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
2412
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002413filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2414 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2415 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2416 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If (file) is a
2417 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2418
2419fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2420 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2421 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2422 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2423 Example: >
2424 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2425< results in: >
2426 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2427< Note: Environment variables and "~" don't work in {fname}, use
2428 |expand()| first then.
2429
2430foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2431 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2432 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2433 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2434
2435foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2436 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2437 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2438 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2439
2440foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2441 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2442 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2443 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2444 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2445 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2446 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2447 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2448 previous line is usually available.
2449
2450 *foldtext()*
2451foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2452 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2453 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2454 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2455 The returned string looks like this: >
2456 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2457< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2458 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2459 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2460 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2461 options is removed.
2462 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2463
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002464foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2465 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2466 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2467 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2468 returned.
2469 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2470 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2471 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2472 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2473
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002474 *foreground()*
2475foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2476 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2477 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2478 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2479 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2480 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2481 Win32 console version}
2482
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002483
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002484function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002485 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002486 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2487
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002488
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002489garbagecollect() *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002490 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002491 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2492 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2493 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
2494 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
2495 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002496 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
2497 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
2498 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00002499
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002500get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002501 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002502 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
2503 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002504get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002505 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002506 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
2507 {default} is omitted.
2508
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002509 *getbufline()*
2510getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002511 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
2512 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
2513 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002514
2515 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2516
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002517 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
2518 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002519
2520 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002521 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002522
2523 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2524 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002525 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002526 returned.
2527
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00002528 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002529 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00002530
2531 Example: >
2532 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002533
2534getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
2535 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
2536 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
2537 must be used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002538 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
2539 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
2540 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002541 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
2542 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
2543 returned, there is no error message.
2544 Examples: >
2545 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
2546 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
2547<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002548getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
2549 Get a single character from the user. If it is an 8-bit
2550 character, the result is a number. Otherwise a String is
2551 returned with the encoded character. For a special key it's a
2552 sequence of bytes starting with 0x80 (decimal: 128).
2553 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
2554 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
2555 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
2556 not consumed. If a normal character is
2557 available, it is returned, otherwise a
2558 non-zero value is returned.
2559 If a normal character available, it is returned as a Number.
2560 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
2561 The returned value is zero if no character is available.
2562 The returned value is a string of characters for special keys
2563 and when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used.
2564 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
2565 user that a character has to be typed.
2566 There is no mapping for the character.
2567 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
2568 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
2569 sequence. Examples: >
2570 getchar() == "\<Del>"
2571 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
2572< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
2573 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
2574 :function FindChar()
2575 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
2576 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
2577 : normal l
2578 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
2579 : break
2580 : endif
2581 : endwhile
2582 :endfunction
2583
2584getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
2585 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
2586 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
2587 These values are added together:
2588 2 shift
2589 4 control
2590 8 alt (meta)
2591 16 mouse double click
2592 32 mouse triple click
2593 64 mouse quadruple click
2594 128 Macintosh only: command
2595 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
2596 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
2597 with no modifier.
2598
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002599getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
2600 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
2601 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
2602 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
2603 Example: >
2604 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002605< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002606
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002607getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002608 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
2609 byte count. The first column is 1.
2610 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2611 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002612 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
2613
2614getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
2615 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
2616 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00002617 : normal Ex command
2618 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
2619 / forward search command
2620 ? backward search command
2621 @ |input()| command
2622 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00002623 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
2624 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
2625 otherwise.
2626 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002627
2628 *getcwd()*
2629getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
2630 working directory.
2631
2632getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
2633 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
2634 given file {fname}.
2635 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
2636 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
2637
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00002638getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
2639 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
2640 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
2641 |hl-Normal|.
2642 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
2643 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
2644 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
2645 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
2646 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not you your vimrc or
2647 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
2648 for a valid name does not work.
2649 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
2650 function just after the GUI has started.
2651
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002652getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
2653 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
2654 permissions of the given file {fname}.
2655 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
2656 empty string is returned.
2657 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
2658 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
2659 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
2660 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
2661 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
2662 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
2663< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
2664 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00002665
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002666getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
2667 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
2668 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
2669 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
2670 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
2671 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
2672
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00002673getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
2674 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
2675 file of the given file {fname}.
2676 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
2677 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
2678 results:
2679 Normal file "file"
2680 Directory "dir"
2681 Symbolic link "link"
2682 Block device "bdev"
2683 Character device "cdev"
2684 Socket "socket"
2685 FIFO "fifo"
2686 All other "other"
2687 Example: >
2688 getftype("/home")
2689< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
2690 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
2691 "file" are returned.
2692
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002693 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002694getline({lnum} [, {end}])
2695 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
2696 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002697 getline(1)
2698< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
2699 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
2700 To get the line under the cursor: >
2701 getline(".")
2702< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
2703 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
2704
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002705 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
2706 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002707 including line {end}.
2708 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
2709 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002710 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002711 Example: >
2712 :let start = line('.')
2713 :let end = search("^$") - 1
2714 :let lines = getline(start, end)
2715
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00002716getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
2717 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
2718 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
2719 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002720 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
2721 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002722
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002723getqflist() *getqflist()*
2724 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
2725 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
2726 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
2727 bufname() to get the name
2728 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
2729 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00002730 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
2731 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002732 nr error number
2733 text description of the error
2734 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
2735 valid non-zero: recognized error message
2736
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00002737 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
2738 returned.
2739
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00002740 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
2741 do something with them: >
2742 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
2743 :for d in getqflist()
2744 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
2745 :endfor
2746
2747
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002748getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002749 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002750 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002751 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
2752< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002753 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002754 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
2755 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
2756 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002757 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2758
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002759
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002760getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
2761 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
2762 The value will be one of:
2763 "v" for |characterwise| text
2764 "V" for |linewise| text
2765 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
2766 0 for an empty or unknown register
2767 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
2768 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
2769
2770 *getwinposx()*
2771getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
2772 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
2773 -1 if the information is not available.
2774
2775 *getwinposy()*
2776getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
2777 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
2778 information is not available.
2779
2780getwinvar({nr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
2781 The result is the value of option or local window variable
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00002782 {varname} in window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current
2783 window is used.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00002784 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
2785 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
2786 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002787 Note that the name without "w:" must be used.
2788 Examples: >
2789 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
2790 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
2791<
2792 *glob()*
2793glob({expr}) Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. The result is a String.
2794 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2795 characters.
2796 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
2797 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
2798
2799 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
2800 any external command. Example: >
2801 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
2802 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
2803< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
2804 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
2805
2806 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
2807 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
2808
2809globpath({path}, {expr}) *globpath()*
2810 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
2811 the results. Example: >
2812 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
2813< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
2814 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
2815 glob(). A path separator is inserted when needed.
2816 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
2817 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
2818 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
2819 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
2820 error message.
2821 The 'wildignore' option applies: Names matching one of the
2822 patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped.
2823
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002824 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
2825 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
2826 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
2827 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
2828<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002829 *has()*
2830has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
2831 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
2832 string. See |feature-list| below.
2833 Also see |exists()|.
2834
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002835
2836has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002837 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
2838 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002839
2840
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002841hasmapto({what} [, {mode}]) *hasmapto()*
2842 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
2843 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
2844 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
2845 {mode}.
2846 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
2847 buffer are checked for a match.
2848 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
2849 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
2850 n Normal mode
2851 v Visual mode
2852 o Operator-pending mode
2853 i Insert mode
2854 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
2855 c Command-line mode
2856 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
2857
2858 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
2859 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
2860 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
2861 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
2862 :endif
2863< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
2864 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
2865
2866histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
2867 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
2868 one of: *hist-names*
2869 "cmd" or ":" command line history
2870 "search" or "/" search pattern history
2871 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
2872 "input" or "@" input line history
2873 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
2874 shifted to become the newest entry.
2875 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
2876 otherwise 0 is returned.
2877
2878 Example: >
2879 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
2880 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
2881< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
2882
2883histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002884 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002885 for the possible values of {history}.
2886
2887 If the parameter {item} is given as String, this is seen
2888 as regular expression. All entries matching that expression
2889 will be removed from the history (if there are any).
2890 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
2891 If {item} is a Number, it will be interpreted as index, see
2892 |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will be removed
2893 if it exists.
2894
2895 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
2896 otherwise 0 is returned.
2897
2898 Examples:
2899 Clear expression register history: >
2900 :call histdel("expr")
2901<
2902 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
2903 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
2904<
2905 The following three are equivalent: >
2906 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
2907 :call histdel("search", -1)
2908 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
2909<
2910 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
2911 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
2912 :call histdel("search", -1)
2913 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
2914
2915histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
2916 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
2917 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
2918 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
2919 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
2920 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
2921
2922 Examples:
2923 Redo the second last search from history. >
2924 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
2925
2926< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
2927 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
2928 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
2929<
2930histnr({history}) *histnr()*
2931 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
2932 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
2933 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
2934
2935 Example: >
2936 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
2937<
2938hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
2939 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
2940 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
2941 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
2942 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
2943 item.
2944 *highlight_exists()*
2945 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
2946
2947 *hlID()*
2948hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
2949 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
2950 zero is returned.
2951 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
2952 group. For example, to get the background color of the
2953 "Comment" group: >
2954 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
2955< *highlightID()*
2956 Obsolete name: highlightID().
2957
2958hostname() *hostname()*
2959 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00002960 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002961 256 characters long are truncated.
2962
2963iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
2964 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
2965 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
2966 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
2967 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
2968 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
2969 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
2970 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
2971 can be done.
2972 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
2973 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
2974 UTF-8 and use: >
2975 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
2976< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
2977 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
2978 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
2979 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
2980
2981 *indent()*
2982indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
2983 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
2984 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
2985 |getline()|.
2986 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
2987
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002988
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002989index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002990 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002991 value equal to {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002992 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
2993 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002994 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
2995 case must match.
2996 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
2997 Example: >
2998 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00002999 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003000
3001
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003002input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003003 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3004 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3005 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003006 prompt to start a new line.
3007 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3008 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
3009 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
3010 for lines typed for input().
3011 Example: >
3012 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3013 : echo "Cheers!"
3014 :endif
3015<
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003016 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3017 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003018 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3019
3020< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3021 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
3022 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
3023 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
3024 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
3025 more information. Example: >
3026 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3027<
3028 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3029 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003030 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3031 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3032 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3033 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3034 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3035 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3036 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3037
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003038 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003039 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3040 :function GetFoo()
3041 : call inputsave()
3042 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3043 : call inputrestore()
3044 :endfunction
3045
3046inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3047 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3048 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3049 Example: >
3050 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3051 :if n != ""
3052 : let &sw = n
3053 :endif
3054< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3055 omitted an empty string is returned.
3056 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3057 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003058 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003059
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003060inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
3061 {textlist} must be a list of strings. This list is displayed,
3062 one string per line. The user will be prompted to enter a
3063 number, which is returned.
3064 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3065 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3066 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3067 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3068 is returned.
3069 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3070 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3071 the start of the string. Example: >
3072 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3073 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3074
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003075inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3076 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3077 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3078 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3079 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3080
3081inputsave() *inputsave()*
3082 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3083 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3084 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3085 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3086 many inputrestore() calls.
3087 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3088
3089inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3090 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3091 two exceptions:
3092 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3093 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3094 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3095 |history| stack.
3096 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3097 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003098 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003099
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003100insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003101 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003102 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3103 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3104 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3105 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003106 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003107 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3108 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3109 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003110< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003111 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003112 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003113
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003114isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3115 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3116 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3117 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3118 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3119
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003120islocked({expr}) *islocked()*
3121 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3122 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003123 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3124 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003125 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3126 :lockvar 1 alist
3127 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3128 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3129
3130< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
3131 message. Use |exists()| to check for existance.
3132
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003133items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003134 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3135 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3136 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3137 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003138
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003139
3140join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3141 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3142 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3143 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3144 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3145 add it there too: >
3146 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003147< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003148 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3149 The opposite function is |split()|.
3150
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003151keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003152 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003153 arbitrary order.
3154
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003155 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003156len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3157 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3158 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003159 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003160 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003161 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3162 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003163 Otherwise an error is given.
3164
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003165 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3166libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3167 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3168 with single argument {argument}.
3169 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3170 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3171 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3172 limited.
3173 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3174 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3175 to Vim.
3176 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3177 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3178 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3179 null-terminated string.
3180 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3181
3182 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3183 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3184 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3185 very probably crash.
3186
3187 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3188 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3189 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3190 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3191 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3192 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3193 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3194 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3195 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3196 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3197
3198 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3199 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3200 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3201 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3202 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3203 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3204 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3205 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3206 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3207 feature is present}
3208 Examples: >
3209 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3210 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3211<
3212 *libcallnr()*
3213libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3214 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3215 int instead of a string.
3216 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3217 feature is present}
3218 Example (not very useful...): >
3219 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3220 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3221<
3222 *line()*
3223line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3224 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3225 . the cursor position
3226 $ the last line in the current buffer
3227 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3228 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003229 w0 first line visible in current window
3230 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003231 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
3232 Examples: >
3233 line(".") line number of the cursor
3234 line("'t") line number of mark t
3235 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3236< *last-position-jump*
3237 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3238 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3239 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal g'\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003240
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003241line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3242 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3243 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3244 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3245 line returns 1.
3246 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3247 below the last line: >
3248 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3249< This is the file size plus one.
3250 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3251 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3252 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3253
3254lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3255 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3256 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3257 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3258 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3259 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3260 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3261
3262localtime() *localtime()*
3263 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3264 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3265
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003266
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003267map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003268 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003269 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3270 {string}.
3271 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003272 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003273 Example: >
3274 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003275< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003276
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003277 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003278 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003279 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3280 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003281
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003282 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3283 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003284 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003285
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003286< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003287 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3288 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003289
3290
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003291maparg({name}[, {mode}]) *maparg()*
3292 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3293 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003294 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003295 "n" Normal
3296 "v" Visual
3297 "o" Operator-pending
3298 "i" Insert
3299 "c" Cmd-line
3300 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3301 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003302 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003303 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3304 command. The returned String has special characters
3305 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3306 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3307 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00003308 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3309 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3310 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3311
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003312
3313mapcheck({name}[, {mode}]) *mapcheck()*
3314 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3315 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3316 {name}.
3317 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3318 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3319
3320 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3321 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3322 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3323 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3324 mapcheck("b") no no no
3325
3326 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3327 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3328 mapping for {name} exactly.
3329 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3330 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3331 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3332 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3333 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3334 then the global mappings.
3335 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3336 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3337 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3338 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3339 :endif
3340< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3341 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3342
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003343match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003344 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3345 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003346 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003347 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3348 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3349 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003350 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003351 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3352 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003353 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
3354 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 2
3355< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003356 *strpbrk()*
3357 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3358 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3359< *strcasestr()*
3360 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3361 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3362 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3363<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003364 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003365 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003366 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003367 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003368 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3369< result is again "4". >
3370 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3371< result is again "4". >
3372 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3373< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003374 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
3375 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match there.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003376 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3377 the index is counted from the end.
3378 If {start} is out of range (> strlen({expr} for a String or
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003379 > len({expr} for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003380
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00003381 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
3382 is found in a String the search for the next one starts on
3383 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
3384 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
3385< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
3386
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003387 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
3388 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
3389 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
3390 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
3391
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003392matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003393 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
3394 the match. Example: >
3395 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
3396< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00003397 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
3398 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
3399 do it with matchend(): >
3400 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
3401 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
3402< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
3403
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003404 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3405 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
3406< results in "7". >
3407 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
3408< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003409 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003410
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003411matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003412 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003413 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
3414 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
3415 in |:substitute|.
3416 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
3417
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003418matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003419 Same as match(), but return the matched string. Example: >
3420 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
3421< results in "ing".
3422 When there is no match "" is returned.
3423 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
3424 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
3425< results in "ing". >
3426 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
3427< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003428 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003429 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003430
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003431 *max()*
3432max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
3433 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3434 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003435 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003436
3437 *min()*
3438min({list}) Return the minumum value of all items in {list}.
3439 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
3440 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003441 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003442
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003443 *mkdir()* *E749*
3444mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
3445 Create directory {name}.
3446 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
3447 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
3448 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
3449 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
3450 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
3451 for others.
3452 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3453 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
3454 :if exists("*mkdir")
3455<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003456 *mode()*
3457mode() Return a string that indicates the current mode:
3458 n Normal
3459 v Visual by character
3460 V Visual by line
3461 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
3462 s Select by character
3463 S Select by line
3464 CTRL-S Select blockwise
3465 i Insert
3466 R Replace
3467 c Command-line
3468 r Hit-enter prompt
3469 This is useful in the 'statusline' option. In most other
3470 places it always returns "c" or "n".
3471
3472nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
3473 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
3474 that is not blank. Example: >
3475 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
3476< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3477 below it, zero is returned.
3478 See also |prevnonblank()|.
3479
3480nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
3481 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
3482 value {expr}. Examples: >
3483 nr2char(64) returns "@"
3484 nr2char(32) returns " "
3485< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
3486 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
3487< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
3488 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
3489 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003490 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003491
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003492prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
3493 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
3494 that is not blank. Example: >
3495 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
3496< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
3497 above it, zero is returned.
3498 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
3499
3500
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003501printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
3502 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
3503 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003504 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003505< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003506 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003507
3508 Often used items are:
3509 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003510 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
3511 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003512 %c single byte
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003513 %d decimal number
3514 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
3515 %x hex number
3516 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
3517 %X hex number using upper case letters
3518 %o octal number
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003519 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003520
3521 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
3522 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
3523 the result.
3524
3525 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003526 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003527
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003528 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003529
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003530 flags
3531 Zero or more of the following flags:
3532
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003533 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
3534 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
3535 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
3536 of the number is increased to force the first
3537 character of the output string to a zero (except
3538 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
3539 precision of zero).
3540 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
3541 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
3542 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003543
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003544 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
3545 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
3546 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
3547 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
3548 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003549
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003550 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
3551 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
3552 The converted value is padded on the right with
3553 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
3554 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003555
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003556 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
3557 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003558
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003559 + A sign must always be placed before a number
3560 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
3561 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003562
3563 field-width
3564 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003565 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
3566 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
3567 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
3568 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003569
3570 .precision
3571 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
3572 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
3573 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
3574 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
3575 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00003576 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003577
3578 type
3579 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
3580 be applied, see below.
3581
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003582 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
3583 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
3584 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
3585 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
3586 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
3587 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003588 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003589< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003590 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003591
3592 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003593
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003594 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
3595 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
3596 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
3597 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003598 conversions.
3599 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
3600 digits that must appear; if the converted value
3601 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
3602 zeros.
3603 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
3604 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
3605 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
3606 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
3607
3608 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
3609 resulting character is written.
3610
3611 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
3612 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
3613 specified are used.
3614
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003615 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
3616 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003617
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003618 Each argument can be Number or String and is converted
3619 automatically to fit the conversion specifier. Any other
3620 argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003621
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00003622 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003623 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
3624 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00003625 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00003626
3627
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003628pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
3629 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
3630 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
3631
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003632
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00003633 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003634range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003635 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003636 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
3637 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
3638 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
3639 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
3640 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003641 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
3642 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
3643 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003644 Examples: >
3645 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
3646 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
3647 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
3648 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00003649 range(0) " []
3650 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003651<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003652 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003653readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003654 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
3655 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003656 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
3657 NL appears somewhere).
3658 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
3659 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
3660 added.
3661 - No CR characters are removed.
3662 Otherwise:
3663 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
3664 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
3665 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003666 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
3667 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
3668 lines of a file: >
3669 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
3670 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
3671 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003672< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
3673 are returned, or as many as there are.
3674 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00003675 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
3676 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
3677 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003678 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
3679 the result is an empty list.
3680 Also see |writefile()|.
3681
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003682 *remote_expr()* *E449*
3683remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
3684 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
3685 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
3686 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
3687 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
3688 remote_read() is stored there.
3689 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3690 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3691 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3692 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
3693 and the result will be the empty string.
3694 Examples: >
3695 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
3696 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
3697<
3698
3699remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
3700 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
3701 This works like: >
3702 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
3703< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
3704 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
3705 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00003706 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
3707 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003708 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3709 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3710 Win32 console version}
3711
3712
3713remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
3714 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
3715 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
3716 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
3717 name of a variable.
3718 Returns zero if none are available.
3719 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
3720 See also |clientserver|.
3721 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3722 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3723 Examples: >
3724 :let repl = ""
3725 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
3726
3727remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
3728 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
3729 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
3730 See also |clientserver|.
3731 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3732 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3733 Example: >
3734 :echo remote_read(id)
3735<
3736 *remote_send()* *E241*
3737remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00003738 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
3739 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
3740 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003741 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
3742 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
3743 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003744 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
3745 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3746 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3747 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
3748 up the display.
3749 Examples: >
3750 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
3751 \ remote_read(serverid)
3752
3753 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
3754 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
3755 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
3756 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003757<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003758remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003759 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003760 return it.
3761 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
3762 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
3763 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
3764 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
3765 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003766 Example: >
3767 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003768 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003769remove({dict}, {key})
3770 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
3771 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
3772< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
3773
3774 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003775
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003776rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
3777 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
3778 should also work to move files across file systems. The
3779 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
3780 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
3781 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3782
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003783repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
3784 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
3785 result. Example: >
3786 :let seperator = repeat('-', 80)
3787< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003788 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003789 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003790 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
3791< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00003792
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003793
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003794resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
3795 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
3796 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
3797 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
3798 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
3799 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
3800 stopped after 100 iterations.
3801 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
3802 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
3803 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
3804 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
3805 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
3806
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003807 *reverse()*
3808reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
3809 {list}.
3810 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
3811 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
3812
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003813search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003814 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00003815 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003816 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
3817 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003818 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003819 'w' wrap around the end of the file
3820 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003821 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the
3822 cursor.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003823 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
3824
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003825 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
3826 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
3827 flag.
3828
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003829 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
3830 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
3831 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
3832 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
3833 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
3834< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
3835 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
3836
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003837 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
3838 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
3839 flag is used).
3840 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
3841 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003842 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003843
3844 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
3845 :let n = 1
3846 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
3847 : exe "argument " . n
3848 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
3849 : " first search to find match at start of file
3850 : normal G$
3851 : let flags = "w"
3852 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
3853 : s/foo/bar/g
3854 : let flags = "W"
3855 : endwhile
3856 : update " write the file if modified
3857 : let n = n + 1
3858 :endwhile
3859<
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00003860
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00003861searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
3862 Search for the declaration of {name}.
3863
3864 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
3865 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
3866 first match in the function.
3867
3868 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
3869 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
3870 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
3871
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00003872 Moves the cursor to the found match.
3873 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
3874 Example: >
3875 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
3876 echo getline('.')
3877 endif
3878<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003879 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003880searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003881 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
3882 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
3883 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00003884 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
3885 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
3886 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
3887 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
3888 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
3889 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003890
3891 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
3892 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
3893 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
3894 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
3895 typical use is: >
3896 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
3897< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
3898
3899 {flags} are used like with |search()|. Additionally:
3900 'n' do Not move the cursor
3901 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
3902 outer pair
3903 'm' return number of Matches instead of line number with
3904 the match; will only be > 1 when 'r' is used.
3905
3906 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
3907 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
3908 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
3909 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
3910 or a string.
3911 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
3912 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
3913 and -1 returned.
3914
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003915 For {stopline} see |search()|.
3916
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003917 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
3918 patterns are used like it's on.
3919
3920 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
3921 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
3922 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
3923 if 1
3924 if 2
3925 endif 2
3926 endif 1
3927< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
3928 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
3929 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
3930 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
3931 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
3932 "endif 2".
3933 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
3934 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
3935 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
3936 the matching start.
3937
3938 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
3939
3940 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
3941 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
3942
3943< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
3944 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
3945 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
3946 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
3947 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
3948 match.
3949 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
3950
3951 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
3952
3953< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
3954 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
3955 highlighting recognized as strings: >
3956
3957 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
3958 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
3959<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003960 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003961searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [, {stopline}]]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003962 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
3963 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
3964 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003965 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
3966 returns [0, 0].
3967>
3968 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
3969<
3970 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
3971
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003972searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline}]]) *searchpos()*
3973 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003974 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
3975 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
3976 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
3977 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00003978>
3979 :let [lnum,col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
3980<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003981server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
3982 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
3983 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
3984 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3985 Note:
3986 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003987 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003988 before calling any commands that waits for input.
3989 See also |clientserver|.
3990 Example: >
3991 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
3992<
3993serverlist() *serverlist()*
3994 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
3995 When there are no servers or the information is not available
3996 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
3997 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
3998 Example: >
3999 :echo serverlist()
4000<
4001setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4002 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4003 {val}.
4004 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4005 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4006 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4007 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4008 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4009 Examples: >
4010 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4011 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4012< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4013
4014setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4015 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
4016 {pos}. The first position is 1.
4017 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4018 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004019 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4020 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4021 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4022 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4023 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004024 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4025 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4026 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4027 line.
4028
4029setline({lnum}, {line}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004030 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {line}.
4031 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004032 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {line} will be
4033 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004034 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4035 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004036 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004037< When {line} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004038 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4039 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4040< This is equivalent to: >
4041 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4042 : call setline(n, l)
4043 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004044< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4045
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004046setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4047 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4048 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004049 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4050 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004051 Otherwise, same as setqflist().
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004052
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004053setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00004054 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4055 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4056 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4057 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004058
4059 filename name of a file
4060 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004061 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004062 col column number
4063 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
4064 when zero: "col" is byte index
4065 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004066 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004067 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004068
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004069 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4070 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4071 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004072 If the "filename" entry is not present or neither the "lnum"
4073 or "pattern" entries are present, then the item will not be
4074 handled as an error line.
4075 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4076 be used.
4077
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00004078 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
4079 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
4080 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
4081 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
4082 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
4083 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
4084
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00004085 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
4086
4087 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
4088 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
4089 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
4090
4091
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004092 *setreg()*
4093setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
4094 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
4095 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
4096 then the value is appended.
4097 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
4098 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
4099 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
4100 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
4101 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
4102 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
4103 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
4104 in the longest line (counting a <TAB> as 1 character).
4105
4106 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
4107 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
4108 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
4109 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4110
4111 Examples: >
4112 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
4113 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
4114 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
4115
4116< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
4117 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004118 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004119 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
4120 ....
4121 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
4122
4123< You can also change the type of a register by appending
4124 nothing: >
4125 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
4126
4127setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
4128 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {nr} to
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004129 {val}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004130 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
4131 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
4132 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
4133 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
4134 Examples: >
4135 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
4136 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
4137< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4138
4139simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
4140 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
4141 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
4142 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
4143 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
4144 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
4145 not removed either.
4146 Example: >
4147 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
4148< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
4149 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
4150 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
4151 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
4152 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
4153
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004154
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004155sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004156 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
4157 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4158 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
4159< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004160 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004161 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004162 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004163 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
4164 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004165 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
4166 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
4167 sorts before the second one. Example: >
4168 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
4169 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
4170 endfunc
4171 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004172<
4173
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004174 *soundfold()*
4175soundfold({word})
4176 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
4177 language in 'spellang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004178 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
4179 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00004180 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
4181 the method can be quite slow.
4182
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004183 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00004184spellbadword([{sentence}])
4185 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
4186 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
4187 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
4188 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
4189
4190 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
4191 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
4192 result is an empty string.
4193
4194 The return value is a list with two items:
4195 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
4196 - The type of the spelling error:
4197 "bad" spelling mistake
4198 "rare" rare word
4199 "local" word only valid in another region
4200 "caps" word should start with Capital
4201 Example: >
4202 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
4203< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
4204
4205 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
4206 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
4207 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004208
4209 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004210spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004211 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004212 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
4213 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
4214
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004215 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
4216 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
4217 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
4218
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004219 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
4220 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00004221 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
4222 replace a line.
4223
4224 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00004225 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
4226 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004227
4228 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00004229 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
4230 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00004231
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004232
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004233split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004234 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
4235 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
4236 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004237 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004238 removing the matched characters.
4239 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
4240 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00004241 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
4242 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004243 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004244 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004245< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004246 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00004247< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
4248 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
4249< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00004250 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
4251 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
4252< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004253
4254
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004255strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
4256 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
4257 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
4258 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
4259 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
4260 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
4261 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
4262 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
4263 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
4264 Examples: >
4265 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
4266 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
4267 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
4268 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
4269 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
4270 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004271< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4272 :if exists("*strftime")
4273
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004274stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
4275 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4276 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004277 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
4278 This can be used to find a second match: >
4279 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
4280 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
4281< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004282 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004283 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004284 See also |strridx()|.
4285 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004286 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
4287 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
4288 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004289< *strstr()* *strchr()*
4290 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
4291 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
4292
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004293 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004294string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
4295 String or a composition of them, then the result can be parsed
4296 back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004297 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004298 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004299 Number 123
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004300 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004301 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00004302 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004303 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004304
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004305 *strlen()*
4306strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004307 {expr} in bytes.
4308 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
4309 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004310
4311 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00004312<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004313 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
4314 For other types an error is given.
4315 Also see |len()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004316
4317strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
4318 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004319 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004320 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
4321 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
4322 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
4323 end of the {src}. >
4324 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
4325 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
4326 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
4327 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
4328< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
4329 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
4330 strpart(getline(line(".")), col(".") - 1, 3)
4331<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004332strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
4333 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
4334 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
4335 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
4336 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
4337 match: >
4338 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
4339 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
4340< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004341 For pattern searches use |match()|.
4342 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004343 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004344 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004345 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004346< *strrchr()*
4347 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
4348 function strrchr().
4349
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004350strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
4351 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
4352 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
4353 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
4354 echo strtrans(@a)
4355< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
4356 starting a new line.
4357
4358submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
4359 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
4360 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
4361 the whole matched text is returned.
4362 Example: >
4363 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
4364< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
4365 A line break is included as a newline character.
4366
4367substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
4368 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
4369 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
4370 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
4371 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
4372 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
4373 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
4374 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
4375 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
4376 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
4377 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
4378 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
4379 unmodified.
4380 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
4381 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
4382 Example: >
4383 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
4384< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
4385 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
4386< results in "TESTING".
4387
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004388synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004389 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004390 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004391 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
4392 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004393
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00004394 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00004395 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
4396
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004397 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
4398 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
4399 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
4400 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
4401 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
4402 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
4403 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
4404
4405 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
4406 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
4407<
4408synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
4409 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
4410 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
4411 about a syntax item.
4412 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
4413 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
4414 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
4415 used (GUI, cterm or term).
4416 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
4417 {what} result
4418 "name" the name of the syntax item
4419 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
4420 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
4421 term: empty string)
4422 "bg" background color (like "fg")
4423 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
4424 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
4425 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
4426 "bold" "1" if bold
4427 "italic" "1" if italic
4428 "reverse" "1" if reverse
4429 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
4430 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004431 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004432
4433 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
4434 cursor): >
4435 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
4436<
4437synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
4438 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
4439 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
4440 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
4441 ":highlight link" are followed.
4442
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004443system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
4444 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
4445 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
4446 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
4447 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004448 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00004449 Note: newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail. The
4450 characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also cause
4451 trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004452 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
4453 The result is a String. Example: >
4454
4455 :let files = system("ls")
4456
4457< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
4458 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
4459 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
4460 The command executed is constructed using several options:
4461 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
4462 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
4463 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
4464 concatenated commands.
4465
4466 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
4467 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00004468
4469 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
4470 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
4471 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004472 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
4473 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
4474
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004475
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004476tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004477 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004478 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
4479 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
4480 omitted the current tab page is used.
4481 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
4482 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
4483 tablist = []
4484 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
4485 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
4486 endfor
4487< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
4488
4489
4490tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004491 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4492 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
4493 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
4494 page is returned (the tab page count).
4495 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
4496
4497
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004498tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
4499 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
4500 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
4501 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
4502 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
4503 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
4504 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
4505 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
4506 Useful examples: >
4507 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
4508 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
4509< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
4510
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004511taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
4512 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00004513 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
4514 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004515 name Name of the tag.
4516 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004517 defined.
4518 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
4519 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004520 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004521 entry depends on the language specific
4522 kind values generated by the ctags
4523 tool.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004524 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004525 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004526 The "kind" entry is only available when using Exuberant ctags
4527 generated tags file. More entries may be present, depending
4528 on the content of the tags file: access, implementation,
4529 inherits and signature. Refer to the ctags documentation for
4530 information about these fields. For C code the fields
4531 "struct", "class" and "enum" may appear, they give the name of
4532 the entity the tag is contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004533
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00004534 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
4535 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004536
4537 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
4538
4539 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
4540 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
4541 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
4542
4543 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
4544 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
4545 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
4546
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004547 *tagfiles()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004548tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
4549 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00004550
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00004551
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004552tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
4553 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
4554 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
4555 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
4556 :let tmpfile = tempname()
4557 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
4558< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
4559 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
4560 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
4561 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
4562 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
4563 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
4564
4565tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
4566 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
4567 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
4568 the string).
4569
4570toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
4571 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
4572 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
4573 the string).
4574
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00004575tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
4576 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
4577 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
4578 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
4579 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
4580 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
4581 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
4582
4583 Examples: >
4584 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
4585< returns "Hello THere" >
4586 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
4587< returns "{blob}"
4588
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004589 *type()*
4590type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004591 Number: 0
4592 String: 1
4593 Funcref: 2
4594 List: 3
4595 Dictionary: 4
4596 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004597 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
4598 :if type(myvar) == type("")
4599 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
4600 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00004601 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004602
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004603values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004604 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
4605 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004606
4607
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004608virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
4609 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
4610 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
4611 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
4612 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
4613 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
4614 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
4615 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004616 For the use of {expr} see |col()|. Additionally you can use
Bram Moolenaar5c8837f2006-02-25 21:52:33 +00004617 [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line and column number. When
4618 "lnum" or "col" is out of range then virtcol() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004619 For the byte position use |col()|.
4620 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
4621 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
4622 The accepted positions are:
4623 . the cursor position
4624 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
4625 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
4626 plus one)
4627 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4628 returned)
4629 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
4630 Examples: >
4631 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
4632 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
4633 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
4634< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
4635
4636visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
4637 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
4638 used. Initially it returns an empty string, but once Visual
4639 mode has been used, it returns "v", "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a
4640 single CTRL-V character) for character-wise, line-wise, or
4641 block-wise Visual mode respectively.
4642 Example: >
4643 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
4644< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
4645 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
4646 Visual mode that was used.
4647
4648 If an expression is supplied that results in a non-zero number
4649 or a non-empty string, then the Visual mode will be cleared
4650 and the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
4651 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared.
4652
4653 *winbufnr()*
4654winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004655 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004656 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
4657 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4658 Example: >
4659 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
4660<
4661 *wincol()*
4662wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
4663 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
4664 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
4665
4666winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
4667 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
4668 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
4669 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4670 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
4671 Examples: >
4672 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
4673<
4674 *winline()*
4675winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
4676 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
4677 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004678 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
4679 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004680
4681 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004682winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
4683 window. The top window has number 1.
4684 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00004685 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004686 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
4687 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
4688 If there is no previous window 0 is returned.
4689 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
4690 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004691
4692 *winrestcmd()*
4693winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
4694 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
4695 are opened or closed and the current window is unchanged.
4696 Example: >
4697 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
4698 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
4699 :exe cmd
4700
4701winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
4702 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
4703 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
4704 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
4705 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
4706 Examples: >
4707 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
4708 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
4709 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
4710 :endif
4711<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004712 *writefile()*
4713writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004714 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004715 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
4716 Number.
4717 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
4718 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
4719 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
4720 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
4721 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
4722 to writefile().
4723 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
4724 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
4725 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
4726 fails.
4727 Also see |readfile()|.
4728 To copy a file byte for byte: >
4729 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
4730 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
4731<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004732
4733 *feature-list*
4734There are three types of features:
47351. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
4736 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
4737 :if has("cindent")
47382. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
4739 Example: >
4740 :if has("gui_running")
4741< *has-patch*
47423. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
4743 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
4744 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
4745 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
4746
4747all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
4748amiga Amiga version of Vim.
4749arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
4750arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00004751autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004752balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00004753balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004754beos BeOS version of Vim.
4755browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
4756 work.
4757builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
4758byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
4759cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
4760clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
4761clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
4762cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
4763cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
4764cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
4765comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
4766cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
4767cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
4768compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
4769debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
4770dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
4771dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
4772diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
4773digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
4774dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
4775dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
4776dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
4777ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
4778emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
4779eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
4780 true, of course!
4781ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
4782extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
4783 |'hlsearch'|
4784farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
4785file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004786filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
4787 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004788find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
4789 |+find_in_path|.
4790fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
4791 Windows this is not present).
4792folding Compiled with |folding| support.
4793footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
4794fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
4795gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
4796gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
4797gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004798gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
4799gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00004800gui_kde Compiled with KDE GUI |KVim|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004801gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
4802gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
4803gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
4804gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
4805gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
4806gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
4807hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
4808iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
4809insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
4810 Insert mode.
4811jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
4812keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
4813langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
4814libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
4815linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
4816 support.
4817lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
4818listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
4819 and the argument list |arglist|.
4820localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
4821mac Macintosh version of Vim.
4822macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
4823menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
4824mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
4825modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
4826mouse Compiled with support mouse.
4827mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
4828mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
4829mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
4830mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
4831mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
4832mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
4833multi_byte Compiled with support for editing Korean et al.
4834multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
4835multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00004836mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004837netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar009b2592004-10-24 19:18:58 +00004838netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004839ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
4840os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
4841osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
4842path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
4843perl Compiled with Perl interface.
4844postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
4845printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004846profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004847python Compiled with Python interface.
4848qnx QNX version of Vim.
4849quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
4850rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
4851ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
4852scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
4853showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
4854signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
4855smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00004856sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004857statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
4858 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
4859sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00004860spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
4861syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004862syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
4863 current buffer.
4864system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
4865tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
4866 |tag-binary-search|.
4867tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
4868 |tag-old-static|.
4869tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
4870 files |tag-any-white|.
4871tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
4872terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
4873termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
4874textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
4875tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
4876 or terminfo file.
4877title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
4878toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
4879unix Unix version of Vim.
4880user_commands User-defined commands.
4881viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
4882vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
4883vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
4884virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
4885visual Compiled with Visual mode.
4886visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
4887 |blockwise-operators|.
4888vms VMS version of Vim.
4889vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
4890wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
4891wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
4892windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
4893winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
4894win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
4895win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
4896win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
4897win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
4898win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
4899writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
4900xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
4901xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
4902xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
4903xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
4904xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
4905xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
4906 xterm screen.
4907x11 Compiled with X11 support.
4908
4909 *string-match*
4910Matching a pattern in a String
4911
4912A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
4913the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
4914everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
4915like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
4916line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
4917with ".". Example: >
4918 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
4919 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
4920 aa
4921 xx
4922 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
4923 a
4924 x
4925
4926Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
4927"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
4928"\n".
4929
4930==============================================================================
49315. Defining functions *user-functions*
4932
4933New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
4934functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
4935commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
4936
4937The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
4938builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
4939avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
4940the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
4941
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004942It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
4943|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004944
4945 *local-function*
4946A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
4947can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
4948and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
4949function from a mappings defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
4950instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
4951
4952 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
4953:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
4954
4955:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004956 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
4957 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004958 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004959
4960:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
4961 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
4962 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00004963<
4964 *:function-verbose*
4965When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
4966last defined. Example: >
4967
4968 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
4969 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
4970 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
4971<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00004972See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00004973
4974 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004975:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004976 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
4977 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
4978 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004979
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004980 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
4981 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004982 :function dict.init(arg)
4983< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
4984 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
4985 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
4986 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
4987 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
4988 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004989 *E127* *E122*
4990 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
4991 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
4992 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
4993 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00004994
4995 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
4996
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004997 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
4998 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
4999 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
5000 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
5001 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
5002 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
5003 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005004
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005005 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
5006 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005007
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005008 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005009 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00005010 local variable "self" will then be set to the
5011 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005012
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00005013 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
5014 will not be changed by the function.
5015
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005016 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
5017:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
5018 by its own, without other commands.
5019
5020 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
5021:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005022 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
5023 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005024 :delfunc dict.init
5025< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
5026 function is deleted if there are no more references to
5027 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005028 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
5029:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
5030 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
5031 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
5032 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
5033 the number 0 is returned.
5034 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
5035 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
5036
5037 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
5038 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
5039 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
5040 are executed first. This process applies to all
5041 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
5042 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
5043
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005044 *function-argument* *a:var*
5045An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
5046be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
5047 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740*
5048Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
5049arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
5050may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
5051as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005052can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
5053that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005054 *E742*
5055The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005056However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can changes their contents.
5057Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
5058it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
5059|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005060
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005061When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
5062to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
5063may be larger.
5064
5065It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
5066still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
5067until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
5068inside a function body.
5069
5070 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005071Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
5072will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
5073accessed with "g:".
5074
5075Example: >
5076 :function Table(title, ...)
5077 : echohl Title
5078 : echo a:title
5079 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005080 : echo a:0 . " items:"
5081 : for s in a:000
5082 : echon ' ' . s
5083 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005084 :endfunction
5085
5086This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005087 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
5088 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005089
5090To return more than one value, pass the name of a global variable: >
5091 :function Compute(n1, n2, divname)
5092 : if a:n2 == 0
5093 : return "fail"
5094 : endif
5095 : let g:{a:divname} = a:n1 / a:n2
5096 : return "ok"
5097 :endfunction
5098
5099This function can then be called with: >
5100 :let success = Compute(13, 1324, "div")
5101 :if success == "ok"
5102 : echo div
5103 :endif
5104
5105An alternative is to return a command that can be executed. This also works
5106with local variables in a calling function. Example: >
5107 :function Foo()
5108 : execute Bar()
5109 : echo "line " . lnum . " column " . col
5110 :endfunction
5111
5112 :function Bar()
5113 : return "let lnum = " . line(".") . " | let col = " . col(".")
5114 :endfunction
5115
5116The names "lnum" and "col" could also be passed as argument to Bar(), to allow
5117the caller to set the names.
5118
5119 *:cal* *:call* *E107*
5120:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
5121 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
5122 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
5123 used.
5124 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
5125 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
5126 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
5127 function.
5128 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
5129 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
5130 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
5131 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
5132 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
5133 this works:
5134 *function-range-example* >
5135 :function Mynumber(arg)
5136 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
5137 :endfunction
5138 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
5139<
5140 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
5141 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
5142 the range.
5143
5144 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
5145
5146 :function Cont() range
5147 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
5148 :endfunction
5149 :4,8call Cont()
5150<
5151 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
5152 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
5153
5154 *E132*
5155The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
5156option.
5157
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005158
5159AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005160 *autoload-functions*
5161When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005162only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
5163the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
5164
5165
5166Using an autocommand ~
5167
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005168This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
5169
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005170The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
5171You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
5172That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
5173again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
5174
5175Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
5176function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005177
5178 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
5179
5180The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
5181"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
5182
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005183
5184Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005185 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005186This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
5187
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005188Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
5189exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
5190like this: >
5191
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005192 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005193
5194When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
5195"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
5196"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
5197then define the function like this: >
5198
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005199 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005200 echo "Done!"
5201 endfunction
5202
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00005203The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005204exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
5205called.
5206
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005207It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
5208a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005209
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005210 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005211
5212Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
5213
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005214This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
5215
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005216 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005217
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00005218However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
5219for an unknown variable.
5220
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005221When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
5222be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
5223
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00005224 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
5225 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005226
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00005227Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
5228defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
5229function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00005230And you will get an error message every time.
5231
5232Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
5233other and vise versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
5234Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00005235
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005236==============================================================================
52376. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
5238
5239Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
5240This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
5241{} like this: >
5242 my_{adjective}_variable
5243
5244When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
5245that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
5246name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
5247"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
5248"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
5249
5250One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
5251value. For example, the statement >
5252 echo my_{&background}_message
5253
5254would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
5255on the current value of 'background'.
5256
5257You can use multiple brace pairs: >
5258 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
5259..or even nest them: >
5260 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
5261where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
5262
5263However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005264variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005265 :let foo='a + b'
5266 :echo c{foo}d
5267.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
5268
5269 *curly-braces-function-names*
5270You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
5271Example: >
5272 :let func_end='whizz'
5273 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
5274
5275This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
5276
5277==============================================================================
52787. Commands *expression-commands*
5279
5280:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
5281 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
5282 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
5283 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
5284 is created.
5285
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005286:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
5287 Set a list item to the result of the expression
5288 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
5289 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
5290 the index can be repeated.
5291 This cannot be used to add an item to a list.
5292
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005293 *E711* *E719*
5294:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005295 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
5296 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005297 correct number of items.
5298 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
5299 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
5300 When the selected range of items is partly past the
5301 end of the list, items will be added.
5302
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005303 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005304:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
5305:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
5306:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
5307 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
5308 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
5309
5310
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005311:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
5312 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
5313 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005314:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
5315 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
5316 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
5317 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005318
5319:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
5320 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
5321 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
5322 must be the name of a writable register (see
5323 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
5324 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
5325 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
5326 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
5327 characterwise.
5328 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
5329 :let @/ = ""
5330< This is different from searching for an empty string,
5331 that would match everywhere.
5332
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005333:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
5334 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
5335 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
5336
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005337:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-star*
5338 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005339 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
5340 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005341 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
5342 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00005343 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005344 Example: >
5345 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005346
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005347:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
5348 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
5349 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
5350
5351:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
5352:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
5353 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
5354 {expr1}.
5355
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005356:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005357:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5358:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
5359:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005360 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
5361 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
5362
5363:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005364:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
5365:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
5366:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005367 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
5368 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
5369
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005370:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005371 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005372 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
5373 {name2}, etc.
5374 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005375 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005376 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
5377 command as mentioned above.
5378 Example: >
5379 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005380< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
5381 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
5382 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
5383 :let x = [0, 1]
5384 :let i = 0
5385 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
5386 :echo x
5387< The result is [0, 2].
5388
5389:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
5390:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
5391:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
5392 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005393 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005394
5395:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005396 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005397 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
5398 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
5399 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00005400 Example: >
5401 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
5402<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005403:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
5404:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
5405:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
5406 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005407 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005408 *E106*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005409:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00005410 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
5411 here: *E738*
5412 g: global variables.
5413 b: local buffer variables.
5414 w: local window variables.
5415 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005416
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005417:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
5418 variable is indicated before the value:
5419 <nothing> String
5420 # Number
5421 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005422
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005423
5424:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108*
5425 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
5426 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005427 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005428 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
5429 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005430 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005431 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
5432 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005433< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00005434 :unlet dict['two']
5435 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005436
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005437:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
5438 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
5439 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
5440 A locked variable can be deleted: >
5441 :lockvar v
5442 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
5443 :unlet v
5444< *E741*
5445 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
5446 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
5447
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005448 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
5449 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
5450 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005451 cannot add or remove items, but can
5452 still change their values.
5453 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005454 the items. If an item is a |List| or
5455 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005456 items, but can still change the
5457 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005458 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
5459 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
5460 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
5461 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
5462 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005463 *E743*
5464 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
5465 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
5466 loops.
5467
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005468 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
5469 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
5470 locked when used through the other variable. Example:
5471 >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00005472 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
5473 :let cl = l
5474 :lockvar l
5475 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
5476< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
5477 See |deepcopy()|.
5478
5479
5480:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
5481 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
5482 opposite of |:lockvar|.
5483
5484
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005485:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
5486:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5487 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5488
5489 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
5490 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
5491 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
5492 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
5493 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
5494 part was not executed either.
5495
5496 You can use this to remain compatible with older
5497 versions: >
5498 :if version >= 500
5499 : version-5-specific-commands
5500 :endif
5501< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
5502 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
5503 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
5504 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
5505 avoid problems: >
5506 :if version >= 600
5507 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
5508 :endif
5509<
5510 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
5511 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
5512
5513 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
5514:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
5515 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
5516 executed.
5517
5518 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
5519:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
5520 is no extra ":endif".
5521
5522:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005523 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005524:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
5525 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
5526 When an error is detected from a command inside the
5527 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005528 Example: >
5529 :let lnum = 1
5530 :while lnum <= line("$")
5531 :call FixLine(lnum)
5532 :let lnum = lnum + 1
5533 :endwhile
5534<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005535 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005536 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005537
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00005538:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005539:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
5540 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00005541 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005542 value of each item.
5543 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005544 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00005545 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
5546 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005547 :for item in copy(mylist)
5548< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
5549 next item in the list, before executing the commands
5550 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
5551 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
5552 it will not be found. Thus the following example
5553 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
5554 :for item in mylist
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005555 :call remove(mylist, 0)
5556 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005557< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
5558 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
5559 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005560 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
5561 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
5562 to allow multiple item types.
5563
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005564:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
5565:endfo[r]
5566 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
5567 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
5568 {var2}, etc. Example: >
5569 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
5570 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
5571 :endfor
5572<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005573 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005574:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
5575 to the start of the loop.
5576 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5577 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5578 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5579 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5580 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5581 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005582
5583 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00005584:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
5585 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
5586 ":endfor".
5587 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
5588 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
5589 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
5590 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
5591 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
5592 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005593
5594:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
5595:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
5596 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
5597 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
5598 or autocommand invocations.
5599
5600 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
5601 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
5602 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
5603 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
5604 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
5605 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
5606 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
5607 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
5608 Example: >
5609 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
5610 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
5611<
5612 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
5613 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
5614 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
5615 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
5616 processing is not terminated.
5617
5618 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
5619 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
5620 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
5621 other errors are converted to a value of the form
5622 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
5623 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
5624 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
5625 the error number.
5626 Examples: >
5627 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
5628 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
5629<
5630 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
5631:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
5632 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
5633 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
5634 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
5635 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
5636 commands are skipped.
5637 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
5638 Examples: >
5639 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
5640 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
5641 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
5642 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
5643 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
5644 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
5645 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
5646 :catch " same as /.*/
5647<
5648 Another character can be used instead of / around the
5649 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
5650 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
5651 {pattern}.
5652 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
5653 an error message because it may vary in different
5654 locales.
5655
5656 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
5657:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
5658 are executed whenever the part between the matching
5659 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
5660 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
5661 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
5662 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
5663
5664 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
5665:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
5666 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
5667 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
5668 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
5669 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
5670 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
5671 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
5672 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
5673 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
5674 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
5675 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
5676 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
5677 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
5678 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
5679 is terminated.
5680 Example: >
5681 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
5682<
5683
5684 *:ec* *:echo*
5685:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
5686 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
5687 Also see |:comment|.
5688 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
5689 cursor to the first column.
5690 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5691 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5692 Example: >
5693 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
5694< A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
5695 To avoid that a command from before the ":echo" causes
5696 a redraw afterwards (redraws are often postponed until
5697 you type something), force a redraw with the |:redraw|
5698 command. Example: >
5699 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
5700<
5701 *:echon*
5702:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
5703 |:comment|.
5704 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5705 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5706 Example: >
5707 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
5708<
5709 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
5710 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
5711 command: >
5712 :!echo % --> filename
5713< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
5714 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
5715< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
5716 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
5717 :echo % --> nothing
5718< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
5719 :echo "%" --> %
5720< This just echoes the '%' character. >
5721 :echo expand("%") --> filename
5722< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
5723
5724 *:echoh* *:echohl*
5725:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
5726 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
5727 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
5728 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
5729< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
5730 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
5731
5732 *:echom* *:echomsg*
5733:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
5734 message in the |message-history|.
5735 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
5736 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
5737 displayed, not interpreted.
5738 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
5739 Example: >
5740 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
5741<
5742 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
5743:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
5744 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
5745 script or function the line number will be added.
5746 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
5747 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
5748 the message is raised as an error exception instead
5749 (see |try-echoerr|).
5750 Example: >
5751 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
5752< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
5753 And to get a beep: >
5754 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
5755<
5756 *:exe* *:execute*
5757:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
5758 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
5759 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
5760 used as the processed command, command line editing
5761 keys are not recognized.
5762 Cannot be followed by a comment.
5763 Examples: >
5764 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
5765 :execute "normal " count . "w"
5766<
5767 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
5768 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
5769 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
5770
5771< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
5772 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
5773 command: >
5774 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
5775< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
5776
5777 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005778 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
5779 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005780 :execute 'while i > 5'
5781 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
5782<
5783 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
5784 completely in the executed string: >
5785 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
5786<
5787
5788 *:comment*
5789 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
5790 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
5791 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
5792 comment. Example: >
5793 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
5794
5795==============================================================================
57968. Exception handling *exception-handling*
5797
5798The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
5799explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
5800
5801Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
5802|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
5803exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
5804
5805
5806TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
5807
5808Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
5809use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
5810a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
5811 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
5812|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
5813a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
5814be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
5815which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
5816clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
5817
5818 :try
5819 : ...
5820 : ... TRY BLOCK
5821 : ...
5822 :catch /{pattern}/
5823 : ...
5824 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
5825 : ...
5826 :catch /{pattern}/
5827 : ...
5828 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
5829 : ...
5830 :finally
5831 : ...
5832 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
5833 : ...
5834 :endtry
5835
5836The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
5837appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
5838from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
5839 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
5840is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
5841script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
5842 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
5843lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
5844patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
5845after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
5846executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
5847":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
5848(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
5849continues in the following line as usual.
5850 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
5851":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
5852that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
5853finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
5854the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
5855the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
5856see |try-nesting|.
5857 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
5858remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
5859not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
5860try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
5861a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
5862execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
5863exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
5864 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
5865thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
5866clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
5867catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
5868following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
5869clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
5870
5871The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
5872a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
5873try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
5874from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
5875sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
5876":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
5877":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
5878from the finally clause.
5879 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
5880try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
5881clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
5882":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
5883clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
5884":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
5885this pending exception or command is discarded.
5886
5887For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
5888
5889
5890NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
5891
5892Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
5893conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
5894clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
5895catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
5896of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
5897checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
5898try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
5899otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
5900nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
5901one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
5902the inner try conditional.
5903
5904When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
5905finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
5906An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
5907thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
5908implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
5909as usual.
5910
5911For examples see |throw-catch|.
5912
5913
5914EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
5915
5916Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
5917'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
5918script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
5919finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
5920a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
5921(see |debug-scripts|).
5922
5923
5924THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
5925
5926You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
5927and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
5928 :throw 4711
5929 :throw "string"
5930< *throw-expression*
5931You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
5932first, and the result is thrown: >
5933 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
5934 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
5935
5936An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
5937command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
5938The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
5939 Example: >
5940
5941 :function! Foo(arg)
5942 : try
5943 : throw a:arg
5944 : catch /foo/
5945 : endtry
5946 : return 1
5947 :endfunction
5948 :
5949 :function! Bar()
5950 : echo "in Bar"
5951 : return 4710
5952 :endfunction
5953 :
5954 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
5955
5956This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
5957executed. >
5958 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
5959however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
5960
5961Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
5962abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
5963exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
5964 Example: >
5965
5966 :if Foo("arrgh")
5967 : echo "then"
5968 :else
5969 : echo "else"
5970 :endif
5971
5972Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
5973
5974 *catch-order*
5975Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
5976commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
5977command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
5978gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
5979 Example: >
5980
5981 :function! Foo(value)
5982 : try
5983 : throw a:value
5984 : catch /^\d\+$/
5985 : echo "Number thrown"
5986 : catch /.*/
5987 : echo "String thrown"
5988 : endtry
5989 :endfunction
5990 :
5991 :call Foo(0x1267)
5992 :call Foo('string')
5993
5994The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
5995An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
5996specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
5997specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
5998
5999 : catch /.*/
6000 : echo "String thrown"
6001 : catch /^\d\+$/
6002 : echo "Number thrown"
6003
6004The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
6005never taken.
6006
6007 *throw-variables*
6008If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
6009in the variable |v:exception|: >
6010
6011 : catch /^\d\+$/
6012 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
6013
6014You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
6015|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
6016exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
6017 Example: >
6018
6019 :function! Caught()
6020 : if v:exception != ""
6021 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
6022 : else
6023 : echo 'Nothing caught'
6024 : endif
6025 :endfunction
6026 :
6027 :function! Foo()
6028 : try
6029 : try
6030 : try
6031 : throw 4711
6032 : finally
6033 : call Caught()
6034 : endtry
6035 : catch /.*/
6036 : call Caught()
6037 : throw "oops"
6038 : endtry
6039 : catch /.*/
6040 : call Caught()
6041 : finally
6042 : call Caught()
6043 : endtry
6044 :endfunction
6045 :
6046 :call Foo()
6047
6048This displays >
6049
6050 Nothing caught
6051 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
6052 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
6053 Nothing caught
6054
6055A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
6056number in the script or function where it has been used: >
6057
6058 :function! LineNumber()
6059 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
6060 :endfunction
6061 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
6062<
6063 *try-nested*
6064An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
6065a surrounding try conditional: >
6066
6067 :try
6068 : try
6069 : throw "foo"
6070 : catch /foobar/
6071 : echo "foobar"
6072 : finally
6073 : echo "inner finally"
6074 : endtry
6075 :catch /foo/
6076 : echo "foo"
6077 :endtry
6078
6079The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
6080clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
6081conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
6082
6083 *throw-from-catch*
6084You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
6085catch clause: >
6086
6087 :function! Foo()
6088 : throw "foo"
6089 :endfunction
6090 :
6091 :function! Bar()
6092 : try
6093 : call Foo()
6094 : catch /foo/
6095 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
6096 : throw "bar"
6097 : endtry
6098 :endfunction
6099 :
6100 :try
6101 : call Bar()
6102 :catch /.*/
6103 : echo "Caught" v:exception
6104 :endtry
6105
6106This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
6107
6108 *rethrow*
6109There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
6110"v:exception" instead: >
6111
6112 :function! Bar()
6113 : try
6114 : call Foo()
6115 : catch /.*/
6116 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
6117 : throw v:exception
6118 : endtry
6119 :endfunction
6120< *try-echoerr*
6121Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
6122exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
6123Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
6124denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
6125the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
6126
6127 :try
6128 : try
6129 : asdf
6130 : catch /.*/
6131 : echoerr v:exception
6132 : endtry
6133 :catch /.*/
6134 : echo v:exception
6135 :endtry
6136
6137This code displays
6138
6139 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
6140
6141
6142CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
6143
6144Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
6145user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
6146an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
6147a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
6148catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
6149a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
6150normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
6151(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
6152to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
6153clause has been executed.)
6154Example: >
6155
6156 :try
6157 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
6158 : set ts=17
6159 :
6160 : " Do the hard work here.
6161 :
6162 :finally
6163 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
6164 : unlet s:saved_ts
6165 :endtry
6166
6167This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
6168changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
6169that function or script part.
6170
6171 *break-finally*
6172Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
6173a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
6174 Example: >
6175
6176 :let first = 1
6177 :while 1
6178 : try
6179 : if first
6180 : echo "first"
6181 : let first = 0
6182 : continue
6183 : else
6184 : throw "second"
6185 : endif
6186 : catch /.*/
6187 : echo v:exception
6188 : break
6189 : finally
6190 : echo "cleanup"
6191 : endtry
6192 : echo "still in while"
6193 :endwhile
6194 :echo "end"
6195
6196This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
6197
6198 :function! Foo()
6199 : try
6200 : return 4711
6201 : finally
6202 : echo "cleanup\n"
6203 : endtry
6204 : echo "Foo still active"
6205 :endfunction
6206 :
6207 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
6208
6209This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
6210extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
6211return value.)
6212
6213 *except-from-finally*
6214Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
6215a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
6216cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
6217exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
6218 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
6219working correctly: >
6220
6221 :try
6222 : try
6223 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
6224 : while 1
6225 : endwhile
6226 : finally
6227 : unlet novar
6228 : endtry
6229 :catch /novar/
6230 :endtry
6231 :echo "Script still running"
6232 :sleep 1
6233
6234If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
6235think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
6236|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
6237
6238
6239CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
6240
6241If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
6242watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
6243presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
6244exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
6245the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
6246the error exception is.
6247 Error exceptions have the following format: >
6248
6249 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
6250or >
6251 Vim:{errmsg}
6252
6253{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
6254the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
6255when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
6256a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
6257a space.
6258
6259Examples:
6260
6261The command >
6262 :unlet novar
6263normally produces the error message >
6264 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6265which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6266 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
6267
6268The command >
6269 :dwim
6270normally produces the error message >
6271 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6272which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6273 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
6274
6275You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
6276 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
6277or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
6278 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
6279
6280Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
6281 :function nofunc
6282and >
6283 :delfunction nofunc
6284both produce the error message >
6285 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6286which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
6287 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6288or >
6289 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
6290respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
6291command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
6292 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
6293
6294Some commands like >
6295 :let x = novar
6296produce multiple error messages, here: >
6297 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6298 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6299Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
6300one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
6301 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
6302
6303You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
6304 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
6305
6306You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
6307 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
6308
6309You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
6310 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
6311<
6312 *catch-text*
6313NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
6314 :catch /No such variable/
6315only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
6316a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
6317cite the message text in a comment: >
6318 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
6319
6320
6321IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
6322
6323You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
6324
6325 :try
6326 : write
6327 :catch
6328 :endtry
6329
6330But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
6331catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
6332be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
6333
6334 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
6335
6336There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
6337writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
6338then hide the error from the user.
6339 It is much better to use >
6340
6341 :try
6342 : write
6343 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6344 :endtry
6345
6346which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
6347intentionally.
6348
6349For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
6350even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
6351command: >
6352 :silent! nunmap k
6353This works also when a try conditional is active.
6354
6355
6356CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
6357
6358When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
6359the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
6360script is not terminated, then.
6361 Example: >
6362
6363 :function! TASK1()
6364 : sleep 10
6365 :endfunction
6366
6367 :function! TASK2()
6368 : sleep 20
6369 :endfunction
6370
6371 :while 1
6372 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
6373 : try
6374 : if command == ""
6375 : continue
6376 : elseif command == "END"
6377 : break
6378 : elseif command == "TASK1"
6379 : call TASK1()
6380 : elseif command == "TASK2"
6381 : call TASK2()
6382 : else
6383 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
6384 : continue
6385 : endif
6386 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6387 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
6388 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
6389 : endtry
6390 :endwhile
6391
6392You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
6393a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
6394
6395For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
6396your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
6397command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
6398
6399
6400CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
6401
6402The commands >
6403
6404 :catch /.*/
6405 :catch //
6406 :catch
6407
6408catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
6409explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
6410a script in order to catch unexpected things.
6411 Example: >
6412
6413 :try
6414 :
6415 : " do the hard work here
6416 :
6417 :catch /MyException/
6418 :
6419 : " handle known problem
6420 :
6421 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
6422 : echo "Script interrupted"
6423 :catch /.*/
6424 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
6425 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
6426 :endtry
6427 :" end of script
6428
6429Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
6430strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
6431specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
6432 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
6433by pressing CTRL-C: >
6434
6435 :while 1
6436 : try
6437 : sleep 1
6438 : catch
6439 : endtry
6440 :endwhile
6441
6442
6443EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
6444
6445Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
6446
6447 :autocmd User x try
6448 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
6449 :autocmd User x catch
6450 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
6451 :autocmd User x endtry
6452 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
6453 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
6454 :
6455 :try
6456 : doautocmd User x
6457 :catch
6458 : echo v:exception
6459 :endtry
6460
6461This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
6462
6463 *except-autocmd-Pre*
6464For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
6465command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
6466of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
6467abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
6468 Example: >
6469
6470 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
6471 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
6472 :
6473 :try
6474 : write
6475 :catch
6476 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
6477 :endtry
6478
6479Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
6480you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
6481autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
6482script displays: >
6483
6484 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
6485<
6486 *except-autocmd-Post*
6487For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
6488command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
6489an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
6490is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
6491 Example: >
6492
6493 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
6494 :
6495 :try
6496 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6497 :catch
6498 : echo v:exception
6499 :endtry
6500
6501This just displays: >
6502
6503 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
6504
6505If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
6506fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
6507 Example: >
6508
6509 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
6510 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
6511 :
6512 :try
6513 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6514 :catch
6515 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6516 :endtry
6517<
6518You can also use ":silent!": >
6519
6520 :let x = "ok"
6521 :let v:errmsg = ""
6522 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
6523 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
6524 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
6525 :try
6526 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
6527 :catch
6528 :endtry
6529 :echo x
6530
6531This displays "after fail".
6532
6533If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
6534autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
6535
6536 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
6537 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
6538 :
6539 :try
6540 : write
6541 :catch
6542 : echo v:exception
6543 :endtry
6544<
6545 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
6546For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
6547autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
6548of the command.
6549 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
6550had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
6551some way. >
6552
6553 :if !exists("cnt")
6554 : let cnt = 0
6555 :
6556 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
6557 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
6558 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
6559 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6560 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6561 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
6562 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
6563 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
6564 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6565 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
6566 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
6567 :endif
6568 :
6569 :try
6570 : write
6571 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
6572 : if &modified
6573 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
6574 : else
6575 : echo "Error after writing"
6576 : endif
6577 :catch /^Vim(write):/
6578 : echo "Error on writing"
6579 :endtry
6580
6581When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
6582first >
6583 File successfully written!
6584then >
6585 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
6586then >
6587 Error after writing
6588etc.
6589
6590 *except-autocmd-ill*
6591You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
6592The following code is ill-formed: >
6593
6594 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
6595 :
6596 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
6597 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
6598 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
6599 :
6600 :write
6601
6602
6603EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
6604
6605Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
6606pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
6607similar things in Vim.
6608 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
6609class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
6610string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
6611 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
6612it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
6613for an error when writing "myfile".
6614 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
6615base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
6616parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
6617 Example: >
6618
6619 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
6620 : if a:a < 0
6621 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
6622 : endif
6623 :endfunction
6624 :
6625 :function! Add(a, b)
6626 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
6627 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
6628 : let c = a:a + a:b
6629 : if c < 0
6630 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
6631 : endif
6632 : return c
6633 :endfunction
6634 :
6635 :function! Div(a, b)
6636 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
6637 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
6638 : if (a:b == 0)
6639 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
6640 : endif
6641 : return a:a / a:b
6642 :endfunction
6643 :
6644 :function! Write(file)
6645 : try
6646 : execute "write" a:file
6647 : catch /^Vim(write):/
6648 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
6649 : endtry
6650 :endfunction
6651 :
6652 :try
6653 :
6654 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
6655 :
6656 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
6657 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6658 : echo "Range error in" function
6659 :
6660 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
6661 : echo "Math error"
6662 :
6663 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
6664 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
6665 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
6666 : if file !~ '^/'
6667 : let file = dir . "/" . file
6668 : endif
6669 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
6670 :
6671 :catch /^EXCEPT/
6672 : echo "Unspecified error"
6673 :
6674 :endtry
6675
6676The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
6677a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
6678exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
6679 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
6680failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
6681
6682
6683PECULIARITIES
6684 *except-compat*
6685The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
6686exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
6687and/or a catch clause.
6688
6689In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
6690continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
6691after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
6692functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
6693or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
6694(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
6695
6696This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
6697immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
6698conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
6699be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
6700termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
6701catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
6702by specifying a finally clause.)
6703
6704When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
6705behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
6706scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
6707
6708However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
6709commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
6710conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
6711script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
6712error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
6713messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
6714|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
6715not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
6716where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
6717error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
6718scripts.
6719
6720 *except-syntax-err*
6721Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
6722the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
6723clauses, however, is executed.
6724 Example: >
6725
6726 :try
6727 : try
6728 : throw 4711
6729 : catch /\(/
6730 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
6731 : catch
6732 : echo "inner catch-all"
6733 : finally
6734 : echo "inner finally"
6735 : endtry
6736 :catch
6737 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
6738 : finally
6739 : echo "outer finally"
6740 :endtry
6741
6742This displays: >
6743 inner finally
6744 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
6745 outer finally
6746The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
6747
6748 *except-single-line*
6749The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
6750a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
6751"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
6752 Example: >
6753 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
6754raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
6755argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
6756error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
6757displayed.
6758
6759 *except-several-errors*
6760When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
6761usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
6762 Example: >
6763 echo novar
6764causes >
6765 E121: Undefined variable: novar
6766 E15: Invalid expression: novar
6767The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
6768 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
6769< *except-syntax-error*
6770But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
6771the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
6772 Example: >
6773 unlet novar #
6774causes >
6775 E108: No such variable: "novar"
6776 E488: Trailing characters
6777The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
6778 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
6779This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
6780not intended by the user. Example: >
6781 try
6782 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
6783 catch /.*/
6784 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
6785 endtry
6786This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
6787a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
6788
6789==============================================================================
67909. Examples *eval-examples*
6791
6792Printing in Hex ~
6793>
6794 :" The function Nr2Hex() returns the Hex string of a number.
6795 :func Nr2Hex(nr)
6796 : let n = a:nr
6797 : let r = ""
6798 : while n
6799 : let r = '0123456789ABCDEF'[n % 16] . r
6800 : let n = n / 16
6801 : endwhile
6802 : return r
6803 :endfunc
6804
6805 :" The function String2Hex() converts each character in a string to a two
6806 :" character Hex string.
6807 :func String2Hex(str)
6808 : let out = ''
6809 : let ix = 0
6810 : while ix < strlen(a:str)
6811 : let out = out . Nr2Hex(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
6812 : let ix = ix + 1
6813 : endwhile
6814 : return out
6815 :endfunc
6816
6817Example of its use: >
6818 :echo Nr2Hex(32)
6819result: "20" >
6820 :echo String2Hex("32")
6821result: "3332"
6822
6823
6824Sorting lines (by Robert Webb) ~
6825
6826Here is a Vim script to sort lines. Highlight the lines in Vim and type
6827":Sort". This doesn't call any external programs so it'll work on any
6828platform. The function Sort() actually takes the name of a comparison
6829function as its argument, like qsort() does in C. So you could supply it
6830with different comparison functions in order to sort according to date etc.
6831>
6832 :" Function for use with Sort(), to compare two strings.
6833 :func! Strcmp(str1, str2)
6834 : if (a:str1 < a:str2)
6835 : return -1
6836 : elseif (a:str1 > a:str2)
6837 : return 1
6838 : else
6839 : return 0
6840 : endif
6841 :endfunction
6842
6843 :" Sort lines. SortR() is called recursively.
6844 :func! SortR(start, end, cmp)
6845 : if (a:start >= a:end)
6846 : return
6847 : endif
6848 : let partition = a:start - 1
6849 : let middle = partition
6850 : let partStr = getline((a:start + a:end) / 2)
6851 : let i = a:start
6852 : while (i <= a:end)
6853 : let str = getline(i)
6854 : exec "let result = " . a:cmp . "(str, partStr)"
6855 : if (result <= 0)
6856 : " Need to put it before the partition. Swap lines i and partition.
6857 : let partition = partition + 1
6858 : if (result == 0)
6859 : let middle = partition
6860 : endif
6861 : if (i != partition)
6862 : let str2 = getline(partition)
6863 : call setline(i, str2)
6864 : call setline(partition, str)
6865 : endif
6866 : endif
6867 : let i = i + 1
6868 : endwhile
6869
6870 : " Now we have a pointer to the "middle" element, as far as partitioning
6871 : " goes, which could be anywhere before the partition. Make sure it is at
6872 : " the end of the partition.
6873 : if (middle != partition)
6874 : let str = getline(middle)
6875 : let str2 = getline(partition)
6876 : call setline(middle, str2)
6877 : call setline(partition, str)
6878 : endif
6879 : call SortR(a:start, partition - 1, a:cmp)
6880 : call SortR(partition + 1, a:end, a:cmp)
6881 :endfunc
6882
6883 :" To Sort a range of lines, pass the range to Sort() along with the name of a
6884 :" function that will compare two lines.
6885 :func! Sort(cmp) range
6886 : call SortR(a:firstline, a:lastline, a:cmp)
6887 :endfunc
6888
6889 :" :Sort takes a range of lines and sorts them.
6890 :command! -nargs=0 -range Sort <line1>,<line2>call Sort("Strcmp")
6891<
6892 *sscanf*
6893There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
6894line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
6895how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
6896"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
6897 :" Set up the match bit
6898 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
6899 :"get the part matching the whole expression
6900 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
6901 :"get each item out of the match
6902 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
6903 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
6904 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
6905
6906The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
6907"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
6908
6909==============================================================================
691010. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
6911
6912When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
6913evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
6914to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
6915recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
6916and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
6917only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
6918recognized.
6919
6920Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
6921missing: >
6922
6923 :if 1
6924 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
6925 :else
6926 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
6927 :endif
6928
6929==============================================================================
693011. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
6931
6932The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
6933options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
6934these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
6935these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
Bram Moolenaarebefac62005-12-28 22:39:57 +00006936a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006937The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006938
6939These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
6940 - changing the buffer text
6941 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
6942 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
6943 - executing a shell command
6944 - reading or writing a file
6945 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00006946 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006947This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
6948
6949 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00006950:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00006951 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
6952 'foldexpr'.
6953
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00006954 *sandbox-option*
6955A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaard1f56e62006-02-22 21:25:37 +00006956have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risc. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00006957restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
6958location. Insecure in this context are:
6959- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directlry
6960- while executing in the sandbox
6961- value coming from a modeline
6962
6963Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
6964option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
6965
6966==============================================================================
696712. Textlock *textlock*
6968
6969In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
6970to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
6971is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
6972actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
6973happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
6974
6975This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
6976 - changing the buffer text
6977 - jumping to another buffer or window
6978 - editing another file
6979 - closing a window or quitting Vim
6980 - etc.
6981
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006982
6983 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: