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Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001*autocmd.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2005 Dec 11
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Automatic commands *autocommand*
8
9For a basic explanation, see section |40.3| in the user manual.
10
111. Introduction |autocmd-intro|
122. Defining autocommands |autocmd-define|
133. Removing autocommands |autocmd-remove|
144. Listing autocommands |autocmd-list|
155. Events |autocmd-events|
166. Patterns |autocmd-patterns|
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000177. Buffer-local autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|
188. Groups |autocmd-groups|
199. Executing autocommands |autocmd-execute|
2010. Using autocommands |autocmd-use|
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00002111. Disabling autocommands |autocmd-disable|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000022
23{Vi does not have any of these commands}
24{only when the |+autocmd| feature has not been disabled at compile time}
25
26==============================================================================
271. Introduction *autocmd-intro*
28
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +000029You can specify commands to be executed automatically when reading or writing
30a file, when entering or leaving a buffer or window, and when exiting Vim.
31For example, you can create an autocommand to set the 'cindent' option for
32files matching *.c. You can also use autocommands to implement advanced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000033features, such as editing compressed files (see |gzip-example|). The usual
34place to put autocommands is in your .vimrc or .exrc file.
35
36 *E203* *E204* *E143*
37WARNING: Using autocommands is very powerful, and may lead to unexpected side
38effects. Be careful not to destroy your text.
39- It's a good idea to do some testing on an expendable copy of a file first.
40 For example: If you use autocommands to decompress a file when starting to
41 edit it, make sure that the autocommands for compressing when writing work
42 correctly.
43- Be prepared for an error halfway through (e.g., disk full). Vim will mostly
44 be able to undo the changes to the buffer, but you may have to clean up the
45 changes to other files by hand (e.g., compress a file that has been
46 decompressed).
47- If the BufRead* events allow you to edit a compressed file, the FileRead*
48 events should do the same (this makes recovery possible in some rare cases).
49 It's a good idea to use the same autocommands for the File* and Buf* events
50 when possible.
51
52==============================================================================
532. Defining autocommands *autocmd-define*
54
55Note: The ":autocmd" command cannot be followed by another command, since any
56'|' is considered part of the command.
57
58 *:au* *:autocmd*
59:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
60 Add {cmd} to the list of commands that Vim will
61 execute automatically on {event} for a file matching
62 {pat}. Vim always adds the {cmd} after existing
63 autocommands, so that the autocommands execute in the
64 order in which they were given. See |autocmd-nested|
65 for [nested].
66
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000067The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> defines a buffer-local autocommand.
68See |autocmd-buflocal|.
69
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000070Note that special characters (e.g., "%", "<cword>") in the ":autocmd"
71arguments are not expanded when the autocommand is defined. These will be
72expanded when the Event is recognized, and the {cmd} is executed. The only
73exception is that "<sfile>" is expanded when the autocmd is defined. Example:
74>
75 :au BufNewFile,BufRead *.html so <sfile>:h/html.vim
76
77Here Vim expands <sfile> to the name of the file containing this line.
78
79When your .vimrc file is sourced twice, the autocommands will appear twice.
80To avoid this, put this command in your .vimrc file, before defining
81autocommands: >
82
83 :autocmd! " Remove ALL autocommands for the current group.
84
85If you don't want to remove all autocommands, you can instead use a variable
86to ensure that Vim includes the autocommands only once: >
87
88 :if !exists("autocommands_loaded")
89 : let autocommands_loaded = 1
90 : au ...
91 :endif
92
93When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
94with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group]. Note
95that [group] must have been defined before. You cannot define a new group
96with ":au group ..."; use ":augroup" for that.
97
98While testing autocommands, you might find the 'verbose' option to be useful: >
99 :set verbose=9
100This setting makes Vim echo the autocommands as it executes them.
101
102When defining an autocommand in a script, it will be able to call functions
103local to the script and use mappings local to the script. When the event is
104triggered and the command executed, it will run in the context of the script
105it was defined in. This matters if |<SID>| is used in a command.
106
107When executing the commands, the messages from one command overwrites a
108previous message. This is different from when executing the commands
109manually. Mostly the screen will not scroll up, thus there is no hit-enter
110prompt. When one command outputs two messages this can happen anyway.
111
112==============================================================================
1133. Removing autocommands *autocmd-remove*
114
115:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
116 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
117 {pat}, and add the command {cmd}. See
118 |autocmd-nested| for [nested].
119
120:au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat}
121 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
122 {pat}.
123
124:au[tocmd]! [group] * {pat}
125 Remove all autocommands associated with {pat} for all
126 events.
127
128:au[tocmd]! [group] {event}
129 Remove ALL autocommands for {event}.
130
131:au[tocmd]! [group] Remove ALL autocommands.
132
133When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
134with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group].
135
136==============================================================================
1374. Listing autocommands *autocmd-list*
138
139:au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat}
140 Show the autocommands associated with {event} and
141 {pat}.
142
143:au[tocmd] [group] * {pat}
144 Show the autocommands associated with {pat} for all
145 events.
146
147:au[tocmd] [group] {event}
148 Show all autocommands for {event}.
149
150:au[tocmd] [group] Show all autocommands.
151
152If you provide the [group] argument, Vim lists only the autocommands for
153[group]; otherwise, Vim lists the autocommands for ALL groups. Note that this
154argument behavior differs from that for defining and removing autocommands.
155
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000156In order to list buffer-local autocommands, use a pattern in the form <buffer>
157or <buffer=N>. See |autocmd-buflocal|.
158
Bram Moolenaarac6e65f2005-08-29 22:25:38 +0000159 *:autocmd-verbose*
160When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing an autocommand will also display where it
161was last defined. Example: >
162
163 :verbose autocmd BufEnter
164 FileExplorer BufEnter
165 * call s:LocalBrowse(expand("<amatch>"))
166 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/plugin/NetrwPlugin.vim
167<
168See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
169
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000170==============================================================================
1715. Events *autocmd-events* *E215* *E216*
172
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000173You can specify a comma-separated list of event names. No white space can be
174used in this list. The command applies to all the events in the list.
175
176For READING FILES there are four kinds of events possible:
177 BufNewFile starting to edit a non-existent file
178 BufReadPre BufReadPost starting to edit an existing file
179 FilterReadPre FilterReadPost read the temp file with filter output
180 FileReadPre FileReadPost any other file read
181Vim uses only one of these four kinds when reading a file. The "Pre" and
182"Post" events are both triggered, before and after reading the file.
183
184Note that the autocommands for the *ReadPre events and all the Filter events
185are not allowed to change the current buffer (you will get an error message if
186this happens). This is to prevent the file to be read into the wrong buffer.
187
188Note that the 'modified' flag is reset AFTER executing the BufReadPost
189and BufNewFile autocommands. But when the 'modified' option was set by the
190autocommands, this doesn't happen.
191
192You can use the 'eventignore' option to ignore a number of events or all
193events.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000194 *autocommand-events* *{event}*
195Vim recognizes the following events. Vim ignores the case of event names
196(e.g., you can use "BUFread" or "bufread" instead of "BufRead").
197
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000198First an overview by function with a short explanation. Then the list
199alpabetically with full explanations |autocmd-events-abc|.
200
201Name triggered by ~
202
203 Reading
204|BufNewFile| starting to edit a file that doesn't exist
205|BufReadPre| starting to edit a new buffer, before reading the file
206|BufRead| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
207|BufReadPost| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
208|BufReadCmd| before starting to edit a new buffer |Cmd-event|
209
210|FileReadPre| before reading a file with a ":read" command
211|FileReadPost| after reading a file with a ":read" command
212|FileReadCmd| before reading a file with a ":read" comman |Cmd-event|
213
214|FilterReadPre| before reading a file from a filter command
215|FilterReadPost| after reading a file from a filter command
216
217|StdinReadPre| before reading from stdin into the buffer
218|StdinReadPost| After reading from the stdin into the buffer
219
220 Writing
221|BufWrite| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
222|BufWritePre| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
223|BufWritePost| after writing the whole buffer to a file
224|BufWriteCmd| before writing the whole buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
225
226|FileWritePre| starting to write part of a buffer to a file
227|FileWritePost| after writing part of a buffer to a file
228|FileWriteCmd| before writing part of a buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
229
230|FileAppendPre| starting to append to a file
231|FileAppendPost| after appending to a file
232|FileAppendCmd| before appending to a file |Cmd-event|
233
234|FilterWritePre| starting to write a file for a filter command or diff
235|FilterWritePost| after writing a file for a filter command or diff
236
237 Buffers
238|BufAdd| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
239|BufCreate| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
240|BufDelete| before deleting a buffer from the buffer list
241|BufWipeout| before completely deleting a buffer
242
243|BufFilePre| before changing the name of the current buffer
244|BufFilePost| after changing the name of the current buffer
245
246|BufEnter| after entering a buffer
247|BufLeave| before leaving to another buffer
248|BufWinEnter| after a buffer is displayed in a window
249|BufWinLeave| before a buffer is removed from a window
250
251|BufUnload| before unloading a buffer
252|BufHidden| just after a buffer has become hidden
253|BufNew| just after creating a new buffer
254
255|SwapExists| detected an existing swap file
256
257 Options
258|FileType| when the 'filetype' option has been set
259|Syntax| when the 'syntax' option has been set
260|EncodingChanged| after the 'encoding' option has been changed
261|TermChanged| after the value of 'term' has changed
262
263 Startup and exit
264|VimEnter| after doing all the startup stuff
265|GUIEnter| after starting the GUI successfully
266|TermResponse| after the termainal response to |t_RV| is received
267
268|VimLeavePre| before exiting Vim, before writing the viminfo file
269|VimLeave| before exiting Vim, after writing the viminfo file
270
271 Various
272|FileChangedShell| Vim notices that a file changed since editing started
273|FileChangedRO| before making the first change to a read-only file
274
275|FuncUndefined| a user function is used but it isn't defined
276
277|FocusGained| Vim got input focus
278|FocusLost| Vim lost input focus
279|CursorHold| the user doesn't press a key for a while
280
281|WinEnter| after entering another window
282|WinLeave| before leaving a window
283|CmdwinEnter| after entering the command-line window
284|CmdwinLeave| before leaving the command-line window
285
286|InsertEnter| starting Insert mode
287|InsertChange| when typing <Insert> while in Insert or Replace mode
288|InsertLeave| when leaving Insert mode
289
290|ColorScheme| after loading a color scheme
291
292|RemoteReply| a reply from a server Vim was received
293
294|QuickFixCmdPre| before a quickfix command is run
295|QuickFixCmdPost| after a quickfix command is run
296
297|SessionLoadPost| after loading a session file
298
299|MenuPopup| just before showing the popup menu
300
301|User| to be used in combination with ":doautocmd"
302
303
304The alphabetical list of autocommand events: *autocmd-events-abc*
305
306 *BufCreate* *BufAdd*
307BufAdd or BufCreate Just after creating a new buffer which is
308 added to the buffer list, or adding a buffer
309 to the buffer list.
310 Also used just after a buffer in the buffer
311 list has been renamed.
312 The BufCreate event is for historic reasons.
313 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
314 current buffer "%" may be different from the
315 buffer being created "<afile>".
316 *BufDelete*
317BufDelete Before deleting a buffer from the buffer list.
318 The BufUnload may be called first (if the
319 buffer was loaded).
320 Also used just before a buffer in the buffer
321 list is renamed.
322 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
323 current buffer "%" may be different from the
324 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
325 *BufEnter*
326BufEnter After entering a buffer. Useful for setting
327 options for a file type. Also executed when
328 starting to edit a buffer, after the
329 BufReadPost autocommands.
330 *BufFilePost*
331BufFilePost After changing the name of the current buffer
332 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
333 *BufReadCmd*
334BufFilePre Before changing the name of the current buffer
335 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
336 *BufHidden*
337BufHidden Just after a buffer has become hidden. That
338 is, when there are no longer windows that show
339 the buffer, but the buffer is not unloaded or
340 deleted. Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when
341 exiting Vim.
342 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
343 current buffer "%" may be different from the
344 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
345 *BufLeave*
346BufLeave Before leaving to another buffer. Also when
347 leaving or closing the current window and the
348 new current window is not for the same buffer.
349 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
350 *BufNew*
351BufNew Just after creating a new buffer. Also used
352 just after a buffer has been renamed. When
353 the buffer is added to the buffer list BufAdd
354 will be triggered too.
355 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
356 current buffer "%" may be different from the
357 buffer being created "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000358 *BufNewFile*
359BufNewFile When starting to edit a file that doesn't
360 exist. Can be used to read in a skeleton
361 file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000362 *BufRead* *BufReadPost*
363BufRead or BufReadPost When starting to edit a new buffer, after
364 reading the file into the buffer, before
365 executing the modelines. See |BufWinEnter|
366 for when you need to do something after
367 processing the modelines.
368 This does NOT work for ":r file". Not used
369 when the file doesn't exist. Also used after
370 successfully recovering a file.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000371 *BufReadPre* *E200* *E201*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000372BufReadCmd Before starting to edit a new buffer. Should
373 read the file into the buffer. |Cmd-event|
374 *BufFilePre*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000375BufReadPre When starting to edit a new buffer, before
376 reading the file into the buffer. Not used
377 if the file doesn't exist.
378 *BufUnload*
379BufUnload Before unloading a buffer. This is when the
380 text in the buffer is going to be freed. This
381 may be after a BufWritePost and before a
382 BufDelete. Also used for all buffers that are
383 loaded when Vim is going to exit.
384 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
385 current buffer "%" may be different from the
386 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
387 *BufWinEnter*
388BufWinEnter After a buffer is displayed in a window. This
389 can be when the buffer is loaded (after
390 processing the modelines), when a hidden
391 buffer is displayed in a window (and is no
392 longer hidden) or a buffer already visible in
393 a window is also displayed in another window.
394 *BufWinLeave*
395BufWinLeave Before a buffer is removed from a window.
396 Not when it's still visible in another window.
397 Also triggered when exiting. It's triggered
398 before BufUnload or BufHidden.
399 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
400 current buffer "%" may be different from the
401 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
402 *BufWipeout*
403BufWipeout Before completely deleting a buffer. The
404 BufUnload and BufDelete events may be called
405 first (if the buffer was loaded and was in the
406 buffer list). Also used just before a buffer
407 is renamed (also when it's not in the buffer
408 list).
409 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
410 current buffer "%" may be different from the
411 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000412 *BufWrite* *BufWritePre*
413BufWrite or BufWritePre Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000414 *BufWriteCmd*
415BufWriteCmd Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
416 Should do the writing of the file and reset
Bram Moolenaar1cd871b2004-12-19 22:46:22 +0000417 'modified' if successful, unless '+' is in
418 'cpo' and writing to another file |cpo-+|.
419 The buffer contents should not be changed.
420 |Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000421 *BufWritePost*
422BufWritePost After writing the whole buffer to a file
423 (should undo the commands for BufWritePre).
424 *CmdwinEnter*
425CmdwinEnter After entering the command-line window.
426 Useful for setting options specifically for
427 this special type of window. This is
428 triggered _instead_ of BufEnter and WinEnter.
429 <afile> is set to a single character,
430 indicating the type of command-line.
431 |cmdwin-char|
432 *CmdwinLeave*
433CmdwinLeave Before leaving the command-line window.
434 Useful to clean up any global setting done
435 with CmdwinEnter. This is triggered _instead_
436 of BufLeave and WinLeave.
437 <afile> is set to a single character,
438 indicating the type of command-line.
439 |cmdwin-char|
440 *ColorScheme*
441ColorScheme After loading a color scheme. |:colorscheme|
442 *CursorHold*
443CursorHold When the user doesn't press a key for the time
444 specified with 'updatetime'. Not re-triggered
445 until the user has pressed a key (i.e. doesn't
446 fire every 'updatetime' ms if you leave Vim to
447 make some coffee. :) See |CursorHold-example|
448 for previewing tags.
449 This event is only triggered in Normal mode.
450 Note: Interactive commands cannot be used for
451 this event. There is no hit-enter prompt,
452 the screen is updated directly (when needed).
453 Note: In the future there will probably be
454 another option to set the time.
455 Hint: to force an update of the status lines
456 use: >
457 :let &ro = &ro
458< {only on Amiga, Unix, Win32, MSDOS and all GUI
459 versions}
460 *EncodingChanged*
461EncodingChanged Fires off after the 'encoding' option has been
462 changed. Useful to set up fonts, for example.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000463 *FileAppendCmd*
464FileAppendCmd Before appending to a file. Should do the
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000465 appending to the file. Use the '[ and ']
466 marks for the range of lines.|Cmd-event|
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000467 *FileAppendPost*
468FileAppendPost After appending to a file.
469 *FileAppendPre*
470FileAppendPre Before appending to a file. Use the '[ and ']
471 marks for the range of lines.
472 *FileChangedRO*
473FileChangedRO Before making the first change to a read-only
474 file. Can be used to check-out the file from
475 a source control system. Not triggered when
476 the change was caused by an autocommand.
477 This event is triggered when making the first
478 change in a buffer or the first change after
479 'readonly' was set,
480 just before the change is applied to the text.
481 WARNING: If the autocommand moves the cursor
482 the effect of the change is undefined.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000483 *FileChangedShell*
484FileChangedShell When Vim notices that the modification time of
485 a file has changed since editing started.
486 Also when the file attributes of the file
487 change. |timestamp|
488 Mostly triggered after executing a shell
489 command, but also with a |:checktime| command
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000490 or when Gvim regains input focus.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000491 This autocommand is triggered for each changed
492 file. It is not used when 'autoread' is set
493 and the buffer was not changed. If a
494 FileChangedShell autocommand is present the
495 warning message and prompt is not given.
496 This is useful for reloading related buffers
497 which are affected by a single command.
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +0000498 The |v:fcs_reason| variable is set to indicate
499 what happened and |v:fcs_choice| can be used
500 to tell Vim what to do next.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000501 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
502 current buffer "%" may be different from the
503 buffer that was changed "<afile>".
504 NOTE: The commands must not change the current
505 buffer, jump to another buffer or delete a
506 buffer. *E246*
507 NOTE: This event never nests, to avoid an
508 endless loop. This means that while executing
509 commands for the FileChangedShell event no
510 other FileChangedShell event will be
511 triggered.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000512 *FileEncoding*
513FileEncoding Obsolete. It still works and is equivalent
514 to |EncodingChanged|.
515 *FileReadCmd*
516FileReadCmd Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
517 Should do the reading of the file. |Cmd-event|
518 *FileReadPost*
519FileReadPost After reading a file with a ":read" command.
520 Note that Vim sets the '[ and '] marks to the
521 first and last line of the read. This can be
522 used to operate on the lines just read.
523 *FileReadPre*
524FileReadPre Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
525 *FileType*
526FileType When the 'filetype' option has been set.
527 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
528 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
529 the new value of 'filetype'.
530 See |filetypes|.
531 *FileWriteCmd*
532FileWriteCmd Before writing to a file, when not writing the
533 whole buffer. Should do the writing to the
534 file. Should not change the buffer. Use the
535 '[ and '] marks for the range of lines.
536 |Cmd-event|
537 *FileWritePost*
538FileWritePost After writing to a file, when not writing the
539 whole buffer.
540 *FileWritePre*
541FileWritePre Before writing to a file, when not writing the
542 whole buffer. Use the '[ and '] marks for the
543 range of lines.
544 *FilterReadPost*
545FilterReadPost After reading a file from a filter command.
546 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
547 the current buffer as with FilterReadPre.
548 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
549 *FilterReadPre* *E135*
550FilterReadPre Before reading a file from a filter command.
551 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
552 the current buffer, not the name of the
553 temporary file that is the output of the
554 filter command.
555 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
556 *FilterWritePost*
557FilterWritePost After writing a file for a filter command or
558 making a diff.
559 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
560 the current buffer as with FilterWritePre.
561 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
562 *FilterWritePre*
563FilterWritePre Before writing a file for a filter command or
564 making a diff.
565 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
566 the current buffer, not the name of the
567 temporary file that is the output of the
568 filter command.
569 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000570 *FocusGained*
571FocusGained When Vim got input focus. Only for the GUI
572 version and a few console versions where this
573 can be detected.
574 *FocusLost*
575FocusLost When Vim lost input focus. Only for the GUI
576 version and a few console versions where this
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +0000577 can be detected. May also happen when a
578 dialog pops up.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000579 *FuncUndefined*
580FuncUndefined When a user function is used but it isn't
581 defined. Useful for defining a function only
582 when it's used. Both <amatch> and <afile> are
583 set to the name of the function.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000584 See |autoload-functions|.
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000585 *GUIEnter*
586GUIEnter After starting the GUI successfully, and after
587 opening the window. It is triggered before
588 VimEnter when using gvim. Can be used to
589 position the window from a .gvimrc file: >
590 :autocmd GUIEnter * winpos 100 50
591< *InsertChange*
592InsertChange When typing <Insert> while in Insert or
593 Replace mode. The |v:insertmode| variable
594 indicates the new mode.
595 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
596 anything else that the user does not expect.
597 *InsertEnter*
598InsertEnter When starting Insert mode. Also for Replace
599 mode and Virtual Replace mode. The
600 |v:insertmode| variable indicates the mode.
601 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
602 anything else that the user does not expect.
603 *InsertLeave*
604InsertLeave When leaving Insert mode. Also when using
605 CTRL-O |i_CTRL-O|. But not for |i_CTRL-C|.
606 *MenuPopup*
607MenuPopup Just before showing the popup menu (under the
608 right mouse button). Useful for adjusting the
609 menu for what is under the cursor or mouse
610 pointer.
611 The pattern is matched against a single
612 character representing the mode:
613 n Normal
614 v Visual
615 o Operator-pending
616 i Insert
617 c Commmand line
618 *QuickFixCmdPre*
619QuickFixCmdPre Before a quickfix command is run (|:make|,
620 |:grep|, |:grepadd|, |:vimgrep|,
621 |:vimgrepadd|). The pattern is matched against
622 the command being run. When |:grep| is used
623 but 'grepprg' is set to "internal" it still
624 matches "grep".
625 This command cannot be used to set the
626 'makeprg' and 'grepprg' variables.
627 If this command causes an error, the quickfix
628 command is not executed.
629 *QuickFixCmdPost*
630QuickFixCmdPost Like QuickFixCmdPre, but after a quickfix
631 command is run.
632 *RemoteReply*
633RemoteReply When a reply from a Vim that functions as
634 server was received |server2client()|.
635 <amatch> is equal to the {serverid} from which
636 the reply was sent, and <afile> is the actual
637 reply string.
638 Note that even if an autocommand is defined,
639 the reply should be read with |remote_read()|
640 to consume it.
641 *SessionLoadPost*
642SessionLoadPost After loading the session file created using
643 the |:mksession| command.
644 *StdinReadPost*
645StdinReadPost After reading from the stdin into the buffer,
646 before executing the modelines. Only used
647 when the "-" argument was used when Vim was
648 started |--|.
649 *StdinReadPre*
650StdinReadPre Before reading from stdin into the buffer.
651 Only used when the "-" argument was used when
652 Vim was started |--|.
653 *SwapExists*
654SwapExists Detected an existing swap file when starting
655 to edit a file. Only when it is possible to
656 select a way to handle the situation, when Vim
657 would ask the user what to do.
658 The |v:swapname| variable holds the name of
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +0000659 the swap file found, <afile> the file being
660 edited. |v:swapcommand| may contain a command
661 to be executed in the opened file.
662 The commands should set the |v:swapchoice|
663 variable to a string with one character to
664 tell Vim what should be done next:
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +0000665 'o' open read-only
666 'e' edit the file anyway
667 'r' recover
668 'd' delete the swap file
669 'q' quit, don't edit the file
670 'a' abort, like hitting CTRL-C
671 When set to an empty string the user will be
672 asked, as if there was no SwapExists autocmd.
673 Note: Do not try to change the buffer, the
674 results are unpredictable.
675 *Syntax*
676Syntax When the 'syntax' option has been set.
677 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
678 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
679 the new value of 'syntax'.
680 See |:syn-on|.
681 *TermChanged*
682TermChanged After the value of 'term' has changed. Useful
683 for re-loading the syntax file to update the
684 colors, fonts and other terminal-dependent
685 settings. Executed for all loaded buffers.
686 *TermResponse*
687TermResponse After the response to |t_RV| is received from
688 the terminal. The value of |v:termresponse|
689 can be used to do things depending on the
690 terminal version.
691 *User*
692User Never executed automatically. To be used for
693 autocommands that are only executed with
694 ":doautocmd".
695 *UserGettingBored*
696UserGettingBored When the user hits CTRL-C. Just kidding! :-)
697 *VimEnter*
698VimEnter After doing all the startup stuff, including
699 loading .vimrc files, executing the "-c cmd"
700 arguments, creating all windows and loading
701 the buffers in them.
702 *VimLeave*
703VimLeave Before exiting Vim, just after writing the
704 .viminfo file. Executed only once, like
705 VimLeavePre.
706 To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
707 *VimLeavePre*
708VimLeavePre Before exiting Vim, just before writing the
709 .viminfo file. This is executed only once,
710 if there is a match with the name of what
711 happens to be the current buffer when exiting.
712 Mostly useful with a "*" pattern. >
713 :autocmd VimLeavePre * call CleanupStuff()
714< To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000715 *WinEnter*
716WinEnter After entering another window. Not done for
717 the first window, when Vim has just started.
718 Useful for setting the window height.
719 If the window is for another buffer, Vim
720 executes the BufEnter autocommands after the
721 WinEnter autocommands.
722 Note: When using ":split fname" the WinEnter
723 event is triggered after the split but before
724 the file "fname" is loaded.
725 *WinLeave*
726WinLeave Before leaving a window. If the window to be
727 entered next is for a different buffer, Vim
728 executes the BufLeave autocommands before the
729 WinLeave autocommands (but not for ":new").
730 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000731
732==============================================================================
7336. Patterns *autocmd-patterns* *{pat}*
734
735The file pattern {pat} is tested for a match against the file name in one of
736two ways:
7371. When there is no '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against only
738 the tail part of the file name (without its leading directory path).
7392. When there is a '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against the
740 both short file name (as you typed it) and the full file name (after
741 expanding it to a full path and resolving symbolic links).
742
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000743The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> is used for buffer-local
744autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|. This pattern is not matched against the name
745of a buffer.
746
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000747Examples: >
748 :autocmd BufRead *.txt set et
749Set the 'et' option for all text files. >
750
751 :autocmd BufRead /vim/src/*.c set cindent
752Set the 'cindent' option for C files in the /vim/src directory. >
753
754 :autocmd BufRead /tmp/*.c set ts=5
755If you have a link from "/tmp/test.c" to "/home/nobody/vim/src/test.c", and
756you start editing "/tmp/test.c", this autocommand will match.
757
758Note: To match part of a path, but not from the root directory, use a '*' as
759the first character. Example: >
760 :autocmd BufRead */doc/*.txt set tw=78
761This autocommand will for example be executed for "/tmp/doc/xx.txt" and
762"/usr/home/piet/doc/yy.txt". The number of directories does not matter here.
763
764
765The file name that the pattern is matched against is after expanding
766wildcards. Thus is you issue this command: >
767 :e $ROOTDIR/main.$EXT
768The argument is first expanded to: >
769 /usr/root/main.py
770Before it's matched with the pattern of the autocommand. Careful with this
771when using events like FileReadCmd, the value of <amatch> may not be what you
772expect.
773
774
775Environment variables can be used in a pattern: >
776 :autocmd BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt set expandtab
777And ~ can be used for the home directory (if $HOME is defined): >
778 :autocmd BufWritePost ~/.vimrc so ~/.vimrc
779 :autocmd BufRead ~archive/* set readonly
780The environment variable is expanded when the autocommand is defined, not when
781the autocommand is executed. This is different from the command!
782
783 *file-pattern*
784The pattern is interpreted like mostly used in file names:
785 * matches any sequence of characters
786 ? matches any single character
787 \? matches a '?'
788 . matches a '.'
789 ~ matches a '~'
790 , separates patterns
791 \, matches a ','
792 { } like \( \) in a |pattern|
793 , inside { }: like \| in a |pattern|
794 \ special meaning like in a |pattern|
795 [ch] matches 'c' or 'h'
796 [^ch] match any character but 'c' and 'h'
797
798Note that for all systems the '/' character is used for path separator (even
799MS-DOS and OS/2). This was done because the backslash is difficult to use
800in a pattern and to make the autocommands portable across different systems.
801
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000802 *autocmd-changes*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000803Matching with the pattern is done when an event is triggered. Changing the
804buffer name in one of the autocommands, or even deleting the buffer, does not
805change which autocommands will be executed. Example: >
806
807 au BufEnter *.foo bdel
808 au BufEnter *.foo set modified
809
810This will delete the current buffer and then set 'modified' in what has become
811the current buffer instead. Vim doesn't take into account that "*.foo"
812doesn't match with that buffer name. It matches "*.foo" with the name of the
813buffer at the moment the event was triggered.
814
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +0000815However, buffer-local autocommands will not be executed for a buffer that has
816been wiped out with |:bwipe|. After deleting the buffer with |:bdel| the
817buffer actually still exists (it becomes unlisted), thus the autocommands are
818still executed.
819
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000820==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00008217. Buffer-local autocommands *autocmd-buflocal* *autocmd-buffer-local*
822 *<buffer=N>* *<buffer=abuf>* *E680*
823
824Buffer-local autocommands are attached to a specific buffer. They are useful
825if the buffer does not have a name and when the name does not match a specific
826pattern. But it also means they must be explicitly added to each buffer.
827
828Instead of a pattern buffer-local autocommands use one of these forms:
829 <buffer> current buffer
830 <buffer=99> buffer number 99
831 <buffer=abuf> using <abuf> (only when executing autocommands)
832 |<abuf>|
833
834Examples: >
835 :au CursorHold <buffer> echo 'hold'
836 :au CursorHold <buffer=33> echo 'hold'
837 :au CursorHold <buffer=abuf> echo 'hold'
838
839All the commands for autocommands also work with buffer-local autocommands,
840simply use the special string instead of the pattern. Examples: >
841 :au! * <buffer> " remove buffer-local autotommands for
842 " current buffer
843 :au! * <buffer=33> " remove buffer-local autotommands for
844 " buffer #33
845 :dobuf :au! CursorHold <buffer> " remove autocmd for given event for all
846 " buffers
847 :au * <buffer> " list buffer-local autocommands for
848 " current buffer
849
850Note that when an autocommand is defined for the current buffer, it is stored
851with the buffer number. Thus it uses the form "<buffer=12>", where 12 is the
852number of the current buffer. You will see this when listing autocommands,
853for example.
854
855To test for presence of buffer-local autocommands use the |exists()| function
856as follows: >
857 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer=12>") | ... | endif
858 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer>") | ... | endif " for current buffer
859
860When a buffer is wiped out its buffer-local autocommands are also gone, of
861course. Note that when deleting a buffer, e.g., with ":bdel", it is only
862unlisted, the autocommands are still present. In order to see the removal of
863buffer-local autocommands: >
864 :set verbose=6
865
866It is not possible to define buffer-local autocommands for a non-existent
867buffer.
868
869==============================================================================
8708. Groups *autocmd-groups*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000871
872Autocommands can be put together in a group. This is useful for removing or
873executing a group of autocommands. For example, all the autocommands for
874syntax highlighting are put in the "highlight" group, to be able to execute
875":doautoall highlight BufRead" when the GUI starts.
876
877When no specific group is selected, Vim uses the default group. The default
878group does not have a name. You cannot execute the autocommands from the
879default group separately; you can execute them only by executing autocommands
880for all groups.
881
882Normally, when executing autocommands automatically, Vim uses the autocommands
883for all groups. The group only matters when executing autocommands with
884":doautocmd" or ":doautoall", or when defining or deleting autocommands.
885
886The group name can contain any characters except white space. The group name
887"end" is reserved (also in uppercase).
888
889The group name is case sensitive. Note that this is different from the event
890name!
891
892 *:aug* *:augroup*
893:aug[roup] {name} Define the autocmd group name for the
894 following ":autocmd" commands. The name "end"
895 or "END" selects the default group.
896
897 *:augroup-delete* *E367*
898:aug[roup]! {name} Delete the autocmd group {name}. Don't use
899 this if there is still an autocommand using
900 this group! This is not checked.
901
902To enter autocommands for a specific group, use this method:
9031. Select the group with ":augroup {name}".
9042. Delete any old autocommands with ":au!".
9053. Define the autocommands.
9064. Go back to the default group with "augroup END".
907
908Example: >
909 :augroup uncompress
910 : au!
911 : au BufEnter *.gz %!gunzip
912 :augroup END
913
914This prevents having the autocommands defined twice (e.g., after sourcing the
915.vimrc file again).
916
917==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00009189. Executing autocommands *autocmd-execute*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000919
920Vim can also execute Autocommands non-automatically. This is useful if you
921have changed autocommands, or when Vim has executed the wrong autocommands
922(e.g., the file pattern match was wrong).
923
924Note that the 'eventignore' option applies here too. Events listed in this
925option will not cause any commands to be executed.
926
927 *:do* *:doau* *:doautocmd* *E217*
928:do[autocmd] [group] {event} [fname]
929 Apply the autocommands matching [fname] (default:
930 current file name) for {event} to the current buffer.
931 You can use this when the current file name does not
932 match the right pattern, after changing settings, or
933 to execute autocommands for a certain event.
934 It's possible to use this inside an autocommand too,
935 so you can base the autocommands for one extension on
936 another extension. Example: >
937 :au Bufenter *.cpp so ~/.vimrc_cpp
938 :au Bufenter *.cpp doau BufEnter x.c
939< Be careful to avoid endless loops. See
940 |autocmd-nested|.
941
942 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim executes
943 the autocommands for all groups. When the [group]
944 argument is included, Vim executes only the matching
945 autocommands for that group. Note: if you use an
946 undefined group name, Vim gives you an error message.
947
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +0000948 After applying the autocommands the modelines are
949 processed, so that their overrule the settings from
950 autocommands, like what happens when editing a file.
951
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000952 *:doautoa* *:doautoall*
953:doautoa[ll] [group] {event} [fname]
954 Like ":doautocmd", but apply the autocommands to each
955 loaded buffer. Note that {fname} is used to select
956 the autocommands, not the buffers to which they are
957 applied.
958 Careful: Don't use this for autocommands that delete a
959 buffer, change to another buffer or change the
960 contents of a buffer; the result is unpredictable.
961 This command is intended for autocommands that set
962 options, change highlighting, and things like that.
963
964==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +000096510. Using autocommands *autocmd-use*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000966
967For WRITING FILES there are four possible sets of events. Vim uses only one
968of these sets for a write command:
969
970BufWriteCmd BufWritePre BufWritePost writing the whole buffer
971 FilterWritePre FilterWritePost writing to filter temp file
972FileAppendCmd FileAppendPre FileAppendPost appending to a file
973FileWriteCmd FileWritePre FileWritePost any other file write
974
975When there is a matching "*Cmd" autocommand, it is assumed it will do the
976writing. No further writing is done and the other events are not triggered.
977|Cmd-event|
978
979Note that the *WritePost commands should undo any changes to the buffer that
980were caused by the *WritePre commands; otherwise, writing the file will have
981the side effect of changing the buffer.
982
983Before executing the autocommands, the buffer from which the lines are to be
984written temporarily becomes the current buffer. Unless the autocommands
985change the current buffer or delete the previously current buffer, the
986previously current buffer is made the current buffer again.
987
988The *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands must not delete the buffer from
989which the lines are to be written.
990
991The '[ and '] marks have a special position:
992- Before the *ReadPre event the '[ mark is set to the line just above where
993 the new lines will be inserted.
994- Before the *ReadPost event the '[ mark is set to the first line that was
995 just read, the '] mark to the last line.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000996- Before executing the *WriteCmd, *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands the '[
997 mark is set to the first line that will be written, the '] mark to the last
998 line.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000999Careful: '[ and '] change when using commands that change the buffer.
1000
1001In commands which expect a file name, you can use "<afile>" for the file name
1002that is being read |:<afile>| (you can also use "%" for the current file
1003name). "<abuf>" can be used for the buffer number of the currently effective
1004buffer. This also works for buffers that doesn't have a name. But it doesn't
1005work for files without a buffer (e.g., with ":r file").
1006
1007 *gzip-example*
1008Examples for reading and writing compressed files: >
1009 :augroup gzip
1010 : autocmd!
1011 : autocmd BufReadPre,FileReadPre *.gz set bin
1012 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz '[,']!gunzip
1013 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz set nobin
1014 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz execute ":doautocmd BufReadPost " . expand("%:r")
1015 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1016 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1017
1018 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !gunzip <afile>
1019 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !mv <afile>:r <afile>
1020 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1021 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1022 :augroup END
1023
1024The "gzip" group is used to be able to delete any existing autocommands with
1025":autocmd!", for when the file is sourced twice.
1026
1027("<afile>:r" is the file name without the extension, see |:_%:|)
1028
1029The commands executed for the BufNewFile, BufRead/BufReadPost, BufWritePost,
1030FileAppendPost and VimLeave events do not set or reset the changed flag of the
1031buffer. When you decompress the buffer with the BufReadPost autocommands, you
1032can still exit with ":q". When you use ":undo" in BufWritePost to undo the
1033changes made by BufWritePre commands, you can still do ":q" (this also makes
1034"ZZ" work). If you do want the buffer to be marked as modified, set the
1035'modified' option.
1036
1037To execute Normal mode commands from an autocommand, use the ":normal"
1038command. Use with care! If the Normal mode command is not finished, the user
1039needs to type characters (e.g., after ":normal m" you need to type a mark
1040name).
1041
1042If you want the buffer to be unmodified after changing it, reset the
1043'modified' option. This makes it possible to exit the buffer with ":q"
1044instead of ":q!".
1045
1046 *autocmd-nested* *E218*
1047By default, autocommands do not nest. If you use ":e" or ":w" in an
1048autocommand, Vim does not execute the BufRead and BufWrite autocommands for
1049those commands. If you do want this, use the "nested" flag for those commands
1050in which you want nesting. For example: >
1051 :autocmd FileChangedShell *.c nested e!
1052The nesting is limited to 10 levels to get out of recursive loops.
1053
1054It's possible to use the ":au" command in an autocommand. This can be a
1055self-modifying command! This can be useful for an autocommand that should
1056execute only once.
1057
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001058If you want to skip autocommands for one command, use the |:noautocmd| command
1059modifier or the 'eventignore' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001060
1061Note: When reading a file (with ":read file" or with a filter command) and the
1062last line in the file does not have an <EOL>, Vim remembers this. At the next
1063write (with ":write file" or with a filter command), if the same line is
1064written again as the last line in a file AND 'binary' is set, Vim does not
1065supply an <EOL>. This makes a filter command on the just read lines write the
1066same file as was read, and makes a write command on just filtered lines write
1067the same file as was read from the filter. For example, another way to write
1068a compressed file: >
1069
1070 :autocmd FileWritePre *.gz set bin|'[,']!gzip
1071 :autocmd FileWritePost *.gz undo|set nobin
1072<
1073 *autocommand-pattern*
1074You can specify multiple patterns, separated by commas. Here are some
1075examples: >
1076
1077 :autocmd BufRead * set tw=79 nocin ic infercase fo=2croq
1078 :autocmd BufRead .letter set tw=72 fo=2tcrq
1079 :autocmd BufEnter .letter set dict=/usr/lib/dict/words
1080 :autocmd BufLeave .letter set dict=
1081 :autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.c,*.h set tw=0 cin noic
1082 :autocmd BufEnter *.c,*.h abbr FOR for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i)<CR>{<CR>}<Esc>O
1083 :autocmd BufLeave *.c,*.h unabbr FOR
1084
1085For makefiles (makefile, Makefile, imakefile, makefile.unix, etc.): >
1086
1087 :autocmd BufEnter ?akefile* set include=^s\=include
1088 :autocmd BufLeave ?akefile* set include&
1089
1090To always start editing C files at the first function: >
1091
1092 :autocmd BufRead *.c,*.h 1;/^{
1093
1094Without the "1;" above, the search would start from wherever the file was
1095entered, rather than from the start of the file.
1096
1097 *skeleton* *template*
1098To read a skeleton (template) file when opening a new file: >
1099
1100 :autocmd BufNewFile *.c 0r ~/vim/skeleton.c
1101 :autocmd BufNewFile *.h 0r ~/vim/skeleton.h
1102 :autocmd BufNewFile *.java 0r ~/vim/skeleton.java
1103
1104To insert the current date and time in a *.html file when writing it: >
1105
1106 :autocmd BufWritePre,FileWritePre *.html ks|call LastMod()|'s
1107 :fun LastMod()
1108 : if line("$") > 20
1109 : let l = 20
1110 : else
1111 : let l = line("$")
1112 : endif
1113 : exe "1," . l . "g/Last modified: /s/Last modified: .*/Last modified: " .
1114 : \ strftime("%Y %b %d")
1115 :endfun
1116
1117You need to have a line "Last modified: <date time>" in the first 20 lines
1118of the file for this to work. Vim replaces <date time> (and anything in the
1119same line after it) with the current date and time. Explanation:
1120 ks mark current position with mark 's'
1121 call LastMod() call the LastMod() function to do the work
1122 's return the cursor to the old position
1123The LastMod() function checks if the file is shorter than 20 lines, and then
1124uses the ":g" command to find lines that contain "Last modified: ". For those
1125lines the ":s" command is executed to replace the existing date with the
1126current one. The ":execute" command is used to be able to use an expression
1127for the ":g" and ":s" commands. The date is obtained with the strftime()
1128function. You can change its argument to get another date string.
1129
1130When entering :autocmd on the command-line, completion of events and command
1131names may be done (with <Tab>, CTRL-D, etc.) where appropriate.
1132
1133Vim executes all matching autocommands in the order that you specify them.
1134It is recommended that your first autocommand be used for all files by using
1135"*" as the file pattern. This means that you can define defaults you like
1136here for any settings, and if there is another matching autocommand it will
1137override these. But if there is no other matching autocommand, then at least
1138your default settings are recovered (if entering this file from another for
1139which autocommands did match). Note that "*" will also match files starting
1140with ".", unlike Unix shells.
1141
1142 *autocmd-searchpat*
1143Autocommands do not change the current search patterns. Vim saves the current
1144search patterns before executing autocommands then restores them after the
1145autocommands finish. This means that autocommands do not affect the strings
1146highlighted with the 'hlsearch' option. Within autocommands, you can still
1147use search patterns normally, e.g., with the "n" command.
1148If you want an autocommand to set the search pattern, such that it is used
1149after the autocommand finishes, use the ":let @/ =" command.
1150The search-highlighting cannot be switched off with ":nohlsearch" in an
1151autocommand. Use the 'h' flag in the 'viminfo' option to disable search-
1152highlighting when starting Vim.
1153
1154 *Cmd-event*
1155When using one of the "*Cmd" events, the matching autocommands are expected to
1156do the file reading or writing. This can be used when working with a special
1157kind of file, for example on a remote system.
1158CAREFUL: If you use these events in a wrong way, it may have the effect of
1159making it impossible to read or write the matching files! Make sure you test
1160your autocommands properly. Best is to use a pattern that will never match a
1161normal file name, for example "ftp://*".
1162
1163When defining a BufReadCmd it will be difficult for Vim to recover a crashed
1164editing session. When recovering from the original file, Vim reads only those
1165parts of a file that are not found in the swap file. Since that is not
1166possible with a BufReadCmd, use the |:preserve| command to make sure the
1167original file isn't needed for recovery. You might want to do this only when
1168you expect the file to be modified.
1169
1170The |v:cmdarg| variable holds the "++enc=" and "++ff=" argument that are
1171effective. These should be used for the command that reads/writes the file.
1172The |v:cmdbang| variable is one when "!" was used, zero otherwise.
1173
1174See the $VIMRUNTIME/plugin/netrw.vim for examples.
1175
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001176==============================================================================
117711. Disabling autocommands *autocmd-disable*
1178
1179To disable autocommands for some time use the 'eventignore' option. Note that
1180this may cause unexpected behavior, make sure you restore 'eventignore'
1181afterwards, using a |:try| block with |:finally|.
1182
1183 *:noautocmd* *:noa*
1184To disable autocommands for just one command use the ":noautocmd" command
1185modifier. This will set 'eventignore' to "all" for the duration of the
1186following command. Example: >
1187
1188 :noautocmd w fname.gz
1189
1190This will write the file without triggering the autocommands defined by the
1191gzip plugin.
1192
Bram Moolenaarb5bf5b82004-12-24 14:35:23 +00001193
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001194 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: