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Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.3. Last change: 2011 May 17
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002
3
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005
6
7Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
8
9Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
10
11Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000012done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000013|no-eval-feature|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000014
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000151. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +000017 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +000018 1.3 Lists |Lists|
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000019 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000212. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
223. Internal variable |internal-variables|
234. Builtin Functions |functions|
245. Defining functions |user-functions|
256. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
267. Commands |expression-commands|
278. Exception handling |exception-handling|
289. Examples |eval-examples|
2910. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
3011. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00003112. Textlock |textlock|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000032
33{Vi does not have any of these commands}
34
35==============================================================================
361. Variables *variables*
37
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000381.1 Variable types ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +000039 *E712*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000040There are six types of variables:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000041
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000042Number A 32 bit signed number. |expr-number| *Number*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000043 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
44
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000045Float A floating point number. |floating-point-format| *Float*
46 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
47 Examples: 123.456 1.15e-6 -1.1e3
48
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000049String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000050 |expr-string| Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +000051
52Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
53 Example: function("strlen")
54
55List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
56 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000057
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +000058Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
59 value. |Dictionary|
60 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
61
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000062The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
63are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000064
65Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020066the Number. Examples:
67 Number 123 --> String "123" ~
68 Number 0 --> String "0" ~
69 Number -1 --> String "-1" ~
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +020070 *octal*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000071Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
72to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
Bram Moolenaar24ea3ba2010-09-19 19:01:21 +020073the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples:
74 String "456" --> Number 456 ~
75 String "6bar" --> Number 6 ~
76 String "foo" --> Number 0 ~
77 String "0xf1" --> Number 241 ~
78 String "0100" --> Number 64 ~
79 String "-8" --> Number -8 ~
80 String "+8" --> Number 0 ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000081
82To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
83 :echo "0100" + 0
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +000084< 64 ~
85
86To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
87base, use |str2nr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000088
89For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
90
91Note that in the command >
92 :if "foo"
93"foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
94use strlen(): >
95 :if strlen("foo")
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +000096< *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
97List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +000098
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +000099 *E805* *E806* *E808*
100When mixing Number and Float the Number is converted to Float. Otherwise
101there is no automatic conversion of Float. You can use str2float() for String
102to Float, printf() for Float to String and float2nr() for Float to Number.
103
104 *E706* *sticky-type-checking*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000105You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
106to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000107equivalent though, as well are Float and Number. Consider this sequence of
108commands: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000109 :let l = "string"
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000110 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000111 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error! l is still a Number
112 :let l = 4.4 " changes type from Number to Float
113 :let l = "string" " error!
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000114
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000115
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001161.2 Function references ~
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +0000117 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000118A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000119in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
120around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000121
122 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
123 :echo Fn()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000124< *E704* *E705* *E707*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000125A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
126cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000127
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000128A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
129Dictionary entry. Example: >
130 :function dict.init() dict
131 : let self.val = 0
132 :endfunction
133
134The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
135function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
136
137A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
138 :call Fn()
139 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000140
141The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000142 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000143
144You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
145arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000146 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000147
148
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001491.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000150 *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000151A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000152can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000153position in the sequence.
154
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000155
156List creation ~
157 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000158A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000159Examples: >
160 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
161 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000162
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000163An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000164List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000165 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000166
167An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
168
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000169
170List index ~
171 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000172An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000173after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
174 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000175 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000176
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000177When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000178 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000179<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000180A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
181the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000182 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
183
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000184To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000185is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000186 :echo get(mylist, idx)
187 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
188
189
190List concatenation ~
191
192Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
193 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000194 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000195
196To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
197it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
198
199
200Sublist ~
201
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000202A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
203separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000204 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000205
206Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000207similar to -1. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000208 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
209 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
210 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000211
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000212If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
213before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
214message.
215
216If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
217length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000218 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
219 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
220
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000221NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000222using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000223mylist[s : e].
224
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000225
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000226List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000227 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000228When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
229variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
230change "bb": >
231 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
232 :let bb = aa
233 :call add(aa, 4)
234 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000235< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000236
237Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
238works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000239a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000240 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
241 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000242 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000243 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
244 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000245< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000246 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000247< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000248
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000249To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000250copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000251
252The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000253List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000254the same value. >
255 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
256 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
257 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000258< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000259 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000260< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000261
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000262Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
263same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000264exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
265different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
266variables. Example: >
267 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000268< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000269 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000270< 0
271
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000272Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000273can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000274
275 :let a = 5
276 :let b = "5"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000277 :echo a == b
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000278< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000279 :echo [a] == [b]
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000280< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000281
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000282
283List unpack ~
284
285To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
286square brackets, like list items: >
287 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
288
289When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
290this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
291and a variable name: >
292 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
293
294This works like: >
295 :let var1 = mylist[0]
296 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000297 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000298
299Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
300empty list then.
301
302
303List modification ~
304 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000305To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000306 :let list[4] = "four"
307 :let listlist[0][3] = item
308
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000309To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000310modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000311 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
312
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000313Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
314examples: >
315 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
316 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
317 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000318 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000319 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
320 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000321 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000322 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000323 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000324 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000325
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000326Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000327 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
328 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
329
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000330
331For loop ~
332
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000333The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
334to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000335 :for item in mylist
336 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000337 :endfor
338
339This works like: >
340 :let index = 0
341 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000342 : let item = mylist[index]
343 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000344 : let index = index + 1
345 :endwhile
346
347Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000348results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000349the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000350
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000351If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000352function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000353
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000354Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000355requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
356 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
357 : call Doit(lnum, col)
358 :endfor
359
360This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
361must remain the same to avoid an error.
362
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000363It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000364 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
365 : call Doit(i, j)
366 : if !empty(rest)
367 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
368 : endif
369 :endfor
370
371
372List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000373 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000374Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000375 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000377 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
378 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
379 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000380 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
381 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000382 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
383 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000384 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
385 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000386 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
387 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000388
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000389Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
390example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
391 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
392
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000393
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003941.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000395 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000396A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000397entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
398ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000399
400
401Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000402 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000403A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
405only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000406 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
407 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000408< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000409A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
410String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000411entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000412Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000413
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000414A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000415nested Dictionary: >
416 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
417
418An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
419
420
421Accessing entries ~
422
423The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
424 :let val = mydict["one"]
425 :let mydict["four"] = 4
426
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000427You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000428
429For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
430form can be used |expr-entry|: >
431 :let val = mydict.one
432 :let mydict.four = 4
433
434Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
435key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000436 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000437
438
439Dictionary to List conversion ~
440
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000441You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000442turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
443
444Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
445 :for key in keys(mydict)
446 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
447 :endfor
448
449The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
450 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
451
452To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
453 :for v in values(mydict)
454 : echo "value: " . v
455 :endfor
456
457If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000458a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000459 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
460 : echo key . ': ' . value
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000461 :endfor
462
463
464Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000465 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000466Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
467Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
468Dictionary: >
469 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
470 :let adict = onedict
471 :let adict['a'] = 11
472 :echo onedict['a']
473 11
474
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000475Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
476more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000477
478
479Dictionary modification ~
480 *dict-modification*
481To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
482use |:let| this way: >
483 :let dict[4] = "four"
484 :let dict['one'] = item
485
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000486Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
487Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
488 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
489 :unlet dict.aaa
490 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000491
492Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000493 :call extend(adict, bdict)
494This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
495in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000496Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
497expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
498adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000499
500Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000501 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000502This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000503
504
505Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000506 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000507When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000508special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000510 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
513 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000514
515This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
516Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
517the function was invoked from.
518
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000519It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
520Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
521
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000522 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000523To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
524assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000525 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
526 :function mydict.len() dict
527 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000528 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000529 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000531The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000532that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000533|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
534remaining that refers to it.
535
536It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000537
Bram Moolenaar1affd722010-08-04 17:49:30 +0200538If you get an error for a numbered function, you can find out what it is with
539a trick. Assuming the function is 42, the command is: >
540 :function {42}
541
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000542
543Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000544 *E715*
545Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000546 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
547 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
548 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
549 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
550 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
551 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
552 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
553 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000554
555
5561.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000557 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000558If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
559function.
560
561When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
562start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
563stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
564
565When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
566start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
567stored in the session file |session-file|.
568
569variable name can be stored where ~
570my_var_6 not
571My_Var_6 session file
572MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
573
574
575It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
576|curly-braces-names|.
577
578==============================================================================
5792. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
580
581Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
582
583|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
584
585|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
586
587|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
588
589|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
590 expr5 != expr5 not equal
591 expr5 > expr5 greater than
592 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
593 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
594 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
595 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
596 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
597
598 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
599 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
600 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
601 matching case
602
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000603 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
604 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000605
606|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000607 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
608 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
609
610|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
611 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
612 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
613
614|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
615 - expr7 unary minus
616 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000617
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000618
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000619|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
620 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
621 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
622 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000623
624|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000625 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000626 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000627 [expr1, ...] |List|
628 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000629 &option option value
630 (expr1) nested expression
631 variable internal variable
632 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
633 $VAR environment variable
634 @r contents of register 'r'
635 function(expr1, ...) function call
636 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
637
638
639".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
640Example: >
641 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
642
643All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
644
645
646expr1 *expr1* *E109*
647-----
648
649expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
650
651The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
652non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
653otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
654Example: >
655 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
656
657Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
658other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
659Example: >
660 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
661
662To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
663 :echo lnum == 1
664 :\ ? "top"
665 :\ : lnum == 1000
666 :\ ? "last"
667 :\ : lnum
668
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000669You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
670use in a variable such as "a:1".
671
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000672
673expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
674---------------
675
676 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
677The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
678are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
679
680 input output ~
681n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
682zero zero zero zero
683zero non-zero non-zero zero
684non-zero zero non-zero zero
685non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
686
687The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
688
689 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
690
691Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
692
693 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
694
695Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
696arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
697
698 let a = 1
699 echo a || b
700
701This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
702so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
703
704 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
705
706This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
707only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
708
709
710expr4 *expr4*
711-----
712
713expr5 {cmp} expr5
714
715Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
716if it evaluates to true.
717
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000718 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000719 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
720 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
721 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
722 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
723 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000724 *expr-is*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000725 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
726equal == ==# ==?
727not equal != !=# !=?
728greater than > ># >?
729greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
730smaller than < <# <?
731smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
732regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
733regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000734same instance is
735different instance isnot
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000736
737Examples:
738"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
739"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
740"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
741
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000742 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000743A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
744"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
745Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000746
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000747 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000748A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
749equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000750recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
751
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000752 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000753A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
754equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000755
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000756When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000757referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000758the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
759using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000760different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000761is false.
762
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000763When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000764and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000765because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
766
767When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
768results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
769necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
770
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000771When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000772'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000773
774When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000775'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
776
777'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000778
779The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
780argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
781This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
782matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
783portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
784single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
785Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
786(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
787can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
788 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
789 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
790
791
792expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
793---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000794expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000795expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
796expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000797
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000798For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000799result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000800
801expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
802expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
803expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000804
805For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
806
807Note the difference between "+" and ".":
808 "123" + "456" = 579
809 "123" . "456" = "123456"
810
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000811Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
812 1 . 90 + 90.0
813As: >
814 (1 . 90) + 90.0
815That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
816190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
817 1 . 90 * 90.0
818Should be read as: >
819 1 . (90 * 90.0)
820Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
821attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
822
823When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
824 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
825 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
826 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
827 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
828
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000829When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
830
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000831None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000832
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000833. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
834
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000835
836expr7 *expr7*
837-----
838! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
839- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
840+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
841
842For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
843For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
844For '+' the number is unchanged.
845
846A String will be converted to a Number first.
847
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000848These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000849 !-1 == 0
850 !!8 == 1
851 --9 == 9
852
853
854expr8 *expr8*
855-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000856expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000857
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000858If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
859expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100860Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see |byteidx()| for
861an alternative.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000862
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000863Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
864text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
865cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000866 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000867
868If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000869String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
870compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
871
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000872If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000873for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000874error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000875 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
876
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000877Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
878|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
879error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000880
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000881
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000882expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000883
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000884If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
885from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100886expr1b are used as a Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see
887|byteidx()| for computing the indexes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000888
889If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
890string minus one is used.
891
892A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
893the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
894
895If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
896expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
897
898Examples: >
899 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
900 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
901 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
902 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100903<
904 *sublist* *slice*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000905If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000906the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000907just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000908 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
909 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
910 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
911
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000912Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
913error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000914
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000915
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000916expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000917
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000918If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
919name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
920expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000921
922The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
923but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
924
925There must not be white space before or after the dot.
926
927Examples: >
928 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
929 :echo dict.one
930 :echo dict .2
931
932Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
933always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
934
935
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000936expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000937
938When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
939
940
941
942 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000943number
944------
945number number constant *expr-number*
946
947Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
948
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000949 *floating-point-format*
950Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
951
952 [-+]{N}.{M}
953 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
954
955{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
956contain digits.
957[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
958{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
959Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
960locale is.
961{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
962
963Examples:
964 123.456
965 +0.0001
966 55.0
967 -0.123
968 1.234e03
969 1.0E-6
970 -3.1416e+88
971
972These are INVALID:
973 3. empty {M}
974 1e40 missing .{M}
975
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000976 *float-pi* *float-e*
977A few useful values to copy&paste: >
978 :let pi = 3.14159265359
979 :let e = 2.71828182846
980
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000981Rationale:
982Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
983the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
984resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000985could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000986incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
987for floating point numbers.
988
989 *floating-point-precision*
990The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
991means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
992runtime.
993
994The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
995printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
996function. Example: >
997 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
998< 7.853981633974483e-01
999
1000
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001001
1002string *expr-string* *E114*
1003------
1004"string" string constant *expr-quote*
1005
1006Note that double quotes are used.
1007
1008A string constant accepts these special characters:
1009\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1010\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1011\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1012\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1013\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1014\X.. same as \x..
1015\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001016\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001017 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1018\U.... same as \u....
1019\b backspace <BS>
1020\e escape <Esc>
1021\f formfeed <FF>
1022\n newline <NL>
1023\r return <CR>
1024\t tab <Tab>
1025\\ backslash
1026\" double quote
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02001027\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W. This is for use
1028 in mappings, the 0x80 byte is escaped. Don't use <Char-xxxx> to get a
1029 utf-8 character, use \uxxxx as mentioned above.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001030
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001031Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1032encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1033of 'encoding'.
1034
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001035Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1036
1037
1038literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1039---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001040'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001041
1042Note that single quotes are used.
1043
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001044This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001045meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001046
1047Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001048to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001049 if a =~ "\\s*"
1050 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001051
1052
1053option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1054------
1055&option option value, local value if possible
1056&g:option global option value
1057&l:option local option value
1058
1059Examples: >
1060 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1061 if &insertmode
1062
1063Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1064and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1065anyway.
1066
1067
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001068register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001069--------
1070@r contents of register 'r'
1071
1072The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1073Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001074register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001075registers.
1076
1077When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1078evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001079
1080
1081nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1082-------
1083(expr1) nested expression
1084
1085
1086environment variable *expr-env*
1087--------------------
1088$VAR environment variable
1089
1090The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1091result is an empty string.
1092 *expr-env-expand*
1093Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1094expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1095are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1096the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1097fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1098does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1099 :echo $version
1100 :echo expand("$version")
1101The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1102variable (if your shell supports it).
1103
1104
1105internal variable *expr-variable*
1106-----------------
1107variable internal variable
1108See below |internal-variables|.
1109
1110
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001111function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001112-------------
1113function(expr1, ...) function call
1114See below |functions|.
1115
1116
1117==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +020011183. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E461*
1119
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001120An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1121cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1122|curly-braces-names|.
1123
1124An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001125An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1126|:unlet|.
1127Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1128been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001129
1130There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1131specified by what is prepended:
1132
1133 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1134|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1135|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001136|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001137|global-variable| g: Global.
1138|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1139|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1140|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001141|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001142
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001143The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1144delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001145 :for k in keys(s:)
1146 : unlet s:[k]
1147 :endfor
1148<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001149 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1150A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1151Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1152This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1153|:bdelete|.
1154
1155One local buffer variable is predefined:
1156 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1157b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1158 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1159 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1160 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1161 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001162 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1163 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001164 :endif
1165<
1166 *window-variable* *w:var*
1167A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1168is deleted when the window is closed.
1169
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001170 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1171A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1172It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001173without the |+windows| feature}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001174
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001175 *global-variable* *g:var*
1176Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001177access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001178place if you like.
1179
1180 *local-variable* *l:var*
1181Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001182But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1183you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1184refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1185same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001186
1187 *script-variable* *s:var*
1188In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1189accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1190
1191They can be used in:
1192- commands executed while the script is sourced
1193- functions defined in the script
1194- autocommands defined in the script
1195- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1196 defined in the script (recursively)
1197- user defined commands defined in the script
1198Thus not in:
1199- other scripts sourced from this one
1200- mappings
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001201- menus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001202- etc.
1203
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001204Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1205Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001206
1207 let s:counter = 0
1208 function MyCounter()
1209 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1210 echo s:counter
1211 endfunction
1212 command Tick call MyCounter()
1213
1214You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1215that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1216"Tick" was defined is used.
1217
1218Another example that does the same: >
1219
1220 let s:counter = 0
1221 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1222
1223When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001224script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001225defined.
1226
1227The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1228function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1229
1230 let s:counter = 0
1231 function StartCounting(incr)
1232 if a:incr
1233 function MyCounter()
1234 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1235 endfunction
1236 else
1237 function MyCounter()
1238 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1239 endfunction
1240 endif
1241 endfunction
1242
1243This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1244when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1245called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1246
1247When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1248They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1249maintain a counter: >
1250
1251 if !exists("s:counter")
1252 let s:counter = 1
1253 echo "script executed for the first time"
1254 else
1255 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1256 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1257 endif
1258
1259Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1260variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1261
1262
1263Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1264
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001265 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1266v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1267 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1268 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1269
1270 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1271v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1272 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1273
1274 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1275v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1276 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1277
1278 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001279v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1280 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1281 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1282 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001283 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1284 highlighted text is used.
1285 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1286
1287 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1288v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
Bram Moolenaar00654022011-02-25 14:42:19 +01001289 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option. The first
1290 window has number zero (unlike most other places where a
1291 window gets a number).
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001292
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001293 *v:char* *char-variable*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001294v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr' and used for the typed
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02001295 character when using <expr> in an abbreviation |:map-<expr>|.
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001296
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001297 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1298v:charconvert_from
1299 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1300 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1301
1302 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1303v:charconvert_to
1304 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1305 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1306
1307 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1308v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1309 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1310 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1311 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1312 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1313 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001314 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001315 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1316 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1317 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1318 in 'printexpr'.
1319
1320 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1321v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1322 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1323 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1324 can be used.
1325
1326 *v:count* *count-variable*
1327v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001328 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001329 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1330< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1331 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001332 When there are two counts, as in "3d2w", they are multiplied,
1333 just like what happens in the command, "d6w" for the example.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001334 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001335 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1336
1337 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1338v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1339 used.
1340
1341 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1342v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1343 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1344 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1345 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1346 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1347 command.
1348 See |multi-lang|.
1349
1350 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001351v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001352 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1353 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1354 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1355 Example: >
1356 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +02001357< Note: if another deadly signal is caught when v:dying is one,
1358 VimLeave autocommands will not be executed.
1359
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001360 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1361v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1362 Example: >
1363 :let v:errmsg = ""
1364 :silent! next
1365 :if v:errmsg != ""
1366 : ... handle error
1367< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1368
1369 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1370v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1371 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1372 Example: >
1373 :try
1374 : throw "oops"
1375 :catch /.*/
1376 : echo "caught" v:exception
1377 :endtry
1378< Output: "caught oops".
1379
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001380 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1381v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1382 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1383 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1384 deleted file no longer exists
1385 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1386 changed and buffer is modified
1387 changed file contents has changed
1388 mode mode of file changed
1389 time only file timestamp changed
1390
1391 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1392v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1393 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1394 do with the affected buffer:
1395 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1396 the file was deleted).
1397 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1398 was no autocommand. Except that when
1399 only the timestamp changed nothing
1400 will happen.
1401 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1402 everything that needs to be done.
1403 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1404 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1405
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001406 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001407v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001408 option used for ~
1409 'charconvert' file to be converted
1410 'diffexpr' original file
1411 'patchexpr' original file
1412 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001413 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001414
1415 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1416v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1417 evaluating:
1418 option used for ~
1419 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1420 'diffexpr' output of diff
1421 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1422 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001423 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001424 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1425 file and different from v:fname_in.
1426
1427 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1428v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1429 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1430
1431 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1432v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1433 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1434
1435 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1436v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1437 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001438 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001439
1440 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1441v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001442 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001443
1444 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1445v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001446 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001447
1448 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1449v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001450 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001451
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001452 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1453v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1454 events. Values:
1455 i Insert mode
1456 r Replace mode
1457 v Virtual Replace mode
1458
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001459 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001460v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001461 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1462 Read-only.
1463
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001464 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1465v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1466 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1467 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1468 The value is system dependent.
1469 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1470 command.
1471 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1472 in a different language than what is used for character
1473 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1474
1475 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1476v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1477 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1478 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1479 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1480 command. See |multi-lang|.
1481
1482 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02001483v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr|, 'formatexpr' and
1484 'indentexpr' expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'
1485 and 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these
1486 expressions is being evaluated. Read-only when in the
1487 |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001488
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001489 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1490v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1491 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1492 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1493
1494 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1495v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1496 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1497 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1498
1499 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1500v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1501 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1502 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1503
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001504 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1505v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1506 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1507 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1508 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
1509 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1510 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1511 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1512 than String this will cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001513 {only when compiled with the |+viminfo| feature}
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001514
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001515 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1516v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1517 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1518 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1519 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1520 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1521 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1522< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1523 don't expect it to be empty.
1524 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1525 commands.
1526 Read-only.
1527
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001528 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1529v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1530 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001531 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1532 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001533 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1534< Read-only.
1535
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001536 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001537v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001538 See |profiling|.
1539
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001540 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1541v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1542 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1543 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1544 Read-only.
1545
1546 *v:register* *register-variable*
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001547v:register The name of the register in effect for the current normal mode
Bram Moolenaar446beb42011-05-10 17:18:44 +02001548 command. If none is supplied it is the default register '"',
1549 unless 'clipboard' contains "unnamed" or "unnamedplus", then
1550 it is '*' or '+'.
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001551 Also see |getreg()| and |setreg()|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001552
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001553 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1554v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1555 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1556 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1557 typed command.
1558 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1559 hit-enter prompt.
1560
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001561 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1562v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1563 Read-only.
1564
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001565
1566v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1567 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1568 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1569 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1570 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1571 function. |function-search-undo|.
1572 Read-write.
1573
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001574 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1575v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1576 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1577 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1578 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1579 executed. Read-only.
1580 Example: >
1581 :!mv foo bar
1582 :if v:shell_error
1583 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1584 :endif
1585< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1586
1587 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1588v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1589
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001590 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1591v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1592 the swap file found. Read-only.
1593
1594 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1595v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1596 for handling an existing swap file:
1597 'o' Open read-only
1598 'e' Edit anyway
1599 'r' Recover
1600 'd' Delete swapfile
1601 'q' Quit
1602 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001603 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001604 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1605 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1606
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001607 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001608v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001609 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001610 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001611 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001612 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001613
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001614 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1615v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001616 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001617 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1618 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1619 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1620 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1621 terminal.
1622 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1623 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1624 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1625 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1626 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1627
1628 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1629v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1630 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1631 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1632 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1633
1634 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1635v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001636 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001637 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1638 Example: >
1639 :try
1640 : throw "oops"
1641 :catch /.*/
1642 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1643 :endtry
1644< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1645
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001646 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001647v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001648 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001649 |filter()|. Read-only.
1650
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001651 *v:version* *version-variable*
1652v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1653 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1654 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1655 compatibility.
1656 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1657 if has("patch123")
1658< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1659 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1660 completely different.
1661
1662 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1663v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1664
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001665 *v:windowid* *windowid-variable*
1666v:windowid When any X11 based GUI is running or when running in a
1667 terminal and Vim connects to the X server (|-X|) this will be
Bram Moolenaar264e9fd2010-10-27 12:33:17 +02001668 set to the window ID.
1669 When an MS-Windows GUI is running this will be set to the
1670 window handle.
1671 Otherwise the value is zero.
1672 Note: for windows inside Vim use |winnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001673
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001674==============================================================================
16754. Builtin Functions *functions*
1676
1677See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1678
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001679(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001680
1681USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1682
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001683abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001684acos( {expr}) Float arc cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001685add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001686append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001687append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001688argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001689argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001690argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001691argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001692asin( {expr}) Float arc sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001693atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001694atan2( {expr}, {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001695browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1696 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001697browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001698bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001699buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1700bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001701bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1702bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1703bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1704byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001705byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001706call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1707 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001708ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1709changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001710char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001711cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001712clearmatches() none clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001713col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001714complete( {startcol}, {matches}) none set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001715complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001716complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001717confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1718 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001719copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001720cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001721cosh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001722count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1723 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001724cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1725 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001726cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1727 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1728cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001729deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001730delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1731did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001732diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1733diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001734empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001735escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001736eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001737eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001738executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1739exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001740extend( {expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001741 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001742exp( {expr}) Float exponential of {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001743expand( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001744feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001745filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001746filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001747filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1748 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001749finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001750 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001751findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001752 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001753float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1754floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001755fmod( {expr1}, {expr2}) Float remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001756fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001757fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001758foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1759foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001760foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001761foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001762foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001763foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001764function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00001765garbagecollect( [at_exit]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001766get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001767get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001768getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1769 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001770getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001771getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1772getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001773getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1774getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001775getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001776getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001777getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1778getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00001779getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001780getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001781getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001782getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1783getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001784getloclist( {nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001785getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001786getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001787getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001788getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001789getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001790getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001791gettabvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in tab {nr}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001792gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1793 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001794getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1795getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001796getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001797glob( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1798globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {flag}])
1799 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001800has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001801has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001802haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001803hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1804 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001805histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1806histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1807histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1808histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1809hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1810hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1811hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001812iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1813indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001814index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1815 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001816input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1817 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001818inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001819inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001820inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1821inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001822inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001823insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001824isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001825islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001826items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001827join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001828keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001829len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1830libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001831libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1832line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1833line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001834lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001835localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001836log( {expr}) Float natural logarithm (base e) of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001837log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001838map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02001839maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]])
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001840 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1841mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1842 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001843match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001844 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001845matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1846 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001847matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001848matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001849matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001850 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001851matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1852 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001853matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1854 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001855max( {list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1856min( {list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
1857mkdir( {name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001858 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001859mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01001860mzeval( {expr}) any evaluate |MzScheme| expression
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001861nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1862nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001863pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001864pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001865prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001866printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1867pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001868range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1869 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001870readfile( {fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001871 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001872reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1873reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001874remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1875 String send expression
1876remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1877remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1878 Number check for reply string
1879remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1880remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1881 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001882remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001883remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001884rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1885repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1886resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001887reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001888round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001889search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1890 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001891searchdecl( {name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001892 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001893searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001894 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001895searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001896 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001897searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001898 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001899server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1900 Number send reply string
1901serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1902setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1903setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1904setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001905setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1906 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001907setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001908setpos( {expr}, {list}) Number set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001909setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001910setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001911settabvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in tab page {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001912settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1913 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001914setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001915shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1916 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001917 command argument
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001918simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001919sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001920sinh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001921sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001922soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001923spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001924spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1925 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00001926split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001927 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001928sqrt( {expr}) Float square root of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001929str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1930str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001931strchars( {expr}) Number character length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02001932strdisplaywidth( {expr} [, {col}]) Number display length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001933strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001934stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1935 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001936string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001937strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1938strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1939 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00001940strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1941 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001942strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02001943strwidth( {expr}) Number display cell length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001944submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001945substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1946 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00001947synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001948synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1949 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1950synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02001951synconcealed( {lnum}, {col}) List info about concealing
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001952synstack( {lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00001953system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00001954tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1955tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1956tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1957 Number number of current window in tab page
1958taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001959tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001960tempname() String name for a temporary file
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001961tan( {expr}) Float tangent of {expr}
1962tanh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001963tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1964toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00001965tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1966 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001967trunc( {expr}) Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001968type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02001969undofile( {name}) String undo file name for {name}
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02001970undotree() List undo file tree
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001971values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001972virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1973visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1974winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1975wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1976winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1977winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00001978winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001979winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001980winrestview( {dict}) none restore view of current window
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00001981winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001982winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001983writefile( {list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001984 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001985
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001986abs({expr}) *abs()*
1987 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
1988 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
1989 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
1990 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
1991 Examples: >
1992 echo abs(1.456)
1993< 1.456 >
1994 echo abs(-5.456)
1995< 5.456 >
1996 echo abs(-4)
1997< 4
1998 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1999
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002000
2001acos({expr}) *acos()*
2002 Return the arc cosine of {expr} measured in radians, as a
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002003 |Float| in the range of [0, pi].
2004 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002005 [-1, 1].
2006 Examples: >
2007 :echo acos(0)
2008< 1.570796 >
2009 :echo acos(-0.5)
2010< 2.094395
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002011 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002012
2013
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002014add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002015 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
2016 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002017 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
2018 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002019< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002020 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002021 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002022
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002023
2024append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002025 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
2026 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002027 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
2028 the current buffer.
2029 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002030 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002031 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002032 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002033 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002034<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002035 *argc()*
2036argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
2037 current window. See |arglist|.
2038
2039 *argidx()*
2040argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
2041 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
2042
2043 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002044argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002045 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
2046 Example: >
2047 :let i = 0
2048 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002049 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002050 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
2051 : let i = i + 1
2052 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002053< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
2054 returned.
2055
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002056asin({expr}) *asin()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002057 Return the arc sine of {expr} measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002058 in the range of [-pi/2, pi/2].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002059 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002060 [-1, 1].
2061 Examples: >
2062 :echo asin(0.8)
2063< 0.927295 >
2064 :echo asin(-0.5)
2065< -0.523599
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002066 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002067
2068
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002069atan({expr}) *atan()*
2070 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
2071 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
2072 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2073 Examples: >
2074 :echo atan(100)
2075< 1.560797 >
2076 :echo atan(-4.01)
2077< -1.326405
2078 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2079
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002080
2081atan2({expr1}, {expr2}) *atan2()*
2082 Return the arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}, measured in
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002083 radians, as a |Float| in the range [-pi, pi].
2084 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002085 Examples: >
2086 :echo atan2(-1, 1)
2087< -0.785398 >
2088 :echo atan2(1, -1)
2089< 2.356194
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002090 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002091
2092
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002093 *browse()*
2094browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2095 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2096 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2097 The input fields are:
2098 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2099 {title} title for the requester
2100 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2101 {default} default file name
2102 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2103 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2104
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002105 *browsedir()*
2106browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2107 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2108 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2109 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2110 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2111 to be used.
2112 The input fields are:
2113 {title} title for the requester
2114 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2115 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2116 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2117
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002118bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2119 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2120 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002121 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002122 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002123 exactly. The name can be:
2124 - Relative to the current directory.
2125 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002126 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002127 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002128 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2129 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2130 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2131 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002132 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2133 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2134 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002135 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2136 file name.
2137 *buffer_exists()*
2138 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2139
2140buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2141 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2142 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002143 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002144
2145bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2146 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2147 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002148 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002149
2150bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2151 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2152 ":ls" command.
2153 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2154 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2155 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002156 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002157 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2158 match an empty string is returned.
2159 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2160 alternate buffer.
2161 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002162 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2163 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2164 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002165 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2166 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2167 buffers are searched for.
2168 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2169 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2170 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2171< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2172 string is returned. >
2173 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2174 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2175 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2176 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2177< *buffer_name()*
2178 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2179
2180 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002181bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2182 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002183 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002184 above.
2185 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2186 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2187 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002188 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2189 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2190< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2191 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2192 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2193 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2194 *buffer_number()*
2195 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2196 *last_buffer_nr()*
2197 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2198
2199bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2200 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2201 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002202 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002203 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2204
2205 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2206
2207< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2208 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002209 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002210
2211
2212byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2213 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2214 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2215 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2216 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2217 one.
2218 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2219 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2220 feature}
2221
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002222byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2223 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2224 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2225 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2226 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2227 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2228 Example : >
2229 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2230< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2231 same: >
2232 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2233 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2234< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2235 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2236 is returned.
2237
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002238call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002239 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002240 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002241 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002242 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2243 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002244 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2245 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002246
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002247ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2248 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2249 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2250 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2251 Examples: >
2252 echo ceil(1.456)
2253< 2.0 >
2254 echo ceil(-5.456)
2255< -5.0 >
2256 echo ceil(4.0)
2257< 4.0
2258 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2259
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002260changenr() *changenr()*
2261 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2262 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2263 with the |:undo| command.
2264 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2265 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2266 one less than the number of the undone change.
2267
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002268char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
2269 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2270 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2271 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
2272< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002273 char2nr("á") returns 225
2274 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002275< |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002276
2277cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2278 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2279 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2280 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2281 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2282 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2283 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002284 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002285
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002286clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2287 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2288 |:match| commands.
2289
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002290 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002291col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002292 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2293 . the cursor position
2294 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
2295 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
2296 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2297 returned)
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002298 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2299 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002300 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002301 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002302 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002303 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002304 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2305 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2306 Examples: >
2307 col(".") column of cursor
2308 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2309 col("'t") column of mark t
2310 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002311< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002312 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2313 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002314 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2315 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2316 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2317 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2318 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2319 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2320 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2321<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002322
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002323complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2324 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2325 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002326 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2327 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002328 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2329 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2330 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2331 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2332 match.
2333 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2334 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2335 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002336 inserting anything that would cause completion to stop.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002337 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2338 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2339 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2340 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002341 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002342
2343 func! ListMonths()
2344 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2345 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2346 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2347 return ''
2348 endfunc
2349< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2350 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2351
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002352complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2353 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2354 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2355 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2356 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2357 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002358 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002359 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002360
2361complete_check() *complete_check()*
2362 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2363 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2364 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2365 zero otherwise.
2366 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2367 'completefunc' option.
2368
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002369 *confirm()*
2370confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2371 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2372 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2373 choice this is 1.
2374 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2375 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002376
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002377 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2378 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2379 used (and translated).
2380 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2381 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002382
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002383 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2384 by '\n', e.g. >
2385 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2386< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2387 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2388 not need to be the first letter: >
2389 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2390< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2391 the default shortcut key.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002392
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002393 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2394 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2395 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2396 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002397
2398 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2399 is only used for the icon of the GTK, Mac, Motif and Win32
2400 GUI. It can be one of these values: "Error", "Question",
2401 "Info", "Warning" or "Generic". Only the first character is
2402 relevant. When {type} is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2403
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002404 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2405 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2406
2407 An example: >
2408 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2409 :if choice == 0
2410 : echo "make up your mind!"
2411 :elseif choice == 3
2412 : echo "tasteful"
2413 :else
2414 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2415 :endif
2416< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2417 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002418 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002419 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2420 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2421 the horizontal layout is always used.
2422
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002423 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002424copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002425 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002426 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2427 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002428 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2429 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002430 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002431
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002432cos({expr}) *cos()*
2433 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2434 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2435 Examples: >
2436 :echo cos(100)
2437< 0.862319 >
2438 :echo cos(-4.01)
2439< -0.646043
2440 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2441
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002442
2443cosh({expr}) *cosh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002444 Return the hyperbolic cosine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002445 [1, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002446 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002447 Examples: >
2448 :echo cosh(0.5)
2449< 1.127626 >
2450 :echo cosh(-0.5)
2451< -1.127626
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002452 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002453
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002454
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002455count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002456 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002457 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002458 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002459 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002460 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2461
2462
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002463 *cscope_connection()*
2464cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2465 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2466 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2467 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2468 if there are no cscope connections;
2469 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2470
2471 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2472 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2473
2474 {num} Description of existence check
2475 ----- ------------------------------
2476 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2477 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2478 {dbpath}.
2479 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2480 {dbpath}.
2481 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2482 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2483 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2484 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2485
2486 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2487
2488 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2489
2490 # pid database name prepend path
2491 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2492<
2493 Invocation Return Val ~
2494 ---------- ---------- >
2495 cscope_connection() 1
2496 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2497 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2498 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2499 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2500 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2501 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2502 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2503<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002504cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2505cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002506 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2507 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002508 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002509 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2510 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002511 Does not change the jumplist.
2512 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2513 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2514 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002515 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002516 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2517 line.
2518 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002519 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2520 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002521 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00002522 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002523
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002524
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002525deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002526 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002527 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002528 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2529 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002530 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002531 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002532 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2533 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2534 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2535 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2536 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2537 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002538 *E724*
2539 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002540 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2541 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002542 Also see |copy()|.
2543
2544delete({fname}) *delete()*
2545 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002546 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2547 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002548 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002549
2550 *did_filetype()*
2551did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2552 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2553 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2554 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2555 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2556 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2557 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2558 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2559 file.
2560
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002561diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2562 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2563 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2564 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2565 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2566 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2567 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2568 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2569
2570diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2571 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2572 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2573 diff change zero is returned.
2574 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2575 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2576 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2577 line.
2578 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2579 syntax information about the highlighting.
2580
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002581empty({expr}) *empty()*
2582 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002583 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002584 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002585 For a long |List| this is much faster than comparing the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002586 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002587
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002588escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2589 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2590 backslash. Example: >
2591 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2592< results in: >
2593 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002594< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002595
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002596 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002597eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2598 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002599 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2600 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2601 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002602
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002603eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2604 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2605 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2606 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2607 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2608
2609executable({expr}) *executable()*
2610 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2611 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002612 arguments.
2613 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2614 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2615 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2616 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002617 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2618 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002619 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002620 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002621 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2622 extension.
2623 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2624 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002625 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2626 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2627 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002628 The result is a Number:
2629 1 exists
2630 0 does not exist
2631 -1 not implemented on this system
2632
2633 *exists()*
2634exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2635 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2636 which contains one of these:
2637 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2638 not if it really works)
2639 +option-name Vim option that works.
2640 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2641 done by comparing with an empty
2642 string)
2643 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2644 or user defined function (see
2645 |user-functions|).
2646 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002647 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002648 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2649 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002650 that evaluating an index may cause an
2651 error message for an invalid
2652 expression. E.g.: >
2653 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2654 :echo exists("l[5]")
2655< 0 >
2656 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2657< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2658 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002659 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2660 command or command modifier |:command|.
2661 Returns:
2662 1 for match with start of a command
2663 2 full match with a command
2664 3 matches several user commands
2665 To check for a supported command
2666 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002667 :2match The |:2match| command.
2668 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002669 #event autocommand defined for this event
2670 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2671 pattern (the pattern is taken
2672 literally and compared to the
2673 autocommand patterns character by
2674 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002675 #group autocommand group exists
2676 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2677 event.
2678 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002679 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002680 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002681 ##event autocommand for this event is
2682 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002683 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2684
2685 Examples: >
2686 exists("&shortname")
2687 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2688 exists("*strftime")
2689 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2690 exists("bufcount")
2691 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002692 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002693 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002694 exists("#filetypeindent")
2695 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2696 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002697 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002698< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2699 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002700 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2701 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2702 the future, thus don't count on it!
2703 Working example: >
2704 exists(":make")
2705< NOT working example: >
2706 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002707
2708< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2709 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002710 exists(bufcount)
2711< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002712 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002713
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002714exp({expr}) *exp()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002715 Return the exponential of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002716 [0, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002717 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002718 Examples: >
2719 :echo exp(2)
2720< 7.389056 >
2721 :echo exp(-1)
2722< 0.367879
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002723 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002724
2725
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002726expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2727 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01002728 The result is a String. 'wildignorecase' applies.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002729
2730 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2731 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2732 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2733
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002734 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002735 for a non-existing file is not included.
2736
2737 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2738 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2739 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2740
2741 % current file name
2742 # alternate file name
2743 #n alternate file name n
2744 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2745 <afile> autocmd file name
2746 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2747 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2748 <sfile> sourced script file name
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01002749 <slnum> sourced script file line number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002750 <cword> word under the cursor
2751 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2752 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2753 message |server2client()|
2754 Modifiers:
2755 :p expand to full path
2756 :h head (last path component removed)
2757 :t tail (last path component only)
2758 :r root (one extension removed)
2759 :e extension only
2760
2761 Example: >
2762 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2763< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2764 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2765 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2766< Use this: >
2767 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2768< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2769 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2770 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2771 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2772 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2773<
2774 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2775 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2776 to modify normal file names.
2777
2778 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2779 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2780 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2781 '/' added.
2782
2783 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2784 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2785 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2786 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002787 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2788 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2789 files in the current directory and below: >
2790 :echo expand("**/README")
2791<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002792 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2793 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002794 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002795 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002796 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002797 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2798 "$FOOBAR".
2799
2800 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2801 getting the raw output of an external command.
2802
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002803extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002804 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2805 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002806
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002807 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002808 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2809 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2810 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2811 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002812 Examples: >
2813 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2814 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002815< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2816 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2817 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2818 (where N is the original length of the List).
2819 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002820 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002821 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002822<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002823 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002824 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2825 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2826 used to decide what to do:
2827 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2828 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002829 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002830 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2831
2832 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2833 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2834 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2835 Returns {expr1}.
2836
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002837
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002838feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2839 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002840 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002841 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002842 being executed these characters come after them.
2843 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2844 {string}.
2845 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2846 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002847 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002848 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2849 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2850 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00002851 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2852 'n' Do not remap keys.
2853 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2854 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2855 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002856 Return value is always 0.
2857
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002858filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2859 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2860 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2861 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2862 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002863 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2864 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002865 *file_readable()*
2866 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2867
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002868
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002869filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2870 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2871 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002872 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002873 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2874
2875
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002876filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002877 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002878 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002879 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002880 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002881 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002882 Examples: >
2883 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2884< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2885 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2886< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2887 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002888< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00002889
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002890 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2891 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2892 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2893
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002894 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2895 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00002896 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002897
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002898< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00002899 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2900 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002901
2902
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002903finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00002904 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2905 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2906 for the syntax of {path}.
2907 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2908 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2909 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002910 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2911 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002912 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00002913 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002914 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002915 {only available when compiled with the |+file_in_path|
2916 feature}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00002917
2918findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2919 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00002920 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2921 Example: >
2922 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002923< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2924 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002925
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002926float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2927 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2928 decimal point.
2929 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2930 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2931 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2932 in -0x80000000.
2933 Examples: >
2934 echo float2nr(3.95)
2935< 3 >
2936 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2937< -23 >
2938 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2939< 2147483647 >
2940 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2941< -2147483647 >
2942 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2943< 0
2944 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2945
2946
2947floor({expr}) *floor()*
2948 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2949 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2950 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2951 Examples: >
2952 echo floor(1.856)
2953< 1.0 >
2954 echo floor(-5.456)
2955< -6.0 >
2956 echo floor(4.0)
2957< 4.0
2958 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2959
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002960
2961fmod({expr1}, {expr2}) *fmod()*
2962 Return the remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}, even if the
2963 division is not representable. Returns {expr1} - i * {expr2}
2964 for some integer i such that if {expr2} is non-zero, the
2965 result has the same sign as {expr1} and magnitude less than
2966 the magnitude of {expr2}. If {expr2} is zero, the value
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002967 returned is zero. The value returned is a |Float|.
2968 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002969 Examples: >
2970 :echo fmod(12.33, 1.22)
2971< 0.13 >
2972 :echo fmod(-12.33, 1.22)
2973< -0.13
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002974 {only available when compiled with |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002975
2976
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002977fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002978 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002979 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
2980 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002981 For most systems the characters escaped are
2982 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
2983 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002984 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
2985 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002986 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002987 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002988 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
2989< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00002990 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00002991
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002992fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2993 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2994 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2995 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2996 Example: >
2997 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2998< results in: >
2999 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003000< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003001 |expand()| first then.
3002
3003foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
3004 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3005 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
3006 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3007
3008foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
3009 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3010 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
3011 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3012
3013foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
3014 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003015 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003016 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
3017 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
3018 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
3019 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
3020 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
3021 previous line is usually available.
3022
3023 *foldtext()*
3024foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
3025 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
3026 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
3027 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
3028 The returned string looks like this: >
3029 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003030< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003031 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
3032 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
3033 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
3034 options is removed.
3035 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3036
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00003037foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
3038 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
3039 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
3040 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
3041 returned.
3042 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
3043 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
3044 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
3045 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3046
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003047 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003048foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003049 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
3050 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
3051 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
3052 |remote_foreground()| instead.
3053 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3054 Win32 console version}
3055
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003056
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003057function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003058 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003059 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
3060
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003061
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003062garbagecollect([at_exit]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003063 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003064 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
3065 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
3066 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
3067 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
3068 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003069 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
3070 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
3071 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003072 When the optional "at_exit" argument is one, garbage
3073 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
3074 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003075
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003076get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003077 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003078 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
3079 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003080get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003081 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003082 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
3083 {default} is omitted.
3084
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003085 *getbufline()*
3086getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003087 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
3088 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
3089 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003090
3091 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3092
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003093 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
3094 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003095
3096 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003097 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003098
3099 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
3100 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003101 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003102 returned.
3103
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003104 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003105 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003106
3107 Example: >
3108 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003109
3110getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
3111 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
3112 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
3113 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003114 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
3115 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00003116 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
3117 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
3118 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003119 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3120 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
3121 returned, there is no error message.
3122 Examples: >
3123 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
3124 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
3125<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003126getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003127 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003128 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
3129 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003130 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003131 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003132 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
3133
3134 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
3135 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3136 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3137 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3138 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003139 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3140 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3141 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3142 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003143
3144 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003145 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3146 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003147
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003148 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3149 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3150 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3151 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3152 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003153 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003154 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3155 exe v:mouse_lnum
3156 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3157 endif
3158<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003159 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3160 user that a character has to be typed.
3161 There is no mapping for the character.
3162 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3163 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3164 sequence. Examples: >
3165 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3166 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3167< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3168 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3169 :function FindChar()
3170 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3171 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3172 : normal l
3173 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3174 : break
3175 : endif
3176 : endwhile
3177 :endfunction
3178
3179getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3180 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3181 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3182 These values are added together:
3183 2 shift
3184 4 control
3185 8 alt (meta)
3186 16 mouse double click
3187 32 mouse triple click
3188 64 mouse quadruple click
3189 128 Macintosh only: command
3190 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003191 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003192 without a modifier.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003193
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003194getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3195 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3196 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3197 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3198 Example: >
3199 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003200< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003201
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003202getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003203 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3204 byte count. The first column is 1.
3205 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3206 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003207 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3208
3209getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3210 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3211 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003212 : normal Ex command
3213 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3214 / forward search command
3215 ? backward search command
3216 @ |input()| command
3217 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003218 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3219 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
3220 otherwise.
3221 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003222
3223 *getcwd()*
3224getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3225 working directory.
3226
3227getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3228 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3229 given file {fname}.
3230 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3231 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003232 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3233 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003234
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003235getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3236 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3237 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3238 |hl-Normal|.
3239 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3240 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3241 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3242 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003243 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003244 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3245 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003246 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3247 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003248
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003249getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3250 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3251 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3252 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3253 empty string is returned.
3254 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3255 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3256 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3257 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
3258 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
3259 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
3260< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3261 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003262
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003263getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3264 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3265 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3266 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3267 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3268 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3269
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003270getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3271 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3272 file of the given file {fname}.
3273 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3274 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3275 results:
3276 Normal file "file"
3277 Directory "dir"
3278 Symbolic link "link"
3279 Block device "bdev"
3280 Character device "cdev"
3281 Socket "socket"
3282 FIFO "fifo"
3283 All other "other"
3284 Example: >
3285 getftype("/home")
3286< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3287 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3288 "file" are returned.
3289
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003290 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003291getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3292 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3293 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003294 getline(1)
3295< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3296 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3297 To get the line under the cursor: >
3298 getline(".")
3299< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3300 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3301
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003302 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3303 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003304 including line {end}.
3305 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3306 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003307 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003308 Example: >
3309 :let start = line('.')
3310 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3311 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3312
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003313< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3314
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003315getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3316 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3317 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3318 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003319 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003320 returned. Otherwise, same as |getqflist()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003321
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003322getmatches() *getmatches()*
3323 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3324 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3325 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3326 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3327 Example: >
3328 :echo getmatches()
3329< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3330 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3331 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3332 :let m = getmatches()
3333 :call clearmatches()
3334 :echo getmatches()
3335< [] >
3336 :call setmatches(m)
3337 :echo getmatches()
3338< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3339 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3340 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3341 :unlet m
3342<
3343
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003344getqflist() *getqflist()*
3345 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3346 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3347 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3348 bufname() to get the name
3349 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3350 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003351 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3352 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003353 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003354 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003355 text description of the error
3356 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3357 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3358
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003359 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003360 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3361 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003362
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003363 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3364 do something with them: >
3365 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3366 :for d in getqflist()
3367 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3368 :endfor
3369
3370
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003371getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003372 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003373 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003374 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3375< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003376 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003377 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3378 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3379 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003380 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3381
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003382
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003383getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3384 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3385 The value will be one of:
3386 "v" for |characterwise| text
3387 "V" for |linewise| text
3388 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3389 0 for an empty or unknown register
3390 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3391 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3392
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003393gettabvar({tabnr}, {varname}) *gettabvar()*
3394 Get the value of a tab-local variable {varname} in tab page
3395 {tabnr}. |t:var|
3396 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
3397 Note that the name without "t:" must be used.
3398
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003399gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003400 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3401 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3402 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3403 option.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003404 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3405 use |getwinvar()|.
3406 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3407 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3408 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3409 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003410 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3411 variables is returned.
3412 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003413 Examples: >
3414 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3415 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003416<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003417 *getwinposx()*
3418getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3419 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3420 -1 if the information is not available.
3421
3422 *getwinposy()*
3423getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003424 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003425 information is not available.
3426
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003427getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
3428 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003429 Examples: >
3430 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3431 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3432<
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003433glob({expr} [, {flag}]) *glob()*
3434 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003435 use of special characters.
3436 The result is a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003437 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
3438 characters.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003439 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3440 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3441 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3442 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01003443 'wildignorecase' always applies.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003444 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
3445 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
3446
3447 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3448 any external command. Example: >
3449 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3450 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3451< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003452 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003453
3454 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3455 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3456
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003457globpath({path}, {expr} [, {flag}]) *globpath()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003458 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3459 the results. Example: >
3460 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3461< {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3462 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003463 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003464 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3465 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3466 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3467 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3468 error message.
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003469 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3470 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3471 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3472 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003473
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003474 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3475 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3476 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3477 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003478< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3479 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3480
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003481 *has()*
3482has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3483 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3484 string. See |feature-list| below.
3485 Also see |exists()|.
3486
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003487
3488has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003489 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3490 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003491
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003492haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3493 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003494 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003495
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003496hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003497 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3498 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3499 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3500 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003501 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003502 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3503 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003504 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3505 buffer are checked for a match.
3506 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3507 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3508 n Normal mode
3509 v Visual mode
3510 o Operator-pending mode
3511 i Insert mode
3512 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3513 c Command-line mode
3514 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3515
3516 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003517 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003518 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3519 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3520 :endif
3521< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3522 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3523
3524histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3525 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3526 one of: *hist-names*
3527 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3528 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003529 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003530 "input" or "@" input line history
3531 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3532 shifted to become the newest entry.
3533 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3534 otherwise 0 is returned.
3535
3536 Example: >
3537 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3538 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3539< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3540
3541histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003542 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003543 for the possible values of {history}.
3544
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003545 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3546 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3547 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003548 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003549 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3550 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3551 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003552
3553 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3554 otherwise 0 is returned.
3555
3556 Examples:
3557 Clear expression register history: >
3558 :call histdel("expr")
3559<
3560 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3561 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3562<
3563 The following three are equivalent: >
3564 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3565 :call histdel("search", -1)
3566 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3567<
3568 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3569 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3570 :call histdel("search", -1)
3571 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3572
3573histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3574 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3575 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3576 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3577 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3578 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3579
3580 Examples:
3581 Redo the second last search from history. >
3582 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3583
3584< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3585 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3586 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3587<
3588histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3589 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3590 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3591 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3592
3593 Example: >
3594 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3595<
3596hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3597 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3598 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3599 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3600 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3601 item.
3602 *highlight_exists()*
3603 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3604
3605 *hlID()*
3606hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3607 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3608 zero is returned.
3609 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003610 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003611 "Comment" group: >
3612 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3613< *highlightID()*
3614 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3615
3616hostname() *hostname()*
3617 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003618 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003619 256 characters long are truncated.
3620
3621iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3622 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3623 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003624 When the conversion completely fails an empty string is
3625 returned. When some characters could not be converted they
3626 are replaced with "?".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003627 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3628 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3629 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3630 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3631 can be done.
3632 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3633 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3634 UTF-8 and use: >
3635 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3636< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3637 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3638 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003639 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte| feature}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003640
3641 *indent()*
3642indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3643 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3644 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3645 |getline()|.
3646 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3647
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003648
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003649index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003650 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003651 value equal to {expr}. There is no automatic conversion, so
3652 the String "4" is different from the Number 4. And the number
3653 4 is different from the Float 4.0. The value of 'ignorecase'
3654 is not used here, case always matters.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003655 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3656 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003657 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3658 case must match.
3659 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3660 Example: >
3661 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003662 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003663
3664
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003665input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003666 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003667 the command-line. The {prompt} argument is either a prompt
3668 string, or a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used
3669 in the prompt to start a new line.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003670 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3671 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003672 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003673 for lines typed for input().
3674 Example: >
3675 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3676 : echo "Cheers!"
3677 :endif
3678<
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003679 If the optional {text} argument is present and not empty, this
3680 is used for the default reply, as if the user typed this.
3681 Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003682 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3683
3684< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3685 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003686 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003687 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003688 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003689 more information. Example: >
3690 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3691<
3692 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3693 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003694 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3695 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3696 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3697 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3698 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3699 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3700 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3701
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003702 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003703 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3704 :function GetFoo()
3705 : call inputsave()
3706 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3707 : call inputrestore()
3708 :endfunction
3709
3710inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003711 Like |input()|, but when the GUI is running and text dialogs
3712 are supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003713 Example: >
3714 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3715 :if n != ""
3716 : let &sw = n
3717 :endif
3718< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3719 omitted an empty string is returned.
3720 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3721 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003722 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003723
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003724inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003725 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3726 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3727 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003728 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003729 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003730 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3731 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3732 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003733 Make sure {textlist} has less than 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003734 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003735 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3736 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00003737 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3738 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3739
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003740inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003741 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous |inputsave()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003742 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3743 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3744 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3745
3746inputsave() *inputsave()*
3747 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3748 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3749 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3750 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3751 many inputrestore() calls.
3752 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3753
3754inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3755 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3756 two exceptions:
3757 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3758 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3759 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3760 |history| stack.
3761 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3762 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003763 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003764
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003765insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003766 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003767 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003768 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003769 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3770 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003771 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003772 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3773 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3774 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003775< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003776 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003777 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003778
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003779isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3780 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3781 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3782 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3783 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3784
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003785islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003786 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3787 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003788 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3789 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003790 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3791 :lockvar 1 alist
3792 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3793 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3794
3795< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003796 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00003797
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003798items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003799 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3800 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3801 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3802 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003803
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003804
3805join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3806 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3807 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3808 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3809 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3810 add it there too: >
3811 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003812< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003813 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3814 The opposite function is |split()|.
3815
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003816keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003817 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003818 arbitrary order.
3819
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003820 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003821len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3822 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3823 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003824 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003825 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003826 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3827 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003828 Otherwise an error is given.
3829
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003830 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3831libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3832 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3833 with single argument {argument}.
3834 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3835 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3836 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3837 limited.
3838 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3839 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3840 to Vim.
3841 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3842 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3843 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3844 null-terminated string.
3845 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3846
3847 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3848 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3849 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3850 very probably crash.
3851
3852 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3853 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3854 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3855 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3856 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3857 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3858 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3859 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3860 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3861 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3862
3863 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003864 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003865 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3866 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3867 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3868 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3869 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3870 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003871 {only in Win32 and some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003872 feature is present}
3873 Examples: >
3874 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003875<
3876 *libcallnr()*
3877libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003878 Just like |libcall()|, but used for a function that returns an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003879 int instead of a string.
3880 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3881 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003882 Examples: >
3883 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003884 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3885 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3886<
3887 *line()*
3888line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3889 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3890 . the cursor position
3891 $ the last line in the current buffer
3892 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3893 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00003894 w0 first line visible in current window
3895 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00003896 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3897 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3898 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3899 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003900 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3901 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00003902 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3903 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003904 Examples: >
3905 line(".") line number of the cursor
3906 line("'t") line number of mark t
3907 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3908< *last-position-jump*
3909 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3910 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003911 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00003912
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003913line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3914 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3915 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3916 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3917 line returns 1.
3918 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3919 below the last line: >
3920 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3921< This is the file size plus one.
3922 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3923 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3924 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3925
3926lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3927 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3928 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3929 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3930 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3931 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3932 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3933
3934localtime() *localtime()*
3935 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3936 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3937
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003938
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003939log({expr}) *log()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003940 Return the natural logarithm (base e) of {expr} as a |Float|.
3941 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003942 (0, inf].
3943 Examples: >
3944 :echo log(10)
3945< 2.302585 >
3946 :echo log(exp(5))
3947< 5.0
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003948 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003949
3950
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003951log10({expr}) *log10()*
3952 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
3953 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3954 Examples: >
3955 :echo log10(1000)
3956< 3.0 >
3957 :echo log10(0.01)
3958< -2.0
3959 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3960
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003961map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003962 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003963 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3964 {string}.
3965 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar627b1d32009-11-17 11:20:35 +00003966 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
3967 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003968 Example: >
3969 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003970< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003971
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003972 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003973 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00003974 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3975 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003976
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003977 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3978 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003979 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003980
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003981< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003982 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3983 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003984
3985
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02003986maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]]) *maparg()*
3987 When {dict} is omitted or zero: Return the rhs of mapping
3988 {name} in mode {mode}. The returned String has special
3989 characters translated like in the output of the ":map" command
3990 listing.
3991
3992 When there is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is
3993 returned.
3994
3995 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3996 command.
3997
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00003998 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003999 "n" Normal
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004000 "v" Visual (including Select)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004001 "o" Operator-pending
4002 "i" Insert
4003 "c" Cmd-line
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004004 "s" Select
4005 "x" Visual
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004006 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
4007 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00004008 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004009
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004010 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4011 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004012
4013 When {dict} is there and it is non-zero return a dictionary
4014 containing all the information of the mapping with the
4015 following items:
4016 "lhs" The {lhs} of the mapping.
4017 "rhs" The {rhs} of the mapping as typed.
4018 "silent" 1 for a |:map-silent| mapping, else 0.
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004019 "noremap" 1 if the {rhs} of the mapping is not remappable.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004020 "expr" 1 for an expression mapping (|:map-<expr>|).
4021 "buffer" 1 for a buffer local mapping (|:map-local|).
4022 "mode" Modes for which the mapping is defined. In
4023 addition to the modes mentioned above, these
4024 characters will be used:
4025 " " Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
4026 "!" Insert and Commandline mode
Bram Moolenaar166af9b2010-11-16 20:34:40 +01004027 (|mapmode-ic|)
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004028 "sid" The script local ID, used for <sid> mappings
4029 (|<SID>|).
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004030
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004031 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4032 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00004033 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
4034 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
4035 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
4036
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004037
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004038mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004039 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
4040 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
4041 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004042 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4043 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004044 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
4045 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
4046
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004047 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004048 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
4049 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
4050 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
4051 mapcheck("b") no no no
4052
4053 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
4054 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
4055 mapping for {name} exactly.
4056 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
4057 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
4058 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
4059 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
4060 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4061 then the global mappings.
4062 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
4063 without being ambiguous. Example: >
4064 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
4065 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
4066 :endif
4067< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
4068 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
4069
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004070match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004071 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
4072 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004073 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004074 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004075 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
4076 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004077 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004078 If there is no match -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02004079 For getting submatches see |matchlist()|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004080 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004081 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004082 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004083< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004084 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004085 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004086 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
4087< *strcasestr()*
4088 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
4089 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
4090 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
4091<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004092 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004093 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004094 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004095 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004096 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
4097< result is again "4". >
4098 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
4099< result is again "4". >
4100 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
4101< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004102 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004103 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
4104 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
4105 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
4106 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004107 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
4108 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004109 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
4110 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004111
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004112 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004113 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004114 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
4115 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
4116< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004117 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
4118 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004119
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004120 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
4121 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004122 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004123 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
4124
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004125 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
4126matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
4127 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
4128 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
4129 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
4130 match using |matchdelete()|.
4131
4132 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004133 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004134 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
4135 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
4136 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
4137 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
4138 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
4139 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
4140 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
4141 always overrule syntax highlighting.
4142
4143 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
4144 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
4145 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
4146 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
4147 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
4148 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
4149 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
4150
4151 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
4152 the |:match| commands.
4153
4154 Example: >
4155 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4156 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
4157< Deletion of the pattern: >
4158 :call matchdelete(m)
4159
4160< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004161 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004162 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004163
4164matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004165 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004166 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
4167 Return a |List| with two elements:
4168 The name of the highlight group used
4169 The pattern used.
4170 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
4171 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004172 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
4173 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
4174 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004175
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004176matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
4177 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004178 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004179 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
4180 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004181
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004182matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004183 Same as |match()|, but return the index of first character
4184 after the match. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004185 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
4186< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004187 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
4188 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
4189 do it with matchend(): >
4190 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4191 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4192< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4193
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004194 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004195 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4196< results in "7". >
4197 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4198< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004199 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004200
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004201matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004202 Same as |match()|, but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004203 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4204 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00004205 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4206 empty string is used. Example: >
4207 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4208< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004209 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4210
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004211matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004212 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004213 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4214< results in "ing".
4215 When there is no match "" is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004216 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004217 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4218< results in "ing". >
4219 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4220< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004221 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004222 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004223
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004224 *max()*
4225max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4226 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4227 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004228 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004229
4230 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004231min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004232 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4233 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004234 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004235
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004236 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004237mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4238 Create directory {name}.
4239 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4240 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4241 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4242 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004243 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004244 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4245 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4246 with 0755.
4247 Example: >
4248 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4249< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004250 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4251 :if exists("*mkdir")
4252<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004253 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004254mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004255 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4256 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4257 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4258 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004259
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004260 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004261 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004262 v Visual by character
4263 V Visual by line
4264 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4265 s Select by character
4266 S Select by line
4267 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4268 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004269 R Replace |R|
4270 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004271 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004272 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4273 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004274 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004275 rm The -- more -- prompt
4276 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4277 ! Shell or external command is executing
4278 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4279 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4280 "c" or "n".
4281 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004282
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004283mzeval({expr}) *mzeval()*
4284 Evaluate MzScheme expression {expr} and return its result
4285 convert to Vim data structures.
4286 Numbers and strings are returned as they are.
4287 Pairs (including lists and improper lists) and vectors are
4288 returned as Vim |Lists|.
4289 Hash tables are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with keys
4290 converted to strings.
4291 All other types are converted to string with display function.
4292 Examples: >
4293 :mz (define l (list 1 2 3))
4294 :mz (define h (make-hash)) (hash-set! h "list" l)
4295 :echo mzeval("l")
4296 :echo mzeval("h")
4297<
4298 {only available when compiled with the |+mzscheme| feature}
4299
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004300nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4301 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4302 that is not blank. Example: >
4303 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4304< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4305 below it, zero is returned.
4306 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4307
4308nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
4309 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4310 value {expr}. Examples: >
4311 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4312 nr2char(32) returns " "
4313< The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
4314 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
4315< Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
4316 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4317 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004318 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004319
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004320 *getpid()*
4321getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004322 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4323 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00004324
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004325 *getpos()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004326getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4327 see |line()|.
4328 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4329 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4330 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4331 is the buffer number of the mark.
4332 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4333 column is 1.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004334 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4335 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00004336 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004337 character.
4338 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4339 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4340 MoveTheCursorAround
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00004341 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004342< Also see |setpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004343
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004344pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4345 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4346 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4347 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4348 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4349 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4350< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4351 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4352
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004353pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4354 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4355 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4356 Examples: >
4357 :echo pow(3, 3)
4358< 27.0 >
4359 :echo pow(2, 16)
4360< 65536.0 >
4361 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4362< 2.0
4363 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4364
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004365prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4366 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4367 that is not blank. Example: >
4368 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4369< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4370 above it, zero is returned.
4371 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4372
4373
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004374printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4375 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4376 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004377 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004378< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004379 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004380
4381 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004382 %s string
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004383 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004384 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4385 %c single byte
4386 %d decimal number
4387 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4388 %x hex number
4389 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4390 %X hex number using upper case letters
4391 %o octal number
4392 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4393 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4394 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4395 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4396 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4397 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004398
4399 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4400 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4401 the result.
4402
4403 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004404 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004405
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004406 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004407
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004408 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004409 Zero or more of the following flags:
4410
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004411 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4412 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4413 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4414 of the number is increased to force the first
4415 character of the output string to a zero (except
4416 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4417 precision of zero).
4418 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4419 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4420 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004421
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004422 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4423 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4424 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4425 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4426 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004427
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004428 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4429 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4430 The converted value is padded on the right with
4431 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4432 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004433
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004434 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4435 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004436
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004437 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004438 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004439 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004440
4441 field-width
4442 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004443 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4444 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4445 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4446 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004447
4448 .precision
4449 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4450 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4451 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4452 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4453 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004454 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004455 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4456 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004457
4458 type
4459 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4460 be applied, see below.
4461
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004462 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4463 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004464 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004465 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4466 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4467 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004468 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004469< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004470 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004471
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004472 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004473
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004474 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4475 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004476 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4477 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4478 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004479 conversions.
4480 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4481 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4482 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4483 zeros.
4484 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4485 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4486 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4487 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4488
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004489 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004490 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4491 resulting character is written.
4492
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004493 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004494 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4495 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4496 specified are used.
4497
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004498 *printf-f* *E807*
4499 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4500 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4501 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4502 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4503 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4504 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4505 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4506 Example: >
4507 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4508< 12.12
4509 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4510 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4511
4512 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4513 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4514 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4515 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4516 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4517
4518 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4519 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4520 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4521 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4522 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4523 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4524 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4525 results in 1.0e7.
4526
4527 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004528 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4529 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004530
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004531 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4532 accepted and automatically converted.
4533 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4534 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4535 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004536
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004537 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004538 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4539 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004540 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004541
4542
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004543pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4544 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4545 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004546 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4547 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004548
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004549 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004550range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004551 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004552 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4553 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4554 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4555 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4556 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004557 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4558 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4559 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004560 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004561 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004562 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4563 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004564 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004565 range(0) " []
4566 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004567<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004568 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004569readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004570 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4571 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004572 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4573 NL appears somewhere).
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004574 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004575 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4576 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4577 added.
4578 - No CR characters are removed.
4579 Otherwise:
4580 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4581 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004582 - When 'encoding' is Unicode any UTF-8 byte order mark is
4583 removed from the text.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004584 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4585 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4586 lines of a file: >
4587 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4588 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4589 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004590< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4591 are returned, or as many as there are.
4592 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004593 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4594 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4595 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004596 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4597 the result is an empty list.
4598 Also see |writefile()|.
4599
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004600reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4601 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4602 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4603 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4604 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4605 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4606 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004607 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004608 and {end}.
4609 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4610 reltime().
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004611 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004612
4613reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4614 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4615 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4616 microseconds. Example: >
4617 let start = reltime()
4618 call MyFunction()
4619 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4620< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4621 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004622 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4623 can use split() to remove it. >
4624 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4625< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004626 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004627
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004628 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4629remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004630 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004631 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004632 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4633 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4634 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004635 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4636 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4637 remote_read() is stored there.
4638 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4639 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4640 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4641 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4642 and the result will be the empty string.
4643 Examples: >
4644 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4645 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4646<
4647
4648remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4649 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4650 This works like: >
4651 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4652< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4653 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4654 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00004655 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4656 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004657 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4658 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4659 Win32 console version}
4660
4661
4662remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4663 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4664 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004665 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004666 name of a variable.
4667 Returns zero if none are available.
4668 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4669 See also |clientserver|.
4670 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4671 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4672 Examples: >
4673 :let repl = ""
4674 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4675
4676remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4677 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4678 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4679 See also |clientserver|.
4680 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4681 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4682 Example: >
4683 :echo remote_read(id)
4684<
4685 *remote_send()* *E241*
4686remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004687 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00004688 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4689 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004690 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4691 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4692 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004693 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4694 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4695 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4696 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4697 up the display.
4698 Examples: >
4699 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4700 \ remote_read(serverid)
4701
4702 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4703 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4704 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4705 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004706<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004707remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004708 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004709 return the item.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004710 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004711 return a List with these items. When {idx} points to the same
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004712 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4713 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4714 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004715 Example: >
4716 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004717 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004718remove({dict}, {key})
4719 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4720 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4721< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4722
4723 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004724
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004725rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4726 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4727 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4728 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4729 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00004730 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004731 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4732
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004733repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4734 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4735 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004736 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004737< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004738 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004739 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00004740 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4741< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00004742
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004743
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004744resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4745 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4746 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4747 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4748 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4749 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4750 stopped after 100 iterations.
4751 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4752 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4753 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4754 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4755 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4756
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004757 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004758reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004759 {list}.
4760 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4761 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4762
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004763round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004764 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004765 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4766 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4767 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4768 Examples: >
4769 echo round(0.456)
4770< 0.0 >
4771 echo round(4.5)
4772< 5.0 >
4773 echo round(-4.5)
4774< -5.0
4775 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4776
4777
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004778search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004779 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004780 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00004781
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004782 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4783 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004784 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004785 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004786 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004787 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4788 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004789 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4790 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4791 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4792
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00004793 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4794 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4795 flag.
4796
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004797 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4798
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004799 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4800 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4801 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4802 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4803 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4804< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4805 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004806 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4807
4808 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004809 more than this many milli seconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004810 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4811 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4812 giving the argument.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004813 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004814
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00004815 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4816 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004817 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4818 *search()-sub-match*
4819 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4820 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4821 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004822 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004823
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004824 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4825 flag is used.
4826
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004827 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4828 :let n = 1
4829 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4830 : exe "argument " . n
4831 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4832 : " first search to find match at start of file
4833 : normal G$
4834 : let flags = "w"
4835 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004836 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004837 : let flags = "W"
4838 : endwhile
4839 : update " write the file if modified
4840 : let n = n + 1
4841 :endwhile
4842<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004843 Example for using some flags: >
4844 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4845< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4846 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4847 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4848 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4849 line:
4850 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4851 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4852 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4853 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4854 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4855
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004856
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004857searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4858 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004859
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00004860 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4861 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4862 first match in the function.
4863
4864 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4865 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4866 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4867
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00004868 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4869 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4870 Example: >
4871 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4872 echo getline('.')
4873 endif
4874<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004875 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004876searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4877 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004878 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4879 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4880 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00004881 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4882 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4883 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4884 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4885 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4886 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004887
4888 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4889 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4890 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4891 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4892 typical use is: >
4893 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4894< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4895
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004896 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4897 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004898 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004899 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
4900 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004901 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004902 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
4903 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004904
4905 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4906 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4907 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4908 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4909 or a string.
4910 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4911 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4912 and -1 returned.
4913
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004914 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004915
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004916 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4917 patterns are used like it's on.
4918
4919 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4920 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4921 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4922 if 1
4923 if 2
4924 endif 2
4925 endif 1
4926< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4927 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4928 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004929 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004930 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4931 "endif 2".
4932 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4933 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4934 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4935 the matching start.
4936
4937 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4938
4939 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4940 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4941
4942< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4943 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4944 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4945 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4946 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4947 match.
4948 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4949
4950 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4951
4952< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4953 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4954 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4955
4956 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4957 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4958<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004959 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004960searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4961 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004962 Same as |searchpair()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004963 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4964 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004965 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02004966 returns [0, 0]. >
4967
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004968 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4969<
4970 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4971
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00004972searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004973 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004974 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4975 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4976 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4977 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004978 Example: >
4979 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4980
4981< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4982 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4983 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4984< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4985 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4986
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004987server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4988 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4989 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4990 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4991 Note:
4992 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004993 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004994 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4995 See also |clientserver|.
4996 Example: >
4997 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4998<
4999serverlist() *serverlist()*
5000 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
5001 When there are no servers or the information is not available
5002 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
5003 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5004 Example: >
5005 :echo serverlist()
5006<
5007setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
5008 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
5009 {val}.
5010 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
5011 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
5012 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
5013 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
5014 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
5015 Examples: >
5016 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
5017 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
5018< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5019
5020setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
5021 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005022 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005023 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
5024 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005025 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
5026 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
5027 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
5028 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
5029 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005030 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
5031 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
5032 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
5033 line.
5034
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005035setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
5036 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005037 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005038 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005039 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005040 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
5041 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005042 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005043< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005044 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
5045 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
5046< This is equivalent to: >
5047 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
5048 : call setline(n, l)
5049 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005050< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
5051
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005052setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
5053 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
5054 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005055 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
5056 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005057 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
5058 Also see |location-list|.
5059
5060setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
5061 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005062 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005063 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005064
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005065 *setpos()*
5066setpos({expr}, {list})
5067 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
5068 . the cursor
5069 'x mark x
5070
5071 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
5072 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
5073
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005074 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005075 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005076 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
5077 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
5078 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005079 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005080
5081 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005082 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark. If "col" is
5083 smaller than 1 then 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005084
5085 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
5086 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005087 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005088 character.
5089
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00005090 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
5091 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
5092
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005093 Also see |getpos()|
5094
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005095 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
5096 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
5097
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005098
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005099setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005100 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
5101 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
5102 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
5103 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005104
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005105 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005106 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005107 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005108 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005109 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005110 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005111 col column number
5112 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005113 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005114 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005115 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005116 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005117
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005118 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
5119 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
5120 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005121 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
5122 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
5123 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005124 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
5125 be used.
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02005126 If you supply an empty {list}, the quickfix list will be
5127 cleared.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005128 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
5129 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005130
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005131 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
5132 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
5133 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
5134 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
5135 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
5136 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
5137
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005138 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
5139
5140 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
5141 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
5142 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
5143
5144
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005145 *setreg()*
5146setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
5147 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
5148 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
5149 then the value is appended.
Bram Moolenaarc6485bc2010-07-28 17:02:55 +02005150 {options} can also contain a register type specification:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005151 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
5152 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
5153 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
5154 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
5155 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
5156 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005157 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005158
5159 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
5160 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
5161 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
5162 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5163
5164 Examples: >
5165 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
5166 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
5167 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
5168
5169< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
5170 register. >
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005171 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005172 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
5173 ....
5174 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
5175
5176< You can also change the type of a register by appending
5177 nothing: >
5178 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
5179
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005180settabvar({tabnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabvar()*
5181 Set tab-local variable {varname} to {val} in tab page {tabnr}.
5182 |t:var|
5183 Note that the variable name without "t:" must be used.
5184 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
5185 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
5186 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
5187 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5188
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005189settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
5190 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
5191 {val}.
5192 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
5193 use |setwinvar()|.
5194 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005195 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
5196 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
5197 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
5198 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005199 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
5200 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
5201 Examples: >
5202 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
5203 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
5204< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5205
5206setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
5207 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005208 Examples: >
5209 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
5210 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005211
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005212shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005213 Escape {string} for use as a shell command argument.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005214 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005215 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005216 quotes within {string}.
5217 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
5218 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005219 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
5220 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005221 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5222 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005223 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005224 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5225 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5226 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5227 even when inside single quotes.
5228 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5229 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5230 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005231 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5232 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5233< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5234 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5235 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005236
5237
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005238simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5239 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5240 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5241 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5242 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5243 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5244 not removed either.
5245 Example: >
5246 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5247< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5248 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5249 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5250 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5251 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5252
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005253
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005254sin({expr}) *sin()*
5255 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5256 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5257 Examples: >
5258 :echo sin(100)
5259< -0.506366 >
5260 :echo sin(-4.01)
5261< 0.763301
5262 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5263
5264
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005265sinh({expr}) *sinh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005266 Return the hyperbolic sine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005267 [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005268 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005269 Examples: >
5270 :echo sinh(0.5)
5271< 0.521095 >
5272 :echo sinh(-0.9)
5273< -1.026517
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005274 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005275
5276
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00005277sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005278 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5279 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5280 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5281< Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005282 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005283 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005284 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005285 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5286 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005287 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 or
5288 bigger if the first one sorts after the second one, -1 or
5289 smaller if the first one sorts before the second one.
5290 Example: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005291 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5292 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5293 endfunc
5294 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005295< A shorter compare version for this specific simple case, which
5296 ignores overflow: >
5297 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5298 return a:i1 - a:i2
5299 endfunc
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005300<
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005301 *soundfold()*
5302soundfold({word})
5303 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005304 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005305 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5306 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005307 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5308 the method can be quite slow.
5309
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005310 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005311spellbadword([{sentence}])
5312 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5313 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5314 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5315 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5316
5317 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5318 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5319 result is an empty string.
5320
5321 The return value is a list with two items:
5322 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5323 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005324 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005325 "rare" rare word
5326 "local" word only valid in another region
5327 "caps" word should start with Capital
5328 Example: >
5329 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5330< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5331
5332 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5333 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5334 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005335
5336 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005337spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005338 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005339 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5340 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5341
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005342 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5343 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5344 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5345
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005346 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5347 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005348 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5349 replace a line.
5350
5351 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005352 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5353 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005354
5355 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005356 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5357 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005358
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005359
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005360split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005361 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5362 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5363 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005364 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005365 removing the matched characters.
5366 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5367 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005368 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5369 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005370 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005371 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005372< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005373 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005374< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5375 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5376< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005377 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5378 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5379< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005380
5381
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005382sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5383 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5384 |Float|.
5385 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5386 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5387 Examples: >
5388 :echo sqrt(100)
5389< 10.0 >
5390 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5391< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005392 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005393 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5394
5395
5396str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5397 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5398 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5399 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5400 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5401 write "1.0e40".
5402 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5403 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5404 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5405 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5406 |substitute()|: >
5407 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5408< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5409
5410
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005411str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5412 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5413 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5414 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5415 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5416 with the default String to Number conversion.
5417 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5418 different base the result will be zero.
5419 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005420
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005421
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005422strchars({expr}) *strchars()*
5423 The result is a Number, which is the number of characters
5424 String {expr} occupies. Composing characters are counted
5425 separately.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005426 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
5427
5428strdisplaywidth({expr}[, {col}]) *strdisplaywidth()*
5429 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5430 String {expr} occupies on the screen.
5431 When {col} is omitted zero is used. Otherwise it is the
5432 screen column where to start. This matters for Tab
5433 characters.
Bram Moolenaar4d32c2d2010-07-18 22:10:01 +02005434 The option settings of the current window are used. This
5435 matters for anything that's displayed differently, such as
5436 'tabstop' and 'display'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005437 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5438 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
5439 Also see |strlen()|, |strwidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005440
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005441strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5442 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5443 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5444 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5445 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5446 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5447 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5448 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5449 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5450 Examples: >
5451 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5452 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5453 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5454 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5455 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5456 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005457< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5458 :if exists("*strftime")
5459
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005460stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5461 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5462 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005463 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5464 This can be used to find a second match: >
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01005465 :let colon1 = stridx(line, ":")
5466 :let colon2 = stridx(line, ":", colon1 + 1)
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005467< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005468 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005469 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005470 See also |strridx()|.
5471 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005472 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5473 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5474 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005475< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005476 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5477 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5478
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005479 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005480string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005481 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5482 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005483 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005484 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005485 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005486 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005487 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005488 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005489 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005490 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005491 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005492
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005493 *strlen()*
5494strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005495 {expr} in bytes.
5496 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5497 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005498
5499 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00005500<
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005501 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5502 For other types an error is given.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005503 Also see |len()|, |strchars()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and
5504 |strwidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005505
5506strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5507 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005508 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005509 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5510 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5511 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5512 end of the {src}. >
5513 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5514 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5515 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005516 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005517< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5518 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00005519 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005520<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005521strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5522 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5523 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5524 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5525 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5526 match: >
5527 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5528 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5529< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005530 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5531 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005532 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005533 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005534 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005535< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005536 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5537 function strrchr().
5538
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005539strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5540 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5541 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5542 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5543 echo strtrans(@a)
5544< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5545 starting a new line.
5546
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005547strwidth({expr}) *strwidth()*
5548 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
5549 String {expr} occupies. A Tab character is counted as one
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005550 cell, alternatively use |strdisplaywidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005551 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5552 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005553 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005554
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005555submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
5556 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
5557 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
5558 the whole matched text is returned.
5559 Example: >
5560 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5561< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5562 A line break is included as a newline character.
5563
5564substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5565 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
5566 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
5567 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
5568 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
5569 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005570 'ignorecase' is still relevant. 'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005571 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
5572 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
5573 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005574 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005575 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
5576 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5577 unmodified.
5578 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5579 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5580 Example: >
5581 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5582< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5583 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5584< results in "TESTING".
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02005585 The {sub} argument can start with \=, just like with
5586 |:substitute|. Example: >
5587 :echo substitute(s, '%\(\x\x\)',
5588 \ '\=nr2char("0x" . submatch(1))', 'g')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005589
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005590synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005591 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005592 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005593 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5594 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005595
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00005596 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00005597 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5598
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005599 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005600 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005601 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5602 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5603 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5604 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5605 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5606
5607 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5608 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5609<
Bram Moolenaar7510fe72010-07-25 12:46:44 +02005610
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005611synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5612 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5613 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5614 about a syntax item.
5615 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005616 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005617 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5618 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5619 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5620 {what} result
5621 "name" the name of the syntax item
5622 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5623 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5624 term: empty string)
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005625 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005626 "font" font name (only available in the GUI)
5627 |highlight-font|
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005628 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005629 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5630 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5631 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00005632 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005633 "bold" "1" if bold
5634 "italic" "1" if italic
5635 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5636 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01005637 "standout" "1" if standout
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005638 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005639 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005640
5641 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5642 cursor): >
5643 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5644<
5645synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5646 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5647 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5648 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5649 ":highlight link" are followed.
5650
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02005651synconcealed({lnum}, {col}) *synconcealed()*
5652 The result is a List. The first item in the list is 0 if the
5653 character at the position {lnum} and {col} is not part of a
5654 concealable region, 1 if it is. The second item in the list is
5655 a string. If the first item is 1, the second item contains the
5656 text which will be displayed in place of the concealed text,
5657 depending on the current setting of 'conceallevel'. The third
5658 and final item in the list is a unique number representing the
5659 specific syntax region matched. This allows detection of the
5660 beginning of a new concealable region if there are two
5661 consecutive regions with the same replacement character.
5662 For an example use see $VIMRUNTIME/syntax/2html.vim .
5663
5664
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005665synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5666 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5667 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5668 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005669 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5670 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5671 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5672 transparent item.
5673 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5674 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5675 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5676 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5677 endfor
Bram Moolenaar0bc380a2010-07-10 13:52:13 +02005678< When the position specified with {lnum} and {col} is invalid
5679 nothing is returned. The position just after the last
5680 character in a line and the first column in an empty line are
5681 valid positions.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00005682
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00005683system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5684 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5685 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5686 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5687 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005688 yourself. Pipes are not used.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005689 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5690 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5691 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5692 also cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005693 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005694
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005695 The result is a String. Example: >
5696 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005697
5698< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5699 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5700 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5701 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5702 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5703 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5704 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5705 concatenated commands.
5706
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00005707 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5708 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5709
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005710 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5711 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00005712
5713 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5714 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5715 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005716 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5717 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5718
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005719
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005720tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005721 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005722 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5723 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5724 omitted the current tab page is used.
5725 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5726 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
5727 tablist = []
5728 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
5729 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
5730 endfor
5731< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5732
5733
5734tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00005735 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5736 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5737 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5738 page is returned (the tab page count).
5739 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5740
5741
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005742tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
Bram Moolenaard04f4402010-08-15 13:30:34 +02005743 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {tabarg}.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005744 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5745 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5746 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5747 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5748 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5749 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5750 Useful examples: >
5751 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5752 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5753< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5754
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00005755 *tagfiles()*
5756tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5757 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5758
5759
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005760taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5761 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00005762 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5763 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005764 name Name of the tag.
5765 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005766 defined. It is either relative to the
5767 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005768 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5769 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005770 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005771 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005772 kind values. Only available when
5773 using a tags file generated by
5774 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005775 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005776 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005777 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5778 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5779 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5780 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5781 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5782 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00005783
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00005784 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5785 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005786
5787 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5788
5789 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
5790 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
5791 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
5792
5793 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5794 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5795 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5796
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005797tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5798 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005799 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005800 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5801 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5802 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005803< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory |tempfile|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005804 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5805 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5806
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005807
5808tan({expr}) *tan()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005809 Return the tangent of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005810 in the range [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005811 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005812 Examples: >
5813 :echo tan(10)
5814< 0.648361 >
5815 :echo tan(-4.01)
5816< -1.181502
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005817 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005818
5819
5820tanh({expr}) *tanh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005821 Return the hyperbolic tangent of {expr} as a |Float| in the
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005822 range [-1, 1].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005823 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005824 Examples: >
5825 :echo tanh(0.5)
5826< 0.462117 >
5827 :echo tanh(-1)
5828< -0.761594
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005829 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005830
5831
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005832tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
5833 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
5834 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
5835 the string).
5836
5837toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
5838 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
5839 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
5840 the string).
5841
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00005842tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
5843 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
5844 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
5845 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
5846 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
5847 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
5848 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
5849
5850 Examples: >
5851 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
5852< returns "Hello THere" >
5853 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
5854< returns "{blob}"
5855
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005856trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005857 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005858 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
5859 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5860 Examples: >
5861 echo trunc(1.456)
5862< 1.0 >
5863 echo trunc(-5.456)
5864< -5.0 >
5865 echo trunc(4.0)
5866< 4.0
5867 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5868
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005869 *type()*
5870type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005871 Number: 0
5872 String: 1
5873 Funcref: 2
5874 List: 3
5875 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005876 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005877 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00005878 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
5879 :if type(myvar) == type("")
5880 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
5881 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00005882 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005883 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005884
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02005885undofile({name}) *undofile()*
5886 Return the name of the undo file that would be used for a file
5887 with name {name} when writing. This uses the 'undodir'
5888 option, finding directories that exist. It does not check if
Bram Moolenaar860cae12010-06-05 23:22:07 +02005889 the undo file exists.
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02005890 {name} is always expanded to the full path, since that is what
5891 is used internally.
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02005892 Useful in combination with |:wundo| and |:rundo|.
5893 When compiled without the +persistent_undo option this always
5894 returns an empty string.
5895
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02005896undotree() *undotree()*
5897 Return the current state of the undo tree in a dictionary with
5898 the following items:
5899 "seq_last" The highest undo sequence number used.
5900 "seq_cur" The sequence number of the current position in
5901 the undo tree. This differs from "seq_last"
5902 when some changes were undone.
5903 "time_cur" Time last used for |:earlier| and related
5904 commands. Use |strftime()| to convert to
5905 something readable.
5906 "save_last" Number of the last file write. Zero when no
5907 write yet.
Bram Moolenaar730cde92010-06-27 05:18:54 +02005908 "save_cur" Number of the current position in the undo
5909 tree.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02005910 "synced" Non-zero when the last undo block was synced.
5911 This happens when waiting from input from the
5912 user. See |undo-blocks|.
5913 "entries" A list of dictionaries with information about
5914 undo blocks.
5915
5916 The first item in the "entries" list is the oldest undo item.
5917 Each List item is a Dictionary with these items:
5918 "seq" Undo sequence number. Same as what appears in
5919 |:undolist|.
5920 "time" Timestamp when the change happened. Use
5921 |strftime()| to convert to something readable.
5922 "newhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
5923 that was added. This marks the last change
5924 and where further changes will be added.
5925 "curhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
5926 that was undone. This marks the current
5927 position in the undo tree, the block that will
5928 be used by a redo command. When nothing was
5929 undone after the last change this item will
5930 not appear anywhere.
5931 "save" Only appears on the last block before a file
5932 write. The number is the write count. The
5933 first write has number 1, the last one the
5934 "save_last" mentioned above.
5935 "alt" Alternate entry. This is again a List of undo
5936 blocks. Each item may again have an "alt"
5937 item.
5938
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005939values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005940 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005941 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005942
5943
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005944virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
5945 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
5946 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
5947 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
5948 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
5949 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
5950 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
5951 set to 8, it returns 8.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00005952 For the byte position use |col()|.
5953 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
5954 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005955 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005956 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00005957 character.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005958 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
5959 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
5960 The accepted positions are:
5961 . the cursor position
5962 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
5963 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
5964 plus one)
5965 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
5966 returned)
5967 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
5968 Examples: >
5969 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
5970 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005971 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
5972< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005973 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
5974 all lines: >
5975 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
5976
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005977
5978visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
5979 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005980 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
5981 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
5982 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
5983 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
5984 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005985 Example: >
5986 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
5987< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
5988 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
5989 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005990 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
5991 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005992 *non-zero-arg*
5993 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
5994 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005995 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005996 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
5997 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
5998 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005999
6000 *winbufnr()*
6001winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006002 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006003 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
6004 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6005 Example: >
6006 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
6007<
6008 *wincol()*
6009wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
6010 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
6011 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
6012
6013winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
6014 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
6015 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
6016 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6017 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
6018 Examples: >
6019 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
6020<
6021 *winline()*
6022winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006023 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006024 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00006025 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
6026 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006027
6028 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006029winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
6030 window. The top window has number 1.
6031 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00006032 last window is returned (the window count).
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006033 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
6034 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006035 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
6036 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006037 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
6038 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006039 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006040
6041 *winrestcmd()*
6042winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
6043 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006044 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
6045 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006046 Example: >
6047 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
6048 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
6049 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006050<
6051 *winrestview()*
6052winrestview({dict})
6053 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
6054 the view of the current window.
6055 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
6056 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
6057
6058 *winsaveview()*
6059winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
6060 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
6061 restore the view.
6062 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
6063 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
6064 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00006065 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
6066 not opened when moving around.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006067 The return value includes:
6068 lnum cursor line number
6069 col cursor column
6070 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
6071 curswant column for vertical movement
6072 topline first line in the window
6073 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
6074 leftcol first column displayed
6075 skipcol columns skipped
6076 Note that no option values are saved.
6077
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006078
6079winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
6080 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
6081 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
6082 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6083 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
6084 Examples: >
6085 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
6086 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
6087 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
6088 :endif
6089<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006090 *writefile()*
6091writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006092 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006093 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
6094 Number.
6095 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
6096 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
6097 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
6098 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
6099 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
6100 to writefile().
6101 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
6102 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
6103 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
6104 fails.
6105 Also see |readfile()|.
6106 To copy a file byte for byte: >
6107 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
6108 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
6109<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006110
6111 *feature-list*
6112There are three types of features:
61131. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
6114 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
6115 :if has("cindent")
61162. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
6117 Example: >
6118 :if has("gui_running")
6119< *has-patch*
61203. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
6121 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
6122 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
6123 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006124< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
6125 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006126
6127all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
6128amiga Amiga version of Vim.
6129arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
6130arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00006131autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006132balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00006133balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006134beos BeOS version of Vim.
6135browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
6136 work.
6137builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
6138byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
6139cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
6140clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
6141clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
6142cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
6143cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
6144cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
6145comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006146compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006147cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
6148cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006149debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
6150dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
6151dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
6152diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
6153digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
6154dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006155dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006156dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006157ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
6158emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
6159eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
6160 true, of course!
6161ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
6162extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
6163 |'hlsearch'|
6164farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
6165file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006166filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
6167 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006168find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
6169 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006170float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006171fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
6172 Windows this is not present).
6173folding Compiled with |folding| support.
6174footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
6175fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
6176gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
6177gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
6178gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006179gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006180gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
6181gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
6182gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
6183gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
6184gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006185gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006186gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
6187gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006188hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
6189iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
6190insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
6191 Insert mode.
6192jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
6193keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
6194langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
6195libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
6196linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
6197 support.
6198lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
6199listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
6200 and the argument list |arglist|.
6201localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
Bram Moolenaar0ba04292010-07-14 23:23:17 +02006202lua Compiled with Lua interface |Lua|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006203mac Macintosh version of Vim.
6204macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
6205menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
6206mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
6207modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
6208mouse Compiled with support mouse.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006209mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
6210mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
6211mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
6212mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006213mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006214mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006215mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
Bram Moolenaar42022d52008-12-09 09:57:49 +00006216multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
6217multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006218multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
6219multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00006220mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaarb26e6322010-05-22 21:34:09 +02006221netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and connected.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006222netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006223ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
6224os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
6225osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
6226path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
6227perl Compiled with Perl interface.
Bram Moolenaar55debbe2010-05-23 23:34:36 +02006228persistent_undo Compiled with support for persistent undo history.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006229postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
6230printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006231profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar446beb42011-05-10 17:18:44 +02006232python Compiled with Python 2.x interface. |has-python|
6233python3 Compiled with Python 3.x interface. |has-python|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006234qnx QNX version of Vim.
6235quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00006236reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006237rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
6238ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
6239scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
6240showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
6241signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
6242smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00006243sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006244spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
Bram Moolenaaref94eec2009-11-11 13:22:11 +00006245startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006246statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
6247 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
6248sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00006249syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006250syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
6251 current buffer.
6252system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
6253tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
6254 |tag-binary-search|.
6255tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
6256 |tag-old-static|.
6257tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
6258 files |tag-any-white|.
6259tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
6260terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
6261termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
6262textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
6263tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
6264 or terminfo file.
6265title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
6266toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
6267unix Unix version of Vim.
6268user_commands User-defined commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006269vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006270vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place. |startup|
6271viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006272virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
6273visual Compiled with Visual mode.
6274visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
6275 |blockwise-operators|.
6276vms VMS version of Vim.
6277vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
6278wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
6279wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006280win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01006281win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95 and later, 32 or
6282 64 bits)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006283win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006284win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006285win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006286winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
6287windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006288writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
6289xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
6290xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
6291xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
6292xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
6293xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
6294xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
6295 xterm screen.
6296x11 Compiled with X11 support.
6297
6298 *string-match*
6299Matching a pattern in a String
6300
6301A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
6302the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
6303everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
6304like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
6305line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
6306with ".". Example: >
6307 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
6308 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
6309 aa
6310 xx
6311 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
6312 a
6313 x
6314
6315Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
6316"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
6317"\n".
6318
6319==============================================================================
63205. Defining functions *user-functions*
6321
6322New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
6323functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
6324commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
6325
6326The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
6327builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
6328avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
6329the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
6330
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006331It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
6332|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006333
6334 *local-function*
6335A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
6336can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
6337and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006338function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006339instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
6340
6341 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
6342:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
6343
6344:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006345 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6346 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006347 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006348
6349:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
6350 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
6351 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006352<
6353 *:function-verbose*
6354When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
6355last defined. Example: >
6356
6357 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
6358 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
6359 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
6360<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00006361See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006362
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006363 *E124* *E125*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006364:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006365 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
6366 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
6367 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006368
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006369 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6370 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006371 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006372< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006373 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006374 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006375 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
6376 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
6377 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006378 *E127* *E122*
6379 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
6380 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
6381 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
6382 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006383
6384 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
6385
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006386 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
6387 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
6388 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
6389 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
6390 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
6391 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
6392 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006393
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006394 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
6395 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006396
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006397 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006398 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006399 local variable "self" will then be set to the
6400 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006401
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006402 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006403 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006404 will not be changed by the function. This also
6405 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6406 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00006407
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006408 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6409:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6410 by its own, without other commands.
6411
6412 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6413:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006414 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6415 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006416 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006417< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006418 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6419 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006420 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6421:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6422 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6423 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6424 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6425 the number 0 is returned.
6426 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6427 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6428
6429 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6430 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6431 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6432 are executed first. This process applies to all
6433 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6434 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6435
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006436 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006437An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006438be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006439 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006440Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6441arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6442may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6443as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006444can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6445that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006446 *E742*
6447The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006448However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006449Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6450it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6451|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006452
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006453When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6454to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6455may be larger.
6456
6457It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6458still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6459until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6460inside a function body.
6461
6462 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006463Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6464will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6465accessed with "g:".
6466
6467Example: >
6468 :function Table(title, ...)
6469 : echohl Title
6470 : echo a:title
6471 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006472 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6473 : for s in a:000
6474 : echon ' ' . s
6475 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006476 :endfunction
6477
6478This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006479 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6480 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006481
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006482To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6483 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006484 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006485 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006486 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006487 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006488 :endfunction
6489
6490This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006491 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006492 :if success == "ok"
6493 : echo div
6494 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006495<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00006496 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006497:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6498 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6499 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006500 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006501 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6502 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6503 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6504 function.
6505 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6506 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6507 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6508 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006509 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006510 this works:
6511 *function-range-example* >
6512 :function Mynumber(arg)
6513 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6514 :endfunction
6515 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6516<
6517 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6518 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6519 the range.
6520
6521 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6522
6523 :function Cont() range
6524 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6525 :endfunction
6526 :4,8call Cont()
6527<
6528 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6529 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6530
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006531 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6532 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6533 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6534< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6535
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006536 *E132*
6537The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6538option.
6539
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006540
6541AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006542 *autoload-functions*
6543When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006544only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6545the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6546
6547
6548Using an autocommand ~
6549
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006550This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6551
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006552The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6553You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006554That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006555again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6556
6557Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6558function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006559
6560 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6561
6562The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6563"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6564
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006565
6566Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006567 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006568This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6569
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006570Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6571exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6572like this: >
6573
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006574 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006575
6576When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6577"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6578"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6579then define the function like this: >
6580
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006581 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006582 echo "Done!"
6583 endfunction
6584
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00006585The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006586exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6587called.
6588
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006589It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6590a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006591
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006592 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006593
6594Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6595
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006596This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6597
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006598 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006599
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00006600However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6601for an unknown variable.
6602
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006603When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6604be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6605
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00006606 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6607 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006608
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00006609Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6610defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6611function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006612And you will get an error message every time.
6613
6614Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006615other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006616Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00006617
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006618Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6619|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6620
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006621==============================================================================
66226. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6623
6624Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
6625This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
6626{} like this: >
6627 my_{adjective}_variable
6628
6629When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6630that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6631name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6632"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6633"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6634
6635One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006636value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006637 echo my_{&background}_message
6638
6639would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6640on the current value of 'background'.
6641
6642You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6643 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6644..or even nest them: >
6645 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6646where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6647
6648However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006649variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006650 :let foo='a + b'
6651 :echo c{foo}d
6652.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6653
6654 *curly-braces-function-names*
6655You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6656Example: >
6657 :let func_end='whizz'
6658 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6659
6660This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6661
6662==============================================================================
66637. Commands *expression-commands*
6664
6665:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6666 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6667 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6668 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6669 is created.
6670
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006671:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6672 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6673 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6674 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6675 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006676 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6677 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6678 can do that like this: >
6679 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6680<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006681 *E711* *E719*
6682:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006683 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6684 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006685 correct number of items.
6686 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6687 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6688 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6689 end of the list, items will be added.
6690
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006691 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006692:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6693:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6694:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6695 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6696 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6697
6698
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006699:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6700 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6701 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006702:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6703 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6704 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6705 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006706
6707:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6708 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6709 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6710 must be the name of a writable register (see
6711 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6712 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6713 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6714 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6715 characterwise.
6716 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6717 :let @/ = ""
6718< This is different from searching for an empty string,
6719 that would match everywhere.
6720
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006721:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006722 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006723 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6724
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006725:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006726 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006727 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6728 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006729 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6730 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00006731 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006732 Example: >
6733 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006734
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006735:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6736 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6737 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6738
6739:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6740:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6741 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6742 {expr1}.
6743
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006744:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006745:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6746:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6747:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006748 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6749 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6750
6751:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006752:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6753:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6754:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006755 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6756 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6757
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00006758:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006759 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006760 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6761 {name2}, etc.
6762 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006763 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006764 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6765 command as mentioned above.
6766 Example: >
6767 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006768< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6769 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6770 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6771 :let x = [0, 1]
6772 :let i = 0
6773 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6774 :echo x
6775< The result is [0, 2].
6776
6777:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6778:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6779:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
6780 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006781 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006782
6783:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006784 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006785 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
6786 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
6787 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00006788 Example: >
6789 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
6790<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006791:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
6792:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
6793:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
6794 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006795 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +02006796
6797 *E121*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006798:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006799 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
6800 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006801 g: global variables
6802 b: local buffer variables
6803 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006804 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00006805 s: script-local variables
6806 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00006807 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006808
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006809:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
6810 variable is indicated before the value:
6811 <nothing> String
6812 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006813 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006814
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006815
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006816:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006817 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
6818 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006819 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006820 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
6821 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006822 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006823 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
6824 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006825< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00006826 :unlet dict['two']
6827 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006828< This is especially useful to clean up used global
6829 variables and script-local variables (these are not
6830 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
6831 variables are automatically deleted when the function
6832 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006833
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006834:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
6835 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
6836 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
6837 A locked variable can be deleted: >
6838 :lockvar v
6839 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
6840 :unlet v
6841< *E741*
6842 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
6843 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
6844
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006845 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
6846 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
6847 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006848 cannot add or remove items, but can
6849 still change their values.
6850 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006851 the items. If an item is a |List| or
6852 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006853 items, but can still change the
6854 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006855 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
6856 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
6857 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
6858 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
6859 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006860 *E743*
6861 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
6862 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
6863 loops.
6864
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006865 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
6866 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00006867 locked when used through the other variable.
6868 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00006869 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
6870 :let cl = l
6871 :lockvar l
6872 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
6873< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
6874 See |deepcopy()|.
6875
6876
6877:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
6878 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
6879 opposite of |:lockvar|.
6880
6881
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006882:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
6883:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6884 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6885
6886 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
6887 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
6888 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
6889 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
6890 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
6891 part was not executed either.
6892
6893 You can use this to remain compatible with older
6894 versions: >
6895 :if version >= 500
6896 : version-5-specific-commands
6897 :endif
6898< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
6899 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
6900 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
6901 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
6902 avoid problems: >
6903 :if version >= 600
6904 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
6905 :endif
6906<
6907 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6908 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
6909
6910 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
6911:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6912 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
6913 executed.
6914
6915 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
6916:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
6917 is no extra ":endif".
6918
6919:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006920 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006921:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
6922 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6923 When an error is detected from a command inside the
6924 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006925 Example: >
6926 :let lnum = 1
6927 :while lnum <= line("$")
6928 :call FixLine(lnum)
6929 :let lnum = lnum + 1
6930 :endwhile
6931<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006932 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00006933 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006934
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006935:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006936:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
6937 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006938 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006939 value of each item.
6940 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006941 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00006942 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
6943 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006944 :for item in copy(mylist)
6945< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
6946 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006947 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00006948 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
6949 it will not be found. Thus the following example
6950 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006951 for item in mylist
6952 call remove(mylist, 0)
6953 endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006954< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
6955 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
6956 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006957 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
6958 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006959 to allow multiple item types: >
6960 for item in ["foo", ["bar"]]
6961 echo item
6962 unlet item " E706 without this
6963 endfor
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006964
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006965:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
6966:endfo[r]
6967 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
6968 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
6969 {var2}, etc. Example: >
6970 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
6971 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
6972 :endfor
6973<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006974 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006975:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
6976 to the start of the loop.
6977 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6978 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6979 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6980 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6981 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6982 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006983
6984 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00006985:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
6986 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
6987 ":endfor".
6988 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6989 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6990 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6991 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6992 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6993 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006994
6995:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
6996:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
6997 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
6998 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
6999 or autocommand invocations.
7000
7001 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
7002 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
7003 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
7004 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
7005 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
7006 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
7007 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
7008 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
7009 Example: >
7010 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
7011 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
7012<
7013 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
7014 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
7015 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
7016 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
7017 processing is not terminated.
7018
7019 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
7020 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
7021 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
7022 other errors are converted to a value of the form
7023 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
7024 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
7025 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
7026 the error number.
7027 Examples: >
7028 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
7029 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
7030<
7031 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007032:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next |:catch|,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007033 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
7034 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
7035 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
7036 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
7037 commands are skipped.
7038 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
7039 Examples: >
7040 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
7041 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
7042 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
7043 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
7044 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
7045 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
7046 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
7047 :catch " same as /.*/
7048<
7049 Another character can be used instead of / around the
7050 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
7051 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
7052 {pattern}.
7053 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
7054 an error message because it may vary in different
7055 locales.
7056
7057 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
7058:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
7059 are executed whenever the part between the matching
7060 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
7061 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
7062 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
7063 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
7064
7065 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
7066:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
7067 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
7068 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
7069 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
7070 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
7071 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
7072 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
7073 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
7074 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
7075 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
7076 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
7077 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
7078 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
7079 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
7080 is terminated.
7081 Example: >
7082 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
Bram Moolenaar662db672011-03-22 14:05:35 +01007083< Note that "catch" may need to be on a separate line
7084 for when an error causes the parsing to skip the whole
7085 line and not see the "|" that separates the commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007086
7087 *:ec* *:echo*
7088:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
7089 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
7090 Also see |:comment|.
7091 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
7092 cursor to the first column.
7093 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7094 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7095 Example: >
7096 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007097< *:echo-redraw*
7098 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
7099 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
7100 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
7101 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
7102 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
7103 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
7104 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007105 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
7106<
7107 *:echon*
7108:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
7109 |:comment|.
7110 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7111 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7112 Example: >
7113 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
7114<
7115 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
7116 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
7117 command: >
7118 :!echo % --> filename
7119< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
7120 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
7121< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
7122 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
7123 :echo % --> nothing
7124< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
7125 :echo "%" --> %
7126< This just echoes the '%' character. >
7127 :echo expand("%") --> filename
7128< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
7129
7130 *:echoh* *:echohl*
7131:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
7132 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
7133 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
7134 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
7135< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
7136 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
7137
7138 *:echom* *:echomsg*
7139:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
7140 message in the |message-history|.
7141 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
7142 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
7143 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007144 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
7145 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
7146 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
7147 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
7148 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007149 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7150 Example: >
7151 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007152< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
7153 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007154 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
7155:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
7156 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
7157 script or function the line number will be added.
7158 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007159 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007160 the message is raised as an error exception instead
7161 (see |try-echoerr|).
7162 Example: >
7163 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
7164< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
7165 And to get a beep: >
7166 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
7167<
7168 *:exe* *:execute*
7169:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007170 of {expr1} as an Ex command.
7171 Multiple arguments are concatenated, with a space in
7172 between. To avoid the extra space use the "."
7173 operator to concatenate strings into one argument.
7174 {expr1} is used as the processed command, command line
7175 editing keys are not recognized.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007176 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7177 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007178 :execute "buffer" nextbuf
7179 :execute "normal" count . "w"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007180<
7181 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
7182 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
7183 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
7184
7185< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
7186 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
7187 command: >
7188 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
7189< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
7190
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007191 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
7192 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007193 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
7194 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007195 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007196 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007197<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007198 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00007199 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
7200 command. Thus this is illegal: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007201 :execute 'while i > 5'
7202 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
7203<
7204 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
7205 completely in the executed string: >
7206 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
7207<
7208
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007209 *:exe-comment*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007210 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
7211 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
7212 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
7213 comment. Example: >
7214 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
7215
7216==============================================================================
72178. Exception handling *exception-handling*
7218
7219The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
7220explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
7221
7222Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
7223|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
7224exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
7225
7226
7227TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
7228
7229Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
7230use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
7231a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
7232 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
7233|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
7234a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
7235be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
7236which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
7237clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
7238
7239 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007240 : ...
7241 : ... TRY BLOCK
7242 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007243 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007244 : ...
7245 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7246 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007247 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007248 : ...
7249 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7250 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007251 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007252 : ...
7253 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
7254 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007255 :endtry
7256
7257The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
7258appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
7259from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
7260 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
7261is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
7262script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
7263 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
7264lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
7265patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
7266after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
7267executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
7268":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
7269(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
7270continues in the following line as usual.
7271 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
7272":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
7273that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
7274finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
7275the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
7276the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
7277see |try-nesting|.
7278 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007279remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007280not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
7281try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
7282a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
7283execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
7284exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7285 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007286thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007287clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
7288catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
7289following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
7290clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7291
7292The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
7293a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
7294try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
7295from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
7296sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
7297":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
7298":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
7299from the finally clause.
7300 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
7301try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
7302clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
7303":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
7304clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
7305":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
7306this pending exception or command is discarded.
7307
7308For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
7309
7310
7311NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
7312
7313Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
7314conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
7315clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
7316catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
7317of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
7318checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
7319try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007320otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007321nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
7322one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
7323the inner try conditional.
7324
7325When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
7326finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
7327An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
7328thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
7329implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
7330as usual.
7331
7332For examples see |throw-catch|.
7333
7334
7335EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
7336
7337Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
7338'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
7339script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
7340finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
7341a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
7342(see |debug-scripts|).
7343
7344
7345THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
7346
7347You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
7348and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
7349 :throw 4711
7350 :throw "string"
7351< *throw-expression*
7352You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
7353first, and the result is thrown: >
7354 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
7355 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
7356
7357An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
7358command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
7359The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
7360 Example: >
7361
7362 :function! Foo(arg)
7363 : try
7364 : throw a:arg
7365 : catch /foo/
7366 : endtry
7367 : return 1
7368 :endfunction
7369 :
7370 :function! Bar()
7371 : echo "in Bar"
7372 : return 4710
7373 :endfunction
7374 :
7375 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
7376
7377This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
7378executed. >
7379 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
7380however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
7381
7382Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007383abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007384exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
7385 Example: >
7386
7387 :if Foo("arrgh")
7388 : echo "then"
7389 :else
7390 : echo "else"
7391 :endif
7392
7393Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
7394
7395 *catch-order*
7396Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
7397commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
7398command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
7399gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
7400 Example: >
7401
7402 :function! Foo(value)
7403 : try
7404 : throw a:value
7405 : catch /^\d\+$/
7406 : echo "Number thrown"
7407 : catch /.*/
7408 : echo "String thrown"
7409 : endtry
7410 :endfunction
7411 :
7412 :call Foo(0x1267)
7413 :call Foo('string')
7414
7415The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7416An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7417specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7418specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7419
7420 : catch /.*/
7421 : echo "String thrown"
7422 : catch /^\d\+$/
7423 : echo "Number thrown"
7424
7425The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7426never taken.
7427
7428 *throw-variables*
7429If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7430in the variable |v:exception|: >
7431
7432 : catch /^\d\+$/
7433 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7434
7435You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7436|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7437exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7438 Example: >
7439
7440 :function! Caught()
7441 : if v:exception != ""
7442 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7443 : else
7444 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7445 : endif
7446 :endfunction
7447 :
7448 :function! Foo()
7449 : try
7450 : try
7451 : try
7452 : throw 4711
7453 : finally
7454 : call Caught()
7455 : endtry
7456 : catch /.*/
7457 : call Caught()
7458 : throw "oops"
7459 : endtry
7460 : catch /.*/
7461 : call Caught()
7462 : finally
7463 : call Caught()
7464 : endtry
7465 :endfunction
7466 :
7467 :call Foo()
7468
7469This displays >
7470
7471 Nothing caught
7472 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7473 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7474 Nothing caught
7475
7476A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7477number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7478
7479 :function! LineNumber()
7480 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7481 :endfunction
7482 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7483<
7484 *try-nested*
7485An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7486a surrounding try conditional: >
7487
7488 :try
7489 : try
7490 : throw "foo"
7491 : catch /foobar/
7492 : echo "foobar"
7493 : finally
7494 : echo "inner finally"
7495 : endtry
7496 :catch /foo/
7497 : echo "foo"
7498 :endtry
7499
7500The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7501clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7502conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7503
7504 *throw-from-catch*
7505You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7506catch clause: >
7507
7508 :function! Foo()
7509 : throw "foo"
7510 :endfunction
7511 :
7512 :function! Bar()
7513 : try
7514 : call Foo()
7515 : catch /foo/
7516 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7517 : throw "bar"
7518 : endtry
7519 :endfunction
7520 :
7521 :try
7522 : call Bar()
7523 :catch /.*/
7524 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7525 :endtry
7526
7527This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7528
7529 *rethrow*
7530There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7531"v:exception" instead: >
7532
7533 :function! Bar()
7534 : try
7535 : call Foo()
7536 : catch /.*/
7537 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7538 : throw v:exception
7539 : endtry
7540 :endfunction
7541< *try-echoerr*
7542Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7543exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7544Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7545denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7546the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7547
7548 :try
7549 : try
7550 : asdf
7551 : catch /.*/
7552 : echoerr v:exception
7553 : endtry
7554 :catch /.*/
7555 : echo v:exception
7556 :endtry
7557
7558This code displays
7559
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007560 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007561
7562
7563CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7564
7565Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7566user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007567an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007568a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7569catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7570a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7571normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7572(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007573to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007574clause has been executed.)
7575Example: >
7576
7577 :try
7578 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7579 : set ts=17
7580 :
7581 : " Do the hard work here.
7582 :
7583 :finally
7584 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7585 : unlet s:saved_ts
7586 :endtry
7587
7588This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7589changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7590that function or script part.
7591
7592 *break-finally*
7593Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7594a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7595 Example: >
7596
7597 :let first = 1
7598 :while 1
7599 : try
7600 : if first
7601 : echo "first"
7602 : let first = 0
7603 : continue
7604 : else
7605 : throw "second"
7606 : endif
7607 : catch /.*/
7608 : echo v:exception
7609 : break
7610 : finally
7611 : echo "cleanup"
7612 : endtry
7613 : echo "still in while"
7614 :endwhile
7615 :echo "end"
7616
7617This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7618
7619 :function! Foo()
7620 : try
7621 : return 4711
7622 : finally
7623 : echo "cleanup\n"
7624 : endtry
7625 : echo "Foo still active"
7626 :endfunction
7627 :
7628 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7629
7630This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007631extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007632return value.)
7633
7634 *except-from-finally*
7635Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7636a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7637cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7638exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7639 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7640working correctly: >
7641
7642 :try
7643 : try
7644 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7645 : while 1
7646 : endwhile
7647 : finally
7648 : unlet novar
7649 : endtry
7650 :catch /novar/
7651 :endtry
7652 :echo "Script still running"
7653 :sleep 1
7654
7655If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7656think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7657|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7658
7659
7660CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7661
7662If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7663watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7664presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7665exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7666the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7667the error exception is.
7668 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7669
7670 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7671or >
7672 Vim:{errmsg}
7673
7674{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007675the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007676when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7677a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7678a space.
7679
7680Examples:
7681
7682The command >
7683 :unlet novar
7684normally produces the error message >
7685 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7686which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7687 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7688
7689The command >
7690 :dwim
7691normally produces the error message >
7692 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7693which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7694 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7695
7696You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7697 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7698or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7699 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7700
7701Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7702 :function nofunc
7703and >
7704 :delfunction nofunc
7705both produce the error message >
7706 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7707which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7708 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7709or >
7710 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7711respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7712command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7713 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7714
7715Some commands like >
7716 :let x = novar
7717produce multiple error messages, here: >
7718 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7719 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7720Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7721one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7722 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7723
7724You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7725 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7726
7727You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7728 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7729
7730You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7731 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7732<
7733 *catch-text*
7734NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7735 :catch /No such variable/
7736only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7737a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7738cite the message text in a comment: >
7739 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7740
7741
7742IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7743
7744You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7745
7746 :try
7747 : write
7748 :catch
7749 :endtry
7750
7751But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7752catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7753be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7754
7755 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7756
7757There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7758writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7759then hide the error from the user.
7760 It is much better to use >
7761
7762 :try
7763 : write
7764 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7765 :endtry
7766
7767which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7768intentionally.
7769
7770For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7771even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7772command: >
7773 :silent! nunmap k
7774This works also when a try conditional is active.
7775
7776
7777CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7778
7779When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007780the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007781script is not terminated, then.
7782 Example: >
7783
7784 :function! TASK1()
7785 : sleep 10
7786 :endfunction
7787
7788 :function! TASK2()
7789 : sleep 20
7790 :endfunction
7791
7792 :while 1
7793 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
7794 : try
7795 : if command == ""
7796 : continue
7797 : elseif command == "END"
7798 : break
7799 : elseif command == "TASK1"
7800 : call TASK1()
7801 : elseif command == "TASK2"
7802 : call TASK2()
7803 : else
7804 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
7805 : continue
7806 : endif
7807 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7808 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
7809 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
7810 : endtry
7811 :endwhile
7812
7813You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007814a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007815
7816For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
7817your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
7818command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
7819
7820
7821CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
7822
7823The commands >
7824
7825 :catch /.*/
7826 :catch //
7827 :catch
7828
7829catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
7830explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
7831a script in order to catch unexpected things.
7832 Example: >
7833
7834 :try
7835 :
7836 : " do the hard work here
7837 :
7838 :catch /MyException/
7839 :
7840 : " handle known problem
7841 :
7842 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7843 : echo "Script interrupted"
7844 :catch /.*/
7845 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
7846 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
7847 :endtry
7848 :" end of script
7849
7850Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
7851strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
7852specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
7853 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
7854by pressing CTRL-C: >
7855
7856 :while 1
7857 : try
7858 : sleep 1
7859 : catch
7860 : endtry
7861 :endwhile
7862
7863
7864EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
7865
7866Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
7867
7868 :autocmd User x try
7869 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
7870 :autocmd User x catch
7871 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
7872 :autocmd User x endtry
7873 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
7874 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
7875 :
7876 :try
7877 : doautocmd User x
7878 :catch
7879 : echo v:exception
7880 :endtry
7881
7882This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
7883
7884 *except-autocmd-Pre*
7885For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
7886command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
7887of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
7888abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
7889 Example: >
7890
7891 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
7892 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
7893 :
7894 :try
7895 : write
7896 :catch
7897 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
7898 :endtry
7899
7900Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
7901you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
7902autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
7903script displays: >
7904
7905 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
7906<
7907 *except-autocmd-Post*
7908For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
7909command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
7910an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
7911is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
7912 Example: >
7913
7914 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
7915 :
7916 :try
7917 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7918 :catch
7919 : echo v:exception
7920 :endtry
7921
7922This just displays: >
7923
7924 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
7925
7926If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
7927fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
7928 Example: >
7929
7930 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
7931 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
7932 :
7933 :try
7934 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7935 :catch
7936 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7937 :endtry
7938<
7939You can also use ":silent!": >
7940
7941 :let x = "ok"
7942 :let v:errmsg = ""
7943 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
7944 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
7945 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
7946 :try
7947 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7948 :catch
7949 :endtry
7950 :echo x
7951
7952This displays "after fail".
7953
7954If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
7955autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
7956
7957 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
7958 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
7959 :
7960 :try
7961 : write
7962 :catch
7963 : echo v:exception
7964 :endtry
7965<
7966 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
7967For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
7968autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
7969of the command.
7970 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007971had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007972some way. >
7973
7974 :if !exists("cnt")
7975 : let cnt = 0
7976 :
7977 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
7978 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
7979 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
7980 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7981 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7982 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
7983 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
7984 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7985 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7986 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
7987 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7988 :endif
7989 :
7990 :try
7991 : write
7992 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
7993 : if &modified
7994 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
7995 : else
7996 : echo "Error after writing"
7997 : endif
7998 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7999 : echo "Error on writing"
8000 :endtry
8001
8002When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
8003first >
8004 File successfully written!
8005then >
8006 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
8007then >
8008 Error after writing
8009etc.
8010
8011 *except-autocmd-ill*
8012You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
8013The following code is ill-formed: >
8014
8015 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
8016 :
8017 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
8018 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
8019 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
8020 :
8021 :write
8022
8023
8024EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
8025
8026Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
8027pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
8028similar things in Vim.
8029 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
8030class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
8031string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
8032 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
8033it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
8034for an error when writing "myfile".
8035 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
8036base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
8037parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
8038 Example: >
8039
8040 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
8041 : if a:a < 0
8042 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
8043 : endif
8044 :endfunction
8045 :
8046 :function! Add(a, b)
8047 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
8048 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
8049 : let c = a:a + a:b
8050 : if c < 0
8051 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
8052 : endif
8053 : return c
8054 :endfunction
8055 :
8056 :function! Div(a, b)
8057 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
8058 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
8059 : if (a:b == 0)
8060 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
8061 : endif
8062 : return a:a / a:b
8063 :endfunction
8064 :
8065 :function! Write(file)
8066 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008067 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008068 : catch /^Vim(write):/
8069 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
8070 : endtry
8071 :endfunction
8072 :
8073 :try
8074 :
8075 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
8076 :
8077 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
8078 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8079 : echo "Range error in" function
8080 :
8081 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
8082 : echo "Math error"
8083 :
8084 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
8085 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
8086 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8087 : if file !~ '^/'
8088 : let file = dir . "/" . file
8089 : endif
8090 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
8091 :
8092 :catch /^EXCEPT/
8093 : echo "Unspecified error"
8094 :
8095 :endtry
8096
8097The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
8098a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
8099exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
8100 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
8101failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
8102
8103
8104PECULIARITIES
8105 *except-compat*
8106The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
8107exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
8108and/or a catch clause.
8109
8110In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
8111continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
8112after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
8113functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
8114or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
8115(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
8116
8117This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
8118immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008119conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
8120be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008121termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
8122catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
8123by specifying a finally clause.)
8124
8125When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
8126behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
8127scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
8128
8129However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
8130commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
8131conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
8132script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
8133error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
8134messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008135|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
8136not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008137where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
8138error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
8139scripts.
8140
8141 *except-syntax-err*
8142Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
8143the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
8144clauses, however, is executed.
8145 Example: >
8146
8147 :try
8148 : try
8149 : throw 4711
8150 : catch /\(/
8151 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
8152 : catch
8153 : echo "inner catch-all"
8154 : finally
8155 : echo "inner finally"
8156 : endtry
8157 :catch
8158 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
8159 : finally
8160 : echo "outer finally"
8161 :endtry
8162
8163This displays: >
8164 inner finally
8165 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
8166 outer finally
8167The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
8168
8169 *except-single-line*
8170The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
8171a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
8172"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
8173 Example: >
8174 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
8175raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
8176argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
8177error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
8178displayed.
8179
8180 *except-several-errors*
8181When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
8182usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
8183 Example: >
8184 echo novar
8185causes >
8186 E121: Undefined variable: novar
8187 E15: Invalid expression: novar
8188The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8189 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
8190< *except-syntax-error*
8191But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
8192the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
8193 Example: >
8194 unlet novar #
8195causes >
8196 E108: No such variable: "novar"
8197 E488: Trailing characters
8198The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8199 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
8200This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
8201not intended by the user. Example: >
8202 try
8203 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
8204 catch /.*/
8205 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
8206 endtry
8207This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
8208a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
8209
8210==============================================================================
82119. Examples *eval-examples*
8212
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008213Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008214>
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01008215 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the binary string representation of a number.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008216 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008217 : let n = a:nr
8218 : let r = ""
8219 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008220 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
8221 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008222 : endwhile
8223 : return r
8224 :endfunc
8225
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008226 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
8227 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
8228 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008229 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008230 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
8231 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
8232 : endfor
8233 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008234 :endfunc
8235
8236Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008237 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
8238result: "100000" >
8239 :echo String2Bin("32")
8240result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008241
8242
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008243Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008244
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008245This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
8246
8247 :func SortBuffer()
8248 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
8249 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
8250 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008251 :endfunction
8252
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008253As a one-liner: >
8254 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008255
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008256
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008257scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008258 *sscanf*
8259There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
8260line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
8261how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
8262"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
8263 :" Set up the match bit
8264 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
8265 :"get the part matching the whole expression
8266 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
8267 :"get each item out of the match
8268 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
8269 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
8270 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
8271
8272The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
8273"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
8274
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008275
8276getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
8277 *scriptnames-dictionary*
8278The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
8279have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
8280(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
8281code can be used: >
8282 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
8283 let scriptnames_output = ''
8284 redir => scriptnames_output
8285 silent scriptnames
8286 redir END
8287
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008288 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008289 " "scripts" dictionary.
8290 let scripts = {}
8291 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
8292 " Only do non-blank lines.
8293 if line =~ '\S'
8294 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008295 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008296 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008297 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008298 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008299 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008300 endif
8301 endfor
8302 unlet scriptnames_output
8303
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008304==============================================================================
830510. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
8306
8307When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
8308evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
8309to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
8310recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
8311and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
8312only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
8313recognized.
8314
8315Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
8316missing: >
8317
8318 :if 1
8319 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
8320 :else
8321 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
8322 :endif
8323
8324==============================================================================
832511. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
8326
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02008327The 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and
8328'foldtext' options may be evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are
8329protected from these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some
8330safety for when these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when
8331the command from a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008332The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008333
8334These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
8335 - changing the buffer text
8336 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
8337 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008338 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008339 - executing a shell command
8340 - reading or writing a file
8341 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00008342 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008343This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
8344
8345 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00008346:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008347 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
8348 'foldexpr'.
8349
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008350 *sandbox-option*
8351A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00008352have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008353restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
8354location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00008355- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008356- while executing in the sandbox
8357- value coming from a modeline
8358
8359Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
8360option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
8361
8362==============================================================================
836312. Textlock *textlock*
8364
8365In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
8366to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
8367is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008368actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008369happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
8370
8371This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
8372 - changing the buffer text
8373 - jumping to another buffer or window
8374 - editing another file
8375 - closing a window or quitting Vim
8376 - etc.
8377
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008378
8379 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: