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Bram Moolenaarf9132812015-07-21 19:19:13 +02001*eval.txt* For Vim version 7.4. Last change: 2015 Jul 21
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 Moolenaar5302d9e2011-09-14 17:55:08 +020042Number A 32 or 64 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,
Bram Moolenaar3a0d8092012-10-21 03:02:54 +020094use empty(): >
95 :if !empty("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
Bram Moolenaar7cba6c02013-09-05 22:13:31 +0200126can use "g:" but the following name must still start with a capital. You
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000127cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000128
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000129A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
130Dictionary entry. Example: >
131 :function dict.init() dict
132 : let self.val = 0
133 :endfunction
134
135The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
136function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
137
138A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
139 :call Fn()
140 :call dict.init()
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000141
142The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000143 :let func = string(Fn)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000144
145You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
146arguments: >
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000147 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000148
149
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001501.3 Lists ~
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +0200151 *list* *List* *Lists* *E686*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000152A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000153can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000154position in the sequence.
155
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000156
157List creation ~
158 *E696* *E697*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000159A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000160Examples: >
161 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
162 :let emptylist = []
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000163
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000164An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000165List of Lists: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000166 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000167
168An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
169
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000170
171List index ~
172 *list-index* *E684*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000173An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000174after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
175 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000176 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000177
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000178When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000179 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000180<
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000181A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
182the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000183 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
184
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000185To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000186is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000187 :echo get(mylist, idx)
188 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
189
190
191List concatenation ~
192
193Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
194 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000195 :let mylist += [7, 8]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000196
197To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
198it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
199
200
201Sublist ~
202
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000203A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
204separated by a colon in square brackets: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000205 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000206
207Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000208similar to -1. >
Bram Moolenaar540d6e32005-01-09 21:20:18 +0000209 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
210 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
211 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000212
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +0000213If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
214before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
215message.
216
217If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
218length minus one is used: >
Bram Moolenaar9e54a0e2006-04-14 20:42:25 +0000219 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
220 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
221
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000222NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000223using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +0000224mylist[s : e].
225
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000226
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000227List identity ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000228 *list-identity*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000229When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
230variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
231change "bb": >
232 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
233 :let bb = aa
234 :call add(aa, 4)
235 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000236< [1, 2, 3, 4]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000237
238Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
239works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000240a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000241 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
242 :let bb = copy(aa)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000243 :call add(aa, 4)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000244 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
245 :echo aa
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000246< [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000247 :echo bb
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000248< [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000249
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000250To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000251copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000252
253The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000254List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000255the same value. >
256 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
257 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
258 :echo alist is blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000259< 0 >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000260 :echo alist == blist
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000261< 1
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000262
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000263Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
264same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000265exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
266different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
267variables. Example: >
268 echo 4 == "4"
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000269< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000270 echo [4] == ["4"]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000271< 0
272
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000273Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000274can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000275
276 :let a = 5
277 :let b = "5"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000278 :echo a == b
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000279< 1 >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000280 :echo [a] == [b]
Bram Moolenaar7d1f5db2005-07-03 21:39:27 +0000281< 0
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +0000282
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000283
284List unpack ~
285
286To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
287square brackets, like list items: >
288 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
289
290When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
291this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
292and a variable name: >
293 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
294
295This works like: >
296 :let var1 = mylist[0]
297 :let var2 = mylist[1]
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000298 :let rest = mylist[2:]
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000299
300Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
301empty list then.
302
303
304List modification ~
305 *list-modification*
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000306To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000307 :let list[4] = "four"
308 :let listlist[0][3] = item
309
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000310To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000311modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000312 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
313
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000314Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
315examples: >
316 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
317 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
318 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000319 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000320 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
321 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000322 :unlet list[3] " idem
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000323 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000324 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000325 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000326
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000327Changing the order of items in a list: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000328 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
329 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +0100330 :call uniq(sort(list)) " sort and remove duplicates
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000331
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000332
333For loop ~
334
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000335The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
336to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000337 :for item in mylist
338 : call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000339 :endfor
340
341This works like: >
342 :let index = 0
343 :while index < len(mylist)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000344 : let item = mylist[index]
345 : :call Doit(item)
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000346 : let index = index + 1
347 :endwhile
348
349Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000350results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000351the loop.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000352
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000353If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000354function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000355
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000356Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000357requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
358 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
359 : call Doit(lnum, col)
360 :endfor
361
362This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
363must remain the same to avoid an error.
364
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000365It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000366 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
367 : call Doit(i, j)
368 : if !empty(rest)
369 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
370 : endif
371 :endfor
372
373
374List functions ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000375 *E714*
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000376Functions that are useful with a List: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000377 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000378 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000379 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
380 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
381 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +0000382 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
383 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000384 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
385 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +0000386 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
387 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000388 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
389 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000390
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +0000391Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
392example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
393 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
394
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000395
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003961.4 Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +0200397 *dict* *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000398A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000399entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
400ordering.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000401
402
403Dictionary creation ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000404 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000405A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000406braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
407only appear once. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000408 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
409 :let emptydict = {}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000410< *E713* *E716* *E717*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000411A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
412String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000413entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000414Number will be converted to the String '4'.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000415
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000416A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000417nested Dictionary: >
418 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
419
420An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
421
422
423Accessing entries ~
424
425The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
426 :let val = mydict["one"]
427 :let mydict["four"] = 4
428
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000429You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000430
431For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
432form can be used |expr-entry|: >
433 :let val = mydict.one
434 :let mydict.four = 4
435
436Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
437key lookup can be repeated: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000438 :echo dict.key[idx].key
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000439
440
441Dictionary to List conversion ~
442
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000443You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000444turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
445
446Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
447 :for key in keys(mydict)
448 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
449 :endfor
450
451The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
452 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
453
454To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
455 :for v in values(mydict)
456 : echo "value: " . v
457 :endfor
458
459If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000460a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000461 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
462 : echo key . ': ' . value
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000463 :endfor
464
465
466Dictionary identity ~
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +0000467 *dict-identity*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000468Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
469Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
470Dictionary: >
471 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
472 :let adict = onedict
473 :let adict['a'] = 11
474 :echo onedict['a']
475 11
476
Bram Moolenaarf3bd51a2005-06-14 22:11:18 +0000477Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
478more info see |list-identity|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000479
480
481Dictionary modification ~
482 *dict-modification*
483To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
484use |:let| this way: >
485 :let dict[4] = "four"
486 :let dict['one'] = item
487
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +0000488Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
489Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
490 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
491 :unlet dict.aaa
492 :unlet dict['aaa']
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000493
494Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000495 :call extend(adict, bdict)
496This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
497in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +0000498Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
499expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
500adict.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000501
502Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000503 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000504This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000505
506
507Dictionary function ~
Bram Moolenaar26402cb2013-02-20 21:26:00 +0100508 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725* *E862*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000509When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000510special way with a dictionary. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000511 :function Mylen() dict
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000512 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000513 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000514 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
515 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000516
517This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
518Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
519the function was invoked from.
520
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000521It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
522Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
523
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +0000524 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000525To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
526assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000527 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
Bram Moolenaar5a5f4592015-04-13 12:43:06 +0200528 :function mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000529 : return len(self.data)
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000530 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000531 :echo mydict.len()
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000532
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000533The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000534that references this function. The function can only be used through a
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000535|Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
536remaining that refers to it.
537
538It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000539
Bram Moolenaar1affd722010-08-04 17:49:30 +0200540If you get an error for a numbered function, you can find out what it is with
541a trick. Assuming the function is 42, the command is: >
542 :function {42}
543
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000544
545Functions for Dictionaries ~
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000546 *E715*
547Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000548 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
549 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
550 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
551 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
552 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
553 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
554 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
555 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000556
557
5581.5 More about variables ~
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000559 *more-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000560If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
561function.
562
563When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
564start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
565stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
566
567When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
568start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
569stored in the session file |session-file|.
570
571variable name can be stored where ~
572my_var_6 not
573My_Var_6 session file
574MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
575
576
577It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
578|curly-braces-names|.
579
580==============================================================================
5812. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
582
583Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
584
585|expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
586
587|expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
588
589|expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
590
591|expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
592 expr5 != expr5 not equal
593 expr5 > expr5 greater than
594 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
595 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
596 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
597 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
598 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
599
600 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
601 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
602 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
603 matching case
604
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000605 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
606 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000607
608|expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000609 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
610 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
611
612|expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
613 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
614 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
615
616|expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
617 - expr7 unary minus
618 + expr7 unary plus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000619
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000620|expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
621 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
622 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
623 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000624
625|expr9| number number constant
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +0000626 "string" string constant, backslash is special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000627 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000628 [expr1, ...] |List|
629 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000630 &option option value
631 (expr1) nested expression
632 variable internal variable
633 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
634 $VAR environment variable
635 @r contents of register 'r'
636 function(expr1, ...) function call
637 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
638
639
640".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
641Example: >
642 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
643
644All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
645
646
647expr1 *expr1* *E109*
648-----
649
650expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
651
652The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
653non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
654otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
655Example: >
656 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
657
658Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
659other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
660Example: >
661 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
662
663To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
664 :echo lnum == 1
665 :\ ? "top"
666 :\ : lnum == 1000
667 :\ ? "last"
668 :\ : lnum
669
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000670You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
671use in a variable such as "a:1".
672
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000673
674expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
675---------------
676
677 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
678The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
679are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
680
681 input output ~
682n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
683zero zero zero zero
684zero non-zero non-zero zero
685non-zero zero non-zero zero
686non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
687
688The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
689
690 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
691
692Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
693
694 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
695
696Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
697arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
698
699 let a = 1
700 echo a || b
701
702This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
703so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
704
705 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
706
707This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
708only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
709
710
711expr4 *expr4*
712-----
713
714expr5 {cmp} expr5
715
716Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
717if it evaluates to true.
718
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000719 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000720 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
721 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
722 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
723 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
724 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200725 *expr-is* *expr-isnot* *expr-is#* *expr-isnot#*
726 *expr-is?* *expr-isnot?*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000727 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
728equal == ==# ==?
729not equal != !=# !=?
730greater than > ># >?
731greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
732smaller than < <# <?
733smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
734regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
735regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200736same instance is is# is?
737different instance isnot isnot# isnot?
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000738
739Examples:
740"abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
741"abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
742"abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
743
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000744 *E691* *E692*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000745A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
746"is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
747Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000748
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000749 *E735* *E736*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000750A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
751equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +0000752recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
753
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +0000754 *E693* *E694*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000755A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
756equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000757
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200758When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| or a |Dictionary| this checks if the
759expressions are referring to the same |List| or |Dictionary| instance. A copy
760of a |List| is different from the original |List|. When using "is" without
761a |List| or a |Dictionary| it is equivalent to using "equal", using "isnot"
762equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a different type means the
763values are different: "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'" is false and "0 is []" is
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +0200764false and not an error. "is#"/"isnot#" and "is?"/"isnot?" can be used to match
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +0200765and ignore case.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000766
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000767When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000768and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000769because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
770
771When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
772results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
773necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
774
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000775When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000776'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000777
778When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +0000779'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
780
781'smartcase' is not used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000782
783The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
784argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
785This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
786matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
787portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
788single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
789Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
790(containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
791can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
792 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
793 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
794
795
796expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
797---------------
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000798expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000799expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
800expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000801
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +0000802For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000803result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000804
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +0100805expr7 * expr7 .. Number multiplication *expr-star*
806expr7 / expr7 .. Number division *expr-/*
807expr7 % expr7 .. Number modulo *expr-%*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000808
809For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +0100810For bitwise operators see |and()|, |or()| and |xor()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000811
812Note the difference between "+" and ".":
813 "123" + "456" = 579
814 "123" . "456" = "123456"
815
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000816Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
817 1 . 90 + 90.0
818As: >
819 (1 . 90) + 90.0
820That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
821190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
822 1 . 90 * 90.0
823Should be read as: >
824 1 . (90 * 90.0)
825Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
826attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
827
828When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
829 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
830 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
831 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
832 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
833
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000834When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
835
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000836None of these work for |Funcref|s.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +0000837
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000838. and % do not work for Float. *E804*
839
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000840
841expr7 *expr7*
842-----
843! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
844- expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
845+ expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
846
847For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
848For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
849For '+' the number is unchanged.
850
851A String will be converted to a Number first.
852
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000853These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000854 !-1 == 0
855 !!8 == 1
856 --9 == 9
857
858
859expr8 *expr8*
860-----
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000861expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000862
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000863If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
864expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100865Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see |byteidx()| for
866an alternative.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000867
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000868Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
869text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
870cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +0000871 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000872
873If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000874String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
875compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
876
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000877If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000878for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000879error. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000880 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
881
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000882Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
883|List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
884error.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000885
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000886
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000887expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000888
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000889If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
890from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100891expr1b are used as a Number. This doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings, see
892|byteidx()| for computing the indexes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000893
894If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
895string minus one is used.
896
897A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
898the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
899
900If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
901expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
902
903Examples: >
904 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
905 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
906 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
907 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +0100908<
909 *sublist* *slice*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000910If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000911the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000912just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +0000913 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
914 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
915 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
916
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000917Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
918error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000919
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000920
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000921expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000922
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000923If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
924name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
925expr8[name].
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +0000926
927The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
928but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
929
930There must not be white space before or after the dot.
931
932Examples: >
933 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
934 :echo dict.one
935 :echo dict .2
936
937Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
938always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
939
940
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +0000941expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +0000942
943When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
944
945
946
947 *expr9*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000948number
949------
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +0100950number number constant *expr-number*
951 *hex-number* *octal-number*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +0000952
953Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
954
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000955 *floating-point-format*
956Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
957
958 [-+]{N}.{M}
Bram Moolenaar8a94d872015-01-25 13:02:57 +0100959 [-+]{N}.{M}[eE][-+]{exp}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000960
961{N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
962contain digits.
963[-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
964{exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
965Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
966locale is.
967{only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
968
969Examples:
970 123.456
971 +0.0001
972 55.0
973 -0.123
974 1.234e03
975 1.0E-6
976 -3.1416e+88
977
978These are INVALID:
979 3. empty {M}
980 1e40 missing .{M}
981
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000982 *float-pi* *float-e*
983A few useful values to copy&paste: >
984 :let pi = 3.14159265359
985 :let e = 2.71828182846
986
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000987Rationale:
988Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
989the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
990resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +0000991could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +0000992incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
993for floating point numbers.
994
995 *floating-point-precision*
996The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
997means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
998runtime.
999
1000The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
1001printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
1002function. Example: >
1003 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
1004< 7.853981633974483e-01
1005
1006
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001007
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02001008string *string* *String* *expr-string* *E114*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001009------
1010"string" string constant *expr-quote*
1011
1012Note that double quotes are used.
1013
1014A string constant accepts these special characters:
1015\... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1016\.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1017\. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1018\x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1019\x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1020\X.. same as \x..
1021\X. same as \x.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001022\u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001023 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
Bram Moolenaar541f92d2015-06-19 13:27:23 +02001024\U.... same as \u but allows up to 8 hex numbers.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001025\b backspace <BS>
1026\e escape <Esc>
1027\f formfeed <FF>
1028\n newline <NL>
1029\r return <CR>
1030\t tab <Tab>
1031\\ backslash
1032\" double quote
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02001033\<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W. This is for use
1034 in mappings, the 0x80 byte is escaped. Don't use <Char-xxxx> to get a
1035 utf-8 character, use \uxxxx as mentioned above.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001036
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001037Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1038encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1039of 'encoding'.
1040
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001041Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1042
1043
1044literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1045---------------
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001046'string' string constant *expr-'*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001047
1048Note that single quotes are used.
1049
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001050This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001051meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001052
1053Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001054to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
Bram Moolenaar3fdfa4a2004-10-07 21:02:47 +00001055 if a =~ "\\s*"
1056 if a =~ '\s*'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001057
1058
1059option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1060------
1061&option option value, local value if possible
1062&g:option global option value
1063&l:option local option value
1064
1065Examples: >
1066 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1067 if &insertmode
1068
1069Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1070and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1071anyway.
1072
1073
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001074register *expr-register* *@r*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001075--------
1076@r contents of register 'r'
1077
1078The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1079Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001080register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00001081registers.
1082
1083When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1084evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001085
1086
1087nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1088-------
1089(expr1) nested expression
1090
1091
1092environment variable *expr-env*
1093--------------------
1094$VAR environment variable
1095
1096The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1097result is an empty string.
1098 *expr-env-expand*
1099Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1100expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1101are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1102the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1103fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1104does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02001105 :echo $shell
1106 :echo expand("$shell")
1107The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $shell
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001108variable (if your shell supports it).
1109
1110
1111internal variable *expr-variable*
1112-----------------
1113variable internal variable
1114See below |internal-variables|.
1115
1116
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001117function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001118-------------
1119function(expr1, ...) function call
1120See below |functions|.
1121
1122
1123==============================================================================
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +020011243. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E461*
1125
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001126An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1127cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1128|curly-braces-names|.
1129
1130An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00001131An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1132|:unlet|.
1133Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1134been destroyed results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001135
1136There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1137specified by what is prepended:
1138
1139 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1140|buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1141|window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001142|tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001143|global-variable| g: Global.
1144|local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1145|script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1146|function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
Bram Moolenaar75b81562014-04-06 14:09:13 +02001147|vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001148
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001149The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1150delete all script-local variables: >
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00001151 :for k in keys(s:)
1152 : unlet s:[k]
1153 :endfor
1154<
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001155 *buffer-variable* *b:var* *b:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001156A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1157Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1158This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1159|:bdelete|.
1160
1161One local buffer variable is predefined:
Bram Moolenaarbf884932013-04-05 22:26:15 +02001162 *b:changedtick* *changetick*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001163b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1164 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1165 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1166 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1167 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001168 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1169 : call My_Update()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001170 :endif
1171<
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001172 *window-variable* *w:var* *w:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001173A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1174is deleted when the window is closed.
1175
Bram Moolenaarad3b3662013-05-17 18:14:19 +02001176 *tabpage-variable* *t:var* *t:*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001177A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1178It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001179without the |+windows| feature}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001180
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001181 *global-variable* *g:var* *g:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001182Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001183access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001184place if you like.
1185
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001186 *local-variable* *l:var* *l:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001187Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001188But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1189you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1190refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1191same name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001192
1193 *script-variable* *s:var*
1194In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1195accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1196
1197They can be used in:
1198- commands executed while the script is sourced
1199- functions defined in the script
1200- autocommands defined in the script
1201- functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1202 defined in the script (recursively)
1203- user defined commands defined in the script
1204Thus not in:
1205- other scripts sourced from this one
1206- mappings
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001207- menus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001208- etc.
1209
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00001210Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1211Take this example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001212
1213 let s:counter = 0
1214 function MyCounter()
1215 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1216 echo s:counter
1217 endfunction
1218 command Tick call MyCounter()
1219
1220You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1221that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1222"Tick" was defined is used.
1223
1224Another example that does the same: >
1225
1226 let s:counter = 0
1227 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1228
1229When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00001230script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001231defined.
1232
1233The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1234function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1235
1236 let s:counter = 0
1237 function StartCounting(incr)
1238 if a:incr
1239 function MyCounter()
1240 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1241 endfunction
1242 else
1243 function MyCounter()
1244 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1245 endfunction
1246 endif
1247 endfunction
1248
1249This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1250when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1251called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1252
1253When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1254They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1255maintain a counter: >
1256
1257 if !exists("s:counter")
1258 let s:counter = 1
1259 echo "script executed for the first time"
1260 else
1261 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1262 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1263 endif
1264
1265Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1266variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1267
1268
Bram Moolenaar531da592013-05-06 05:58:55 +02001269Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var* *v:*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001270
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001271 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1272v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1273 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1274 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1275
1276 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1277v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1278 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1279
1280 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1281v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1282 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1283
1284 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001285v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1286 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1287 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1288 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001289 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1290 highlighted text is used.
1291 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1292
1293 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1294v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
Bram Moolenaar00654022011-02-25 14:42:19 +01001295 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option. The first
1296 window has number zero (unlike most other places where a
1297 window gets a number).
Bram Moolenaare4efc3b2005-03-07 23:16:51 +00001298
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001299 *v:char* *char-variable*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001300v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr' and used for the typed
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02001301 character when using <expr> in an abbreviation |:map-<expr>|.
Bram Moolenaare6ae6222013-05-21 21:01:10 +02001302 It is also used by the |InsertCharPre| and |InsertEnter| events.
Bram Moolenaarf193fff2006-04-27 00:02:13 +00001303
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001304 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1305v:charconvert_from
1306 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1307 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1308
1309 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1310v:charconvert_to
1311 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1312 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1313
1314 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1315v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1316 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1317 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1318 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1319 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1320 possible to append this variable directly after the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001321 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001322 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1323 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1324 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1325 in 'printexpr'.
1326
1327 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1328v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1329 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1330 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1331 can be used.
1332
Bram Moolenaar42a45122015-07-10 17:56:23 +02001333 *v:completed_item* *completed_item-variable*
1334v:completed_item
1335 |Dictionary| containing the |complete-items| for the most
1336 recently completed word after |CompleteDone|. The
1337 |Dictionary| is empty if the completion failed.
1338
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001339 *v:count* *count-variable*
1340v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001341 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001342 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1343< Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1344 get when typing ':' after a count.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001345 When there are two counts, as in "3d2w", they are multiplied,
1346 just like what happens in the command, "d6w" for the example.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001347 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001348 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1349
1350 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1351v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1352 used.
1353
1354 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1355v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1356 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1357 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1358 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1359 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1360 command.
1361 See |multi-lang|.
1362
1363 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001364v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001365 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1366 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1367 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1368 Example: >
1369 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
Bram Moolenaar0e1e25f2010-05-28 21:07:08 +02001370< Note: if another deadly signal is caught when v:dying is one,
1371 VimLeave autocommands will not be executed.
1372
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001373 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1374v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1375 Example: >
1376 :let v:errmsg = ""
1377 :silent! next
1378 :if v:errmsg != ""
1379 : ... handle error
1380< "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1381
1382 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1383v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1384 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1385 Example: >
1386 :try
1387 : throw "oops"
1388 :catch /.*/
1389 : echo "caught" v:exception
1390 :endtry
1391< Output: "caught oops".
1392
Bram Moolenaar19a09a12005-03-04 23:39:37 +00001393 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1394v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1395 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1396 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1397 deleted file no longer exists
1398 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1399 changed and buffer is modified
1400 changed file contents has changed
1401 mode mode of file changed
1402 time only file timestamp changed
1403
1404 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1405v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1406 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1407 do with the affected buffer:
1408 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1409 the file was deleted).
1410 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1411 was no autocommand. Except that when
1412 only the timestamp changed nothing
1413 will happen.
1414 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1415 everything that needs to be done.
1416 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1417 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1418
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001419 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001420v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001421 option used for ~
1422 'charconvert' file to be converted
1423 'diffexpr' original file
1424 'patchexpr' original file
1425 'printexpr' file to be printed
Bram Moolenaar2c7a29c2005-12-12 22:02:31 +00001426 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001427
1428 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1429v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1430 evaluating:
1431 option used for ~
1432 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1433 'diffexpr' output of diff
1434 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1435 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001436 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001437 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1438 file and different from v:fname_in.
1439
1440 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1441v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1442 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1443
1444 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1445v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1446 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1447
1448 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1449v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1450 fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001451 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001452
1453 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1454v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001455 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001456
1457 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1458v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001459 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001460
1461 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1462v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00001463 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001464
Bram Moolenaar817a8802013-11-09 01:44:43 +01001465 *v:hlsearch* *hlsearch-variable*
Bram Moolenaar76440e22014-11-27 19:14:49 +01001466v:hlsearch Variable that indicates whether search highlighting is on.
1467 Setting it makes sense only if 'hlsearch' is enabled which
1468 requires |+extra_search|. Setting this variable to zero acts
1469 the like |:nohlsearch| command, setting it to one acts like >
Bram Moolenaar817a8802013-11-09 01:44:43 +01001470 let &hlsearch = &hlsearch
Bram Moolenaar86ae7202015-07-10 19:31:35 +02001471< Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1472 function. |function-search-undo|.
1473
Bram Moolenaar843ee412004-06-30 16:16:41 +00001474 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1475v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1476 events. Values:
1477 i Insert mode
1478 r Replace mode
1479 v Virtual Replace mode
1480
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001481 *v:key* *key-variable*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001482v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001483 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1484 Read-only.
1485
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001486 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1487v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1488 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1489 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1490 The value is system dependent.
1491 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1492 command.
1493 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1494 in a different language than what is used for character
1495 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1496
1497 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1498v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1499 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1500 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1501 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1502 command. See |multi-lang|.
1503
1504 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02001505v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr|, 'formatexpr' and
1506 'indentexpr' expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel'
1507 and 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these
1508 expressions is being evaluated. Read-only when in the
1509 |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001510
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00001511 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1512v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1513 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1514 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1515
1516 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1517v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1518 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1519 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1520
1521 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1522v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1523 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1524 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1525
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001526 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1527v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1528 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1529 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1530 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01001531 When the |viminfo| file is not used the List is empty.
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001532 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1533 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1534 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1535 than String this will cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02001536 {only when compiled with the |+viminfo| feature}
Bram Moolenaard812df62008-11-09 12:46:09 +00001537
Bram Moolenaar53744302015-07-17 17:38:22 +02001538 *v:option_new*
1539v:option_new New value of the option. Valid while executing an |OptionSet|
1540 autocommand.
1541 *v:option_old*
1542v:option_old Old value of the option. Valid while executing an |OptionSet|
1543 autocommand.
1544 *v:option_type*
1545v:option_type Scope of the set command. Valid while executing an
1546 |OptionSet| autocommand. Can be either "global" or "local"
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001547 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1548v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1549 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1550 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1551 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1552 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1553 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1554< The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1555 don't expect it to be empty.
1556 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1557 commands.
1558 Read-only.
1559
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001560 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1561v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1562 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
Bram Moolenaar8af1fbf2008-01-05 12:35:21 +00001563 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1564 use the count, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001565 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1566< Read-only.
1567
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001568 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001569v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00001570 See |profiling|.
1571
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001572 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1573v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001574 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for |view|,
1575 |evim| etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001576 Read-only.
1577
Bram Moolenaara1706c92014-04-01 19:55:49 +02001578 *v:progpath* *progpath-variable*
1579v:progpath Contains the command with which Vim was invoked, including the
1580 path. Useful if you want to message a Vim server using a
1581 |--remote-expr|.
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02001582 To get the full path use: >
1583 echo exepath(v:progpath)
1584< NOTE: This does not work when the command is a relative path
1585 and the current directory has changed.
Bram Moolenaara1706c92014-04-01 19:55:49 +02001586 Read-only.
1587
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001588 *v:register* *register-variable*
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001589v:register The name of the register in effect for the current normal mode
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001590 command (regardless of whether that command actually used a
1591 register). Or for the currently executing normal mode mapping
1592 (use this in custom commands that take a register).
1593 If none is supplied it is the default register '"', unless
1594 'clipboard' contains "unnamed" or "unnamedplus", then it is
1595 '*' or '+'.
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01001596 Also see |getreg()| and |setreg()|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001597
Bram Moolenaar1c7715d2005-10-03 22:02:18 +00001598 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1599v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1600 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1601 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1602 typed command.
1603 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1604 hit-enter prompt.
1605
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001606 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1607v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1608 Read-only.
1609
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001610
1611v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1612 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1613 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1614 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1615 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1616 function. |function-search-undo|.
1617 Read-write.
1618
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001619 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1620v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1621 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1622 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1623 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1624 executed. Read-only.
1625 Example: >
1626 :!mv foo bar
1627 :if v:shell_error
1628 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1629 :endif
1630< "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1631
1632 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1633v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1634
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001635 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1636v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1637 the swap file found. Read-only.
1638
1639 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1640v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1641 for handling an existing swap file:
1642 'o' Open read-only
1643 'e' Edit anyway
1644 'r' Recover
1645 'd' Delete swapfile
1646 'q' Quit
1647 'a' Abort
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001648 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
Bram Moolenaar4e330bb2005-12-07 21:04:31 +00001649 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1650 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1651
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001652 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00001653v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001654 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001655 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001656 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
Bram Moolenaar1f35bf92006-03-07 22:38:47 +00001657 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
Bram Moolenaarb3480382005-12-11 21:33:32 +00001658
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001659 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1660v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001661 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001662 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1663 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1664 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1665 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1666 terminal.
1667 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1668 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1669 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1670 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1671 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1672
1673 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1674v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1675 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1676 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1677 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1678
1679 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1680v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001681 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001682 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1683 Example: >
1684 :try
1685 : throw "oops"
1686 :catch /.*/
1687 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1688 :endtry
1689< Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1690
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001691 *v:val* *val-variable*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001692v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001693 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001694 |filter()|. Read-only.
1695
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001696 *v:version* *version-variable*
1697v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1698 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1699 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1700 compatibility.
1701 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
Bram Moolenaar6716d9a2014-04-02 12:12:08 +02001702 if has("patch-7.4.123")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001703< Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1704 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1705 completely different.
1706
1707 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1708v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1709
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001710 *v:windowid* *windowid-variable*
1711v:windowid When any X11 based GUI is running or when running in a
1712 terminal and Vim connects to the X server (|-X|) this will be
Bram Moolenaar264e9fd2010-10-27 12:33:17 +02001713 set to the window ID.
1714 When an MS-Windows GUI is running this will be set to the
1715 window handle.
1716 Otherwise the value is zero.
1717 Note: for windows inside Vim use |winnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar727c8762010-10-20 19:17:48 +02001718
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001719==============================================================================
17204. Builtin Functions *functions*
1721
1722See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1723
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00001724(Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001725
1726USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1727
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001728abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001729acos( {expr}) Float arc cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001730add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001731and( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise AND
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001732append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001733append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001734argc() Number number of files in the argument list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001735argidx() Number current index in the argument list
Bram Moolenaar2d1fe052014-05-28 18:22:57 +02001736arglistid( [{winnr}, [ {tabnr}]])
1737 Number argument list id
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001738argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00001739argv( ) List the argument list
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001740asin( {expr}) Float arc sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001741atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001742atan2( {expr}, {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001743browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1744 String put up a file requester
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001745browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001746bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001747buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1748bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001749bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1750bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1751bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1752byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001753byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar0ffbbf92013-11-02 23:29:26 +01001754byteidxcomp( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001755call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1756 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001757ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1758changenr() Number current change number
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01001759char2nr( {expr}[, {utf8}]) Number ASCII/UTF8 value of first char in {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001760cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001761clearmatches() none clear all matches
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001762col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001763complete( {startcol}, {matches}) none set Insert mode completion
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00001764complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001765complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001766confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1767 Number number of choice picked by user
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001768copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001769cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001770cosh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic cosine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a991dd2014-10-02 01:41:41 +02001771count( {list}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]])
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001772 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001773cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1774 Number checks existence of cscope connection
Bram Moolenaar2f3b5102014-11-19 18:54:17 +01001775cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {off}])
1776 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {off}
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001777cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
Bram Moolenaar92dff182014-02-11 19:15:50 +01001778deepcopy( {expr} [, {noref}]) any make a full copy of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001779delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1780did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001781diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1782diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00001783empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001784escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00001785eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001786eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001787executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02001788exepath( {expr}) String full path of the command {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001789exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001790extend( {expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001791 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001792exp( {expr}) Float exponential of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01001793expand( {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]])
1794 any expand special keywords in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001795feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001796filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001797filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001798filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1799 {string} is 0
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001800finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001801 String find directory {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001802findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001803 String find file {name} in {path}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001804float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1805floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001806fmod( {expr1}, {expr2}) Float remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00001807fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001808fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001809foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1810foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001811foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001812foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001813foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001814foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001815function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01001816garbagecollect( [{atexit}]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001817get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001818get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00001819getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1820 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001821getbufvar( {expr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1822 any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001823getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1824getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001825getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1826getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02001827getcmdtype() String return current command-line type
1828getcmdwintype() String return current command-line window type
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02001829getcurpos() List position of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001830getcwd() String the current working directory
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02001831getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001832getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1833getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001834getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00001835getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00001836getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1837getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001838getloclist( {nr}) List list of location list items
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001839getmatches() List list of current matches
Bram Moolenaar18081e32008-02-20 19:11:07 +00001840getpid() Number process ID of Vim
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00001841getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00001842getqflist() List list of quickfix items
Bram Moolenaarb7cb42b2014-04-02 19:55:10 +02001843getreg( [{regname} [, 1 [, {list}]]])
1844 String or List contents of register
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001845getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001846gettabvar( {nr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1847 any variable {varname} in tab {nr} or {def}
1848gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name} [, {def}])
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001849 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001850getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1851getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01001852getwinvar( {nr}, {varname} [, {def}])
1853 any variable {varname} in window {nr}
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01001854glob( {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {alllinks}]]])
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01001855 any expand file wildcards in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5837f1f2015-03-21 18:06:14 +01001856glob2regpat( {expr}) String convert a glob pat into a search pat
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01001857globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {alllinks}]]])
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00001858 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001859has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001860has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00001861haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001862hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1863 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001864histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1865histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1866histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1867histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1868hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1869hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1870hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001871iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1872indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001873index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1874 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00001875input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1876 String get input from the user
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001877inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00001878inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001879inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1880inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001881inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001882insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001883invert( {expr}) Number bitwise invert
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001884isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00001885islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001886items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00001887join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00001888keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001889len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1890libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001891libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1892line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1893line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001894lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001895localtime() Number current time
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001896log( {expr}) Float natural logarithm (base e) of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001897log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02001898luaeval( {expr}[, {expr}]) any evaluate |Lua| expression
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00001899map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02001900maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]])
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01001901 String or Dict
1902 rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00001903mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1904 String check for mappings matching {name}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001905match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001906 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001907matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1908 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02001909matchaddpos( {group}, {list}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1910 Number highlight positions with {group}
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001911matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001912matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001913matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001914 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00001915matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1916 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00001917matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1918 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001919max( {list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1920min( {list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
1921mkdir( {name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001922 Number create directory {name}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001923mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01001924mzeval( {expr}) any evaluate |MzScheme| expression
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001925nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01001926nr2char( {expr}[, {utf8}]) String single char with ASCII/UTF8 value {expr}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01001927or( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise OR
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00001928pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001929pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001930prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001931printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1932pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02001933pyeval( {expr}) any evaluate |Python| expression
1934py3eval( {expr}) any evaluate |python3| expression
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00001935range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1936 List items from {expr} to {max}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001937readfile( {fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00001938 List get list of lines from file {fname}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00001939reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1940reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001941remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1942 String send expression
1943remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1944remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1945 Number check for reply string
1946remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1947remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1948 String send key sequence
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00001949remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00001950remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001951rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1952repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1953resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00001954reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001955round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
Bram Moolenaar9a773482013-06-11 18:40:13 +02001956screenattr( {row}, {col}) Number attribute at screen position
1957screenchar( {row}, {col}) Number character at screen position
Bram Moolenaar9750bb12012-12-05 16:10:42 +01001958screencol() Number current cursor column
1959screenrow() Number current cursor row
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001960search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1961 Number search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001962searchdecl( {name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001963 Number search for variable declaration
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001964searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001965 Number search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001966searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001967 List search for other end of start/end pair
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00001968searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00001969 List search for {pattern}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001970server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1971 Number send reply string
1972serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1973setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaardbd24b52015-08-11 14:26:19 +02001974setcharsearch( {dict}) Dict set character search from {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001975setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1976setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001977setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1978 Number modify location list using {list}
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00001979setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01001980setpos( {expr}, {list}) Number set the {expr} position to {list}
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00001981setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001982setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02001983settabvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in tab page {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00001984settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1985 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00001986setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01001987sha256( {string}) String SHA256 checksum of {string}
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00001988shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1989 String escape {string} for use as shell
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00001990 command argument
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02001991shiftwidth() Number effective value of 'shiftwidth'
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00001992simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00001993sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02001994sinh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic sine of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar5f894962011-06-19 02:55:37 +02001995sort( {list} [, {func} [, {dict}]])
1996 List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00001997soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00001998spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00001999spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
2000 List spelling suggestions
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00002001split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002002 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01002003sqrt( {expr}) Float square root of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002004str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
2005str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
Bram Moolenaar641e48c2015-06-25 16:09:26 +02002006strchars( {expr} [, {skipcc}]) Number character length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02002007strdisplaywidth( {expr} [, {col}]) Number display length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002008strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00002009stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
2010 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002011string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002012strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
2013strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
2014 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00002015strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
2016 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002017strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02002018strwidth( {expr}) Number display cell length of the String {expr}
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02002019submatch( {nr}[, {list}]) String or List
2020 specific match in ":s" or substitute()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002021substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
2022 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002023synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002024synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
2025 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
2026synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02002027synconcealed( {lnum}, {col}) List info about concealing
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002028synstack( {lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002029system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaar39c29ed2014-04-05 19:44:40 +02002030systemlist( {expr} [, {input}]) List output of shell command/filter {expr}
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00002031tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
2032tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
2033tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
2034 Number number of current window in tab page
2035taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002036tagfiles() List tags files used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002037tempname() String name for a temporary file
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002038tan( {expr}) Float tangent of {expr}
2039tanh( {expr}) Float hyperbolic tangent of {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002040tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
2041toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00002042tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
2043 to chars in {tostr}
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01002044trunc( {expr}) Float truncate Float {expr}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002045type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02002046undofile( {name}) String undo file name for {name}
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002047undotree() List undo file tree
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01002048uniq( {list} [, {func} [, {dict}]])
2049 List remove adjacent duplicates from a list
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002050values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002051virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
2052visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
Bram Moolenaar8738fc12013-02-20 17:59:11 +01002053wildmenumode() Number whether 'wildmenu' mode is active
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002054winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
2055wincol() Number window column of the cursor
2056winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
2057winline() Number window line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00002058winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002059winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002060winrestview( {dict}) none restore view of current window
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00002061winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002062winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01002063writefile( {list}, {fname} [, {flags}])
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00002064 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01002065xor( {expr}, {expr}) Number bitwise XOR
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002066
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002067abs({expr}) *abs()*
2068 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
2069 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
2070 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
2071 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
2072 Examples: >
2073 echo abs(1.456)
2074< 1.456 >
2075 echo abs(-5.456)
2076< 5.456 >
2077 echo abs(-4)
2078< 4
2079 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2080
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002081
2082acos({expr}) *acos()*
2083 Return the arc cosine of {expr} measured in radians, as a
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002084 |Float| in the range of [0, pi].
2085 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002086 [-1, 1].
2087 Examples: >
2088 :echo acos(0)
2089< 1.570796 >
2090 :echo acos(-0.5)
2091< 2.094395
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002092 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002093
2094
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002095add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002096 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
2097 resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002098 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
2099 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002100< Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002101 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002102 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002103
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002104
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01002105and({expr}, {expr}) *and()*
2106 Bitwise AND on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
2107 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
2108 Example: >
2109 :let flag = and(bits, 0x80)
2110
2111
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002112append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002113 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
2114 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00002115 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
2116 the current buffer.
2117 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002118 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002119 0 for success. Example: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002120 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002121 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002122<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002123 *argc()*
2124argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
2125 current window. See |arglist|.
2126
2127 *argidx()*
2128argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
2129 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
2130
Bram Moolenaar2d1fe052014-05-28 18:22:57 +02002131 *arglistid()*
2132arglistid([{winnr}, [ {tabnr} ]])
2133 Return the argument list ID. This is a number which
2134 identifies the argument list being used. Zero is used for the
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02002135 global argument list. See |arglist|.
2136 Return -1 if the arguments are invalid.
Bram Moolenaar2d1fe052014-05-28 18:22:57 +02002137
2138 Without arguments use the current window.
2139 With {winnr} only use this window in the current tab page.
2140 With {winnr} and {tabnr} use the window in the specified tab
2141 page.
2142
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002143 *argv()*
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002144argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002145 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
2146 Example: >
2147 :let i = 0
2148 :while i < argc()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002149 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002150 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
2151 : let i = i + 1
2152 :endwhile
Bram Moolenaare2f98b92006-03-29 21:18:24 +00002153< Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
2154 returned.
2155
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002156asin({expr}) *asin()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002157 Return the arc sine of {expr} measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002158 in the range of [-pi/2, pi/2].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002159 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002160 [-1, 1].
2161 Examples: >
2162 :echo asin(0.8)
2163< 0.927295 >
2164 :echo asin(-0.5)
2165< -0.523599
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002166 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002167
2168
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002169atan({expr}) *atan()*
2170 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
2171 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
2172 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2173 Examples: >
2174 :echo atan(100)
2175< 1.560797 >
2176 :echo atan(-4.01)
2177< -1.326405
2178 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2179
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002180
2181atan2({expr1}, {expr2}) *atan2()*
2182 Return the arc tangent of {expr1} / {expr2}, measured in
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002183 radians, as a |Float| in the range [-pi, pi].
2184 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002185 Examples: >
2186 :echo atan2(-1, 1)
2187< -0.785398 >
2188 :echo atan2(1, -1)
2189< 2.356194
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002190 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002191
2192
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002193 *browse()*
2194browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2195 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2196 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2197 The input fields are:
2198 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2199 {title} title for the requester
2200 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2201 {default} default file name
2202 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2203 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2204
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00002205 *browsedir()*
2206browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2207 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2208 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2209 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2210 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2211 to be used.
2212 The input fields are:
2213 {title} title for the requester
2214 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2215 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2216 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2217
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002218bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2219 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2220 {expr} exists.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002221 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002222 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002223 exactly. The name can be:
2224 - Relative to the current directory.
2225 - A full path.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002226 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002227 - A URL name.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002228 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2229 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2230 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2231 long name to be able to find them.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002232 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2233 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2234 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002235 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2236 file name.
2237 *buffer_exists()*
2238 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2239
2240buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2241 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2242 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002243 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002244
2245bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2246 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2247 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00002248 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002249
2250bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2251 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2252 ":ls" command.
2253 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2254 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2255 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002256 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002257 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2258 match an empty string is returned.
2259 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2260 alternate buffer.
2261 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002262 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2263 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2264 pattern.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002265 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2266 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2267 buffers are searched for.
2268 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2269 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2270 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2271< If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2272 string is returned. >
2273 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2274 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2275 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2276 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2277< *buffer_name()*
2278 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2279
2280 *bufnr()*
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002281bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2282 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002283 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00002284 above.
2285 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2286 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2287 buffer is created and its number is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002288 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2289 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2290< The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2291 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2292 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2293 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2294 *buffer_number()*
2295 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2296 *last_buffer_nr()*
2297 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2298
2299bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2300 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2301 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002302 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002303 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2304
2305 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2306
2307< The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2308 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002309 Only deals with the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002310
2311
2312byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2313 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2314 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2315 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2316 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2317 one.
2318 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2319 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2320 feature}
2321
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002322byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2323 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2324 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2325 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2326 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
Bram Moolenaar0ffbbf92013-11-02 23:29:26 +01002327 Composing characters are not counted separately, their byte
2328 length is added to the preceding base character. See
2329 |byteidxcomp()| below for counting composing characters
2330 separately.
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002331 Example : >
2332 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2333< will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2334 same: >
2335 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2336 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2337< If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2338 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
Bram Moolenaar0ffbbf92013-11-02 23:29:26 +01002339 in bytes is returned.
2340
2341byteidxcomp({expr}, {nr}) *byteidxcomp()*
2342 Like byteidx(), except that a composing character is counted
2343 as a separate character. Example: >
2344 let s = 'e' . nr2char(0x301)
2345 echo byteidx(s, 1)
2346 echo byteidxcomp(s, 1)
2347 echo byteidxcomp(s, 2)
2348< The first and third echo result in 3 ('e' plus composing
2349 character is 3 bytes), the second echo results in 1 ('e' is
2350 one byte).
2351 Only works different from byteidx() when 'encoding' is set to
2352 a Unicode encoding.
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00002353
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002354call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002355 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002356 arguments.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002357 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002358 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2359 Returns the return value of the called function.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002360 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2361 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002362
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002363ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2364 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2365 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2366 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2367 Examples: >
2368 echo ceil(1.456)
2369< 2.0 >
2370 echo ceil(-5.456)
2371< -5.0 >
2372 echo ceil(4.0)
2373< 4.0
2374 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2375
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00002376changenr() *changenr()*
2377 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2378 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2379 with the |:undo| command.
2380 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2381 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2382 one less than the number of the undone change.
2383
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002384char2nr({expr}[, {utf8}]) *char2nr()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002385 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2386 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2387 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002388< When {utf8} is omitted or zero, the current 'encoding' is used.
2389 Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002390 char2nr("á") returns 225
2391 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01002392< With {utf8} set to 1, always treat as utf-8 characters.
2393 A combining character is a separate character.
Bram Moolenaar97293012011-07-18 19:40:27 +02002394 |nr2char()| does the opposite.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002395
2396cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2397 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2398 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2399 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2400 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2401 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2402 feature, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard5cdbeb2005-10-10 20:59:28 +00002403 See |C-indenting|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002404
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00002405clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2406 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2407 |:match| commands.
2408
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002409 *col()*
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00002410col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002411 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2412 . the cursor position
2413 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
Bram Moolenaar1aeaf8c2012-05-18 13:46:39 +02002414 number of bytes in the cursor line plus one)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002415 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2416 returned)
Bram Moolenaare3faf442014-12-14 01:27:49 +01002417 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
2418 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
2419 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
2420 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002421 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2422 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002423 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00002424 out of range then col() returns zero.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002425 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002426 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002427 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2428 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2429 Examples: >
2430 col(".") column of cursor
2431 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2432 col("'t") column of mark t
2433 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002434< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002435 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2436 buffer.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002437 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2438 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2439 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2440 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2441 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2442 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2443 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2444<
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002445
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002446complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2447 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2448 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002449 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2450 with an expression mapping.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002451 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2452 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2453 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2454 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2455 match.
2456 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2457 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2458 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002459 inserting anything that would cause completion to stop.
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002460 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2461 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2462 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2463 Example: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002464 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
Bram Moolenaara94bc432006-03-10 21:42:59 +00002465
2466 func! ListMonths()
2467 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2468 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2469 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2470 return ''
2471 endfunc
2472< This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2473 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2474
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002475complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2476 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2477 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2478 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2479 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2480 the list.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002481 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00002482 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00002483
2484complete_check() *complete_check()*
2485 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2486 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2487 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2488 zero otherwise.
2489 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2490 'completefunc' option.
2491
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002492 *confirm()*
2493confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2494 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2495 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2496 choice this is 1.
2497 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2498 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002499
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002500 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2501 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2502 used (and translated).
2503 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2504 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002505
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002506 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2507 by '\n', e.g. >
2508 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2509< The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2510 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2511 not need to be the first letter: >
2512 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2513< For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2514 the default shortcut key.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002515
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002516 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2517 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2518 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2519 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02002520
2521 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2522 is only used for the icon of the GTK, Mac, Motif and Win32
2523 GUI. It can be one of these values: "Error", "Question",
2524 "Info", "Warning" or "Generic". Only the first character is
2525 relevant. When {type} is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2526
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002527 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2528 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2529
2530 An example: >
2531 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2532 :if choice == 0
2533 : echo "make up your mind!"
2534 :elseif choice == 3
2535 : echo "tasteful"
2536 :else
2537 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2538 :endif
2539< In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2540 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002541 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002542 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2543 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2544 the horizontal layout is always used.
2545
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002546 *copy()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002547copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002548 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002549 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2550 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002551 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2552 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002553 see |deepcopy()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002554
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002555cos({expr}) *cos()*
2556 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2557 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2558 Examples: >
2559 :echo cos(100)
2560< 0.862319 >
2561 :echo cos(-4.01)
2562< -0.646043
2563 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2564
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002565
2566cosh({expr}) *cosh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002567 Return the hyperbolic cosine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002568 [1, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002569 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002570 Examples: >
2571 :echo cosh(0.5)
2572< 1.127626 >
2573 :echo cosh(-0.5)
2574< -1.127626
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002575 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002576
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002577
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002578count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002579 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002580 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002581 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002582 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002583 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2584
2585
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002586 *cscope_connection()*
2587cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2588 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2589 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2590 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2591 if there are no cscope connections;
2592 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2593
2594 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2595 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2596
2597 {num} Description of existence check
2598 ----- ------------------------------
2599 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2600 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2601 {dbpath}.
2602 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2603 {dbpath}.
2604 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2605 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2606 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2607 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2608
2609 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2610
2611 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2612
2613 # pid database name prepend path
2614 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2615<
2616 Invocation Return Val ~
2617 ---------- ---------- >
2618 cscope_connection() 1
2619 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2620 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2621 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2622 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2623 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2624 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2625 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2626<
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002627cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2628cursor({list})
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00002629 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2630 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02002631
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002632 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02002633 with two, three or four item:
2634 [{lnum}, {col}, {off}]
2635 [{lnum}, {col}, {off}, {curswant}]
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02002636 This is like the return value of |getpos()| or |getcurpos()|,
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02002637 but without the first item.
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02002638
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002639 Does not change the jumplist.
2640 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2641 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2642 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
Bram Moolenaar6f16eb82005-08-23 21:02:42 +00002643 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002644 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2645 line.
2646 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02002647 If {curswant} is given it is used to set the preferred column
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02002648 for vertical movement. Otherwise {col} is used.
Bram Moolenaar2f3b5102014-11-19 18:54:17 +01002649
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00002650 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2651 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00002652 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00002653 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002654
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002655
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002656deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002657 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002658 different from using {expr} directly.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002659 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2660 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002661 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002662 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002663 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2664 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2665 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2666 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2667 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2668 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00002669 *E724*
2670 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00002671 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2672 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00002673 Also see |copy()|.
2674
2675delete({fname}) *delete()*
2676 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002677 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2678 when the deletion failed.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002679 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
Bram Moolenaarac7bd632013-03-19 11:35:58 +01002680 To delete a line from the buffer use |:delete|. Use |:exe|
2681 when the line number is in a variable.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002682
2683 *did_filetype()*
2684did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2685 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2686 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2687 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2688 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2689 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2690 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2691 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2692 file.
2693
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00002694diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2695 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2696 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2697 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2698 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2699 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2700 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2701 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2702
2703diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2704 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2705 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2706 diff change zero is returned.
2707 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2708 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2709 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2710 line.
2711 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2712 syntax information about the highlighting.
2713
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002714empty({expr}) *empty()*
2715 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002716 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002717 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01002718 For a long |List| this is much faster than comparing the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002719 length with zero.
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00002720
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002721escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2722 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2723 backslash. Example: >
2724 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2725< results in: >
2726 c:\\program\ files\\vim
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002727< Also see |shellescape()|.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002728
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002729 *eval()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002730eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2731 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002732 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2733 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2734 functions.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00002735
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002736eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2737 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2738 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2739 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2740 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2741
2742executable({expr}) *executable()*
2743 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2744 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002745 arguments.
2746 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2747 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2748 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2749 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002750 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2751 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002752 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002753 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
Bram Moolenaarf4b8e572004-06-24 15:53:16 +00002754 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2755 extension.
2756 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2757 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00002758 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2759 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2760 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002761 The result is a Number:
2762 1 exists
2763 0 does not exist
2764 -1 not implemented on this system
2765
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02002766exepath({expr}) *exepath()*
2767 If {expr} is an executable and is either an absolute path, a
2768 relative path or found in $PATH, return the full path.
2769 Note that the current directory is used when {expr} starts
2770 with "./", which may be a problem for Vim: >
2771 echo exepath(v:progpath)
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02002772< If {expr} cannot be found in $PATH or is not executable then
Bram Moolenaarc7f02552014-04-01 21:00:59 +02002773 an empty string is returned.
2774
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002775 *exists()*
2776exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2777 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2778 which contains one of these:
2779 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2780 not if it really works)
2781 +option-name Vim option that works.
2782 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2783 done by comparing with an empty
2784 string)
2785 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2786 or user defined function (see
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02002787 |user-functions|). Also works for a
2788 variable that is a Funcref.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002789 varname internal variable (see
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002790 |internal-variables|). Also works
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00002791 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2792 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00002793 that evaluating an index may cause an
2794 error message for an invalid
2795 expression. E.g.: >
2796 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2797 :echo exists("l[5]")
2798< 0 >
2799 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2800< E121: Undefined variable: xx
2801 0
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002802 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2803 command or command modifier |:command|.
2804 Returns:
2805 1 for match with start of a command
2806 2 full match with a command
2807 3 matches several user commands
2808 To check for a supported command
2809 always check the return value to be 2.
Bram Moolenaar14716812006-05-04 21:54:08 +00002810 :2match The |:2match| command.
2811 :3match The |:3match| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002812 #event autocommand defined for this event
2813 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2814 pattern (the pattern is taken
2815 literally and compared to the
2816 autocommand patterns character by
2817 character)
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002818 #group autocommand group exists
2819 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2820 event.
2821 #group#event#pattern
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002822 autocommand defined for this group,
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002823 event and pattern.
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002824 ##event autocommand for this event is
2825 supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002826 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2827
2828 Examples: >
2829 exists("&shortname")
2830 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2831 exists("*strftime")
2832 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2833 exists("bufcount")
2834 exists(":Make")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002835 exists("#CursorHold")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002836 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00002837 exists("#filetypeindent")
2838 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2839 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
Bram Moolenaarf4cd3e82005-12-22 22:47:02 +00002840 exists("##ColorScheme")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002841< There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2842 name.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00002843 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2844 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2845 the future, thus don't count on it!
2846 Working example: >
2847 exists(":make")
2848< NOT working example: >
2849 exists(":make install")
Bram Moolenaar9c102382006-05-03 21:26:49 +00002850
2851< Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2852 variable itself. For example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002853 exists(bufcount)
2854< This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
Bram Moolenaar06a89a52006-04-29 22:01:03 +00002855 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002856
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002857exp({expr}) *exp()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002858 Return the exponential of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002859 [0, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02002860 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002861 Examples: >
2862 :echo exp(2)
2863< 7.389056 >
2864 :echo exp(-1)
2865< 0.367879
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02002866 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02002867
2868
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01002869expand({expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list}]]) *expand()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002870 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01002871 'wildignorecase' applies.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002872
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01002873 If {list} is given and it is non-zero, a List will be returned.
2874 Otherwise the result is a String and when there are several
2875 matches, they are separated by <NL> characters. [Note: in
2876 version 5.0 a space was used, which caused problems when a
2877 file name contains a space]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002878
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002879 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
Bram Moolenaarec7944a2013-06-12 21:29:15 +02002880 for a non-existing file is not included, unless {expr} does
2881 not start with '%', '#' or '<', see below.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002882
2883 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2884 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2885 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2886
2887 % current file name
2888 # alternate file name
2889 #n alternate file name n
2890 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2891 <afile> autocmd file name
2892 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2893 <amatch> autocmd matched name
Bram Moolenaara6878372014-03-22 21:02:50 +01002894 <sfile> sourced script file or function name
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01002895 <slnum> sourced script file line number
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002896 <cword> word under the cursor
2897 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2898 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2899 message |server2client()|
2900 Modifiers:
2901 :p expand to full path
2902 :h head (last path component removed)
2903 :t tail (last path component only)
2904 :r root (one extension removed)
2905 :e extension only
2906
2907 Example: >
2908 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2909< Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2910 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2911 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2912< Use this: >
2913 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2914< Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2915 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2916 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2917 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2918 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2919<
2920 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2921 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2922 to modify normal file names.
2923
2924 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2925 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2926 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2927 '/' added.
2928
2929 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2930 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2931 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
Bram Moolenaar146e9c32012-03-07 19:18:23 +01002932 {nosuf} argument is given and it is non-zero.
2933 Names for non-existing files are included. The "**" item can
2934 be used to search in a directory tree. For example, to find
2935 all "README" files in the current directory and below: >
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00002936 :echo expand("**/README")
2937<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002938 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2939 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02002940 slow, because a shell may be used to do the expansion. See
2941 |expr-env-expand|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002942 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00002943 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00002944 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2945 "$FOOBAR".
2946
2947 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2948 getting the raw output of an external command.
2949
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002950extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002951 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2952 |Dictionaries|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002953
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002954 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002955 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2956 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2957 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2958 {expr2} is appended.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002959 Examples: >
2960 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2961 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
Bram Moolenaardc9cf9c2008-08-08 10:36:31 +00002962< When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2963 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2964 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2965 (where N is the original length of the List).
2966 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00002967 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002968 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002969<
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00002970 If they are |Dictionaries|:
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002971 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2972 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2973 used to decide what to do:
2974 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2975 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00002976 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002977 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2978
2979 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2980 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2981 {expr2} remains unchanged.
Bram Moolenaarf2571c62015-06-09 19:44:55 +02002982 When {expr1} is locked and {expr2} is not empty the operation
2983 fails.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00002984 Returns {expr1}.
2985
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00002986
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002987feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2988 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
Bram Moolenaar0a988df2015-01-27 15:19:24 +01002989 come from a mapping or were typed by the user.
2990 By default the string is added to the end of the typeahead
2991 buffer, thus if a mapping is still being executed the
2992 characters come after them. Use the 'i' flag to insert before
2993 other characters, they will be executed next, before any
2994 characters from a mapping.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00002995 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2996 {string}.
2997 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2998 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00002999 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003000 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
3001 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
3002 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00003003 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
3004 'n' Do not remap keys.
3005 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
3006 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
3007 opening folds, etc.
Bram Moolenaar0a988df2015-01-27 15:19:24 +01003008 'i' Insert the string instead of appending (see above).
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00003009 Return value is always 0.
3010
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003011filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
3012 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
3013 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
3014 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
3015 expression, which is used as a String.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003016 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
3017 |glob()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003018 *file_readable()*
3019 Obsolete name: file_readable().
3020
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003021
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003022filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
3023 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
3024 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003025 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003026 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
3027
3028
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003029filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003030 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003031 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003032 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003033 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003034 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003035 Examples: >
3036 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
3037< Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
3038 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
3039< Removes the items with a key below 8. >
3040 :call filter(var, 0)
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003041< Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00003042
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003043 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
3044 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
3045 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
3046
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003047 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3048 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaarafeb4fa2006-02-01 21:51:12 +00003049 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003050
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003051< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003052 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3053 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003054
3055
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003056finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
Bram Moolenaar5b6b1ca2007-03-27 08:19:43 +00003057 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
3058 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
3059 for the syntax of {path}.
3060 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
3061 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
3062 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003063 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
3064 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003065 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
Bram Moolenaar899dddf2006-03-26 21:06:50 +00003066 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003067 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003068 {only available when compiled with the |+file_in_path|
3069 feature}
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00003070
3071findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
3072 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00003073 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
3074 Example: >
3075 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003076< Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
3077 it finds the file "tags.vim".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003078
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003079float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
3080 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
3081 decimal point.
3082 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
3083 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
3084 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
3085 in -0x80000000.
3086 Examples: >
3087 echo float2nr(3.95)
3088< 3 >
3089 echo float2nr(-23.45)
3090< -23 >
3091 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
3092< 2147483647 >
3093 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
3094< -2147483647 >
3095 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
3096< 0
3097 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3098
3099
3100floor({expr}) *floor()*
3101 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
3102 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
3103 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3104 Examples: >
3105 echo floor(1.856)
3106< 1.0 >
3107 echo floor(-5.456)
3108< -6.0 >
3109 echo floor(4.0)
3110< 4.0
3111 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3112
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003113
3114fmod({expr1}, {expr2}) *fmod()*
3115 Return the remainder of {expr1} / {expr2}, even if the
3116 division is not representable. Returns {expr1} - i * {expr2}
3117 for some integer i such that if {expr2} is non-zero, the
3118 result has the same sign as {expr1} and magnitude less than
3119 the magnitude of {expr2}. If {expr2} is zero, the value
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02003120 returned is zero. The value returned is a |Float|.
3121 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003122 Examples: >
3123 :echo fmod(12.33, 1.22)
3124< 0.13 >
3125 :echo fmod(-12.33, 1.22)
3126< -0.13
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003127 {only available when compiled with |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02003128
3129
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003130fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003131 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003132 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
3133 are escaped with a backslash.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003134 For most systems the characters escaped are
3135 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
3136 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003137 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
3138 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003139 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003140 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003141 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
3142< results in executing: >
Bram Moolenaar1b24e4b2008-08-08 10:59:17 +00003143 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
Bram Moolenaaraebaf892008-05-28 14:49:58 +00003144
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003145fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
3146 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
3147 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
3148 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
3149 Example: >
3150 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
3151< results in: >
3152 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003153< Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003154 |expand()| first then.
3155
3156foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
3157 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3158 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
3159 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3160
3161foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
3162 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
3163 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
3164 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
3165
3166foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
3167 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003168 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003169 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
3170 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
3171 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
3172 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
3173 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
3174 previous line is usually available.
3175
3176 *foldtext()*
3177foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
3178 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
3179 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
3180 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
3181 The returned string looks like this: >
3182 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003183< The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003184 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
3185 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
3186 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
3187 options is removed.
3188 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3189
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00003190foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
3191 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
3192 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
3193 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
3194 returned.
3195 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
3196 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
3197 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
3198 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
3199
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003200 *foreground()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003201foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003202 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
3203 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
3204 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
3205 |remote_foreground()| instead.
3206 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
3207 Win32 console version}
3208
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003209
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00003210function({name}) *function()* *E700*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003211 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00003212 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
3213
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003214
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003215garbagecollect([{atexit}]) *garbagecollect()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00003216 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003217 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
3218 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
3219 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
3220 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
3221 freed when they become unused.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003222 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
3223 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
3224 for a long time.
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003225 When the optional {atexit} argument is one, garbage
Bram Moolenaar9d2c8c12007-09-25 16:00:00 +00003226 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
3227 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
Bram Moolenaar39a58ca2005-06-27 22:42:44 +00003228
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00003229get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003230 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003231 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
3232 omitted.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003233get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003234 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003235 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
3236 {default} is omitted.
3237
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003238 *getbufline()*
3239getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003240 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
3241 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
3242 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003243
3244 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3245
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003246 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
3247 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003248
3249 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003250 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003251
3252 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
3253 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003254 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003255 returned.
3256
Bram Moolenaar661b1822005-07-28 22:36:45 +00003257 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003258 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00003259
3260 Example: >
3261 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003262
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003263getbufvar({expr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *getbufvar()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003264 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
3265 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
3266 must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003267 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
3268 buffer-local variables.
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00003269 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
3270 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
3271 window-local option.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003272 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003273 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist {def} or an empty
3274 string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003275 Examples: >
3276 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
3277 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
3278<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003279getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003280 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003281 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
3282 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003283 Return zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003284 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003285 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
3286
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01003287 Without [expr] and when [expr] is 0 a whole character or
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003288 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3289 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3290 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3291 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003292 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3293 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3294 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3295 not included in the character.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003296
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02003297 When [expr] is 0 and Esc is typed, there will be a short delay
3298 while Vim waits to see if this is the start of an escape
3299 sequence.
3300
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01003301 When [expr] is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
Bram Moolenaar56a907a2006-05-06 21:44:30 +00003302 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3303 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
Bram Moolenaar91170f82006-05-05 21:15:17 +00003304
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003305 Use getcharmod() to obtain any additional modifiers.
3306
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003307 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3308 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3309 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3310 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3311 let c = getchar()
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003312 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
Bram Moolenaar219b8702006-11-01 14:32:36 +00003313 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3314 exe v:mouse_lnum
3315 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3316 endif
3317<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003318 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3319 user that a character has to be typed.
3320 There is no mapping for the character.
3321 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3322 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3323 sequence. Examples: >
3324 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3325 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3326< This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3327 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3328 :function FindChar()
3329 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3330 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3331 : normal l
3332 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3333 : break
3334 : endif
3335 : endwhile
3336 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaared32d942014-12-06 23:33:00 +01003337<
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01003338 You may also receive synthetic characters, such as
Bram Moolenaared32d942014-12-06 23:33:00 +01003339 |<CursorHold>|. Often you will want to ignore this and get
3340 another character: >
3341 :function GetKey()
3342 : let c = getchar()
3343 : while c == "\<CursorHold>"
3344 : let c = getchar()
3345 : endwhile
3346 : return c
3347 :endfunction
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003348
3349getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3350 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3351 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3352 These values are added together:
3353 2 shift
3354 4 control
3355 8 alt (meta)
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01003356 16 meta (when it's different from ALT)
3357 32 mouse double click
3358 64 mouse triple click
3359 96 mouse quadruple click (== 32 + 64)
3360 128 command (Macintosh only)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003361 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003362 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003363 without a modifier.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003364
Bram Moolenaardbd24b52015-08-11 14:26:19 +02003365getcharsearch() *getcharsearch()*
3366 Return the current character search information as a {dict}
3367 with the following entries:
3368
3369 char character previously used for a character
3370 search (|t|, |f|, |T|, or |F|); empty string
3371 if no character search has been performed
3372 forward direction of character search; 1 for forward,
3373 0 for backward
3374 until type of character search; 1 for a |t| or |T|
3375 character search, 0 for an |f| or |F|
3376 character search
3377
3378 This can be useful to always have |;| and |,| search
3379 forward/backward regardless of the direction of the previous
3380 character search: >
3381 :nnoremap <expr> ; getcharsearch().forward ? ';' : ','
3382 :nnoremap <expr> , getcharsearch().forward ? ',' : ';'
3383< Also see |setcharsearch()|.
3384
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003385getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3386 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3387 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3388 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3389 Example: >
3390 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003391< Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003392
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003393getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003394 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3395 byte count. The first column is 1.
3396 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
Bram Moolenaar5b435d62012-04-05 17:33:26 +02003397 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=| or an expression mapping.
3398 Returns 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003399 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3400
3401getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3402 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3403 are:
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00003404 : normal Ex command
3405 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3406 / forward search command
3407 ? backward search command
3408 @ |input()| command
3409 - |:insert| or |:append| command
Bram Moolenaar6e932462014-09-09 18:48:09 +02003410 = |i_CTRL-R_=|
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003411 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
Bram Moolenaar5b435d62012-04-05 17:33:26 +02003412 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=| or an expression mapping.
3413 Returns an empty string otherwise.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003414 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003415
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02003416getcmdwintype() *getcmdwintype()*
3417 Return the current |command-line-window| type. Possible return
3418 values are the same as |getcmdtype()|. Returns an empty string
3419 when not in the command-line window.
3420
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02003421 *getcurpos()*
3422getcurpos() Get the position of the cursor. This is like getpos('.'), but
3423 includes an extra item in the list:
3424 [bufnum, lnum, col, off, curswant]
3425 The "curswant" number is the preferred column when moving the
3426 cursor vertically.
3427 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
3428 let save_cursor = getcurpos()
3429 MoveTheCursorAround
3430 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
Bram Moolenaarfb539272014-08-22 19:21:47 +02003431<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003432 *getcwd()*
3433getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3434 working directory.
3435
3436getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3437 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3438 given file {fname}.
3439 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3440 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaard827ada2007-06-19 15:19:55 +00003441 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3442 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003443
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003444getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3445 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3446 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3447 |hl-Normal|.
3448 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3449 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3450 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3451 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
Bram Moolenaarc6fe9192006-04-09 21:54:49 +00003452 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003453 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3454 function just after the GUI has started.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00003455 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3456 for a valid name does not work.
Bram Moolenaard8b0cf12004-12-12 11:33:30 +00003457
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003458getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3459 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3460 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3461 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3462 empty string is returned.
3463 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3464 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3465 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3466 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02003467 is replaced with the string "-". Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003468 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02003469 :echo getfperm(expand("~/.vimrc"))
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003470< This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3471 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00003472
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003473getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3474 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3475 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3476 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3477 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3478 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3479
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00003480getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3481 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3482 file of the given file {fname}.
3483 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3484 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3485 results:
3486 Normal file "file"
3487 Directory "dir"
3488 Symbolic link "link"
3489 Block device "bdev"
3490 Character device "cdev"
3491 Socket "socket"
3492 FIFO "fifo"
3493 All other "other"
3494 Example: >
3495 getftype("/home")
3496< Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3497 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3498 "file" are returned.
3499
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003500 *getline()*
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003501getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3502 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3503 from the current buffer. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003504 getline(1)
3505< When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3506 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3507 To get the line under the cursor: >
3508 getline(".")
3509< When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3510 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3511
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003512 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3513 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003514 including line {end}.
3515 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3516 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003517 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003518 Example: >
3519 :let start = line('.')
3520 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3521 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3522
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003523< To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3524
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00003525getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3526 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3527 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3528 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00003529 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003530 returned. Otherwise, same as |getqflist()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003531
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003532getmatches() *getmatches()*
3533 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3534 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3535 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3536 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3537 Example: >
3538 :echo getmatches()
3539< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3540 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3541 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3542 :let m = getmatches()
3543 :call clearmatches()
3544 :echo getmatches()
3545< [] >
3546 :call setmatches(m)
3547 :echo getmatches()
3548< [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3549 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3550 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3551 :unlet m
3552<
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02003553 *getpid()*
3554getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
3555 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
3556 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
3557
3558 *getpos()*
3559getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
3560 see |line()|. For getting the cursor position see
3561 |getcurpos()|.
3562 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
3563 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
3564 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
3565 is the buffer number of the mark.
3566 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
3567 column is 1.
3568 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
3569 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
3570 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
3571 character.
3572 Note that for '< and '> Visual mode matters: when it is "V"
3573 (visual line mode) the column of '< is zero and the column of
3574 '> is a large number.
3575 This can be used to save and restore the position of a mark: >
3576 let save_a_mark = getpos("'a")
3577 ...
Bram Moolenaared32d942014-12-06 23:33:00 +01003578 call setpos("'a", save_a_mark)
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02003579< Also see |getcurpos()| and |setpos()|.
3580
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00003581
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003582getqflist() *getqflist()*
3583 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3584 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3585 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3586 bufname() to get the name
3587 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3588 col column number (first column is 1)
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00003589 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3590 zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003591 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003592 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003593 text description of the error
3594 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3595 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3596
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003597 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00003598 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3599 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
Bram Moolenaare7eb9df2005-09-09 19:49:30 +00003600
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00003601 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3602 do something with them: >
3603 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3604 :for d in getqflist()
3605 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3606 :endfor
3607
3608
Bram Moolenaarb7cb42b2014-04-02 19:55:10 +02003609getreg([{regname} [, 1 [, {list}]]]) *getreg()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003610 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003611 {regname}. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003612 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3613< getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003614 register. (For use in maps.)
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00003615 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3616 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3617 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
Bram Moolenaarb7cb42b2014-04-02 19:55:10 +02003618 If {list} is present and non-zero result type is changed to
3619 |List|. Each list item is one text line. Use it if you care
3620 about zero bytes possibly present inside register: without
3621 third argument both NLs and zero bytes are represented as NLs
3622 (see |NL-used-for-Nul|).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003623 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3624
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00003625
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003626getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3627 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3628 The value will be one of:
3629 "v" for |characterwise| text
3630 "V" for |linewise| text
3631 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
Bram Moolenaar32b92012014-01-14 12:33:36 +01003632 "" for an empty or unknown register
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003633 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3634 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3635
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003636gettabvar({tabnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *gettabvar()*
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003637 Get the value of a tab-local variable {varname} in tab page
3638 {tabnr}. |t:var|
3639 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
Bram Moolenaar0e2ea1b2014-09-09 16:13:08 +02003640 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all tab-local
3641 variables is returned.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003642 Note that the name without "t:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003643 When the tab or variable doesn't exist {def} or an empty
3644 string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02003645
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003646gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *gettabwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003647 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3648 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3649 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3650 option.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003651 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3652 variables is returned.
3653 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003654 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3655 use |getwinvar()|.
3656 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3657 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3658 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3659 or buffer-local variable.
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003660 When the tab, window or variable doesn't exist {def} or an
3661 empty string is returned, there is no error message.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003662 Examples: >
3663 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3664 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00003665<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003666 *getwinposx()*
3667getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3668 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3669 -1 if the information is not available.
3670
3671 *getwinposy()*
3672getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003673 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003674 information is not available.
3675
Bram Moolenaar63dbda12013-02-20 21:12:10 +01003676getwinvar({winnr}, {varname} [, {def}]) *getwinvar()*
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00003677 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003678 Examples: >
3679 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3680 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3681<
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003682glob({expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {alllinks}]]]) *glob()*
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003683 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00003684 use of special characters.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003685
3686 Unless the optional {nosuf} argument is given and is non-zero,
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003687 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3688 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3689 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01003690 'wildignorecase' always applies.
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01003691
3692 When {list} is present and it is non-zero the result is a List
3693 with all matching files. The advantage of using a List is,
3694 you also get filenames containing newlines correctly.
3695 Otherwise the result is a String and when there are several
3696 matches, they are separated by <NL> characters.
3697
3698 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty String or List.
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003699
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02003700 A name for a non-existing file is not included. A symbolic
3701 link is only included if it points to an existing file.
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003702 However, when the {alllinks} argument is present and it is
3703 non-zero then all symbolic links are included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003704
3705 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3706 any external command. Example: >
3707 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3708 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3709< The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003710 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003711
3712 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3713 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3714
Bram Moolenaar5837f1f2015-03-21 18:06:14 +01003715glob2regpat({expr}) *glob2regpat()*
3716 Convert a file pattern, as used by glob(), into a search
3717 pattern. The result can be used to match with a string that
3718 is a file name. E.g. >
3719 if filename =~ glob2regpat('Make*.mak')
3720< This is equivalent to: >
3721 if filename =~ '^Make.*\.mak$'
3722<
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003723 *globpath()*
3724globpath({path}, {expr} [, {nosuf} [, {list} [, {allinks}]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003725 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3726 the results. Example: >
3727 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
Bram Moolenaar1b1063a2014-05-07 18:35:30 +02003728<
3729 {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003730 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003731 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003732 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3733 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3734 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3735 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3736 error message.
Bram Moolenaar1b1063a2014-05-07 18:35:30 +02003737
3738 Unless the optional {nosuf} argument is given and is non-zero,
Bram Moolenaarbb5ddda2008-11-28 10:01:10 +00003739 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3740 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3741 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003742
Bram Moolenaar1b1063a2014-05-07 18:35:30 +02003743 When {list} is present and it is non-zero the result is a List
3744 with all matching files. The advantage of using a List is, you
3745 also get filenames containing newlines correctly. Otherwise
3746 the result is a String and when there are several matches,
3747 they are separated by <NL> characters. Example: >
3748 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim", 0, 1)
3749<
Bram Moolenaard8b77f72015-03-05 21:21:19 +01003750 {allinks} is used as with |glob()|.
3751
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00003752 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3753 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3754 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3755 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003756< Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3757 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3758
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003759 *has()*
3760has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3761 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3762 string. See |feature-list| below.
3763 Also see |exists()|.
3764
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003765
3766has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003767 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3768 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003769
Bram Moolenaard267b9c2007-04-26 15:06:45 +00003770haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3771 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003772 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00003773
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003774hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003775 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3776 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3777 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3778 {mode}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00003779 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00003780 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3781 Command-line mode.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003782 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3783 buffer are checked for a match.
3784 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3785 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3786 n Normal mode
3787 v Visual mode
3788 o Operator-pending mode
3789 i Insert mode
3790 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3791 c Command-line mode
3792 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3793
3794 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003795 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003796 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3797 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3798 :endif
3799< This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3800 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3801
3802histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3803 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3804 one of: *hist-names*
3805 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3806 "search" or "/" search pattern history
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003807 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003808 "input" or "@" input line history
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02003809 "debug" or ">" debug command history
3810 The {history} string does not need to be the whole name, one
3811 character is sufficient.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003812 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3813 shifted to become the newest entry.
3814 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3815 otherwise 0 is returned.
3816
3817 Example: >
3818 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3819 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3820< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3821
3822histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003823 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003824 for the possible values of {history}.
3825
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003826 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3827 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3828 be removed from the history (if there are any).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003829 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00003830 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3831 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3832 be removed if it exists.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003833
3834 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3835 otherwise 0 is returned.
3836
3837 Examples:
3838 Clear expression register history: >
3839 :call histdel("expr")
3840<
3841 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3842 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3843<
3844 The following three are equivalent: >
3845 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3846 :call histdel("search", -1)
3847 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3848<
3849 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3850 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3851 :call histdel("search", -1)
3852 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3853
3854histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3855 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3856 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3857 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3858 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3859 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3860
3861 Examples:
3862 Redo the second last search from history. >
3863 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3864
3865< Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3866 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3867 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3868<
3869histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3870 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3871 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3872 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3873
3874 Example: >
3875 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3876<
3877hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3878 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3879 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3880 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3881 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3882 item.
3883 *highlight_exists()*
3884 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3885
3886 *hlID()*
3887hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3888 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3889 zero is returned.
3890 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003891 group. For example, to get the background color of the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003892 "Comment" group: >
3893 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3894< *highlightID()*
3895 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3896
3897hostname() *hostname()*
3898 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00003899 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003900 256 characters long are truncated.
3901
3902iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3903 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3904 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003905 When the conversion completely fails an empty string is
3906 returned. When some characters could not be converted they
3907 are replaced with "?".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003908 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3909 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3910 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3911 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3912 can be done.
3913 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3914 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3915 UTF-8 and use: >
3916 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3917< Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3918 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3919 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02003920 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte| feature}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003921
3922 *indent()*
3923indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3924 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3925 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3926 |getline()|.
3927 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3928
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003929
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00003930index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00003931 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003932 value equal to {expr}. There is no automatic conversion, so
3933 the String "4" is different from the Number 4. And the number
3934 4 is different from the Float 4.0. The value of 'ignorecase'
3935 is not used here, case always matters.
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00003936 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3937 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003938 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3939 case must match.
3940 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3941 Example: >
3942 :let idx = index(words, "the")
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00003943 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00003944
3945
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003946input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003947 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003948 the command-line. The {prompt} argument is either a prompt
3949 string, or a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used
3950 in the prompt to start a new line.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003951 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3952 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003953 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003954 for lines typed for input().
3955 Example: >
3956 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3957 : echo "Cheers!"
3958 :endif
3959<
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003960 If the optional {text} argument is present and not empty, this
3961 is used for the default reply, as if the user typed this.
3962 Example: >
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003963 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3964
3965< The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3966 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003967 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003968 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00003969 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003970 more information. Example: >
3971 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3972<
3973 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3974 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003975 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3976 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3977 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3978 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3979 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3980 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3981 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3982
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00003983 Example with a mapping: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003984 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3985 :function GetFoo()
3986 : call inputsave()
3987 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3988 : call inputrestore()
3989 :endfunction
3990
3991inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01003992 Like |input()|, but when the GUI is running and text dialogs
3993 are supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003994 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02003995 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", shiftwidth())
3996 :if n != ""
3997 : let &sw = n
3998 :endif
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00003999< When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
4000 omitted an empty string is returned.
4001 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
4002 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004003 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004004
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004005inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004006 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
4007 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
4008 enter a number, which is returned.
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004009 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004010 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004011 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
4012 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
4013 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004014 Make sure {textlist} has less than 'lines' entries, otherwise
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004015 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004016 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
4017 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar578b49e2005-09-10 19:22:57 +00004018 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
4019 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
4020
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004021inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004022 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous |inputsave()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004023 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
4024 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
4025 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
4026
4027inputsave() *inputsave()*
4028 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
4029 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
4030 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
4031 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
4032 many inputrestore() calls.
4033 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
4034
4035inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
4036 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
4037 two exceptions:
4038 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
4039 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
4040 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
4041 |history| stack.
4042 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
4043 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00004044 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004045
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004046insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004047 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004048 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004049 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004050 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
4051 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004052 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004053 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
4054 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
4055 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00004056< The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004057 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004058 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004059
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01004060invert({expr}) *invert()*
4061 Bitwise invert. The argument is converted to a number. A
4062 List, Dict or Float argument causes an error. Example: >
4063 :let bits = invert(bits)
4064
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004065isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
4066 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
4067 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
4068 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
4069 is any expression, which is used as a String.
4070
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004071islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004072 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
4073 name of a locked variable.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004074 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
4075 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004076 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
4077 :lockvar 1 alist
4078 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
4079 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
4080
4081< When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004082 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00004083
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004084items({dict}) *items()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004085 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
4086 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
4087 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
4088 order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00004089
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004090
4091join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
4092 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
4093 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
4094 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
4095 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
4096 add it there too: >
4097 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004098< String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004099 converted into a string like with |string()|.
4100 The opposite function is |split()|.
4101
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004102keys({dict}) *keys()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004103 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004104 arbitrary order.
4105
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00004106 *len()* *E701*
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004107len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
4108 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
4109 used, as with |strlen()|.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004110 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004111 returned.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004112 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
4113 |Dictionary| is returned.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00004114 Otherwise an error is given.
4115
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004116 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
4117libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
4118 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
4119 with single argument {argument}.
4120 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
4121 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
4122 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
4123 limited.
4124 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
4125 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
4126 to Vim.
4127 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
4128 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
4129 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
4130 null-terminated string.
4131 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
4132
4133 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
4134 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
4135 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
4136 very probably crash.
4137
4138 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
4139 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
4140 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
4141 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
4142 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
4143 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
4144 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
4145 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
4146 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
4147 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
4148
4149 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004150 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004151 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
4152 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
4153 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
4154 the DLL is not in the usual places.
4155 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
4156 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004157 {only in Win32 and some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004158 feature is present}
4159 Examples: >
4160 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004161<
4162 *libcallnr()*
4163libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004164 Just like |libcall()|, but used for a function that returns an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004165 int instead of a string.
4166 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
4167 feature is present}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004168 Examples: >
4169 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004170 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
4171 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
4172<
4173 *line()*
4174line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
4175 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
4176 . the cursor position
4177 $ the last line in the current buffer
4178 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
4179 returned)
Bram Moolenaarc7453f52006-02-10 23:20:28 +00004180 w0 first line visible in current window
4181 w$ last line visible in current window
Bram Moolenaar9ecd0232008-06-20 15:31:51 +00004182 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
4183 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
4184 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
4185 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004186 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
4187 then applies to another buffer.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004188 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
4189 |getpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004190 Examples: >
4191 line(".") line number of the cursor
4192 line("'t") line number of mark t
4193 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
4194< *last-position-jump*
4195 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
4196 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004197 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00004198
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004199line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
4200 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
4201 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
4202 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaarb6b046b2011-12-30 13:11:27 +01004203 line returns 1. 'encoding' matters, 'fileencoding' is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004204 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
4205 below the last line: >
4206 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
Bram Moolenaarb6b046b2011-12-30 13:11:27 +01004207< This is the buffer size plus one. If 'fileencoding' is empty
4208 it is the file size plus one.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004209 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
4210 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
4211 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
4212
4213lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
4214 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
4215 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
4216 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
4217 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
4218 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
4219 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
4220
4221localtime() *localtime()*
4222 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
4223 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
4224
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004225
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004226log({expr}) *log()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02004227 Return the natural logarithm (base e) of {expr} as a |Float|.
4228 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004229 (0, inf].
4230 Examples: >
4231 :echo log(10)
4232< 2.302585 >
4233 :echo log(exp(5))
4234< 5.0
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004235 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02004236
4237
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004238log10({expr}) *log10()*
4239 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
4240 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4241 Examples: >
4242 :echo log10(1000)
4243< 3.0 >
4244 :echo log10(0.01)
4245< -2.0
4246 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4247
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02004248luaeval({expr}[, {expr}]) *luaeval()*
4249 Evaluate Lua expression {expr} and return its result converted
4250 to Vim data structures. Second {expr} may hold additional
4251 argument accessible as _A inside first {expr}.
4252 Strings are returned as they are.
4253 Boolean objects are converted to numbers.
4254 Numbers are converted to |Float| values if vim was compiled
4255 with |+float| and to numbers otherwise.
4256 Dictionaries and lists obtained by vim.eval() are returned
4257 as-is.
4258 Other objects are returned as zero without any errors.
4259 See |lua-luaeval| for more details.
4260 {only available when compiled with the |+lua| feature}
4261
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004262map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004263 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004264 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
4265 {string}.
4266 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar627b1d32009-11-17 11:20:35 +00004267 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
4268 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004269 Example: >
4270 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004271< This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004272
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004273 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004274 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004275 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
4276 still have to double ' quotes
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004277
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004278 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
4279 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004280 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' v:val . "\t"')
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00004281
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004282< Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00004283 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
4284 further items in {expr} are processed.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004285
4286
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004287maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr} [, {dict}]]]) *maparg()*
4288 When {dict} is omitted or zero: Return the rhs of mapping
4289 {name} in mode {mode}. The returned String has special
4290 characters translated like in the output of the ":map" command
4291 listing.
4292
4293 When there is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is
4294 returned.
4295
4296 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
4297 command.
4298
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00004299 {mode} can be one of these strings:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004300 "n" Normal
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004301 "v" Visual (including Select)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004302 "o" Operator-pending
4303 "i" Insert
4304 "c" Cmd-line
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004305 "s" Select
4306 "x" Visual
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004307 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
4308 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaard12f5c12006-01-25 22:10:52 +00004309 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004310
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004311 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4312 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004313
4314 When {dict} is there and it is non-zero return a dictionary
4315 containing all the information of the mapping with the
4316 following items:
4317 "lhs" The {lhs} of the mapping.
4318 "rhs" The {rhs} of the mapping as typed.
4319 "silent" 1 for a |:map-silent| mapping, else 0.
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004320 "noremap" 1 if the {rhs} of the mapping is not remappable.
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004321 "expr" 1 for an expression mapping (|:map-<expr>|).
4322 "buffer" 1 for a buffer local mapping (|:map-local|).
4323 "mode" Modes for which the mapping is defined. In
4324 addition to the modes mentioned above, these
4325 characters will be used:
4326 " " Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
4327 "!" Insert and Commandline mode
Bram Moolenaar166af9b2010-11-16 20:34:40 +01004328 (|mapmode-ic|)
Bram Moolenaar05365702010-10-27 18:34:44 +02004329 "sid" The script local ID, used for <sid> mappings
4330 (|<SID>|).
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01004331 "nowait" Do not wait for other, longer mappings.
4332 (|:map-<nowait>|).
Bram Moolenaarbd743252010-10-20 21:23:33 +02004333
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004334 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4335 then the global mappings.
Bram Moolenaara40ceaf2006-01-13 22:35:40 +00004336 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
4337 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
4338 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
4339
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004340
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004341mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004342 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
4343 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
4344 {name}.
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00004345 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
4346 instead of mappings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004347 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
4348 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
4349
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004350 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004351 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
4352 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
4353 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
4354 mapcheck("b") no no no
4355
4356 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
4357 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
4358 mapping for {name} exactly.
4359 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
4360 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
4361 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
4362 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
4363 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
4364 then the global mappings.
4365 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
4366 without being ambiguous. Example: >
4367 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
4368 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
4369 :endif
4370< This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
4371 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
4372
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004373match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004374 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
4375 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00004376 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004377 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004378 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
4379 {pat} matches.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004380 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004381 If there is no match -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02004382 For getting submatches see |matchlist()|.
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004383 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004384 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004385 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004386< See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004387 *strpbrk()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004388 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004389 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
4390< *strcasestr()*
4391 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
4392 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
4393 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
4394<
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004395 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004396 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004397 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00004398 first character/item. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004399 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
4400< result is again "4". >
4401 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
4402< result is again "4". >
4403 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
4404< result is "3".
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004405 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004406 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
4407 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
4408 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
4409 backwards compatible).
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004410 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
4411 the index is counted from the end.
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004412 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
4413 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004414
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004415 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
Bram Moolenaare224ffa2006-03-01 00:01:28 +00004416 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004417 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
4418 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
4419< In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00004420 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
4421 see above.
Bram Moolenaar5e3cb7e2006-02-27 23:58:35 +00004422
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004423 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
4424 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004425 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004426 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
4427
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004428 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
Bram Moolenaarf9132812015-07-21 19:19:13 +02004429matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id} [, {dict}]]])
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004430 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
4431 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
4432 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
4433 match using |matchdelete()|.
Bram Moolenaar8e69b4a2013-11-09 03:41:58 +01004434 Matching is case sensitive and magic, unless case sensitivity
4435 or magicness are explicitly overridden in {pattern}. The
4436 'magic', 'smartcase' and 'ignorecase' options are not used.
Bram Moolenaarf9132812015-07-21 19:19:13 +02004437 The "Conceal" value is special, it causes the match to be
4438 concealed.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004439
4440 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004441 match. A match with a high priority will have its
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004442 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
4443 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
4444 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
4445 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
4446 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
4447 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
4448 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
4449 always overrule syntax highlighting.
4450
4451 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
4452 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
4453 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
4454 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
4455 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
Bram Moolenaar6561d522015-07-21 15:48:27 +02004456 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified or -1,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004457 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
4458
Bram Moolenaar6561d522015-07-21 15:48:27 +02004459 The optional {dict} argmument allows for further custom
4460 values. Currently this is used to specify a match specifc
4461 conceal character that will be shown for |hl-Conceal|
4462 highlighted matches. The dict can have the following members:
4463
4464 conceal Special character to show instead of the
4465 match (only for |hl-Conceal| highlighed
4466 matches, see |:syn-cchar|)
4467
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004468 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
4469 the |:match| commands.
4470
4471 Example: >
4472 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4473 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
4474< Deletion of the pattern: >
4475 :call matchdelete(m)
4476
4477< A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004478 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004479 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004480
Bram Moolenaar6561d522015-07-21 15:48:27 +02004481matchaddpos({group}, {pos}[, {priority}[, {id}[, {dict}]]]) *matchaddpos()*
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004482 Same as |matchadd()|, but requires a list of positions {pos}
4483 instead of a pattern. This command is faster than |matchadd()|
4484 because it does not require to handle regular expressions and
4485 sets buffer line boundaries to redraw screen. It is supposed
4486 to be used when fast match additions and deletions are
4487 required, for example to highlight matching parentheses.
4488
4489 The list {pos} can contain one of these items:
Bram Moolenaarb6da44a2014-06-25 18:15:22 +02004490 - A number. This whole line will be highlighted. The first
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004491 line has number 1.
4492 - A list with one number, e.g., [23]. The whole line with this
4493 number will be highlighted.
4494 - A list with two numbers, e.g., [23, 11]. The first number is
Bram Moolenaarb6da44a2014-06-25 18:15:22 +02004495 the line number, the second one is the column number (first
4496 column is 1, the value must correspond to the byte index as
4497 |col()| would return). The character at this position will
4498 be highlighted.
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004499 - A list with three numbers, e.g., [23, 11, 3]. As above, but
Bram Moolenaarb6da44a2014-06-25 18:15:22 +02004500 the third number gives the length of the highlight in bytes.
Bram Moolenaarb3414592014-06-17 17:48:32 +02004501
4502 The maximum number of positions is 8.
4503
4504 Example: >
4505 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4506 :let m = matchaddpos("MyGroup", [[23, 24], 34])
4507< Deletion of the pattern: >
4508 :call matchdelete(m)
4509
4510< Matches added by |matchaddpos()| are returned by
4511 |getmatches()| with an entry "pos1", "pos2", etc., with the
4512 value a list like the {pos} item.
4513 These matches cannot be set via |setmatches()|, however they
4514 can still be deleted by |clearmatches()|.
4515
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004516matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004517 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004518 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
4519 Return a |List| with two elements:
4520 The name of the highlight group used
4521 The pattern used.
4522 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
4523 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004524 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
4525 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
4526 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004527
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004528matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
4529 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004530 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00004531 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
4532 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004533
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004534matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004535 Same as |match()|, but return the index of first character
4536 after the match. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004537 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
4538< results in "7".
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00004539 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
4540 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
4541 do it with matchend(): >
4542 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4543 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4544< Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4545
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004546 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004547 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4548< results in "7". >
4549 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4550< result is "-1".
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004551 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004552
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004553matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004554 Same as |match()|, but return a |List|. The first item in the
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004555 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4556 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
Bram Moolenaarf9393ef2006-04-24 19:47:27 +00004557 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4558 empty string is used. Example: >
4559 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4560< Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004561 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4562
Bram Moolenaar89cb5e02004-07-19 20:55:54 +00004563matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004564 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004565 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4566< results in "ing".
4567 When there is no match "" is returned.
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01004568 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for |match()|. >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004569 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4570< results in "ing". >
4571 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4572< result is "".
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004573 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00004574 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004575
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004576 *max()*
4577max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4578 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4579 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004580 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004581
4582 *min()*
Bram Moolenaar79166c42007-05-10 18:29:51 +00004583min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004584 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4585 be used as a Number this results in an error.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004586 An empty |List| results in zero.
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00004587
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004588 *mkdir()* *E739*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004589mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4590 Create directory {name}.
4591 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4592 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4593 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4594 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004595 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
Bram Moolenaared39e1d2008-08-09 17:55:22 +00004596 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4597 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4598 with 0755.
4599 Example: >
4600 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4601< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004602 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4603 :if exists("*mkdir")
4604<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004605 *mode()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004606mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00004607 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4608 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4609 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4610 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004611
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004612 n Normal
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004613 no Operator-pending
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004614 v Visual by character
4615 V Visual by line
4616 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4617 s Select by character
4618 S Select by line
4619 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4620 i Insert
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004621 R Replace |R|
4622 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004623 c Command-line
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004624 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4625 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004626 r Hit-enter prompt
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004627 rm The -- more -- prompt
4628 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4629 ! Shell or external command is executing
4630 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4631 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4632 "c" or "n".
4633 Also see |visualmode()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004634
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004635mzeval({expr}) *mzeval()*
4636 Evaluate MzScheme expression {expr} and return its result
Bram Moolenaard38b0552012-04-25 19:07:41 +02004637 converted to Vim data structures.
Bram Moolenaar7e506b62010-01-19 15:55:06 +01004638 Numbers and strings are returned as they are.
4639 Pairs (including lists and improper lists) and vectors are
4640 returned as Vim |Lists|.
4641 Hash tables are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with keys
4642 converted to strings.
4643 All other types are converted to string with display function.
4644 Examples: >
4645 :mz (define l (list 1 2 3))
4646 :mz (define h (make-hash)) (hash-set! h "list" l)
4647 :echo mzeval("l")
4648 :echo mzeval("h")
4649<
4650 {only available when compiled with the |+mzscheme| feature}
4651
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004652nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4653 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4654 that is not blank. Example: >
4655 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4656< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4657 below it, zero is returned.
4658 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4659
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004660nr2char({expr}[, {utf8}]) *nr2char()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004661 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4662 value {expr}. Examples: >
4663 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4664 nr2char(32) returns " "
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004665< When {utf8} is omitted or zero, the current 'encoding' is used.
4666 Example for "utf-8": >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004667 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
Bram Moolenaard35d7842013-01-23 17:17:10 +01004668< With {utf8} set to 1, always return utf-8 characters.
4669 Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004670 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4671 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00004672 string, thus results in an empty string.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004673
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01004674or({expr}, {expr}) *or()*
4675 Bitwise OR on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
4676 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
4677 Example: >
4678 :let bits = or(bits, 0x80)
4679
4680
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00004681pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4682 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4683 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4684 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4685 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4686 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4687< ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4688 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4689
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004690pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4691 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4692 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4693 Examples: >
4694 :echo pow(3, 3)
4695< 27.0 >
4696 :echo pow(2, 16)
4697< 65536.0 >
4698 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4699< 2.0
4700 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4701
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004702prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4703 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4704 that is not blank. Example: >
4705 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4706< When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4707 above it, zero is returned.
4708 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4709
4710
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004711printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4712 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4713 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004714 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004715< May result in:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004716 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004717
4718 Often used items are:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004719 %s string
Bram Moolenaar3ab72c52012-11-14 18:10:56 +01004720 %6S string right-aligned in 6 display cells
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004721 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004722 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4723 %c single byte
4724 %d decimal number
4725 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4726 %x hex number
4727 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4728 %X hex number using upper case letters
4729 %o octal number
4730 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4731 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4732 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4733 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4734 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4735 %% the % character itself
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004736
4737 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4738 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4739 the result.
4740
4741 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004742 arguments appear in sequence:
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004743
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004744 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004745
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004746 flags
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004747 Zero or more of the following flags:
4748
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004749 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4750 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4751 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4752 of the number is increased to force the first
4753 character of the output string to a zero (except
4754 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4755 precision of zero).
4756 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4757 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4758 prepended to it.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004759
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004760 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4761 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4762 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4763 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4764 is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004765
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004766 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4767 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4768 The converted value is padded on the right with
4769 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4770 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004771
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004772 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4773 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004774
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004775 + A sign must always be placed before a number
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004776 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004777 a space if both are used.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004778
4779 field-width
4780 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004781 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4782 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4783 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4784 been given) to fill out the field width.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004785
4786 .precision
4787 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4788 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4789 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4790 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4791 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00004792 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004793 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4794 the decimal point.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004795
4796 type
4797 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4798 be applied, see below.
4799
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004800 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4801 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004802 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004803 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4804 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4805 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004806 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004807< This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004808 "width" bytes.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004809
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004810 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004811
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004812 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4813 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004814 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4815 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4816 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004817 conversions.
4818 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4819 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4820 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4821 zeros.
4822 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4823 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4824 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4825 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4826
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004827 *printf-c*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004828 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4829 resulting character is written.
4830
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004831 *printf-s*
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004832 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4833 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4834 specified are used.
Bram Moolenaar0122c402015-02-03 19:13:34 +01004835 *printf-S*
Bram Moolenaar3ab72c52012-11-14 18:10:56 +01004836 S The text of the String argument is used. If a
4837 precision is specified, no more display cells than the
4838 number specified are used. Without the |+multi_byte|
4839 feature works just like 's'.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004840
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004841 *printf-f* *E807*
4842 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4843 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4844 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4845 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4846 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4847 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4848 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4849 Example: >
4850 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4851< 12.12
4852 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4853 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4854
4855 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4856 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4857 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4858 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4859 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4860
4861 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4862 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4863 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4864 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4865 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4866 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4867 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4868 results in 1.0e7.
4869
4870 *printf-%*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004871 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4872 complete conversion specification is "%%".
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004873
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00004874 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4875 accepted and automatically converted.
4876 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4877 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4878 Any other argument type results in an error message.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004879
Bram Moolenaar83bab712005-08-01 21:58:57 +00004880 *E766* *E767*
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004881 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4882 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00004883 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
Bram Moolenaar4be06f92005-07-29 22:36:03 +00004884
4885
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00004886pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4887 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4888 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00004889 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4890 popup menu.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004891
Bram Moolenaare6ae6222013-05-21 21:01:10 +02004892 *E860*
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004893py3eval({expr}) *py3eval()*
4894 Evaluate Python expression {expr} and return its result
4895 converted to Vim data structures.
4896 Numbers and strings are returned as they are (strings are
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01004897 copied though, Unicode strings are additionally converted to
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004898 'encoding').
4899 Lists are represented as Vim |List| type.
4900 Dictionaries are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type with
4901 keys converted to strings.
4902 {only available when compiled with the |+python3| feature}
4903
4904 *E858* *E859*
4905pyeval({expr}) *pyeval()*
4906 Evaluate Python expression {expr} and return its result
4907 converted to Vim data structures.
4908 Numbers and strings are returned as they are (strings are
4909 copied though).
4910 Lists are represented as Vim |List| type.
Bram Moolenaard09acef2012-09-21 14:54:30 +02004911 Dictionaries are represented as Vim |Dictionary| type,
4912 non-string keys result in error.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02004913 {only available when compiled with the |+python| feature}
4914
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00004915 *E726* *E727*
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004916range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004917 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004918 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4919 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4920 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4921 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4922 producing a value past {max}).
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004923 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4924 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4925 start this is an error.
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004926 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004927 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004928 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4929 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00004930 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
Bram Moolenaare7566042005-06-17 22:00:15 +00004931 range(0) " []
4932 range(2, 0) " error!
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00004933<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004934 *readfile()*
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004935readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00004936 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4937 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004938 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4939 NL appears somewhere).
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004940 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
Bram Moolenaar86ae7202015-07-10 19:31:35 +02004941 When {binary} contains "b" binary mode is used:
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004942 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4943 added.
4944 - No CR characters are removed.
4945 Otherwise:
4946 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4947 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
Bram Moolenaar06583f12010-08-07 20:30:49 +02004948 - When 'encoding' is Unicode any UTF-8 byte order mark is
4949 removed from the text.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004950 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4951 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4952 lines of a file: >
4953 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4954 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4955 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00004956< When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4957 are returned, or as many as there are.
4958 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00004959 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4960 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4961 file into a buffer if you need to.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00004962 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4963 the result is an empty list.
4964 Also see |writefile()|.
4965
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004966reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4967 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4968 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4969 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4970 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4971 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4972 specified in the argument.
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00004973 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004974 and {end}.
4975 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4976 reltime().
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004977 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004978
4979reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4980 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4981 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4982 microseconds. Example: >
4983 let start = reltime()
4984 call MyFunction()
4985 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4986< Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4987 The accuracy depends on the system.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00004988 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4989 can use split() to remove it. >
4990 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4991< Also see |profiling|.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02004992 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00004993
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004994 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4995remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00004996 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00004997 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00004998 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4999 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
5000 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005001 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
5002 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
5003 remote_read() is stored there.
5004 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
5005 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5006 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5007 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
5008 and the result will be the empty string.
5009 Examples: >
5010 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
5011 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
5012<
5013
5014remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
5015 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
5016 This works like: >
5017 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
5018< Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
5019 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
5020 to bring itself to the foreground.
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00005021 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
5022 like foreground() does.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005023 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5024 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
5025 Win32 console version}
5026
5027
5028remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
5029 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
5030 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005031 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005032 name of a variable.
5033 Returns zero if none are available.
5034 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
5035 See also |clientserver|.
5036 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5037 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5038 Examples: >
5039 :let repl = ""
5040 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
5041
5042remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
5043 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
5044 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
5045 See also |clientserver|.
5046 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5047 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5048 Example: >
5049 :echo remote_read(id)
5050<
5051 *remote_send()* *E241*
5052remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005053 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00005054 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
5055 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005056 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
5057 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
5058 there.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005059 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
5060 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5061 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5062 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
5063 up the display.
5064 Examples: >
5065 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
5066 \ remote_read(serverid)
5067
5068 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
5069 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
5070 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
5071 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005072<
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005073remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005074 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005075 return the item.
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005076 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005077 return a List with these items. When {idx} points to the same
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005078 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
5079 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
5080 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005081 Example: >
5082 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005083 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005084remove({dict}, {key})
5085 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
5086 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
5087< If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
5088
5089 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005090
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005091rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
5092 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
5093 should also work to move files across file systems. The
5094 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
5095 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
Bram Moolenaar798b30b2009-04-22 10:56:16 +00005096 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005097 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5098
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00005099repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
5100 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
5101 result. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00005102 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00005103< When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005104 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005105 {count} times. Example: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00005106 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
5107< Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
Bram Moolenaarab79bcb2004-07-18 21:34:53 +00005108
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005109
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005110resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
5111 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
5112 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
5113 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
5114 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
5115 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
5116 stopped after 100 iterations.
5117 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
5118 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
5119 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
5120 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
5121 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
5122
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005123 *reverse()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005124reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005125 {list}.
5126 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5127 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
5128
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005129round({expr}) *round()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005130 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005131 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
5132 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
5133 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5134 Examples: >
5135 echo round(0.456)
5136< 0.0 >
5137 echo round(4.5)
5138< 5.0 >
5139 echo round(-4.5)
5140< -5.0
5141 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaar34feacb2012-12-05 19:01:43 +01005142
Bram Moolenaar9a773482013-06-11 18:40:13 +02005143screenattr(row, col) *screenattr()*
5144 Like screenchar(), but return the attribute. This is a rather
5145 arbitrary number that can only be used to compare to the
5146 attribute at other positions.
5147
5148screenchar(row, col) *screenchar()*
5149 The result is a Number, which is the character at position
5150 [row, col] on the screen. This works for every possible
5151 screen position, also status lines, window separators and the
5152 command line. The top left position is row one, column one
5153 The character excludes composing characters. For double-byte
5154 encodings it may only be the first byte.
5155 This is mainly to be used for testing.
5156 Returns -1 when row or col is out of range.
5157
Bram Moolenaar34feacb2012-12-05 19:01:43 +01005158screencol() *screencol()*
5159 The result is a Number, which is the current screen column of
5160 the cursor. The leftmost column has number 1.
5161 This function is mainly used for testing.
5162
5163 Note: Always returns the current screen column, thus if used
5164 in a command (e.g. ":echo screencol()") it will return the
5165 column inside the command line, which is 1 when the command is
5166 executed. To get the cursor position in the file use one of
5167 the following mappings: >
5168 nnoremap <expr> GG ":echom ".screencol()."\n"
5169 nnoremap <silent> GG :echom screencol()<CR>
5170<
5171screenrow() *screenrow()*
5172 The result is a Number, which is the current screen row of the
5173 cursor. The top line has number one.
5174 This function is mainly used for testing.
5175
5176 Note: Same restrictions as with |screencol()|.
5177
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005178search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005179 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
Bram Moolenaar383f9bc2005-01-19 22:18:32 +00005180 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005181
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01005182 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01005183 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
5184 move. No error message is given.
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01005185
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005186 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
5187 'b' search backward instead of forward
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005188 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005189 'e' move to the End of the match
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00005190 'n' do Not move the cursor
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005191 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
5192 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005193 'w' wrap around the end of the file
5194 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
5195 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
5196
Bram Moolenaar02743632005-07-25 20:42:36 +00005197 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
5198 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
5199 flag.
5200
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005201 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
5202
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005203 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
5204 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
5205 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
5206 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
5207 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
5208< When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
5209 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005210 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
5211
5212 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
Bram Moolenaar1aeaf8c2012-05-18 13:46:39 +02005213 more than this many milliseconds have passed. Thus when
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005214 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
5215 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
5216 giving the argument.
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005217 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime| feature}
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005218
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00005219 *search()-sub-match*
5220 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
5221 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
5222 whole pattern did match.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005223 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005224
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005225 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
5226 flag is used.
5227
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005228 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
5229 :let n = 1
5230 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
5231 : exe "argument " . n
5232 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
5233 : " first search to find match at start of file
5234 : normal G$
5235 : let flags = "w"
5236 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005237 : s/foo/bar/g
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005238 : let flags = "W"
5239 : endwhile
5240 : update " write the file if modified
5241 : let n = n + 1
5242 :endwhile
5243<
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005244 Example for using some flags: >
5245 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
5246< This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
5247 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
5248 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
5249 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
5250 line:
5251 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
5252 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
5253 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
5254 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
5255 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
5256
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005257
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00005258searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
5259 Search for the declaration of {name}.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005260
Bram Moolenaarf75a9632005-09-13 21:20:47 +00005261 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
5262 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
5263 first match in the function.
5264
5265 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
5266 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
5267 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
5268
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00005269 Moves the cursor to the found match.
5270 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5271 Example: >
5272 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
5273 echo getline('.')
5274 endif
5275<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005276 *searchpair()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005277searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
5278 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005279 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
5280 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
5281 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00005282 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
5283 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
5284 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
5285 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
5286 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
5287 given.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005288
5289 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
5290 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
5291 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
5292 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
5293 typical use is: >
5294 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
5295< By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
5296
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005297 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
5298 |search()|. Additionally:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005299 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005300 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
5301 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00005302 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005303 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
5304 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005305
5306 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
5307 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
5308 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
5309 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
5310 or a string.
5311 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
5312 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
5313 and -1 returned.
5314
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005315 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005316
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005317 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
5318 patterns are used like it's on.
5319
5320 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
5321 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
5322 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
5323 if 1
5324 if 2
5325 endif 2
5326 endif 1
5327< When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
5328 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
5329 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005330 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005331 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
5332 "endif 2".
5333 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
5334 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
5335 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
5336 the matching start.
5337
5338 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
5339
5340 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
5341 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
5342
5343< The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
5344 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
5345 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
5346 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
5347 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
5348 match.
5349 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
5350
5351 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
5352
5353< This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
5354 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
5355 highlighting recognized as strings: >
5356
5357 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
5358 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
5359<
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005360 *searchpairpos()*
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005361searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
5362 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005363 Same as |searchpair()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005364 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
5365 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005366 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005367 returns [0, 0]. >
5368
Bram Moolenaar1d2ba7f2006-02-14 22:29:30 +00005369 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
5370<
5371 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
5372
Bram Moolenaar76929292008-01-06 19:07:36 +00005373searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
Bram Moolenaara23ccb82006-02-27 00:08:02 +00005374 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005375 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
5376 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
5377 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
5378 returns [0, 0].
Bram Moolenaar362e1a32006-03-06 23:29:24 +00005379 Example: >
5380 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
5381
5382< When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
5383 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
5384 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
5385< In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
5386 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
5387
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005388server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
5389 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
5390 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
5391 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5392 Note:
5393 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005394 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005395 before calling any commands that waits for input.
5396 See also |clientserver|.
5397 Example: >
5398 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
5399<
5400serverlist() *serverlist()*
5401 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
5402 When there are no servers or the information is not available
5403 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
5404 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
5405 Example: >
5406 :echo serverlist()
5407<
5408setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
5409 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
5410 {val}.
5411 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
5412 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
5413 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
5414 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
5415 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
5416 Examples: >
5417 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
5418 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
5419< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5420
Bram Moolenaardbd24b52015-08-11 14:26:19 +02005421setcharsearch() *setcharsearch()*
5422 Set the current character search information to {dict},
5423 which contains one or more of the following entries:
5424
5425 char character which will be used for a subsequent
5426 |,| or |;| command; an empty string clears the
5427 character search
5428 forward direction of character search; 1 for forward,
5429 0 for backward
5430 until type of character search; 1 for a |t| or |T|
5431 character search, 0 for an |f| or |F|
5432 character search
5433
5434 This can be useful to save/restore a user's character search
5435 from a script: >
5436 :let prevsearch = getcharsearch()
5437 :" Perform a command which clobbers user's search
5438 :call setcharsearch(prevsearch)
5439< Also see |getcharsearch()|.
5440
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005441setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
5442 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005443 {pos}. The first position is 1.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005444 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
5445 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005446 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
5447 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
5448 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
5449 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
5450 before inserting the resulting text.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005451 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
5452 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
5453 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
5454 line.
5455
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005456setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
Bram Moolenaarb8ff1fb2012-02-04 21:59:01 +01005457 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}. To insert
5458 lines use |append()|.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005459 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005460 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005461 added as a new line.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005462 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
5463 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005464 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005465< When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005466 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
5467 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
5468< This is equivalent to: >
Bram Moolenaar53bfca22012-04-13 23:04:47 +02005469 :for [n, l] in [[5, 'aaa'], [6, 'bbb'], [7, 'ccc']]
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005470 : call setline(n, l)
5471 :endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005472< Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
5473
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005474setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
5475 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
5476 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00005477 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
5478 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005479 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
5480 Also see |location-list|.
5481
5482setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
5483 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005484 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
Bram Moolenaar6ee10162007-07-26 20:58:42 +00005485 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005486
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005487 *setpos()*
5488setpos({expr}, {list})
5489 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
5490 . the cursor
5491 'x mark x
5492
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005493 {list} must be a |List| with four or five numbers:
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005494 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005495 [bufnum, lnum, col, off, curswant]
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005496
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005497 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005498 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005499 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
5500 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
5501 number.
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00005502 Does not change the jumplist.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005503
5504 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005505 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark. If "col" is
5506 smaller than 1 then 1 is used.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005507
5508 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
5509 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005510 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005511 character.
5512
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005513 The "curswant" number is only used when setting the cursor
5514 position. It sets the preferred column for when moving the
5515 cursor vertically. When the "curswant" number is missing the
5516 preferred column is not set. When it is present and setting a
5517 mark position it is not used.
5518
Bram Moolenaardfb18412013-12-11 18:53:29 +01005519 Note that for '< and '> changing the line number may result in
5520 the marks to be effectively be swapped, so that '< is always
5521 before '>.
5522
Bram Moolenaar08250432008-02-13 11:42:46 +00005523 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
5524 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
5525
Bram Moolenaar6f6c0f82014-05-28 20:31:42 +02005526 Also see |getpos()| and |getcurpos()|.
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005527
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005528 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
Bram Moolenaar493c1782014-05-28 14:34:46 +02005529 vertically; if you set the cursor position with this, |j| and
5530 |k| motions will jump to previous columns! Use |cursor()| to
5531 also set the preferred column. Also see the "curswant" key in
5532 |winrestview()|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00005533
Bram Moolenaar65c923a2006-03-03 22:56:30 +00005534
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005535setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
Bram Moolenaar17c7c012006-01-26 22:25:15 +00005536 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
5537 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
5538 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
5539 item can contain the following entries:
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005540
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005541 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005542 buffer
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005543 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005544 present or it is invalid.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005545 lnum line number in the file
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005546 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005547 col column number
5548 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005549 when zero: "col" is byte index
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005550 nr error number
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005551 text description of the error
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005552 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005553
Bram Moolenaar582fd852005-03-28 20:58:01 +00005554 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
5555 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
5556 locate a matching error line.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005557 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
5558 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
5559 item will not be handled as an error line.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005560 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
5561 be used.
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02005562 If you supply an empty {list}, the quickfix list will be
5563 cleared.
Bram Moolenaar48b66fb2007-02-04 01:58:18 +00005564 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
5565 |getqflist()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005566
Bram Moolenaar35c54e52005-05-20 21:25:31 +00005567 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
5568 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
5569 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
5570 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
5571 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
5572 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
5573
Bram Moolenaar68b76a62005-03-25 21:53:48 +00005574 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
5575
5576 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
5577 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
5578 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
5579
5580
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005581 *setreg()*
5582setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
5583 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005584 {value} may be any value returned by |getreg()|, including
5585 a |List|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005586 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
5587 then the value is appended.
Bram Moolenaarc6485bc2010-07-28 17:02:55 +02005588 {options} can also contain a register type specification:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005589 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
5590 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
5591 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
5592 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
5593 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
5594 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00005595 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005596
5597 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005598 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL> for
5599 string {value} and linewise mode for list {value}. Blockwise
5600 mode is never selected automatically.
5601 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5602
5603 *E883*
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02005604 Note: you may not use |List| containing more than one item to
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005605 set search and expression registers. Lists containing no
5606 items act like empty strings.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005607
5608 Examples: >
5609 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
5610 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
5611 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
5612
5613< This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
Bram Moolenaar5a50c222014-04-02 22:17:10 +02005614 register (note: you may not reliably restore register value
5615 without using the third argument to |getreg()| as without it
5616 newlines are represented as newlines AND Nul bytes are
5617 represented as newlines as well, see |NL-used-for-Nul|). >
5618 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1, 1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005619 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
5620 ....
5621 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
5622
5623< You can also change the type of a register by appending
5624 nothing: >
5625 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
5626
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005627settabvar({tabnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabvar()*
5628 Set tab-local variable {varname} to {val} in tab page {tabnr}.
5629 |t:var|
5630 Note that the variable name without "t:" must be used.
5631 Tabs are numbered starting with one.
Bram Moolenaar06b5d512010-05-22 15:37:44 +02005632 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5633
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005634settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
5635 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
5636 {val}.
5637 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
5638 use |setwinvar()|.
5639 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005640 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
5641 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
5642 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
5643 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
Bram Moolenaarc6249bb2006-04-15 20:25:09 +00005644 Examples: >
5645 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
5646 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
5647< This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5648
5649setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
5650 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005651 Examples: >
5652 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
5653 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005654
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01005655sha256({string}) *sha256()*
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01005656 Returns a String with 64 hex characters, which is the SHA256
Bram Moolenaaraf9aeb92013-02-13 17:35:04 +01005657 checksum of {string}.
5658 {only available when compiled with the |+cryptv| feature}
5659
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005660shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005661 Escape {string} for use as a shell command argument.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005662 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005663 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005664 quotes within {string}.
5665 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
5666 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005667 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
5668 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005669 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5670 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005671 command.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00005672 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5673 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5674 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5675 even when inside single quotes.
5676 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5677 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5678 escaped a second time.
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00005679 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5680 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5681< This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5682 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5683 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
Bram Moolenaar26df0922014-02-23 23:39:13 +01005684< See also |::S|.
Bram Moolenaar60a495f2006-10-03 12:44:42 +00005685
5686
Bram Moolenaar2d17fa32012-10-21 00:45:18 +02005687shiftwidth() *shiftwidth()*
5688 Returns the effective value of 'shiftwidth'. This is the
5689 'shiftwidth' value unless it is zero, in which case it is the
5690 'tabstop' value. To be backwards compatible in indent
5691 plugins, use this: >
5692 if exists('*shiftwidth')
5693 func s:sw()
5694 return shiftwidth()
5695 endfunc
5696 else
5697 func s:sw()
5698 return &sw
5699 endfunc
5700 endif
5701< And then use s:sw() instead of &sw.
5702
5703
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005704simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5705 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5706 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5707 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5708 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5709 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5710 not removed either.
5711 Example: >
5712 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5713< Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5714 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5715 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5716 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5717 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5718
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005719
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005720sin({expr}) *sin()*
5721 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5722 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5723 Examples: >
5724 :echo sin(100)
5725< -0.506366 >
5726 :echo sin(-4.01)
5727< 0.763301
5728 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5729
5730
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005731sinh({expr}) *sinh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005732 Return the hyperbolic sine of {expr} as a |Float| in the range
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005733 [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02005734 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005735 Examples: >
5736 :echo sinh(0.5)
5737< 0.521095 >
5738 :echo sinh(-0.9)
5739< -1.026517
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02005740 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02005741
5742
Bram Moolenaar5f894962011-06-19 02:55:37 +02005743sort({list} [, {func} [, {dict}]]) *sort()* *E702*
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01005744 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}.
5745
5746 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005747 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
Bram Moolenaar822ff862014-06-12 21:46:14 +02005748
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02005749< When {func} is omitted, is empty or zero, then sort() uses the
5750 string representation of each item to sort on. Numbers sort
5751 after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers. For sorting text in the
5752 current buffer use |:sort|.
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01005753
Bram Moolenaar34401cc2014-08-29 15:12:19 +02005754 When {func} is given and it is '1' or 'i' then case is
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02005755 ignored.
5756
5757 When {func} is given and it is 'n' then all items will be
5758 sorted numerical (Implementation detail: This uses the
5759 strtod() function to parse numbers, Strings, Lists, Dicts and
5760 Funcrefs will be considered as being 0).
5761
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005762 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5763 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005764 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 or
5765 bigger if the first one sorts after the second one, -1 or
5766 smaller if the first one sorts before the second one.
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01005767
5768 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
5769 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
5770
Bram Moolenaar8bb1c3e2014-07-04 16:43:17 +02005771 The sort is stable, items which compare equal (as number or as
5772 string) will keep their relative position. E.g., when sorting
Bram Moolenaardb6ea062014-07-10 22:01:47 +02005773 on numbers, text strings will sort next to each other, in the
Bram Moolenaar8bb1c3e2014-07-04 16:43:17 +02005774 same order as they were originally.
5775
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01005776 Also see |uniq()|.
5777
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005778 Example: >
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005779 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5780 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5781 endfunc
5782 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01005783< A shorter compare version for this specific simple case, which
5784 ignores overflow: >
5785 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5786 return a:i1 - a:i2
5787 endfunc
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005788<
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005789 *soundfold()*
5790soundfold({word})
5791 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005792 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005793 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5794 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar24bbcfe2005-06-28 23:32:02 +00005795 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5796 the method can be quite slow.
5797
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005798 *spellbadword()*
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005799spellbadword([{sentence}])
5800 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5801 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5802 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5803 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5804
5805 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5806 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5807 result is an empty string.
5808
5809 The return value is a list with two items:
5810 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5811 - The type of the spelling error:
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005812 "bad" spelling mistake
Bram Moolenaar1e015462005-09-25 22:16:38 +00005813 "rare" rare word
5814 "local" word only valid in another region
5815 "caps" word should start with Capital
5816 Example: >
5817 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5818< ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5819
5820 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5821 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5822 used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005823
5824 *spellsuggest()*
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005825spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005826 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005827 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5828 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5829
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005830 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5831 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5832 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5833
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005834 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5835 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
Bram Moolenaarf461c8e2005-06-25 23:04:51 +00005836 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5837 replace a line.
5838
5839 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
Bram Moolenaarc54b8a72005-09-30 21:20:29 +00005840 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5841 although it may appear capitalized.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005842
5843 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
Bram Moolenaar42eeac32005-06-29 22:40:58 +00005844 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5845 'spellsuggest' are used.
Bram Moolenaard857f0e2005-06-21 22:37:39 +00005846
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005847
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005848split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00005849 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5850 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5851 item.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005852 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
Bram Moolenaar97d62492012-11-15 21:28:22 +01005853 removing the matched characters. 'ignorecase' is not used
5854 here, add \c to ignore case. |/\c|
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005855 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5856 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
Bram Moolenaar5c06f8b2005-05-31 22:14:58 +00005857 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5858 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005859 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005860 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005861< To split a string in individual characters: >
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00005862 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
Bram Moolenaar0cb032e2005-04-23 20:52:00 +00005863< If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5864 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5865< ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
Bram Moolenaar2389c3c2005-05-22 22:07:59 +00005866 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5867 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5868< The opposite function is |join()|.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005869
5870
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005871sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5872 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5873 |Float|.
5874 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5875 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5876 Examples: >
5877 :echo sqrt(100)
5878< 10.0 >
5879 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5880< nan
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00005881 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005882 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5883
5884
5885str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5886 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5887 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5888 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5889 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5890 write "1.0e40".
5891 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5892 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5893 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5894 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5895 |substitute()|: >
5896 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5897< {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5898
5899
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005900str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5901 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5902 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5903 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5904 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5905 with the default String to Number conversion.
5906 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5907 different base the result will be zero.
5908 Text after the number is silently ignored.
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005909
Bram Moolenaar97b2ad32006-03-18 21:40:56 +00005910
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02005911strchars({expr} [, {skipcc}]) *strchars()*
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005912 The result is a Number, which is the number of characters
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02005913 in String {expr}.
5914 When {skipcc} is omitted or zero, composing characters are
5915 counted separately.
5916 When {skipcc} set to 1, Composing characters are ignored.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005917 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
5918
Bram Moolenaar86ae7202015-07-10 19:31:35 +02005919
5920 {skipcc} is only available after 7.4.755. For backward
5921 compatibility, you can define a wrapper function: >
5922 if has("patch-7.4.755")
5923 function s:strchars(str, skipcc)
5924 return strchars(a:str, a:skipcc)
5925 endfunction
5926 else
5927 function s:strchars(str, skipcc)
5928 if a:skipcc
5929 return strlen(substitute(a:str, ".", "x", "g"))
5930 else
5931 return strchars(a:str)
5932 endif
5933 endfunction
5934 endif
5935<
5936
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005937strdisplaywidth({expr}[, {col}]) *strdisplaywidth()*
5938 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
Bram Moolenaar979243b2015-06-26 19:35:49 +02005939 String {expr} occupies on the screen when it starts at {col}.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005940 When {col} is omitted zero is used. Otherwise it is the
5941 screen column where to start. This matters for Tab
5942 characters.
Bram Moolenaar4d32c2d2010-07-18 22:10:01 +02005943 The option settings of the current window are used. This
5944 matters for anything that's displayed differently, such as
5945 'tabstop' and 'display'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02005946 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
5947 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
5948 Also see |strlen()|, |strwidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02005949
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005950strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5951 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5952 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5953 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5954 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5955 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5956 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5957 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5958 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5959 Examples: >
5960 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5961 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5962 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5963 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5964 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5965 Show mod time of file.c.
Bram Moolenaara14de3d2005-01-07 21:48:26 +00005966< Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5967 :if exists("*strftime")
5968
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005969stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5970 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5971 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005972 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5973 This can be used to find a second match: >
Bram Moolenaar81af9252010-12-10 20:35:50 +01005974 :let colon1 = stridx(line, ":")
5975 :let colon2 = stridx(line, ":", colon1 + 1)
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005976< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00005977 For pattern searches use |match()|.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00005978 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00005979 See also |strridx()|.
5980 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00005981 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5982 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5983 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00005984< *strstr()* *strchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00005985 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5986 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5987
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005988 *string()*
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005989string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005990 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5991 parsed back with |eval()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00005992 {expr} type result ~
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005993 String 'string'
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005994 Number 123
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00005995 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005996 Funcref function('name')
Bram Moolenaar5f2bb9f2005-01-11 21:29:04 +00005997 List [item, item]
Bram Moolenaar9ba0eb82005-06-13 22:28:56 +00005998 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00005999 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006000 Also see |strtrans()|.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006001
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006002 *strlen()*
6003strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
Bram Moolenaare344bea2005-09-01 20:46:49 +00006004 {expr} in bytes.
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00006005 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
6006 For other types an error is given.
Bram Moolenaar641e48c2015-06-25 16:09:26 +02006007 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters use
6008 |strchars()|.
6009 Also see |len()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strwidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006010
6011strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
6012 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
Bram Moolenaar9372a112005-12-06 19:59:18 +00006013 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006014 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
6015 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
6016 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
6017 end of the {src}. >
6018 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
6019 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
6020 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006021 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006022< Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
6023 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
Bram Moolenaar61660ea2006-04-07 21:40:07 +00006024 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006025<
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006026strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
6027 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
6028 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
6029 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
6030 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
6031 match: >
6032 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
6033 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
6034< The search is done case-sensitive.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00006035 For pattern searches use |match()|.
6036 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
Bram Moolenaard4755bb2004-09-02 19:12:26 +00006037 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006038 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006039 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006040< *strrchr()*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006041 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
6042 function strrchr().
6043
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006044strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
6045 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
6046 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
6047 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
6048 echo strtrans(@a)
6049< This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
6050 starting a new line.
6051
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006052strwidth({expr}) *strwidth()*
6053 The result is a Number, which is the number of display cells
6054 String {expr} occupies. A Tab character is counted as one
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006055 cell, alternatively use |strdisplaywidth()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006056 When {expr} contains characters with East Asian Width Class
6057 Ambiguous, this function's return value depends on 'ambiwidth'.
Bram Moolenaardc536092010-07-18 15:45:49 +02006058 Also see |strlen()|, |strdisplaywidth()| and |strchars()|.
Bram Moolenaar72597a52010-07-18 15:31:08 +02006059
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02006060submatch({nr}[, {list}]) *submatch()*
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006061 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command or
6062 substitute() function.
6063 Returns the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr}
6064 is 0 the whole matched text is returned.
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02006065 Note that a NL in the string can stand for a line break of a
6066 multi-line match or a NUL character in the text.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006067 Also see |sub-replace-expression|.
Bram Moolenaar41571762014-04-02 19:00:58 +02006068
6069 If {list} is present and non-zero then submatch() returns
6070 a list of strings, similar to |getline()| with two arguments.
6071 NL characters in the text represent NUL characters in the
6072 text.
6073 Only returns more than one item for |:substitute|, inside
6074 |substitute()| this list will always contain one or zero
6075 items, since there are no real line breaks.
6076
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006077 Example: >
6078 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
6079< This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
6080 A line break is included as a newline character.
6081
6082substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
6083 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006084 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}.
6085 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
6086 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
6087
6088 This works like the ":substitute" command (without any flags).
6089 But the matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic'
6090 option is set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01006091 portable). 'ignorecase' is still relevant, use |/\c| or |/\C|
6092 if you want to ignore or match case and ignore 'ignorecase'.
6093 'smartcase' is not used. See |string-match| for how {pat} is
6094 used.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006095
6096 A "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006097 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006098 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006099 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006100
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006101 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
6102 unmodified.
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006103
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006104 Example: >
6105 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
6106< This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
6107 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
6108< results in "TESTING".
Bram Moolenaar251e1912011-06-19 05:09:16 +02006109
6110 When {sub} starts with "\=", the remainder is interpreted as
6111 an expression. See |sub-replace-expression|. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar20f90cf2011-05-19 12:22:51 +02006112 :echo substitute(s, '%\(\x\x\)',
6113 \ '\=nr2char("0x" . submatch(1))', 'g')
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006114
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00006115synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006116 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00006117 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006118 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
6119 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00006120
Bram Moolenaar47136d72004-10-12 20:02:24 +00006121 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
Bram Moolenaarce0842a2005-07-18 21:58:11 +00006122 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
6123
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006124 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006125 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006126 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
6127 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
6128 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
6129 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
6130 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
6131
6132 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
6133 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
6134<
Bram Moolenaar7510fe72010-07-25 12:46:44 +02006135
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006136synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
6137 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
6138 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
6139 about a syntax item.
6140 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006141 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006142 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
6143 used (GUI, cterm or term).
6144 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
6145 {what} result
6146 "name" the name of the syntax item
6147 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
6148 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
6149 term: empty string)
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00006150 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01006151 "font" font name (only available in the GUI)
6152 |highlight-font|
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00006153 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006154 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
6155 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
6156 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
Bram Moolenaar6f507d62008-11-28 10:16:05 +00006157 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006158 "bold" "1" if bold
6159 "italic" "1" if italic
6160 "reverse" "1" if reverse
6161 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
Bram Moolenaar12682fd2010-03-10 13:43:49 +01006162 "standout" "1" if standout
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006163 "underline" "1" if underlined
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006164 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006165
6166 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
6167 cursor): >
6168 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
6169<
6170synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
6171 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
6172 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
6173 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
6174 ":highlight link" are followed.
6175
Bram Moolenaar483c5d82010-10-20 18:45:33 +02006176synconcealed({lnum}, {col}) *synconcealed()*
6177 The result is a List. The first item in the list is 0 if the
6178 character at the position {lnum} and {col} is not part of a
6179 concealable region, 1 if it is. The second item in the list is
6180 a string. If the first item is 1, the second item contains the
6181 text which will be displayed in place of the concealed text,
6182 depending on the current setting of 'conceallevel'. The third
6183 and final item in the list is a unique number representing the
6184 specific syntax region matched. This allows detection of the
6185 beginning of a new concealable region if there are two
6186 consecutive regions with the same replacement character.
6187 For an example use see $VIMRUNTIME/syntax/2html.vim .
6188
6189
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00006190synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
6191 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
6192 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
6193 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00006194 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
6195 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
6196 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
6197 transparent item.
6198 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
6199 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
6200 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
6201 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
6202 endfor
Bram Moolenaar0bc380a2010-07-10 13:52:13 +02006203< When the position specified with {lnum} and {col} is invalid
6204 nothing is returned. The position just after the last
6205 character in a line and the first column in an empty line are
6206 valid positions.
Bram Moolenaar9d188ab2008-01-10 21:24:39 +00006207
Bram Moolenaarc0197e22004-09-13 20:26:32 +00006208system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
Bram Moolenaar39c29ed2014-04-05 19:44:40 +02006209 Get the output of the shell command {expr} as a string. See
6210 |systemlist()| to get the output as a List.
Bram Moolenaar57ebe6e2014-04-05 18:55:46 +02006211
6212 When {input} is given and is a string this string is written
6213 to a file and passed as stdin to the command. The string is
6214 written as-is, you need to take care of using the correct line
6215 separators yourself.
6216 If {input} is given and is a |List| it is written to the file
6217 in a way |writefile()| does with {binary} set to "b" (i.e.
6218 with a newline between each list item with newlines inside
6219 list items converted to NULs).
6220 Pipes are not used.
6221
Bram Moolenaar52a72462014-08-29 15:53:52 +02006222 When prepended by |:silent| the shell will not be set to
6223 cooked mode. This is meant to be used for commands that do
6224 not need the user to type. It avoids stray characters showing
6225 up on the screen which require |CTRL-L| to remove. >
6226 :silent let f = system('ls *.vim')
6227<
Bram Moolenaar26df0922014-02-23 23:39:13 +01006228 Note: Use |shellescape()| or |::S| with |expand()| or
6229 |fnamemodify()| to escape special characters in a command
6230 argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to fail.
6231 The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may also
6232 cause trouble.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006233 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006234
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006235 The result is a String. Example: >
6236 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
Bram Moolenaar26df0922014-02-23 23:39:13 +01006237 :let files = system('ls ' . expand('%:h:S'))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006238
6239< To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
6240 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
6241 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
Bram Moolenaar9d98fe92013-08-03 18:35:36 +02006242 To avoid the string being truncated at a NUL, all NUL
6243 characters are replaced with SOH (0x01).
6244
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006245 The command executed is constructed using several options:
6246 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
6247 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
6248 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
6249 concatenated commands.
6250
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00006251 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
6252 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
6253
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006254 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
6255 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00006256
6257 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
6258 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
6259 when using a security agent application.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006260 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
6261 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
6262
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006263
Bram Moolenaar39c29ed2014-04-05 19:44:40 +02006264systemlist({expr} [, {input}]) *systemlist()*
6265 Same as |system()|, but returns a |List| with lines (parts of
6266 output separated by NL) with NULs transformed into NLs. Output
6267 is the same as |readfile()| will output with {binary} argument
6268 set to "b".
6269
6270 Returns an empty string on error, so be careful not to run
6271 into |E706|.
6272
6273
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006274tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006275 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006276 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
6277 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
6278 omitted the current tab page is used.
6279 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
6280 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02006281 let buflist = []
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006282 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02006283 call extend(buflist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006284 endfor
6285< Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
6286
6287
6288tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
Bram Moolenaar7e8fd632006-02-18 22:14:51 +00006289 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
6290 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
6291 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
6292 page is returned (the tab page count).
6293 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
6294
6295
Bram Moolenaar76f3b1a2014-03-27 22:30:07 +01006296tabpagewinnr({tabarg} [, {arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
Bram Moolenaard04f4402010-08-15 13:30:34 +02006297 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {tabarg}.
Bram Moolenaarfaa959a2006-02-20 21:37:40 +00006298 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
6299 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
6300 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
6301 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
6302 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
6303 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
6304 Useful examples: >
6305 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
6306 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
6307< When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
6308
Bram Moolenaarfa1d1402006-03-25 21:59:56 +00006309 *tagfiles()*
6310tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
6311 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
6312
6313
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006314taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
6315 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
Bram Moolenaard8c00872005-07-22 21:52:15 +00006316 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
6317 entries:
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00006318 name Name of the tag.
6319 filename Name of the file where the tag is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006320 defined. It is either relative to the
6321 current directory or a full path.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006322 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
6323 the file.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00006324 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006325 entry depends on the language specific
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006326 kind values. Only available when
6327 using a tags file generated by
6328 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
Bram Moolenaar280f1262006-01-30 00:14:18 +00006329 static A file specific tag. Refer to
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006330 |static-tag| for more information.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006331 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
6332 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
6333 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
6334 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
6335 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
6336 contained in.
Bram Moolenaar5a8684e2005-07-30 22:43:24 +00006337
Bram Moolenaar4317d9b2005-03-18 20:25:31 +00006338 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
6339 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006340
6341 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
6342
6343 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
Bram Moolenaara3e6bc92013-01-30 14:18:00 +01006344 used in {expr}. This also make the function work faster.
6345 Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information about the tag
6346 search regular expression pattern.
Bram Moolenaare2cc9702005-03-15 22:43:58 +00006347
6348 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
6349 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
6350 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
6351
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006352tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
6353 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006354 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006355 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
6356 :let tmpfile = tempname()
6357 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01006358< For Unix, the file will be in a private directory |tempfile|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006359 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
6360 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
6361
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006362
6363tan({expr}) *tan()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006364 Return the tangent of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006365 in the range [-inf, inf].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006366 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006367 Examples: >
6368 :echo tan(10)
6369< 0.648361 >
6370 :echo tan(-4.01)
6371< -1.181502
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02006372 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006373
6374
6375tanh({expr}) *tanh()*
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006376 Return the hyperbolic tangent of {expr} as a |Float| in the
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006377 range [-1, 1].
Bram Moolenaar9855d6b2010-07-18 14:34:51 +02006378 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006379 Examples: >
6380 :echo tanh(0.5)
6381< 0.462117 >
6382 :echo tanh(-1)
6383< -0.761594
Bram Moolenaardb84e452010-08-15 13:50:43 +02006384 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
Bram Moolenaardb7c6862010-05-21 16:33:48 +02006385
6386
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006387tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
6388 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
6389 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
6390 the string).
6391
6392toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
6393 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
6394 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
6395 the string).
6396
Bram Moolenaar8299df92004-07-10 09:47:34 +00006397tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
6398 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
6399 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
6400 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
6401 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
6402 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
6403 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
6404
6405 Examples: >
6406 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
6407< returns "Hello THere" >
6408 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
6409< returns "{blob}"
6410
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006411trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00006412 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006413 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
6414 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
6415 Examples: >
6416 echo trunc(1.456)
6417< 1.0 >
6418 echo trunc(-5.456)
6419< -5.0 >
6420 echo trunc(4.0)
6421< 4.0
6422 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
6423
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006424 *type()*
6425type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006426 Number: 0
6427 String: 1
6428 Funcref: 2
6429 List: 3
6430 Dictionary: 4
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006431 Float: 5
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006432 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00006433 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
6434 :if type(myvar) == type("")
6435 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
6436 :if type(myvar) == type([])
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00006437 :if type(myvar) == type({})
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006438 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006439
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02006440undofile({name}) *undofile()*
6441 Return the name of the undo file that would be used for a file
6442 with name {name} when writing. This uses the 'undodir'
6443 option, finding directories that exist. It does not check if
Bram Moolenaar860cae12010-06-05 23:22:07 +02006444 the undo file exists.
Bram Moolenaar945e2db2010-06-05 17:43:32 +02006445 {name} is always expanded to the full path, since that is what
6446 is used internally.
Bram Moolenaar80716072012-05-01 21:14:34 +02006447 If {name} is empty undofile() returns an empty string, since a
6448 buffer without a file name will not write an undo file.
Bram Moolenaara17d4c12010-05-30 18:30:36 +02006449 Useful in combination with |:wundo| and |:rundo|.
6450 When compiled without the +persistent_undo option this always
6451 returns an empty string.
6452
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02006453undotree() *undotree()*
6454 Return the current state of the undo tree in a dictionary with
6455 the following items:
6456 "seq_last" The highest undo sequence number used.
6457 "seq_cur" The sequence number of the current position in
6458 the undo tree. This differs from "seq_last"
6459 when some changes were undone.
6460 "time_cur" Time last used for |:earlier| and related
6461 commands. Use |strftime()| to convert to
6462 something readable.
6463 "save_last" Number of the last file write. Zero when no
6464 write yet.
Bram Moolenaar730cde92010-06-27 05:18:54 +02006465 "save_cur" Number of the current position in the undo
6466 tree.
Bram Moolenaara800b422010-06-27 01:15:55 +02006467 "synced" Non-zero when the last undo block was synced.
6468 This happens when waiting from input from the
6469 user. See |undo-blocks|.
6470 "entries" A list of dictionaries with information about
6471 undo blocks.
6472
6473 The first item in the "entries" list is the oldest undo item.
6474 Each List item is a Dictionary with these items:
6475 "seq" Undo sequence number. Same as what appears in
6476 |:undolist|.
6477 "time" Timestamp when the change happened. Use
6478 |strftime()| to convert to something readable.
6479 "newhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
6480 that was added. This marks the last change
6481 and where further changes will be added.
6482 "curhead" Only appears in the item that is the last one
6483 that was undone. This marks the current
6484 position in the undo tree, the block that will
6485 be used by a redo command. When nothing was
6486 undone after the last change this item will
6487 not appear anywhere.
6488 "save" Only appears on the last block before a file
6489 write. The number is the write count. The
6490 first write has number 1, the last one the
6491 "save_last" mentioned above.
6492 "alt" Alternate entry. This is again a List of undo
6493 blocks. Each item may again have an "alt"
6494 item.
6495
Bram Moolenaar327aa022014-03-25 18:24:23 +01006496uniq({list} [, {func} [, {dict}]]) *uniq()* *E882*
6497 Remove second and succeeding copies of repeated adjacent
6498 {list} items in-place. Returns {list}. If you want a list
6499 to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
6500 :let newlist = uniq(copy(mylist))
6501< The default compare function uses the string representation of
6502 each item. For the use of {func} and {dict} see |sort()|.
6503
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006504values({dict}) *values()*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006505 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006506 in arbitrary order.
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00006507
6508
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006509virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
6510 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
6511 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
6512 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
6513 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
6514 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
6515 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
Bram Moolenaar61d35bd2012-03-28 20:51:51 +02006516 set to 8, it returns 8. |conceal| is ignored.
Bram Moolenaar477933c2007-07-17 14:32:23 +00006517 For the byte position use |col()|.
6518 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
6519 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
Bram Moolenaar0b238792006-03-02 22:49:12 +00006520 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
Bram Moolenaard46bbc72007-05-12 14:38:41 +00006521 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
Bram Moolenaar97293012011-07-18 19:40:27 +02006522 character. When "off" is omitted zero is used.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006523 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
6524 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
6525 The accepted positions are:
6526 . the cursor position
6527 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
6528 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
6529 plus one)
6530 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
6531 returned)
Bram Moolenaare3faf442014-12-14 01:27:49 +01006532 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
6533 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
6534 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
6535 that it's updated right away.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006536 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
6537 Examples: >
6538 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
6539 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006540 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
6541< The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006542 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
6543 all lines: >
6544 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
6545
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006546
6547visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
6548 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00006549 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
6550 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
6551 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
6552 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
6553 respectively.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006554 Example: >
6555 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
6556< This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
6557 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
6558 Visual mode that was used.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006559 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
6560 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006561 *non-zero-arg*
6562 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
6563 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006564 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00006565 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
6566 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
6567 cause the mode to be cleared.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006568
Bram Moolenaar8738fc12013-02-20 17:59:11 +01006569wildmenumode() *wildmenumode()*
6570 Returns non-zero when the wildmenu is active and zero
6571 otherwise. See 'wildmenu' and 'wildmode'.
6572 This can be used in mappings to handle the 'wildcharm' option
6573 gracefully. (Makes only sense with |mapmode-c| mappings).
6574
6575 For example to make <c-j> work like <down> in wildmode, use: >
6576 :cnoremap <expr> <C-j> wildmenumode() ? "\<Down>\<Tab>" : "\<c-j>"
6577<
6578 (Note, this needs the 'wildcharm' option set appropriately).
6579
6580
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006581 *winbufnr()*
6582winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00006583 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006584 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
6585 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6586 Example: >
6587 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
6588<
6589 *wincol()*
6590wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
6591 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
6592 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
6593
6594winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
6595 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
6596 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
6597 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6598 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
6599 Examples: >
6600 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
6601<
6602 *winline()*
6603winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006604 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006605 the window. The first line is one.
Bram Moolenaarbfd8fc02005-09-20 23:22:24 +00006606 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
6607 first, this may cause a scroll.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006608
6609 *winnr()*
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006610winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
6611 window. The top window has number 1.
6612 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01006613 last window is returned (the window count). >
6614 let window_count = winnr('$')
6615< When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006616 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006617 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
6618 is returned.
Bram Moolenaar5eb86f92004-07-26 12:53:41 +00006619 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
6620 |:wincmd|.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006621 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006622
6623 *winrestcmd()*
6624winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
6625 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006626 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
6627 unchanged.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006628 Example: >
6629 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
6630 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
6631 :exe cmd
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006632<
6633 *winrestview()*
6634winrestview({dict})
6635 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
6636 the view of the current window.
Bram Moolenaar82c25852014-05-28 16:47:16 +02006637 Note: The {dict} does not have to contain all values, that are
6638 returned by |winsaveview()|. If values are missing, those
6639 settings won't be restored. So you can use: >
6640 :call winrestview({'curswant': 4})
6641<
6642 This will only set the curswant value (the column the cursor
6643 wants to move on vertical movements) of the cursor to column 5
6644 (yes, that is 5), while all other settings will remain the
6645 same. This is useful, if you set the cursor position manually.
6646
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006647 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
6648 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
6649
6650 *winsaveview()*
6651winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
6652 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
6653 restore the view.
6654 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
6655 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
6656 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
Bram Moolenaardb552d602006-03-23 22:59:57 +00006657 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
Bram Moolenaar07d87792014-07-19 14:04:47 +02006658 not opened when moving around. This may have side effects.
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006659 The return value includes:
6660 lnum cursor line number
Bram Moolenaar82c25852014-05-28 16:47:16 +02006661 col cursor column (Note: the first column
6662 zero, as opposed to what getpos()
6663 returns)
Bram Moolenaar87b5ca52006-03-04 21:55:31 +00006664 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
6665 curswant column for vertical movement
6666 topline first line in the window
6667 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
6668 leftcol first column displayed
6669 skipcol columns skipped
6670 Note that no option values are saved.
6671
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006672
6673winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
6674 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
6675 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
6676 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
6677 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
6678 Examples: >
6679 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
6680 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
6681 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
6682 :endif
6683<
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006684 *writefile()*
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01006685writefile({list}, {fname} [, {flags}])
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006686 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006687 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
6688 Number.
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01006689 When {flags} contains "b" then binary mode is used: There will
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006690 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
6691 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
Bram Moolenaar6b2e9382014-11-05 18:06:01 +01006692
6693 When {flags} contains "a" then append mode is used, lines are
6694 append to the file: >
6695 :call writefile(["foo"], "event.log", "a")
6696 :call writefile(["bar"], "event.log", "a")
6697>
6698< All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00006699 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
6700 to writefile().
6701 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
6702 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
6703 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
6704 fails.
6705 Also see |readfile()|.
6706 To copy a file byte for byte: >
6707 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
6708 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01006709
6710
6711xor({expr}, {expr}) *xor()*
6712 Bitwise XOR on the two arguments. The arguments are converted
6713 to a number. A List, Dict or Float argument causes an error.
6714 Example: >
6715 :let bits = xor(bits, 0x80)
Bram Moolenaar6ee8d892012-01-10 14:55:01 +01006716<
Bram Moolenaard6e256c2011-12-14 15:32:50 +01006717
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006718
6719 *feature-list*
Bram Moolenaar946e27a2014-06-25 18:50:27 +02006720There are four types of features:
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +000067211. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
6722 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
6723 :if has("cindent")
67242. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
6725 Example: >
6726 :if has("gui_running")
6727< *has-patch*
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +020067283. Included patches. The "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been
6729 included. Note that this form does not check the version of Vim, you need
6730 to inspect |v:version| for that.
6731 Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006732 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02006733< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
6734 included.
6735
67364. Beyond a certain version or at a certain version and including a specific
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02006737 patch. The "patch-7.4.237" feature means that the Vim version is 7.5 or
6738 later, or it is version 7.4 and patch 237 was included.
6739 Note that this only works for patch 7.4.237 and later, before that you
6740 need to use the example above that checks v:version. Example: >
6741 :if has("patch-7.4.248")
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02006742< Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00006743 included.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006744
Bram Moolenaar7cba6c02013-09-05 22:13:31 +02006745acl Compiled with |ACL| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006746all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
6747amiga Amiga version of Vim.
6748arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
6749arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
Bram Moolenaara9b1e742005-12-19 22:14:58 +00006750autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006751balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
Bram Moolenaar45360022005-07-21 21:08:21 +00006752balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006753beos BeOS version of Vim.
6754browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
6755 work.
Bram Moolenaar30b65812012-07-12 22:01:11 +02006756browsefilter Compiled with support for |browsefilter|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006757builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
6758byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
6759cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
6760clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
6761clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
6762cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
6763cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
6764cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
6765comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006766compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006767cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
6768cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006769debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
6770dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
6771dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
6772diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
6773digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
Bram Moolenaarb5a7a8b2014-08-06 14:52:30 +02006774directx Compiled with support for Direct-X and 'renderoptions'.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006775dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006776dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006777dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006778ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
6779emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
6780eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
6781 true, of course!
6782ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
6783extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
6784 |'hlsearch'|
6785farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
6786file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00006787filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
6788 read/write/filter commands
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006789find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
6790 |+find_in_path|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006791float Compiled with support for |Float|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006792fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
6793 Windows this is not present).
6794folding Compiled with |folding| support.
6795footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
6796fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
6797gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
6798gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
6799gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006800gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006801gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
6802gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
6803gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
6804gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
6805gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006806gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006807gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
6808gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006809hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
6810iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
6811insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
6812 Insert mode.
6813jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
6814keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
6815langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
6816libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
Bram Moolenaar597a4222014-06-25 14:39:50 +02006817linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat', 'showbreak' and
6818 'breakindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006819lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
6820listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
6821 and the argument list |arglist|.
6822localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
Bram Moolenaar0ba04292010-07-14 23:23:17 +02006823lua Compiled with Lua interface |Lua|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006824mac Macintosh version of Vim.
6825macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
6826menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
6827mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
6828modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
6829mouse Compiled with support mouse.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006830mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
6831mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
6832mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
6833mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00006834mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
Bram Moolenaar9b451252012-08-15 17:43:31 +02006835mouse_sgr Compiled with support for sgr mouse.
Bram Moolenaarf1568ec2011-12-14 21:17:39 +01006836mouse_urxvt Compiled with support for urxvt mouse.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006837mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006838mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
Bram Moolenaar42022d52008-12-09 09:57:49 +00006839multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
6840multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006841multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
6842multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
Bram Moolenaar325b7a22004-07-05 15:58:32 +00006843mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
Bram Moolenaarb26e6322010-05-22 21:34:09 +02006844netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and connected.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006845netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006846ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
6847os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006848path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
6849perl Compiled with Perl interface.
Bram Moolenaar55debbe2010-05-23 23:34:36 +02006850persistent_undo Compiled with support for persistent undo history.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006851postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
6852printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00006853profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
Bram Moolenaar446beb42011-05-10 17:18:44 +02006854python Compiled with Python 2.x interface. |has-python|
6855python3 Compiled with Python 3.x interface. |has-python|
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006856qnx QNX version of Vim.
6857quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
Bram Moolenaard68071d2006-05-02 22:08:30 +00006858reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006859rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
6860ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
6861scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
6862showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
6863signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
6864smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
Bram Moolenaar69a7cb42004-06-20 12:51:53 +00006865sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006866spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
Bram Moolenaaref94eec2009-11-11 13:22:11 +00006867startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006868statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
6869 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
6870sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
Bram Moolenaar82cf9b62005-06-07 21:09:25 +00006871syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006872syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
6873 current buffer.
6874system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
6875tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
6876 |tag-binary-search|.
6877tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
6878 |tag-old-static|.
6879tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
6880 files |tag-any-white|.
6881tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
6882terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
6883termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
6884textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
6885tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
6886 or terminfo file.
6887title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
6888toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
6889unix Unix version of Vim.
6890user_commands User-defined commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006891vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006892vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place. |startup|
6893viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006894virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
6895visual Compiled with Visual mode.
6896visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
6897 |blockwise-operators|.
6898vms VMS version of Vim.
6899vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
6900wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
6901wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006902win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
Bram Moolenaard58e9292011-02-09 17:07:58 +01006903win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95 and later, 32 or
6904 64 bits)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006905win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006906win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006907win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
Bram Moolenaar2a8a3ec2011-01-08 16:06:37 +01006908winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
6909windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006910writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
6911xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
6912xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
Bram Moolenaar7cba6c02013-09-05 22:13:31 +02006913xpm Compiled with pixmap support.
6914xpm_w32 Compiled with pixmap support for Win32. (Only for
6915 backward compatibility. Use "xpm" instead.)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006916xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
6917xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
6918xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
6919xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
6920 xterm screen.
6921x11 Compiled with X11 support.
6922
6923 *string-match*
6924Matching a pattern in a String
6925
6926A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
6927the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
6928everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
6929like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
6930line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
6931with ".". Example: >
6932 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
6933 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
6934 aa
6935 xx
6936 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
6937 a
6938 x
6939
6940Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
6941"$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
6942"\n".
6943
6944==============================================================================
69455. Defining functions *user-functions*
6946
6947New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
6948functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
6949commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
6950
6951The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
6952builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
6953avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
6954the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
6955
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006956It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
6957|autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006958
6959 *local-function*
6960A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
6961can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
6962and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00006963function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006964instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02006965There are only script-local functions, no buffer-local or window-local
6966functions.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006967
6968 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
6969:fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
6970
6971:fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00006972 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6973 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006974 :function dict.init
Bram Moolenaar92d640f2005-09-05 22:11:52 +00006975
6976:fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
6977 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
6978 :function /File$
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006979<
6980 *:function-verbose*
6981When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
6982last defined. Example: >
6983
6984 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
6985 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
6986 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
6987<
Bram Moolenaar8aff23a2005-08-19 20:40:30 +00006988See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
Bram Moolenaar5b8d8fd2005-08-16 23:01:50 +00006989
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02006990 *E124* *E125* *E853* *E884*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00006991:fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00006992 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
6993 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
Bram Moolenaarbcb98982014-05-01 14:08:19 +02006994 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above). Note
6995 that using "b:" or "g:" is not allowed. (since patch
6996 7.4.260 E884 is given if the function name has a colon
6997 in the name, e.g. for "foo:bar()". Before that patch
6998 no error was given).
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00006999
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007000 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
7001 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007002 :function dict.init(arg)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007003< "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007004 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007005 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007006 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
7007 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
7008 deleted if there are no more references to it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007009 *E127* *E122*
7010 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
7011 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
7012 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
7013 is currently being executed, that is an error.
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007014
7015 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
7016
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01007017 *:func-range* *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007018 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
7019 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
7020 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
7021 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
7022 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
7023 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
Bram Moolenaar2df58b42012-11-28 18:21:11 +01007024 The cursor is still moved to the first line of the
7025 range, as is the case with all Ex commands.
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01007026 *:func-abort*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007027 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
7028 abort as soon as an error is detected.
Bram Moolenaar8d043172014-01-23 14:24:41 +01007029 *:func-dict*
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00007030 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007031 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
Bram Moolenaar2fda12f2005-01-15 22:14:15 +00007032 local variable "self" will then be set to the
7033 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007034
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007035 *function-search-undo*
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00007036 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007037 will not be changed by the function. This also
7038 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
7039 when the function returns.
Bram Moolenaar98692072006-02-04 00:57:42 +00007040
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007041 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
7042:endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
7043 by its own, without other commands.
7044
7045 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
7046:delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007047 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
7048 |Funcref|: >
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007049 :delfunc dict.init
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007050< This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007051 function is deleted if there are no more references to
7052 it.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007053 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
7054:retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
7055 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
7056 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
7057 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
7058 the number 0 is returned.
7059 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
7060 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
7061
7062 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
7063 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
7064 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
7065 are executed first. This process applies to all
7066 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
7067 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
7068
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007069 *function-argument* *a:var*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007070An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007071be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007072 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007073Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
7074arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
7075may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
7076as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007077can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
7078that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007079 *E742*
7080The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
Bram Moolenaare37d50a2008-08-06 17:06:04 +00007081However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007082Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
7083it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
7084|Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007085
Bram Moolenaar8f999f12005-01-25 22:12:55 +00007086When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
7087to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
7088may be larger.
7089
7090It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
7091still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
7092until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
7093inside a function body.
7094
7095 *local-variables*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007096Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
7097will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
7098accessed with "g:".
7099
7100Example: >
7101 :function Table(title, ...)
7102 : echohl Title
7103 : echo a:title
7104 : echohl None
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00007105 : echo a:0 . " items:"
7106 : for s in a:000
7107 : echon ' ' . s
7108 : endfor
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007109 :endfunction
7110
7111This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaar677ee682005-01-27 14:41:15 +00007112 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
7113 call Table("Empty Table")
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007114
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007115To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
7116 :function Compute(n1, n2)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007117 : if a:n2 == 0
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007118 : return ["fail", 0]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007119 : endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007120 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007121 :endfunction
7122
7123This function can then be called with: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007124 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007125 :if success == "ok"
7126 : echo div
7127 :endif
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007128<
Bram Moolenaar39f05632006-03-19 22:15:26 +00007129 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007130:[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
7131 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
7132 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007133 used. The returned value is discarded.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007134 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
7135 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
7136 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
7137 function.
7138 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
7139 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
7140 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
7141 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007142 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007143 this works:
7144 *function-range-example* >
7145 :function Mynumber(arg)
7146 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
7147 :endfunction
7148 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
7149<
7150 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
7151 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
7152 the range.
7153
7154 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
7155
7156 :function Cont() range
7157 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
7158 :endfunction
7159 :4,8call Cont()
7160<
7161 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
7162 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
7163
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007164 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
7165 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
7166 :4,8call GetDict().method()
7167< Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
7168
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007169 *E132*
7170The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
7171option.
7172
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007173
7174AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007175 *autoload-functions*
7176When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007177only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
7178the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
7179
7180
7181Using an autocommand ~
7182
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00007183This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
7184
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007185The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
7186You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007187That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007188again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
7189
7190Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
7191function(s) to be defined. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007192
7193 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
7194
7195The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
7196"BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
7197
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007198
7199Using an autoload script ~
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007200 *autoload* *E746*
Bram Moolenaar05159a02005-02-26 23:04:13 +00007201This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
7202
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007203Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
7204exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
7205like this: >
7206
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007207 :call filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007208
7209When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
7210"autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
7211"filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
7212then define the function like this: >
7213
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007214 function filename#funcname()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007215 echo "Done!"
7216 endfunction
7217
Bram Moolenaar60a795a2005-09-16 21:55:43 +00007218The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007219exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
7220called.
7221
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007222It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
7223a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007224
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007225 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007226
7227Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
7228
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007229This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
7230
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007231 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007232
Bram Moolenaara5792f52005-11-23 21:25:05 +00007233However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
7234for an unknown variable.
7235
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007236When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
7237be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
7238
Bram Moolenaara7fc0102005-05-18 22:17:12 +00007239 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
7240 :call foo#bar#func()
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007241
Bram Moolenaar4399ef42005-02-12 14:29:27 +00007242Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
7243defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
7244function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007245And you will get an error message every time.
7246
7247Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007248other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
Bram Moolenaar26a60b42005-02-22 08:49:11 +00007249Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
Bram Moolenaar7c626922005-02-07 22:01:03 +00007250
Bram Moolenaar433f7c82006-03-21 21:29:36 +00007251Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
7252|vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
7253
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007254==============================================================================
72556. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
7256
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01007257In most places where you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name"
7258variable. This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions
7259wrapped in braces {} like this: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007260 my_{adjective}_variable
7261
7262When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
7263that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
7264name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
7265"noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
7266"adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
7267
7268One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007269value. For example, the statement >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007270 echo my_{&background}_message
7271
7272would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
7273on the current value of 'background'.
7274
7275You can use multiple brace pairs: >
7276 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
7277..or even nest them: >
7278 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
7279where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
7280
7281However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
Bram Moolenaar402d2fe2005-04-15 21:00:38 +00007282variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007283 :let foo='a + b'
7284 :echo c{foo}d
7285.. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
7286
7287 *curly-braces-function-names*
7288You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
7289Example: >
7290 :let func_end='whizz'
7291 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
7292
7293This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
7294
Bram Moolenaar84f72352012-03-11 15:57:40 +01007295This does NOT work: >
7296 :let i = 3
7297 :let @{i} = '' " error
7298 :echo @{i} " error
7299
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007300==============================================================================
73017. Commands *expression-commands*
7302
7303:let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
7304 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
7305 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
7306 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
7307 is created.
7308
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00007309:let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
7310 Set a list item to the result of the expression
7311 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
7312 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
7313 the index can be repeated.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007314 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
7315 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
7316 can do that like this: >
7317 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
7318<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007319 *E711* *E719*
7320:let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007321 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
7322 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00007323 correct number of items.
7324 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
7325 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
7326 When the selected range of items is partly past the
7327 end of the list, items will be added.
7328
Bram Moolenaar748bf032005-02-02 23:04:36 +00007329 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007330:let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
7331:let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
7332:let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
7333 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
7334 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
7335
7336
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007337:let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
7338 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
7339 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007340:let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
7341 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
7342 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
7343 works like "=".
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007344
7345:let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
7346 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
7347 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
7348 must be the name of a writable register (see
7349 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
7350 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
7351 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
7352 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
7353 characterwise.
7354 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
7355 :let @/ = ""
7356< This is different from searching for an empty string,
7357 that would match everywhere.
7358
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007359:let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007360 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007361 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
7362
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007363:let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007364 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007365 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
7366 always converted to the type of the option.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007367 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
7368 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
Bram Moolenaara5fac542005-10-12 20:58:49 +00007369 value and the global value are changed.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007370 Example: >
7371 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007372
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007373:let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
7374 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
7375 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
7376
7377:let &{option-name} += {expr1}
7378:let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
7379 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
7380 {expr1}.
7381
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007382:let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007383:let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
7384:let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
7385:let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007386 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
7387 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
7388
7389:let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007390:let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
7391:let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
7392:let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007393 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
7394 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
7395
Bram Moolenaar13065c42005-01-08 16:08:21 +00007396:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007397 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007398 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
7399 {name2}, etc.
7400 The number of names must match the number of items in
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007401 the |List|.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007402 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
7403 command as mentioned above.
7404 Example: >
7405 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007406< Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
7407 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
7408 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
7409 :let x = [0, 1]
7410 :let i = 0
7411 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
7412 :echo x
7413< The result is [0, 2].
7414
7415:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
7416:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
7417:let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
7418 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007419 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007420
7421:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007422 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007423 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
7424 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
7425 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
Bram Moolenaarfca34d62005-01-04 21:38:36 +00007426 Example: >
7427 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
7428<
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007429:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
7430:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
7431:let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
7432 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007433 |List| item.
Bram Moolenaar4a748032010-09-30 21:47:56 +02007434
7435 *E121*
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007436:let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00007437 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
7438 here: *E738*
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00007439 g: global variables
7440 b: local buffer variables
7441 w: local window variables
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00007442 t: local tab page variables
Bram Moolenaarca003e12006-03-17 23:19:38 +00007443 s: script-local variables
7444 l: local function variables
Bram Moolenaardcaf10e2005-01-21 11:55:25 +00007445 v: Vim variables.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007446
Bram Moolenaard7ee7ce2005-01-03 21:02:03 +00007447:let List the values of all variables. The type of the
7448 variable is indicated before the value:
7449 <nothing> String
7450 # Number
Bram Moolenaarc9b4b052006-04-30 18:54:39 +00007451 * Funcref
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007452
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007453
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007454:unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007455 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
7456 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007457 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007458 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
7459 variables.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007460 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00007461 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
7462 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007463< One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
Bram Moolenaar9cd15162005-01-16 22:02:49 +00007464 :unlet dict['two']
7465 :unlet dict.two
Bram Moolenaarc236c162008-07-13 17:41:49 +00007466< This is especially useful to clean up used global
7467 variables and script-local variables (these are not
7468 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
7469 variables are automatically deleted when the function
7470 ends.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007471
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007472:lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
7473 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
7474 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
7475 A locked variable can be deleted: >
7476 :lockvar v
7477 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
7478 :unlet v
7479< *E741*
7480 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
Bram Moolenaar8a94d872015-01-25 13:02:57 +01007481 error message: "E741: Value is locked: {name}"
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007482
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007483 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
7484 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
7485 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007486 cannot add or remove items, but can
7487 still change their values.
7488 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007489 the items. If an item is a |List| or
7490 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007491 items, but can still change the
7492 values.
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007493 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
7494 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
7495 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
7496 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
7497 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007498 *E743*
7499 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
7500 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
7501 loops.
7502
Bram Moolenaar32466aa2006-02-24 23:53:04 +00007503 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
7504 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
Bram Moolenaar910f66f2006-04-05 20:41:53 +00007505 locked when used through the other variable.
7506 Example: >
Bram Moolenaar2ce06f62005-01-31 19:19:04 +00007507 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
7508 :let cl = l
7509 :lockvar l
7510 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
7511< You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
7512 See |deepcopy()|.
7513
7514
7515:unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
7516 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
7517 opposite of |:lockvar|.
7518
7519
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007520:if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
7521:en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
7522 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
7523
7524 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
7525 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
7526 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
7527 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
7528 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
7529 part was not executed either.
7530
7531 You can use this to remain compatible with older
7532 versions: >
7533 :if version >= 500
7534 : version-5-specific-commands
7535 :endif
7536< The commands still need to be parsed to find the
7537 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
7538 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
7539 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
7540 avoid problems: >
7541 :if version >= 600
7542 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
7543 :endif
7544<
7545 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
7546 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
7547
7548 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
7549:el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
7550 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
7551 executed.
7552
7553 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
7554:elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
7555 is no extra ":endif".
7556
7557:wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007558 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007559:endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
7560 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
7561 When an error is detected from a command inside the
7562 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007563 Example: >
7564 :let lnum = 1
7565 :while lnum <= line("$")
7566 :call FixLine(lnum)
7567 :let lnum = lnum + 1
7568 :endwhile
7569<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007570 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
Bram Moolenaard8b02732005-01-14 21:48:43 +00007571 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007572
Bram Moolenaar3a3a7232005-01-17 22:16:15 +00007573:for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007574:endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
7575 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
Bram Moolenaar3a7c85b2005-02-05 21:39:53 +00007576 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007577 value of each item.
7578 When an error is detected for a command inside the
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007579 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
Bram Moolenaar572cb562005-08-05 21:35:02 +00007580 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
7581 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007582 :for item in copy(mylist)
7583< When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
7584 next item in the list, before executing the commands
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007585 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
Bram Moolenaarde8866b2005-01-06 23:24:37 +00007586 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
7587 it will not be found. Thus the following example
7588 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007589 for item in mylist
7590 call remove(mylist, 0)
7591 endfor
Bram Moolenaar9588a0f2005-01-08 21:45:39 +00007592< Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
7593 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
7594 Note that the type of each list item should be
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007595 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
7596 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007597 to allow multiple item types: >
7598 for item in ["foo", ["bar"]]
7599 echo item
7600 unlet item " E706 without this
7601 endfor
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007602
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007603:for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
7604:endfo[r]
7605 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
7606 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
7607 {var2}, etc. Example: >
7608 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
7609 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
7610 :endfor
7611<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007612 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007613:con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
7614 to the start of the loop.
7615 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
7616 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
7617 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
7618 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
7619 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
7620 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007621
7622 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
Bram Moolenaar12805862005-01-05 22:16:17 +00007623:brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
7624 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
7625 ":endfor".
7626 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
7627 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
7628 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
7629 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
7630 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
7631 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007632
7633:try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
7634:endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
7635 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
7636 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
7637 or autocommand invocations.
7638
7639 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
7640 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
7641 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
7642 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
7643 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
7644 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
7645 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
7646 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
7647 Example: >
7648 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
7649 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
7650<
7651 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
7652 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
7653 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
7654 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
7655 processing is not terminated.
7656
7657 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
7658 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
7659 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
7660 other errors are converted to a value of the form
7661 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
7662 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
7663 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
7664 the error number.
7665 Examples: >
7666 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
7667 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
7668<
7669 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007670:cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next |:catch|,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007671 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
7672 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
7673 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
7674 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
7675 commands are skipped.
7676 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
7677 Examples: >
7678 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
7679 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
7680 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
7681 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
7682 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
7683 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
7684 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
7685 :catch " same as /.*/
7686<
7687 Another character can be used instead of / around the
7688 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
7689 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
7690 {pattern}.
Bram Moolenaar7e38ea22014-04-05 22:55:53 +02007691 Information about the exception is available in
7692 |v:exception|. Also see |throw-variables|.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007693 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
7694 an error message because it may vary in different
7695 locales.
7696
7697 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
7698:fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
7699 are executed whenever the part between the matching
7700 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
7701 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
7702 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
7703 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
7704
7705 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
7706:th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
7707 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
7708 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
7709 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
7710 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
7711 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
7712 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
7713 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
7714 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
7715 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
7716 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
7717 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
7718 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
7719 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
7720 is terminated.
7721 Example: >
7722 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
Bram Moolenaar662db672011-03-22 14:05:35 +01007723< Note that "catch" may need to be on a separate line
7724 for when an error causes the parsing to skip the whole
7725 line and not see the "|" that separates the commands.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007726
7727 *:ec* *:echo*
7728:ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
7729 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
7730 Also see |:comment|.
7731 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
7732 cursor to the first column.
7733 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7734 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7735 Example: >
7736 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007737< *:echo-redraw*
7738 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
7739 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
7740 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
7741 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
7742 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
7743 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
7744 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007745 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
7746<
7747 *:echon*
7748:echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
7749 |:comment|.
7750 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7751 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7752 Example: >
7753 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
7754<
7755 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
7756 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
7757 command: >
7758 :!echo % --> filename
7759< The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
7760 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
7761< Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
7762 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
7763 :echo % --> nothing
7764< The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
7765 :echo "%" --> %
7766< This just echoes the '%' character. >
7767 :echo expand("%") --> filename
7768< This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
7769
7770 *:echoh* *:echohl*
7771:echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
7772 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
7773 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
7774 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
7775< Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
7776 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
7777
7778 *:echom* *:echomsg*
7779:echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
7780 message in the |message-history|.
7781 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
7782 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
7783 displayed, not interpreted.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007784 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
7785 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
7786 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
7787 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
7788 Dictionary or List causes an error.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007789 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
7790 Example: >
7791 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00007792< See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
7793 when the screen is redrawn.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007794 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
7795:echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
7796 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
7797 script or function the line number will be added.
7798 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007799 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007800 the message is raised as an error exception instead
7801 (see |try-echoerr|).
7802 Example: >
7803 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
7804< If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
7805 And to get a beep: >
7806 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
7807<
7808 *:exe* *:execute*
7809:exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007810 of {expr1} as an Ex command.
7811 Multiple arguments are concatenated, with a space in
7812 between. To avoid the extra space use the "."
7813 operator to concatenate strings into one argument.
7814 {expr1} is used as the processed command, command line
7815 editing keys are not recognized.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007816 Cannot be followed by a comment.
7817 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar00a927d2010-05-14 23:24:24 +02007818 :execute "buffer" nextbuf
7819 :execute "normal" count . "w"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007820<
7821 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
7822 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
7823 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
7824
7825< ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
7826 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
7827 command: >
7828 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
7829< This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
7830
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007831 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
7832 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
Bram Moolenaar05bb9532008-07-04 09:44:11 +00007833 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
7834 Examples: >
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007835 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
Bram Moolenaar251835e2014-02-24 02:51:51 +01007836 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(filename, 1)
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007837<
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007838 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
Bram Moolenaar76f3b1a2014-03-27 22:30:07 +01007839 starting or ending "if", "while" and "for" does not
7840 always work, because when commands are skipped the
7841 ":execute" is not evaluated and Vim loses track of
7842 where blocks start and end. Also "break" and
7843 "continue" should not be inside ":execute".
7844 This example does not work, because the ":execute" is
7845 not evaluated and Vim does not see the "while", and
7846 gives an error for finding an ":endwhile": >
7847 :if 0
7848 : execute 'while i > 5'
7849 : echo "test"
7850 : endwhile
7851 :endif
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007852<
7853 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
7854 completely in the executed string: >
7855 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
7856<
7857
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01007858 *:exe-comment*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007859 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
7860 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
7861 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
7862 comment. Example: >
7863 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
7864
7865==============================================================================
78668. Exception handling *exception-handling*
7867
7868The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
7869explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
7870
7871Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
7872|catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
7873exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
7874
7875
7876TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
7877
7878Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
7879use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
7880a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
7881 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
7882|:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
7883a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
7884be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
7885which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
7886clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
7887
7888 :try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007889 : ...
7890 : ... TRY BLOCK
7891 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007892 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007893 : ...
7894 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7895 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007896 :catch /{pattern}/
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007897 : ...
7898 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
7899 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007900 :finally
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007901 : ...
7902 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
7903 : ...
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007904 :endtry
7905
7906The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
7907appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
7908from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
7909 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
7910is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
7911script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
7912 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
7913lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
7914patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
7915after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
7916executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
7917":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
7918(if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
7919continues in the following line as usual.
7920 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
7921":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
7922that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
7923finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
7924the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
7925the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
7926see |try-nesting|.
7927 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007928remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007929not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
7930try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
7931a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
7932execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
7933exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7934 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007935thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007936clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
7937catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
7938following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
7939clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7940
7941The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
7942a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
7943try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
7944from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
7945sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
7946":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
7947":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
7948from the finally clause.
7949 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
7950try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
7951clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
7952":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
7953clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
7954":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
7955this pending exception or command is discarded.
7956
7957For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
7958
7959
7960NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
7961
7962Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
7963conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
7964clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
7965catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
7966of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
7967checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
7968try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00007969otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00007970nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
7971one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
7972the inner try conditional.
7973
7974When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
7975finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
7976An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
7977thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
7978implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
7979as usual.
7980
7981For examples see |throw-catch|.
7982
7983
7984EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
7985
7986Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
7987'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
7988script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
7989finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
7990a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
7991(see |debug-scripts|).
7992
7993
7994THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
7995
7996You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
7997and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
7998 :throw 4711
7999 :throw "string"
8000< *throw-expression*
8001You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
8002first, and the result is thrown: >
8003 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
8004 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
8005
8006An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
8007command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
8008The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
8009 Example: >
8010
8011 :function! Foo(arg)
8012 : try
8013 : throw a:arg
8014 : catch /foo/
8015 : endtry
8016 : return 1
8017 :endfunction
8018 :
8019 :function! Bar()
8020 : echo "in Bar"
8021 : return 4710
8022 :endfunction
8023 :
8024 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
8025
8026This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
8027executed. >
8028 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
8029however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
8030
8031Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008032abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008033exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
8034 Example: >
8035
8036 :if Foo("arrgh")
8037 : echo "then"
8038 :else
8039 : echo "else"
8040 :endif
8041
8042Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
8043
8044 *catch-order*
8045Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
8046commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
8047command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
8048gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
8049 Example: >
8050
8051 :function! Foo(value)
8052 : try
8053 : throw a:value
8054 : catch /^\d\+$/
8055 : echo "Number thrown"
8056 : catch /.*/
8057 : echo "String thrown"
8058 : endtry
8059 :endfunction
8060 :
8061 :call Foo(0x1267)
8062 :call Foo('string')
8063
8064The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
8065An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
8066specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
8067specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
8068
8069 : catch /.*/
8070 : echo "String thrown"
8071 : catch /^\d\+$/
8072 : echo "Number thrown"
8073
8074The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
8075never taken.
8076
8077 *throw-variables*
8078If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
8079in the variable |v:exception|: >
8080
8081 : catch /^\d\+$/
8082 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
8083
8084You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
8085|v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
8086exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
8087 Example: >
8088
8089 :function! Caught()
8090 : if v:exception != ""
8091 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
8092 : else
8093 : echo 'Nothing caught'
8094 : endif
8095 :endfunction
8096 :
8097 :function! Foo()
8098 : try
8099 : try
8100 : try
8101 : throw 4711
8102 : finally
8103 : call Caught()
8104 : endtry
8105 : catch /.*/
8106 : call Caught()
8107 : throw "oops"
8108 : endtry
8109 : catch /.*/
8110 : call Caught()
8111 : finally
8112 : call Caught()
8113 : endtry
8114 :endfunction
8115 :
8116 :call Foo()
8117
8118This displays >
8119
8120 Nothing caught
8121 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
8122 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
8123 Nothing caught
8124
8125A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
8126number in the script or function where it has been used: >
8127
8128 :function! LineNumber()
8129 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
8130 :endfunction
8131 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
8132<
8133 *try-nested*
8134An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
8135a surrounding try conditional: >
8136
8137 :try
8138 : try
8139 : throw "foo"
8140 : catch /foobar/
8141 : echo "foobar"
8142 : finally
8143 : echo "inner finally"
8144 : endtry
8145 :catch /foo/
8146 : echo "foo"
8147 :endtry
8148
8149The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
8150clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
8151conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
8152
8153 *throw-from-catch*
8154You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
8155catch clause: >
8156
8157 :function! Foo()
8158 : throw "foo"
8159 :endfunction
8160 :
8161 :function! Bar()
8162 : try
8163 : call Foo()
8164 : catch /foo/
8165 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
8166 : throw "bar"
8167 : endtry
8168 :endfunction
8169 :
8170 :try
8171 : call Bar()
8172 :catch /.*/
8173 : echo "Caught" v:exception
8174 :endtry
8175
8176This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
8177
8178 *rethrow*
8179There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
8180"v:exception" instead: >
8181
8182 :function! Bar()
8183 : try
8184 : call Foo()
8185 : catch /.*/
8186 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
8187 : throw v:exception
8188 : endtry
8189 :endfunction
8190< *try-echoerr*
8191Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
8192exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
8193Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
8194denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
8195the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
8196
8197 :try
8198 : try
8199 : asdf
8200 : catch /.*/
8201 : echoerr v:exception
8202 : endtry
8203 :catch /.*/
8204 : echo v:exception
8205 :endtry
8206
8207This code displays
8208
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008209 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008210
8211
8212CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
8213
8214Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
8215user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008216an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008217a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
8218catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
8219a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
8220normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
8221(Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008222to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008223clause has been executed.)
8224Example: >
8225
8226 :try
8227 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
8228 : set ts=17
8229 :
8230 : " Do the hard work here.
8231 :
8232 :finally
8233 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
8234 : unlet s:saved_ts
8235 :endtry
8236
8237This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
8238changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
8239that function or script part.
8240
8241 *break-finally*
8242Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
8243a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
8244 Example: >
8245
8246 :let first = 1
8247 :while 1
8248 : try
8249 : if first
8250 : echo "first"
8251 : let first = 0
8252 : continue
8253 : else
8254 : throw "second"
8255 : endif
8256 : catch /.*/
8257 : echo v:exception
8258 : break
8259 : finally
8260 : echo "cleanup"
8261 : endtry
8262 : echo "still in while"
8263 :endwhile
8264 :echo "end"
8265
8266This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
8267
8268 :function! Foo()
8269 : try
8270 : return 4711
8271 : finally
8272 : echo "cleanup\n"
8273 : endtry
8274 : echo "Foo still active"
8275 :endfunction
8276 :
8277 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
8278
8279This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008280extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008281return value.)
8282
8283 *except-from-finally*
8284Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
8285a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
8286cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
8287exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
8288 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
8289working correctly: >
8290
8291 :try
8292 : try
8293 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
8294 : while 1
8295 : endwhile
8296 : finally
8297 : unlet novar
8298 : endtry
8299 :catch /novar/
8300 :endtry
8301 :echo "Script still running"
8302 :sleep 1
8303
8304If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
8305think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
8306|catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
8307
8308
8309CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
8310
8311If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
8312watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
8313presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
8314exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
8315the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
8316the error exception is.
8317 Error exceptions have the following format: >
8318
8319 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
8320or >
8321 Vim:{errmsg}
8322
8323{cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008324the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008325when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
8326a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
8327a space.
8328
8329Examples:
8330
8331The command >
8332 :unlet novar
8333normally produces the error message >
8334 E108: No such variable: "novar"
8335which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
8336 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
8337
8338The command >
8339 :dwim
8340normally produces the error message >
8341 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
8342which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
8343 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
8344
8345You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
8346 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
8347or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
8348 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
8349
8350Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
8351 :function nofunc
8352and >
8353 :delfunction nofunc
8354both produce the error message >
8355 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
8356which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
8357 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
8358or >
8359 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
8360respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
8361command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
8362 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
8363
8364Some commands like >
8365 :let x = novar
8366produce multiple error messages, here: >
8367 E121: Undefined variable: novar
8368 E15: Invalid expression: novar
8369Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
8370one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
8371 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
8372
8373You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
8374 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
8375
8376You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
8377 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
8378
8379You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
8380 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
8381<
8382 *catch-text*
8383NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
8384 :catch /No such variable/
Bram Moolenaar2b8388b2015-02-28 13:11:45 +01008385only works in the English locale, but not when the user has selected
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008386a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
8387cite the message text in a comment: >
8388 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
8389
8390
8391IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
8392
8393You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
8394
8395 :try
8396 : write
8397 :catch
8398 :endtry
8399
8400But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
8401catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
8402be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
8403
8404 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
8405
8406There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
8407writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
8408then hide the error from the user.
8409 It is much better to use >
8410
8411 :try
8412 : write
8413 :catch /^Vim(write):/
8414 :endtry
8415
8416which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
8417intentionally.
8418
8419For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
8420even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
8421command: >
8422 :silent! nunmap k
8423This works also when a try conditional is active.
8424
8425
8426CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
8427
8428When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008429the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008430script is not terminated, then.
8431 Example: >
8432
8433 :function! TASK1()
8434 : sleep 10
8435 :endfunction
8436
8437 :function! TASK2()
8438 : sleep 20
8439 :endfunction
8440
8441 :while 1
8442 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
8443 : try
8444 : if command == ""
8445 : continue
8446 : elseif command == "END"
8447 : break
8448 : elseif command == "TASK1"
8449 : call TASK1()
8450 : elseif command == "TASK2"
8451 : call TASK2()
8452 : else
8453 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
8454 : continue
8455 : endif
8456 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
8457 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
8458 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
8459 : endtry
8460 :endwhile
8461
8462You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008463a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008464
8465For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
8466your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
8467command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
8468
8469
8470CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
8471
8472The commands >
8473
8474 :catch /.*/
8475 :catch //
8476 :catch
8477
8478catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
8479explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
8480a script in order to catch unexpected things.
8481 Example: >
8482
8483 :try
8484 :
8485 : " do the hard work here
8486 :
8487 :catch /MyException/
8488 :
8489 : " handle known problem
8490 :
8491 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
8492 : echo "Script interrupted"
8493 :catch /.*/
8494 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
8495 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
8496 :endtry
8497 :" end of script
8498
8499Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
8500strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
8501specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
8502 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
8503by pressing CTRL-C: >
8504
8505 :while 1
8506 : try
8507 : sleep 1
8508 : catch
8509 : endtry
8510 :endwhile
8511
8512
8513EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
8514
8515Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
8516
8517 :autocmd User x try
8518 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
8519 :autocmd User x catch
8520 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
8521 :autocmd User x endtry
8522 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
8523 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
8524 :
8525 :try
8526 : doautocmd User x
8527 :catch
8528 : echo v:exception
8529 :endtry
8530
8531This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
8532
8533 *except-autocmd-Pre*
8534For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
8535command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
8536of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
8537abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
8538 Example: >
8539
8540 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
8541 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
8542 :
8543 :try
8544 : write
8545 :catch
8546 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
8547 :endtry
8548
8549Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
8550you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
8551autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
8552script displays: >
8553
8554 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
8555<
8556 *except-autocmd-Post*
8557For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
8558command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
8559an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
8560is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
8561 Example: >
8562
8563 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
8564 :
8565 :try
8566 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8567 :catch
8568 : echo v:exception
8569 :endtry
8570
8571This just displays: >
8572
8573 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
8574
8575If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
8576fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
8577 Example: >
8578
8579 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
8580 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
8581 :
8582 :try
8583 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8584 :catch
8585 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8586 :endtry
8587<
8588You can also use ":silent!": >
8589
8590 :let x = "ok"
8591 :let v:errmsg = ""
8592 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
8593 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
8594 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
8595 :try
8596 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
8597 :catch
8598 :endtry
8599 :echo x
8600
8601This displays "after fail".
8602
8603If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
8604autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
8605
8606 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
8607 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
8608 :
8609 :try
8610 : write
8611 :catch
8612 : echo v:exception
8613 :endtry
8614<
8615 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
8616For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
8617autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
8618of the command.
8619 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008620had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008621some way. >
8622
8623 :if !exists("cnt")
8624 : let cnt = 0
8625 :
8626 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
8627 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
8628 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
8629 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
8630 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8631 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
8632 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
8633 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
8634 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8635 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
8636 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
8637 :endif
8638 :
8639 :try
8640 : write
8641 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
8642 : if &modified
8643 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
8644 : else
8645 : echo "Error after writing"
8646 : endif
8647 :catch /^Vim(write):/
8648 : echo "Error on writing"
8649 :endtry
8650
8651When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
8652first >
8653 File successfully written!
8654then >
8655 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
8656then >
8657 Error after writing
8658etc.
8659
8660 *except-autocmd-ill*
8661You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
8662The following code is ill-formed: >
8663
8664 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
8665 :
8666 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
8667 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
8668 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
8669 :
8670 :write
8671
8672
8673EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
8674
8675Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
8676pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
8677similar things in Vim.
8678 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
8679class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
8680string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
8681 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
8682it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
8683for an error when writing "myfile".
8684 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
8685base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
8686parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
8687 Example: >
8688
8689 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
8690 : if a:a < 0
8691 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
8692 : endif
8693 :endfunction
8694 :
8695 :function! Add(a, b)
8696 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
8697 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
8698 : let c = a:a + a:b
8699 : if c < 0
8700 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
8701 : endif
8702 : return c
8703 :endfunction
8704 :
8705 :function! Div(a, b)
8706 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
8707 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
8708 : if (a:b == 0)
8709 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
8710 : endif
8711 : return a:a / a:b
8712 :endfunction
8713 :
8714 :function! Write(file)
8715 : try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008716 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008717 : catch /^Vim(write):/
8718 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
8719 : endtry
8720 :endfunction
8721 :
8722 :try
8723 :
8724 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
8725 :
8726 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
8727 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8728 : echo "Range error in" function
8729 :
8730 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
8731 : echo "Math error"
8732 :
8733 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
8734 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
8735 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
8736 : if file !~ '^/'
8737 : let file = dir . "/" . file
8738 : endif
8739 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
8740 :
8741 :catch /^EXCEPT/
8742 : echo "Unspecified error"
8743 :
8744 :endtry
8745
8746The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
8747a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
8748exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
8749 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
8750failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
8751
8752
8753PECULIARITIES
8754 *except-compat*
8755The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
8756exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
8757and/or a catch clause.
8758
8759In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
8760continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
8761after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
8762functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
8763or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
8764(thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
8765
8766This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
8767immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008768conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
8769be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008770termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
8771catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
8772by specifying a finally clause.)
8773
8774When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
8775behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
8776scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
8777
8778However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
8779commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
8780conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
8781script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
8782error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
8783messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008784|v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
8785not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008786where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
8787error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
8788scripts.
8789
8790 *except-syntax-err*
8791Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
8792the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
8793clauses, however, is executed.
8794 Example: >
8795
8796 :try
8797 : try
8798 : throw 4711
8799 : catch /\(/
8800 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
8801 : catch
8802 : echo "inner catch-all"
8803 : finally
8804 : echo "inner finally"
8805 : endtry
8806 :catch
8807 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
8808 : finally
8809 : echo "outer finally"
8810 :endtry
8811
8812This displays: >
8813 inner finally
8814 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
8815 outer finally
8816The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
8817
8818 *except-single-line*
8819The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
8820a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
8821"catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
8822 Example: >
8823 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
8824raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
8825argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
8826error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
8827displayed.
8828
8829 *except-several-errors*
8830When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
8831usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
8832 Example: >
8833 echo novar
8834causes >
8835 E121: Undefined variable: novar
8836 E15: Invalid expression: novar
8837The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8838 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
8839< *except-syntax-error*
8840But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
8841the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
8842 Example: >
8843 unlet novar #
8844causes >
8845 E108: No such variable: "novar"
8846 E488: Trailing characters
8847The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
8848 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
8849This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
8850not intended by the user. Example: >
8851 try
8852 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
8853 catch /.*/
8854 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
8855 endtry
8856This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
8857a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
8858
8859==============================================================================
88609. Examples *eval-examples*
8861
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008862Printing in Binary ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008863>
Bram Moolenaar8f3f58f2010-01-06 20:52:26 +01008864 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the binary string representation of a number.
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008865 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008866 : let n = a:nr
8867 : let r = ""
8868 : while n
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008869 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
8870 : let n = n / 2
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008871 : endwhile
8872 : return r
8873 :endfunc
8874
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008875 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
8876 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
8877 :func String2Bin(str)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008878 : let out = ''
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008879 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
8880 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
8881 : endfor
8882 : return out[1:]
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008883 :endfunc
8884
8885Example of its use: >
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008886 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
8887result: "100000" >
8888 :echo String2Bin("32")
8889result: "110011-110010"
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008890
8891
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008892Sorting lines ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008893
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008894This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
8895
8896 :func SortBuffer()
8897 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
8898 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
8899 : call setline(1, lines)
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008900 :endfunction
8901
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008902As a one-liner: >
8903 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008904
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008905
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008906scanf() replacement ~
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008907 *sscanf*
8908There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
8909line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
8910how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
8911"foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
8912 :" Set up the match bit
8913 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
8914 :"get the part matching the whole expression
8915 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
8916 :"get each item out of the match
8917 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
8918 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
8919 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
8920
8921The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
8922"lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
8923
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008924
8925getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
8926 *scriptnames-dictionary*
8927The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
8928have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
8929(because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
8930code can be used: >
8931 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
8932 let scriptnames_output = ''
8933 redir => scriptnames_output
8934 silent scriptnames
8935 redir END
8936
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008937 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008938 " "scripts" dictionary.
8939 let scripts = {}
8940 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
8941 " Only do non-blank lines.
8942 if line =~ '\S'
8943 " Get the first number in the line.
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008944 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008945 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008946 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008947 " Add an item to the Dictionary
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00008948 let scripts[nr] = name
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008949 endif
8950 endfor
8951 unlet scriptnames_output
8952
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008953==============================================================================
895410. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
8955
8956When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
8957evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
8958to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
8959recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
8960and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
8961only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
8962recognized.
8963
8964Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
8965missing: >
8966
8967 :if 1
8968 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
8969 :else
8970 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
8971 :endif
8972
8973==============================================================================
897411. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
8975
Bram Moolenaar368373e2010-07-19 20:46:22 +02008976The 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and
8977'foldtext' options may be evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are
8978protected from these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some
8979safety for when these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when
8980the command from a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008981The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008982
8983These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
8984 - changing the buffer text
8985 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
8986 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
Bram Moolenaaref2f6562007-05-06 13:32:59 +00008987 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00008988 - executing a shell command
8989 - reading or writing a file
8990 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
Bram Moolenaar4770d092006-01-12 23:22:24 +00008991 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008992This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
8993
8994 *:san* *:sandbox*
Bram Moolenaar045e82d2005-07-08 22:25:33 +00008995:san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
Bram Moolenaar7b0294c2004-10-11 10:16:09 +00008996 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
8997 'foldexpr'.
8998
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00008999 *sandbox-option*
9000A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
Bram Moolenaar9b2200a2006-03-20 21:55:45 +00009001have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00009002restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
9003location. Insecure in this context are:
Bram Moolenaar551dbcc2006-04-25 22:13:59 +00009004- sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00009005- while executing in the sandbox
9006- value coming from a modeline
9007
9008Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
9009option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
9010
9011==============================================================================
901212. Textlock *textlock*
9013
9014In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
9015to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
9016is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
Bram Moolenaar446cb832008-06-24 21:56:24 +00009017actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
Bram Moolenaarb71eaae2006-01-20 23:10:18 +00009018happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
9019
9020This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
9021 - changing the buffer text
9022 - jumping to another buffer or window
9023 - editing another file
9024 - closing a window or quitting Vim
9025 - etc.
9026
Bram Moolenaar071d4272004-06-13 20:20:40 +00009027
9028 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: