runtime/doc/vim.man

VIM(1)                      General Commands Manual                     VIM(1)

NAME
       vim - Vi IMproved, a programmer's text editor

SYNOPSIS
       vim [options] [file ..]
       vim [options] -
       vim [options] -t tag
       vim [options] -q [errorfile]

       ex
       view
       gvim gview evim eview
       rvim rview rgvim rgview

DESCRIPTION
       Vim  is a text editor that is upwards compatible to Vi.  It can be used
       to edit all kinds of plain text.  It is especially useful  for  editing
       programs.

       There  are a lot of enhancements above Vi: multi level undo, multi win‐
       dows and buffers, syntax highlighting, command line  editing,  filename
       completion,   on-line   help,   visual  selection,  etc..   See  ":help
       vi_diff.txt" for a summary of the differences between Vim and Vi.

       While running Vim a lot of help can be obtained from the  on-line  help
       system, with the ":help" command.  See the ON-LINE HELP section below.

       Most often Vim is started to edit a single file with the command

            vim file

       More generally Vim is started with:

            vim [options] [filelist]

       If the filelist is missing, the editor will start with an empty buffer.
       Otherwise  exactly  one out of the following four may be used to choose
       one or more files to be edited.

       file ..     A list of filenames.  The first one  will  be  the  current
                   file  and  read  into the buffer.  The cursor will be posi‐
                   tioned on the first line of the buffer.  You can get to the
                   other files with the ":next" command.  To edit a file  that
                   starts with a dash, precede the filelist with "--".

       -           The  file  to  edit  is read from stdin.  Commands are read
                   from stderr, which should be a tty.

       -t {tag}    The file to edit and the initial cursor position depends on
                   a "tag", a sort of goto label.  {tag} is looked up  in  the
                   tags file, the associated file becomes the current file and
                   the  associated  command  is executed.  Mostly this is used
                   for C programs, in which case {tag}  could  be  a  function
                   name.  The effect is that the file containing that function
                   becomes  the  current  file and the cursor is positioned on
                   the start of the function.  See ":help tag-commands".

       -q [errorfile]
                   Start in quickFix mode.  The file [errorfile] is  read  and
                   the  first  error is displayed.  If [errorfile] is omitted,
                   the filename is obtained from the 'errorfile'  option  (de‐
                   faults to "AztecC.Err" for the Amiga, "errors.err" on other
                   systems).   Further  errors can be jumped to with the ":cn"
                   command.  See ":help quickfix".

       Vim behaves differently, depending on the name of the command (the exe‐
       cutable may still be the same file).

       vim       The "normal" way, everything is default.

       ex        Start in Ex mode.  Go to Normal mode with the ":vi"  command.
                 Can also be done with the "-e" argument.

       view      Start  in read-only mode.  You will be protected from writing
                 the files.  Can also be done with the "-R" argument.

       gvim gview
                 The GUI version.  Starts a new window.  Can also be done with
                 the "-g" argument.

       evim eview
                 The GUI version in easy mode.  Starts a new window.  Can also
                 be done with the "-y" argument.

       rvim rview rgvim rgview
                 Like the above, but with restrictions.  It will not be possi‐
                 ble to start shell commands, or suspend  Vim.   Can  also  be
                 done with the "-Z" argument.

OPTIONS
       The  options may be given in any order, before or after filenames.  Op‐
       tions without an argument can be combined after a single dash.

       +[num]      For the first file the cursor will be  positioned  on  line
                   "num".   If "num" is missing, the cursor will be positioned
                   on the last line.

       +/{pat}     For the first file the cursor will  be  positioned  in  the
                   line  with  the  first  occurrence  of  {pat}.   See ":help
                   search-pattern" for the available search patterns.

       +{command}

       -c {command}
                   {command} will be executed after the first  file  has  been
                   read.   {command}  is interpreted as an Ex command.  If the
                   {command} contains spaces it must  be  enclosed  in  double
                   quotes  (this depends on the shell that is used).  Example:
                   vim "+set si" main.c
                   Note: You can use up to 10 "+" or "-c" commands.

       -A          If Vim has been compiled with ARABIC  support  for  editing
                   right-to-left  oriented  files and Arabic keyboard mapping,
                   this option starts Vim in Arabic  mode,  i.e.  'arabic'  is
                   set.  Otherwise an error message is given and Vim aborts.

       -b          Binary  mode.  A few options will be set that makes it pos‐
                   sible to edit a binary or executable file.

       -C          Compatible.  Set the 'compatible' option.  This  will  make
                   Vim  behave  mostly  like Vi, even though a .vimrc file ex‐
                   ists.

       -d          Start in diff mode.  There should between two to eight file
                   name arguments.  Vim will open all the files and show  dif‐
                   ferences between them.  Works like vimdiff(1).

       -d {device}, -dev {device}
                   Open  {device}  for  use as a terminal.  Only on the Amiga.
                   Example: "-d con:20/30/600/150".

       -D          Debugging.  Go to debugging mode when executing  the  first
                   command from a script.

       -e          Start  Vim  in Ex mode, just like the executable was called
                   "ex".

       -E          Start Vim in improved Ex mode, just like the executable was
                   called "exim".

       -f          Foreground.  For the GUI version, Vim will not fork and de‐
                   tach from the shell it was started in.  On the  Amiga,  Vim
                   is  not restarted to open a new window.  This option should
                   be used when Vim is executed by a program  that  will  wait
                   for  the  edit session to finish (e.g. mail).  On the Amiga
                   the ":sh" and ":!" commands will not work.

       -F          If Vim has been compiled with  FKMAP  support  for  editing
                   right-to-left  oriented  files  and Farsi keyboard mapping,
                   this option starts Vim in  Farsi  mode,  i.e.  'fkmap'  and
                   'rightleft'  are  set.  Otherwise an error message is given
                   and Vim aborts.
                   Note: Farsi support has been removed in patch 8.1.0932.

       -g          If Vim has been compiled with GUI support, this option  en‐
                   ables the GUI.  If no GUI support was compiled in, an error
                   message is given and Vim aborts.

       -H          If Vim has been compiled with RIGHTLEFT support for editing
                   right-to-left  oriented  files and Hebrew keyboard mapping,
                   this option starts Vim in Hebrew  mode,  i.e.  'hkmap'  and
                   'rightleft'  are  set.  Otherwise an error message is given
                   and Vim aborts.

       -i {viminfo}
                   Specifies the filename to use when reading or  writing  the
                   viminfo  file,  instead  of the default "~/.viminfo".  This
                   can also be used to skip the use of the .viminfo  file,  by
                   giving the name "NONE".

       -l          Lisp mode.  Sets the 'lisp' and 'showmatch' options on.

       -L          Same as -r.

       -m          Modifying  files  is  disabled.  Resets the 'write' option.
                   You can still modify the buffer, but writing a file is  not
                   possible.

       -M          Modifications  not  allowed.   The 'modifiable' and 'write'
                   options will be unset, so that changes are not allowed  and
                   files  can  not be written.  Note that these options can be
                   set to enable making modifications.

       -n          No swap file will be used.  Recovery after a crash will  be
                   impossible.   Handy  if  you  want to edit a file on a very
                   slow medium (e.g. floppy).  Can also  be  done  with  ":set
                   uc=0".  Can be undone with ":set uc=200".

       -N          No-compatible  mode.  Resets the 'compatible' option.  This
                   will make Vim behave a bit better, but less Vi  compatible,
                   even though a .vimrc file does not exist.

       -nb         Become an editor server for NetBeans.  See the docs for de‐
                   tails.

       -o[N]       Open N windows stacked.  When N is omitted, open one window
                   for each file.

       -O[N]       Open  N  windows side by side.  When N is omitted, open one
                   window for each file.

       -p[N]       Open N tab pages.  When N is omitted, open one tab page for
                   each file.

       -P {parent-title}
                   Win32 GUI only: Specify the title of  the  parent  applica‐
                   tion.   When possible, Vim will run in an MDI window inside
                   the application. {parent-title} must appear in  the  window
                   title of the parent application.  Make sure that it is spe‐
                   cific  enough. Note that the implementation is still primi‐
                   tive.  It won't work with all  applications  and  the  menu
                   doesn't work.

       -r          List  swap files, with information about using them for re‐
                   covery.

       -r {file}   Recovery mode.  The swap file is used to recover a  crashed
                   editing  session.   The  swap  file is a file with the same
                   filename as the text file with ".swp" appended.  See ":help
                   recovery".

       -R          Read-only mode.  The 'readonly' option will  be  set.   You
                   can still edit the buffer, but will be prevented from acci‐
                   dentally overwriting a file.  If you do want to overwrite a
                   file,  add  an  exclamation  mark  to the Ex command, as in
                   ":w!".  The -R option  also  implies  the  -n  option  (see
                   above).   The  'readonly'  option  can  be reset with ":set
                   noro".  See ":help 'readonly'".

       -s          Silent mode.  Only when started as "Ex" or  when  the  "-e"
                   option was given before the "-s" option.

       -s {scriptin}
                   The  script file {scriptin} is read.  The characters in the
                   file are interpreted as if you had typed  them.   The  same
                   can be done with the command ":source! {scriptin}".  If the
                   end of the file is reached before the editor exits, further
                   characters are read from the keyboard.

       -S {file}   {file}  will be sourced after the first file has been read.
                   This is equivalent to -c "source  {file}".   {file}  cannot
                   start with '-'.  If {file} is omitted "Session.vim" is used
                   (only works when -S is the last argument).

       -T {terminal}
                   Tells Vim the name of the terminal you are using.  Only re‐
                   quired  when  the  automatic way doesn't work.  Should be a
                   terminal known to Vim (builtin) or defined in  the  termcap
                   or terminfo file.

       -u {vimrc}  Use  the  commands in the file {vimrc} for initializations.
                   All the other initializations are  skipped.   Use  this  to
                   edit  a special kind of files.  It can also be used to skip
                   all initializations by giving the name "NONE".  See  ":help
                   initialization" within vim for more details.

       -U {gvimrc} Use  the  commands in the file {gvimrc} for GUI initializa‐
                   tions.  All the other GUI initializations are skipped.   It
                   can  also be used to skip all GUI initializations by giving
                   the name "NONE".  See ":help gui-init" within vim for  more
                   details.

       -v          Start  Vim  in Vi mode, just like the executable was called
                   "vi".  This only has effect when the executable  is  called
                   "ex".

       -V[N]       Verbose.   Give  messages about which files are sourced and
                   for reading and writing a viminfo file.  The optional  num‐
                   ber N is the value for 'verbose'.  Default is 10.

       -V[N]{filename}
                   Like -V and set 'verbosefile' to {filename}.  The result is
                   that  messages  are  not  displayed but written to the file
                   {filename}.  {filename} must not start with a digit.

       -w{number}  Set the 'window' option to {number}.

       -w {scriptout}
                   All the characters that you type are recorded in  the  file
                   {scriptout},  until  you  exit  Vim.  This is useful if you
                   want to create a script file to be used with  "vim  -s"  or
                   ":source!".  If the {scriptout} file exists, characters are
                   appended.

       -W {scriptout}
                   Like -w, but an existing file is overwritten.

       -x          If  Vim  has been compiled with encryption support, use en‐
                   cryption when writing files.  Will prompt for a crypt key.

       -X          Don't connect to the X server.  Shortens startup time in  a
                   terminal,  but  the  window title and clipboard will not be
                   used.

       -Y          Don't connect to the wayland compositor

       -y          Start Vim in easy mode, just like the executable was called
                   "evim" or "eview".  Makes Vim behave like a  click-and-type
                   editor.

       -Z          Restricted  mode.   Works  like  the executable starts with
                   "r".

       --          Denotes the end of the options.  Arguments after this  will
                   be  handled  as  a  file  name.  This can be used to edit a
                   filename that starts with a '-'.

       --clean     Do not use  any  personal  configuration  (vimrc,  plugins,
                   etc.).   Useful to see if a problem reproduces with a clean
                   Vim setup.

       --cmd {command}
                   Like using "-c", but the command is  executed  just  before
                   processing  any  vimrc file.  You can use up to 10 of these
                   commands, independently from "-c" commands.

       --echo-wid  GTK GUI only: Echo the Window ID on stdout.

       --gui-dialog-file {name}
                   When using the GUI, instead of showing a dialog, write  the
                   title  and  message of the dialog to file {name}.  The file
                   is created or appended to.  Only  useful  for  testing,  to
                   avoid  that  the  test gets stuck on a dialog that can't be
                   seen.  Without the GUI the argument is ignored.

       --help, -h, -?
                   Give a bit of help about the command line arguments and op‐
                   tions.  After this Vim exits.

       --literal   Take file name arguments literally,  do  not  expand  wild‐
                   cards.   This has no effect on Unix where the shell expands
                   wildcards.

       --log {filename}
                   If Vim has been compiled with  eval  and  channel  feature,
                   start  logging  and write entries to {filename}. This works
                   like calling ch_logfile({filename}, 'ao') very early during
                   startup.

       --nofork    Foreground.  For the GUI version, Vim will not fork and de‐
                   tach from the shell it was started in.

       --noplugin  Skip loading plugins.  Implied by -u NONE.

       --not-a-term
                   Tells Vim that the user knows that the input and/or  output
                   is  not connected to a terminal.  This will avoid the warn‐
                   ing and the two second delay that would happen.

       --remote    Connect to a Vim server and make it edit the files given in
                   the rest of the arguments.  If no server is found a warning
                   is given and the files are edited in the current Vim.

       --remote-expr {expr}
                   Connect to a Vim server, evaluate {expr} in  it  and  print
                   the result on stdout.

       --remote-send {keys}
                   Connect to a Vim server and send {keys} to it.

       --remote-silent
                   As  --remote,  but  without  the  warning when no server is
                   found.

       --remote-wait
                   As --remote, but Vim does not exit  until  the  files  have
                   been edited.

       --remote-wait-silent
                   As --remote-wait, but without the warning when no server is
                   found.

       --serverlist
                   List the names of all Vim servers that can be found.

       --servername {name}
                   Use  {name}  as the server name.  Used for the current Vim,
                   unless used with a --remote argument, then it's the name of
                   the server to connect to.

       --socketid {id}
                   GTK GUI only: Use the GtkPlug mechanism to run gVim in  an‐
                   other window.

       --startuptime {file}
                   During startup write timing messages to the file {fname}.

       --ttyfail   When  stdin  or  stdout is not a a terminal (tty) then exit
                   right away.

       --version   Print version information and exit.

       --windowid {id}
                   Win32 GUI only: Make gVim try to use the window {id}  as  a
                   parent, so that it runs inside that window.

ON-LINE HELP
       Type  ":help"  in Vim to get started.  Type ":help subject" to get help
       on a specific subject.  For example: ":help ZZ" to  get  help  for  the
       "ZZ"  command.   Use <Tab> and CTRL-D to complete subjects (":help cmd‐
       line-completion").  Tags are present to jump from one place to  another
       (sort of hypertext links, see ":help").  All documentation files can be
       viewed in this way, for example ":help syntax.txt".

FILES
       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/doc/*.txt
                      The  Vim documentation files.  Use ":help doc-file-list"
                      to get the complete list.
                      vim??  is short version number, like vim91 for Vim 9.1

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/doc/tags
                      The tags file used for finding information in the  docu‐
                      mentation files.

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/syntax/syntax.vim
                      System wide syntax initializations.

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/syntax/*.vim
                      Syntax files for various languages.

       /usr/local/share/vim/vimrc
                      System wide Vim initializations.

       ~/.vimrc, ~/.vim/vimrc, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/vim/vimrc
                      Your  personal  Vim  initializations (first one found is
                      used).

       /usr/local/share/vim/gvimrc
                      System wide gvim initializations.

       ~/.gvimrc, ~/.vim/gvimrc, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/vim/gvimrc
                      Your personal gVim initializations (first one  found  is
                      used).

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/optwin.vim
                      Script  used  for  the ":options" command, a nice way to
                      view and set options.

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/menu.vim
                      System wide menu initializations for gVim.

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/bugreport.vim
                      Script to generate a bug report.  See ":help bugs".

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/filetype.vim
                      Script to detect the type of a file by  its  name.   See
                      ":help 'filetype'".

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/scripts.vim
                      Script  to  detect  the  type of a file by its contents.
                      See ":help 'filetype'".

       /usr/local/share/vim/vim??/print/*.ps
                      Files used for PostScript printing.

       For recent info read the VIM home page:
       <URL:http://www.vim.org/>

SEE ALSO
       vimtutor(1)

AUTHOR
       Most of Vim was made by Bram Moolenaar, with a lot of help from others.
       See ":help credits" in Vim.
       Vim is based on Stevie, worked on by: Tim Thompson,  Tony  Andrews  and
       G.R. (Fred) Walter.  Although hardly any of the original code remains.

BUGS
       Probably.  See ":help todo" for a list of known problems.

       Note  that a number of things that may be regarded as bugs by some, are
       in fact caused by a too-faithful reproduction of Vi's  behaviour.   And
       if  you  think  other things are bugs "because Vi does it differently",
       you should take a closer look at the vi_diff.txt file  (or  type  :help
       vi_diff.txt  when  in  Vim).   Also have a look at the 'compatible' and
       'cpoptions' options.

                                  2025 Jun 27                           VIM(1)