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1 *options.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2008 Sep 04
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 Options *options*
9 1. Setting options |set-option|
10 2. Automatically setting options |auto-setting|
11 3. Options summary |option-summary|
13 For an overview of options see help.txt |option-list|.
15 Vim has a number of internal variables and switches which can be set to
16 achieve special effects. These options come in three forms:
17 boolean can only be on or off *boolean* *toggle*
18 number has a numeric value
19 string has a string value
21 ==============================================================================
22 1. Setting options *set-option* *E764*
24 *:se* *:set*
25 :se[t] Show all options that differ from their default value.
27 :se[t] all Show all but terminal options.
29 :se[t] termcap Show all terminal options. Note that in the GUI the
30 key codes are not shown, because they are generated
31 internally and can't be changed. Changing the terminal
32 codes in the GUI is not useful either...
34 *E518* *E519*
35 :se[t] {option}? Show value of {option}.
37 :se[t] {option} Toggle option: set, switch it on.
38 Number option: show value.
39 String option: show value.
41 :se[t] no{option} Toggle option: Reset, switch it off.
43 :se[t] {option}! or
44 :se[t] inv{option} Toggle option: Invert value. {not in Vi}
46 *:set-default* *:set-&* *:set-&vi* *:set-&vim*
47 :se[t] {option}& Reset option to its default value. May depend on the
48 current value of 'compatible'. {not in Vi}
49 :se[t] {option}&vi Reset option to its Vi default value. {not in Vi}
50 :se[t] {option}&vim Reset option to its Vim default value. {not in Vi}
52 :se[t] all& Set all options, except terminal options, to their
53 default value. The values of 'term', 'lines' and
54 'columns' are not changed. {not in Vi}
56 *:set-args* *E487* *E521*
57 :se[t] {option}={value} or
58 :se[t] {option}:{value}
59 Set string or number option to {value}.
60 For numeric options the value can be given in decimal,
61 hex (preceded with 0x) or octal (preceded with '0')
62 (hex and octal are only available for machines which
63 have the strtol() function).
64 The old value can be inserted by typing 'wildchar' (by
65 default this is a <Tab> or CTRL-E if 'compatible' is
66 set). See |cmdline-completion|.
67 White space between {option} and '=' is allowed and
68 will be ignored. White space between '=' and {value}
69 is not allowed.
70 See |option-backslash| for using white space and
71 backslashes in {value}.
73 :se[t] {option}+={value} *:set+=*
74 Add the {value} to a number option, or append the
75 {value} to a string option. When the option is a
76 comma separated list, a comma is added, unless the
77 value was empty.
78 If the option is a list of flags, superfluous flags
79 are removed. When adding a flag that was already
80 present the option value doesn't change.
81 Also see |:set-args| above.
82 {not in Vi}
84 :se[t] {option}^={value} *:set^=*
85 Multiply the {value} to a number option, or prepend
86 the {value} to a string option. When the option is a
87 comma separated list, a comma is added, unless the
88 value was empty.
89 Also see |:set-args| above.
90 {not in Vi}
92 :se[t] {option}-={value} *:set-=*
93 Subtract the {value} from a number option, or remove
94 the {value} from a string option, if it is there.
95 If the {value} is not found in a string option, there
96 is no error or warning. When the option is a comma
97 separated list, a comma is deleted, unless the option
98 becomes empty.
99 When the option is a list of flags, {value} must be
100 exactly as they appear in the option. Remove flags
101 one by one to avoid problems.
102 Also see |:set-args| above.
103 {not in Vi}
105 The {option} arguments to ":set" may be repeated. For example: >
106 :set ai nosi sw=3 ts=3
107 If you make an error in one of the arguments, an error message will be given
108 and the following arguments will be ignored.
110 *:set-verbose*
111 When 'verbose' is non-zero, displaying an option value will also tell where it
112 was last set. Example: >
113 :verbose set shiftwidth cindent?
114 < shiftwidth=4 ~
115 Last set from modeline ~
116 cindent ~
117 Last set from /usr/local/share/vim/vim60/ftplugin/c.vim ~
118 This is only done when specific option values are requested, not for ":verbose
119 set all" or ":verbose set" without an argument.
120 When the option was set by hand there is no "Last set" message.
121 When the option was set while executing a function, user command or
122 autocommand, the script in which it was defined is reported.
123 Note that an option may also have been set as a side effect of setting
124 'compatible'.
125 A few special texts:
126 Last set from modeline ~
127 Option was set in a |modeline|.
128 Last set from --cmd argument ~
129 Option was set with command line argument |--cmd| or +.
130 Last set from -c argument ~
131 Option was set with command line argument |-c|, +, |-S| or
132 |-q|.
133 Last set from environment variable ~
134 Option was set from an environment variable, $VIMINIT,
135 $GVIMINIT or $EXINIT.
136 Last set from error handler ~
137 Option was cleared when evaluating it resulted in an error.
139 {not available when compiled without the +eval feature}
141 *:set-termcap* *E522*
142 For {option} the form "t_xx" may be used to set a terminal option. This will
143 override the value from the termcap. You can then use it in a mapping. If
144 the "xx" part contains special characters, use the <t_xx> form: >
145 :set <t_#4>=^[Ot
146 This can also be used to translate a special code for a normal key. For
147 example, if Alt-b produces <Esc>b, use this: >
148 :set <M-b>=^[b
149 (the ^[ is a real <Esc> here, use CTRL-V <Esc> to enter it)
150 The advantage over a mapping is that it works in all situations.
152 The t_xx options cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
153 security reasons.
155 The listing from ":set" looks different from Vi. Long string options are put
156 at the end of the list. The number of options is quite large. The output of
157 "set all" probably does not fit on the screen, causing Vim to give the
158 |more-prompt|.
160 *option-backslash*
161 To include white space in a string option value it has to be preceded with a
162 backslash. To include a backslash you have to use two. Effectively this
163 means that the number of backslashes in an option value is halved (rounded
164 down).
165 A few examples: >
166 :set tags=tags\ /usr/tags results in "tags /usr/tags"
167 :set tags=tags\\,file results in "tags\,file"
168 :set tags=tags\\\ file results in "tags\ file"
170 The "|" character separates a ":set" command from a following command. To
171 include the "|" in the option value, use "\|" instead. This example sets the
172 'titlestring' option to "hi|there": >
173 :set titlestring=hi\|there
174 This sets the 'titlestring' option to "hi" and 'iconstring' to "there": >
175 :set titlestring=hi|set iconstring=there
177 Similarly, the double quote character starts a comment. To include the '"' in
178 the option value, use '\"' instead. This example sets the 'titlestring'
179 option to 'hi "there"': >
180 :set titlestring=hi\ \"there\"
182 For MS-DOS and WIN32 backslashes in file names are mostly not removed. More
183 precise: For options that expect a file name (those where environment
184 variables are expanded) a backslash before a normal file name character is not
185 removed. But a backslash before a special character (space, backslash, comma,
186 etc.) is used like explained above.
187 There is one special situation, when the value starts with "\\": >
188 :set dir=\\machine\path results in "\\machine\path"
189 :set dir=\\\\machine\\path results in "\\machine\path"
190 :set dir=\\path\\file results in "\\path\file" (wrong!)
191 For the first one the start is kept, but for the second one the backslashes
192 are halved. This makes sure it works both when you expect backslashes to be
193 halved and when you expect the backslashes to be kept. The third gives a
194 result which is probably not what you want. Avoid it.
196 *add-option-flags* *remove-option-flags*
197 *E539* *E550* *E551* *E552*
198 Some options are a list of flags. When you want to add a flag to such an
199 option, without changing the existing ones, you can do it like this: >
200 :set guioptions+=a
201 Remove a flag from an option like this: >
202 :set guioptions-=a
203 This removes the 'a' flag from 'guioptions'.
204 Note that you should add or remove one flag at a time. If 'guioptions' has
205 the value "ab", using "set guioptions-=ba" won't work, because the string "ba"
206 doesn't appear.
208 *:set_env* *expand-env* *expand-environment-var*
209 Environment variables in specific string options will be expanded. If the
210 environment variable exists the '$' and the following environment variable
211 name is replaced with its value. If it does not exist the '$' and the name
212 are not modified. Any non-id character (not a letter, digit or '_') may
213 follow the environment variable name. That character and what follows is
214 appended to the value of the environment variable. Examples: >
215 :set term=$TERM.new
216 :set path=/usr/$INCLUDE,$HOME/include,.
217 When adding or removing a string from an option with ":set opt-=val" or ":set
218 opt+=val" the expansion is done before the adding or removing.
221 Handling of local options *local-options*
223 Some of the options only apply to a window or buffer. Each window or buffer
224 has its own copy of this option, thus can each have their own value. This
225 allows you to set 'list' in one window but not in another. And set
226 'shiftwidth' to 3 in one buffer and 4 in another.
228 The following explains what happens to these local options in specific
229 situations. You don't really need to know all of this, since Vim mostly uses
230 the option values you would expect. Unfortunately, doing what the user
231 expects is a bit complicated...
233 When splitting a window, the local options are copied to the new window. Thus
234 right after the split the contents of the two windows look the same.
236 When editing a new buffer, its local option values must be initialized. Since
237 the local options of the current buffer might be specifically for that buffer,
238 these are not used. Instead, for each buffer-local option there also is a
239 global value, which is used for new buffers. With ":set" both the local and
240 global value is changed. With "setlocal" only the local value is changed,
241 thus this value is not used when editing a new buffer.
243 When editing a buffer that has been edited before, the last used window
244 options are used again. If this buffer has been edited in this window, the
245 values from back then are used. Otherwise the values from the window where
246 the buffer was edited last are used.
248 It's possible to set a local window option specifically for a type of buffer.
249 When you edit another buffer in the same window, you don't want to keep
250 using these local window options. Therefore Vim keeps a global value of the
251 local window options, which is used when editing another buffer. Each window
252 has its own copy of these values. Thus these are local to the window, but
253 global to all buffers in the window. With this you can do: >
254 :e one
255 :set list
256 :e two
257 Now the 'list' option will also be set in "two", since with the ":set list"
258 command you have also set the global value. >
259 :set nolist
260 :e one
261 :setlocal list
262 :e two
263 Now the 'list' option is not set, because ":set nolist" resets the global
264 value, ":setlocal list" only changes the local value and ":e two" gets the
265 global value. Note that if you do this next: >
266 :e one
267 You will not get back the 'list' value as it was the last time you edited
268 "one". The options local to a window are not remembered for each buffer.
270 *:setl* *:setlocal*
271 :setl[ocal] ... Like ":set" but set only the value local to the
272 current buffer or window. Not all options have a
273 local value. If the option does not have a local
274 value the global value is set.
275 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
276 local values.
277 Without argument: Display all local option's local
278 values which are different from the default.
279 When displaying a specific local option, show the
280 local value. For a global/local boolean option, when
281 the global value is being used, "--" is displayed
282 before the option name.
283 For a global option the global value is
284 shown (but that might change in the future).
285 {not in Vi}
287 :setl[ocal] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
288 copying the value.
289 {not in Vi}
291 :se[t] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
292 making it empty. Only makes sense for |global-local|
293 options.
294 {not in Vi}
296 *:setg* *:setglobal*
297 :setg[lobal] ... Like ":set" but set only the global value for a local
298 option without changing the local value.
299 When displaying an option, the global value is shown.
300 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
301 global values.
302 Without argument: display all local option's global
303 values which are different from the default.
304 {not in Vi}
306 For buffer-local and window-local options:
307 Command global value local value ~
308 :set option=value set set
309 :setlocal option=value - set
310 :setglobal option=value set -
311 :set option? - display
312 :setlocal option? - display
313 :setglobal option? display -
316 Global options with a local value *global-local*
318 Options are global when you mostly use one value for all buffers and windows.
319 For some global options it's useful to sometimes have a different local value.
320 You can set the local value with ":setlocal". That buffer or window will then
321 use the local value, while other buffers and windows continue using the global
322 value.
324 For example, you have two windows, both on C source code. They use the global
325 'makeprg' option. If you do this in one of the two windows: >
326 :set makeprg=gmake
327 then the other window will switch to the same value. There is no need to set
328 the 'makeprg' option in the other C source window too.
329 However, if you start editing a Perl file in a new window, you want to use
330 another 'makeprg' for it, without changing the value used for the C source
331 files. You use this command: >
332 :setlocal makeprg=perlmake
333 You can switch back to using the global value by making the local value empty: >
334 :setlocal makeprg=
335 This only works for a string option. For a boolean option you need to use the
336 "<" flag, like this: >
337 :setlocal autoread<
338 Note that for non-boolean options using "<" copies the global value to the
339 local value, it doesn't switch back to using the global value (that matters
340 when the global value changes later). You can also use: >
341 :set path<
342 This will make the local value of 'path' empty, so that the global value is
343 used. Thus it does the same as: >
344 :setlocal path=
345 Note: In the future more global options can be made global-local. Using
346 ":setlocal" on a global option might work differently then.
349 Setting the filetype
351 :setf[iletype] {filetype} *:setf* *:setfiletype*
352 Set the 'filetype' option to {filetype}, but only if
353 not done yet in a sequence of (nested) autocommands.
354 This is short for: >
355 :if !did_filetype()
356 : setlocal filetype={filetype}
357 :endif
358 < This command is used in a filetype.vim file to avoid
359 setting the 'filetype' option twice, causing different
360 settings and syntax files to be loaded.
361 {not in Vi}
363 :bro[wse] se[t] *:set-browse* *:browse-set* *:opt* *:options*
364 :opt[ions] Open a window for viewing and setting all options.
365 Options are grouped by function.
366 Offers short help for each option. Hit <CR> on the
367 short help to open a help window with more help for
368 the option.
369 Modify the value of the option and hit <CR> on the
370 "set" line to set the new value. For window and
371 buffer specific options, the last accessed window is
372 used to set the option value in, unless this is a help
373 window, in which case the window below help window is
374 used (skipping the option-window).
375 {not available when compiled without the |+eval| or
376 |+autocmd| features}
378 *$HOME*
379 Using "~" is like using "$HOME", but it is only recognized at the start of an
380 option and after a space or comma.
382 On Unix systems "~user" can be used too. It is replaced by the home directory
383 of user "user". Example: >
384 :set path=~mool/include,/usr/include,.
386 On Unix systems the form "${HOME}" can be used too. The name between {} can
387 contain non-id characters then. Note that if you want to use this for the
388 "gf" command, you need to add the '{' and '}' characters to 'isfname'.
390 NOTE: expanding environment variables and "~/" is only done with the ":set"
391 command, not when assigning a value to an option with ":let".
394 Note the maximum length of an expanded option is limited. How much depends on
395 the system, mostly it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
397 *:fix* *:fixdel*
398 :fix[del] Set the value of 't_kD':
399 't_kb' is 't_kD' becomes ~
400 CTRL-? CTRL-H
401 not CTRL-? CTRL-?
403 (CTRL-? is 0177 octal, 0x7f hex) {not in Vi}
405 If your delete key terminal code is wrong, but the
406 code for backspace is alright, you can put this in
407 your .vimrc: >
408 :fixdel
409 < This works no matter what the actual code for
410 backspace is.
412 If the backspace key terminal code is wrong you can
413 use this: >
414 :if &term == "termname"
415 : set t_kb=^V<BS>
416 : fixdel
417 :endif
418 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<BS>" is the backspace key
419 (don't type four characters!). Replace "termname"
420 with your terminal name.
422 If your <Delete> key sends a strange key sequence (not
423 CTRL-? or CTRL-H) you cannot use ":fixdel". Then use: >
424 :if &term == "termname"
425 : set t_kD=^V<Delete>
426 :endif
427 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<Delete>" is the delete key
428 (don't type eight characters!). Replace "termname"
429 with your terminal name.
431 *Linux-backspace*
432 Note about Linux: By default the backspace key
433 produces CTRL-?, which is wrong. You can fix it by
434 putting this line in your rc.local: >
435 echo "keycode 14 = BackSpace" | loadkeys
436 <
437 *NetBSD-backspace*
438 Note about NetBSD: If your backspace doesn't produce
439 the right code, try this: >
440 xmodmap -e "keycode 22 = BackSpace"
441 < If this works, add this in your .Xmodmap file: >
442 keysym 22 = BackSpace
443 < You need to restart for this to take effect.
445 ==============================================================================
446 2. Automatically setting options *auto-setting*
448 Besides changing options with the ":set" command, there are three alternatives
449 to set options automatically for one or more files:
451 1. When starting Vim initializations are read from various places. See
452 |initialization|. Most of them are performed for all editing sessions,
453 and some of them depend on the directory where Vim is started.
454 You can create an initialization file with |:mkvimrc|, |:mkview| and
455 |:mksession|.
456 2. If you start editing a new file, the automatic commands are executed.
457 This can be used to set options for files matching a particular pattern and
458 many other things. See |autocommand|.
459 3. If you start editing a new file, and the 'modeline' option is on, a
460 number of lines at the beginning and end of the file are checked for
461 modelines. This is explained here.
463 *modeline* *vim:* *vi:* *ex:* *E520*
464 There are two forms of modelines. The first form:
465 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]{options}
467 [text] any text or empty
468 {white} at least one blank character (<Space> or <Tab>)
469 {vi:|vim:|ex:} the string "vi:", "vim:" or "ex:"
470 [white] optional white space
471 {options} a list of option settings, separated with white space or ':',
472 where each part between ':' is the argument for a ":set"
473 command (can be empty)
475 Example:
476 vi:noai:sw=3 ts=6 ~
478 The second form (this is compatible with some versions of Vi):
480 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]se[t] {options}:[text]
482 [text] any text or empty
483 {white} at least one blank character (<Space> or <Tab>)
484 {vi:|vim:|ex:} the string "vi:", "vim:" or "ex:"
485 [white] optional white space
486 se[t] the string "set " or "se " (note the space)
487 {options} a list of options, separated with white space, which is the
488 argument for a ":set" command
489 : a colon
490 [text] any text or empty
492 Example:
493 /* vim: set ai tw=75: */ ~
495 The white space before {vi:|vim:|ex:} is required. This minimizes the chance
496 that a normal word like "lex:" is caught. There is one exception: "vi:" and
497 "vim:" can also be at the start of the line (for compatibility with version
498 3.0). Using "ex:" at the start of the line will be ignored (this could be
499 short for "example:").
501 *modeline-local*
502 The options are set like with ":setlocal": The new value only applies to the
503 buffer and window that contain the file. Although it's possible to set global
504 options from a modeline, this is unusual. If you have two windows open and
505 the files in it set the same global option to a different value, the result
506 depends on which one was opened last.
508 When editing a file that was already loaded, only the window-local options
509 from the modeline are used. Thus if you manually changed a buffer-local
510 option after opening the file, it won't be changed if you edit the same buffer
511 in another window. But window-local options will be set.
513 *modeline-version*
514 If the modeline is only to be used for some versions of Vim, the version
515 number can be specified where "vim:" is used:
516 vim{vers}: version {vers} or later
517 vim<{vers}: version before {vers}
518 vim={vers}: version {vers}
519 vim>{vers}: version after {vers}
520 {vers} is 600 for Vim 6.0 (hundred times the major version plus minor).
521 For example, to use a modeline only for Vim 6.0 and later:
522 /* vim600: set foldmethod=marker: */ ~
523 To use a modeline for Vim before version 5.7:
524 /* vim<570: set sw=4: */ ~
525 There can be no blanks between "vim" and the ":".
528 The number of lines that are checked can be set with the 'modelines' option.
529 If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is 0 no lines are checked.
531 Note that for the first form all of the rest of the line is used, thus a line
532 like:
533 /* vi:ts=4: */ ~
534 will give an error message for the trailing "*/". This line is OK:
535 /* vi:set ts=4: */ ~
537 If an error is detected the rest of the line is skipped.
539 If you want to include a ':' in a set command precede it with a '\'. The
540 backslash in front of the ':' will be removed. Example:
541 /* vi:set dir=c\:\tmp: */ ~
542 This sets the 'dir' option to "c:\tmp". Only a single backslash before the
543 ':' is removed. Thus to include "\:" you have to specify "\\:".
545 No other commands than "set" are supported, for security reasons (somebody
546 might create a Trojan horse text file with modelines). And not all options
547 can be set. For some options a flag is set, so that when it's used the
548 |sandbox| is effective. Still, there is always a small risk that a modeline
549 causes trouble. E.g., when some joker sets 'textwidth' to 5 all your lines
550 are wrapped unexpectedly. So disable modelines before editing untrusted text.
551 The mail ftplugin does this, for example.
553 Hint: If you would like to do something else than setting an option, you could
554 define an autocommand that checks the file for a specific string. For
555 example: >
556 au BufReadPost * if getline(1) =~ "VAR" | call SetVar() | endif
557 And define a function SetVar() that does something with the line containing
558 "VAR".
560 ==============================================================================
561 3. Options summary *option-summary*
563 In the list below all the options are mentioned with their full name and with
564 an abbreviation if there is one. Both forms may be used.
566 In this document when a boolean option is "set" that means that ":set option"
567 is entered. When an option is "reset", ":set nooption" is used.
569 For some options there are two default values: The "Vim default", which is
570 used when 'compatible' is not set, and the "Vi default", which is used when
571 'compatible' is set.
573 Most options are the same in all windows and buffers. There are a few that
574 are specific to how the text is presented in a window. These can be set to a
575 different value in each window. For example the 'list' option can be set in
576 one window and reset in another for the same text, giving both types of view
577 at the same time. There are a few options that are specific to a certain
578 file. These can have a different value for each file or buffer. For example
579 the 'textwidth' option can be 78 for a normal text file and 0 for a C
580 program.
582 global one option for all buffers and windows
583 local to window each window has its own copy of this option
584 local to buffer each buffer has its own copy of this option
586 When creating a new window the option values from the currently active window
587 are used as a default value for the window-specific options. For the
588 buffer-specific options this depends on the 's' and 'S' flags in the
589 'cpoptions' option. If 's' is included (which is the default) the values for
590 buffer options are copied from the currently active buffer when a buffer is
591 first entered. If 'S' is present the options are copied each time the buffer
592 is entered, this is almost like having global options. If 's' and 'S' are not
593 present, the options are copied from the currently active buffer when the
594 buffer is created.
596 Hidden options *hidden-options*
598 Not all options are supported in all versions. This depends on the supported
599 features and sometimes on the system. A remark about this is in curly braces
600 below. When an option is not supported it may still be set without getting an
601 error, this is called a hidden option. You can't get the value of a hidden
602 option though, it is not stored.
604 To test if option "foo" can be used with ":set" use something like this: >
605 if exists('&foo')
606 This also returns true for a hidden option. To test if option "foo" is really
607 supported use something like this: >
608 if exists('+foo')
609 <
610 *E355*
611 A jump table for the options with a short description can be found at |Q_op|.
613 *'aleph'* *'al'* *aleph* *Aleph*
614 'aleph' 'al' number (default 128 for MS-DOS, 224 otherwise)
615 global
616 {not in Vi}
617 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
618 feature}
619 The ASCII code for the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The
620 routine that maps the keyboard in Hebrew mode, both in Insert mode
621 (when hkmap is set) and on the command-line (when hitting CTRL-_)
622 outputs the Hebrew characters in the range [aleph..aleph+26].
623 aleph=128 applies to PC code, and aleph=224 applies to ISO 8859-8.
624 See |rileft.txt|.
626 *'allowrevins'* *'ari'* *'noallowrevins'* *'noari'*
627 'allowrevins' 'ari' boolean (default off)
628 global
629 {not in Vi}
630 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
631 feature}
632 Allow CTRL-_ in Insert and Command-line mode. This is default off, to
633 avoid that users that accidentally type CTRL-_ instead of SHIFT-_ get
634 into reverse Insert mode, and don't know how to get out. See
635 'revins'.
636 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
638 *'altkeymap'* *'akm'* *'noaltkeymap'* *'noakm'*
639 'altkeymap' 'akm' boolean (default off)
640 global
641 {not in Vi}
642 {only available when compiled with the |+farsi|
643 feature}
644 When on, the second language is Farsi. In editing mode CTRL-_ toggles
645 the keyboard map between Farsi and English, when 'allowrevins' set.
647 When off, the keyboard map toggles between Hebrew and English. This
648 is useful to start the Vim in native mode i.e. English (left-to-right
649 mode) and have default second language Farsi or Hebrew (right-to-left
650 mode). See |farsi.txt|.
652 *'ambiwidth'* *'ambw'*
653 'ambiwidth' 'ambw' string (default: "single")
654 global
655 {not in Vi}
656 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
657 feature}
658 Only effective when 'encoding' is "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding.
659 Tells Vim what to do with characters with East Asian Width Class
660 Ambiguous (such as Euro, Registered Sign, Copyright Sign, Greek
661 letters, Cyrillic letters).
663 There are currently two possible values:
664 "single": Use the same width as characters in US-ASCII. This is
665 expected by most users.
666 "double": Use twice the width of ASCII characters.
668 There are a number of CJK fonts for which the width of glyphs for
669 those characters are solely based on how many octets they take in
670 legacy/traditional CJK encodings. In those encodings, Euro,
671 Registered sign, Greek/Cyrillic letters are represented by two octets,
672 therefore those fonts have "wide" glyphs for them. This is also
673 true of some line drawing characters used to make tables in text
674 file. Therefore, when a CJK font is used for GUI Vim or
675 Vim is running inside a terminal (emulators) that uses a CJK font
676 (or Vim is run inside an xterm invoked with "-cjkwidth" option.),
677 this option should be set to "double" to match the width perceived
678 by Vim with the width of glyphs in the font. Perhaps it also has
679 to be set to "double" under CJK Windows 9x/ME or Windows 2k/XP
680 when the system locale is set to one of CJK locales. See Unicode
681 Standard Annex #11 (http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr11).
683 *'antialias'* *'anti'* *'noantialias'* *'noanti'*
684 'antialias' 'anti' boolean (default off, on for MacVim)
685 global
686 {not in Vi}
687 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled on
688 Mac OS X}
689 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim on Mac OS X
690 v10.2 or later. When on, Vim will use smooth ("antialiased") fonts,
691 which can be easier to read at certain sizes on certain displays.
693 Setting this option in the Carbon version can sometimes cause problems
694 if 'guifont' is set to its default (empty string).
696 Support for this option is not flawless in MacVim. In particular,
697 Monaco always seems to render not antialiased for point sizes up
698 to 10. The ATSUI renderer has better antialias support.
700 *'autochdir'* *'acd'* *'noautochdir'* *'noacd'*
701 'autochdir' 'acd' boolean (default off)
702 global
703 {not in Vi}
704 {only available when compiled with the
705 |+netbeans_intg| or |+sun_workshop| feature}
706 When on, Vim will change the current working directory whenever you
707 open a file, switch buffers, delete a buffer or open/close a window.
708 It will change to the directory containing the file which was opened
709 or selected.
710 This option is provided for backward compatibility with the Vim
711 released with Sun ONE Studio 4 Enterprise Edition.
712 Note: When this option is on some plugins may not work.
714 *'arabic'* *'arab'* *'noarabic'* *'noarab'*
715 'arabic' 'arab' boolean (default off)
716 local to window
717 {not in Vi}
718 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
719 feature}
720 This option can be set to start editing Arabic text.
721 Setting this option will:
722 - Set the 'rightleft' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
723 - Set the 'arabicshape' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
724 - Set the 'keymap' option to "arabic"; in Insert mode CTRL-^ toggles
725 between typing English and Arabic key mapping.
726 - Set the 'delcombine' option
727 Note that 'encoding' must be "utf-8" for working with Arabic text.
729 Resetting this option will:
730 - Reset the 'rightleft' option.
731 - Disable the use of 'keymap' (without changing its value).
732 Note that 'arabicshape' and 'delcombine' are not reset (it is a global
733 option.
734 Also see |arabic.txt|.
736 *'arabicshape'* *'arshape'*
737 *'noarabicshape'* *'noarshape'*
738 'arabicshape' 'arshape' boolean (default on)
739 global
740 {not in Vi}
741 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
742 feature}
743 When on and 'termbidi' is off, the required visual character
744 corrections that need to take place for displaying the Arabic language
745 take affect. Shaping, in essence, gets enabled; the term is a broad
746 one which encompasses:
747 a) the changing/morphing of characters based on their location
748 within a word (initial, medial, final and stand-alone).
749 b) the enabling of the ability to compose characters
750 c) the enabling of the required combining of some characters
751 When disabled the display shows each character's true stand-alone
752 form.
753 Arabic is a complex language which requires other settings, for
754 further details see |arabic.txt|.
756 *'autoindent'* *'ai'* *'noautoindent'* *'noai'*
757 'autoindent' 'ai' boolean (default off)
758 local to buffer
759 Copy indent from current line when starting a new line (typing <CR>
760 in Insert mode or when using the "o" or "O" command). If you do not
761 type anything on the new line except <BS> or CTRL-D and then type
762 <Esc>, CTRL-O or <CR>, the indent is deleted again. Moving the cursor
763 to another line has the same effect, unless the 'I' flag is included
764 in 'cpoptions'.
765 When autoindent is on, formatting (with the "gq" command or when you
766 reach 'textwidth' in Insert mode) uses the indentation of the first
767 line.
768 When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on the indent is changed in
769 a different way.
770 The 'autoindent' option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
771 {small difference from Vi: After the indent is deleted when typing
772 <Esc> or <CR>, the cursor position when moving up or down is after the
773 deleted indent; Vi puts the cursor somewhere in the deleted indent}.
775 *'autoread'* *'ar'* *'noautoread'* *'noar'*
776 'autoread' 'ar' boolean (default off)
777 global or local to buffer |global-local|
778 {not in Vi}
779 When a file has been detected to have been changed outside of Vim and
780 it has not been changed inside of Vim, automatically read it again.
781 When the file has been deleted this is not done. |timestamp|
782 If this option has a local value, use this command to switch back to
783 using the global value: >
784 :set autoread<
785 <
786 *'autowrite'* *'aw'* *'noautowrite'* *'noaw'*
787 'autowrite' 'aw' boolean (default off)
788 global
789 Write the contents of the file, if it has been modified, on each
790 :next, :rewind, :last, :first, :previous, :stop, :suspend, :tag, :!,
791 :make, CTRL-] and CTRL-^ command; and when a :buffer, CTRL-O, CTRL-I,
792 '{A-Z0-9}, or `{A-Z0-9} command takes one to another file.
793 Note that for some commands the 'autowrite' option is not used, see
794 'autowriteall' for that.
796 *'autowriteall'* *'awa'* *'noautowriteall'* *'noawa'*
797 'autowriteall' 'awa' boolean (default off)
798 global
799 {not in Vi}
800 Like 'autowrite', but also used for commands ":edit", ":enew", ":quit",
801 ":qall", ":exit", ":xit", ":recover" and closing the Vim window.
802 Setting this option also implies that Vim behaves like 'autowrite' has
803 been set.
805 *'background'* *'bg'*
806 'background' 'bg' string (default "dark" or "light")
807 global
808 {not in Vi}
809 When set to "dark", Vim will try to use colors that look good on a
810 dark background. When set to "light", Vim will try to use colors that
811 look good on a light background. Any other value is illegal.
812 Vim tries to set the default value according to the terminal used.
813 This will not always be correct.
814 Setting this option does not change the background color, it tells Vim
815 what the background color looks like. For changing the background
816 color, see |:hi-normal|.
818 When 'background' is set Vim will adjust the default color groups for
819 the new value. But the colors used for syntax highlighting will not
820 change. *g:colors_name*
821 When a color scheme is loaded (the "colors_name" variable is set)
822 setting 'background' will cause the color scheme to be reloaded. If
823 the color scheme adjusts to the value of 'background' this will work.
824 However, if the color scheme sets 'background' itself the effect may
825 be undone. First delete the "colors_name" variable when needed.
827 When setting 'background' to the default value with: >
828 :set background&
829 < Vim will guess the value. In the GUI this should work correctly,
830 in other cases Vim might not be able to guess the right value.
832 When starting the GUI, the default value for 'background' will be
833 "light". When the value is not set in the .gvimrc, and Vim detects
834 that the background is actually quite dark, 'background' is set to
835 "dark". But this happens only AFTER the .gvimrc file has been read
836 (because the window needs to be opened to find the actual background
837 color). To get around this, force the GUI window to be opened by
838 putting a ":gui" command in the .gvimrc file, before where the value
839 of 'background' is used (e.g., before ":syntax on").
840 Normally this option would be set in the .vimrc file. Possibly
841 depending on the terminal name. Example: >
842 :if &term == "pcterm"
843 : set background=dark
844 :endif
845 < When this option is set, the default settings for the highlight groups
846 will change. To use other settings, place ":highlight" commands AFTER
847 the setting of the 'background' option.
848 This option is also used in the "$VIMRUNTIME/syntax/syntax.vim" file
849 to select the colors for syntax highlighting. After changing this
850 option, you must load syntax.vim again to see the result. This can be
851 done with ":syntax on".
853 *'backspace'* *'bs'*
854 'backspace' 'bs' string (default "")
855 global
856 {not in Vi}
857 Influences the working of <BS>, <Del>, CTRL-W and CTRL-U in Insert
858 mode. This is a list of items, separated by commas. Each item allows
859 a way to backspace over something:
860 value effect ~
861 indent allow backspacing over autoindent
862 eol allow backspacing over line breaks (join lines)
863 start allow backspacing over the start of insert; CTRL-W and CTRL-U
864 stop once at the start of insert.
866 When the value is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used.
868 For backwards compatibility with version 5.4 and earlier:
869 value effect ~
870 0 same as ":set backspace=" (Vi compatible)
871 1 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol"
872 2 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol,start"
874 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> or <Del> key does not do what you want.
875 NOTE: This option is set to "" when 'compatible' is set.
877 *'backup'* *'bk'* *'nobackup'* *'nobk'*
878 'backup' 'bk' boolean (default off)
879 global
880 {not in Vi}
881 Make a backup before overwriting a file. Leave it around after the
882 file has been successfully written. If you do not want to keep the
883 backup file, but you do want a backup while the file is being
884 written, reset this option and set the 'writebackup' option (this is
885 the default). If you do not want a backup file at all reset both
886 options (use this if your file system is almost full). See the
887 |backup-table| for more explanations.
888 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
889 When 'patchmode' is set, the backup may be renamed to become the
890 oldest version of a file.
891 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
893 *'backupcopy'* *'bkc'*
894 'backupcopy' 'bkc' string (Vi default for Unix: "yes", otherwise: "auto")
895 global
896 {not in Vi}
897 When writing a file and a backup is made, this option tells how it's
898 done. This is a comma separated list of words.
900 The main values are:
901 "yes" make a copy of the file and overwrite the original one
902 "no" rename the file and write a new one
903 "auto" one of the previous, what works best
905 Extra values that can be combined with the ones above are:
906 "breaksymlink" always break symlinks when writing
907 "breakhardlink" always break hardlinks when writing
909 Making a copy and overwriting the original file:
910 - Takes extra time to copy the file.
911 + When the file has special attributes, is a (hard/symbolic) link or
912 has a resource fork, all this is preserved.
913 - When the file is a link the backup will have the name of the link,
914 not of the real file.
916 Renaming the file and writing a new one:
917 + It's fast.
918 - Sometimes not all attributes of the file can be copied to the new
919 file.
920 - When the file is a link the new file will not be a link.
922 The "auto" value is the middle way: When Vim sees that renaming file
923 is possible without side effects (the attributes can be passed on and
924 the file is not a link) that is used. When problems are expected, a
925 copy will be made.
927 The "breaksymlink" and "breakhardlink" values can be used in
928 combination with any of "yes", "no" and "auto". When included, they
929 force Vim to always break either symbolic or hard links by doing
930 exactly what the "no" option does, renaming the original file to
931 become the backup and writing a new file in its place. This can be
932 useful for example in source trees where all the files are symbolic or
933 hard links and any changes should stay in the local source tree, not
934 be propagated back to the original source.
935 *crontab*
936 One situation where "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
937 that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
938 the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
939 backup file instead of the newly created file. "crontab -e" is an
940 example.
942 When a copy is made, the original file is truncated and then filled
943 with the new text. This means that protection bits, owner and
944 symbolic links of the original file are unmodified. The backup file
945 however, is a new file, owned by the user who edited the file. The
946 group of the backup is set to the group of the original file. If this
947 fails, the protection bits for the group are made the same as for
948 others.
950 When the file is renamed this is the other way around: The backup has
951 the same attributes of the original file, and the newly written file
952 is owned by the current user. When the file was a (hard/symbolic)
953 link, the new file will not! That's why the "auto" value doesn't
954 rename when the file is a link. The owner and group of the newly
955 written file will be set to the same ones as the original file, but
956 the system may refuse to do this. In that case the "auto" value will
957 again not rename the file.
959 *'backupdir'* *'bdir'*
960 'backupdir' 'bdir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
961 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:/tmp,c:/temp"
962 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,~/")
963 global
964 {not in Vi}
965 List of directories for the backup file, separated with commas.
966 - The backup file will be created in the first directory in the list
967 where this is possible.
968 - Empty means that no backup file will be created ('patchmode' is
969 impossible!). Writing may fail because of this.
970 - A directory "." means to put the backup file in the same directory
971 as the edited file.
972 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
973 put the backup file relative to where the edited file is. The
974 leading "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
975 ("." inside a directory name has no special meaning).
976 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
977 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
978 name, precede it with a backslash.
979 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
980 - A directory name may end in an '/'.
981 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
982 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
983 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
984 :set bdir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
985 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
986 of the option is removed.
987 See also 'backup' and 'writebackup' options.
988 If you want to hide your backup files on Unix, consider this value: >
989 :set backupdir=./.backup,~/.backup,.,/tmp
990 < You must create a ".backup" directory in each directory and in your
991 home directory for this to work properly.
992 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
993 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
994 uses another default.
995 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
996 security reasons.
998 *'backupext'* *'bex'* *E589*
999 'backupext' 'bex' string (default "~", for VMS: "_")
1000 global
1001 {not in Vi}
1002 String which is appended to a file name to make the name of the
1003 backup file. The default is quite unusual, because this avoids
1004 accidentally overwriting existing files with a backup file. You might
1005 prefer using ".bak", but make sure that you don't have files with
1006 ".bak" that you want to keep.
1007 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
1009 If you like to keep a lot of backups, you could use a BufWritePre
1010 autocommand to change 'backupext' just before writing the file to
1011 include a timestamp. >
1012 :au BufWritePre * let &bex = '-' . strftime("%Y%b%d%X") . '~'
1013 < Use 'backupdir' to put the backup in a different directory.
1015 *'backupskip'* *'bsk'*
1016 'backupskip' 'bsk' string (default: "/tmp/*,$TMPDIR/*,$TMP/*,$TEMP/*")
1017 global
1018 {not in Vi}
1019 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
1020 feature}
1021 A list of file patterns. When one of the patterns matches with the
1022 name of the file which is written, no backup file is created. Both
1023 the specified file name and the full path name of the file are used.
1024 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
1025 Watch out for special characters, see |option-backslash|.
1026 When $TMPDIR, $TMP or $TEMP is not defined, it is not used for the
1027 default value. "/tmp/*" is only used for Unix.
1029 Note that environment variables are not expanded. If you want to use
1030 $HOME you must expand it explicitly, e.g.: >
1031 :let backupskip = escape(expand('$HOME'), '\') . '/tmp/*'
1033 < Note that the default also makes sure that "crontab -e" works (when a
1034 backup would be made by renaming the original file crontab won't see
1035 the newly created file). Also see 'backupcopy' and |crontab|.
1037 *'balloondelay'* *'bdlay'*
1038 'balloondelay' 'bdlay' number (default: 600)
1039 global
1040 {not in Vi}
1041 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1042 feature}
1043 Delay in milliseconds before a balloon may pop up. See |balloon-eval|.
1045 *'ballooneval'* *'beval'* *'noballooneval'* *'nobeval'*
1046 'ballooneval' 'beval' boolean (default off)
1047 global
1048 {not in Vi}
1049 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1050 feature}
1051 Switch on the |balloon-eval| functionality.
1053 *'balloonexpr'* *'bexpr'*
1054 'balloonexpr' 'bexpr' string (default "")
1055 global or local to buffer |global-local|
1056 {not in Vi}
1057 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1058 feature}
1059 Expression for text to show in evaluation balloon. It is only used
1060 when 'ballooneval' is on. These variables can be used:
1062 v:beval_bufnr number of the buffer in which balloon is going to show
1063 v:beval_winnr number of the window
1064 v:beval_lnum line number
1065 v:beval_col column number (byte index)
1066 v:beval_text word under or after the mouse pointer
1068 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects!
1069 Example: >
1070 function! MyBalloonExpr()
1071 return 'Cursor is at line ' . v:beval_lnum .
1072 \', column ' . v:beval_col .
1073 \ ' of file ' . bufname(v:beval_bufnr) .
1074 \ ' on word "' . v:beval_text . '"'
1075 endfunction
1076 set bexpr=MyBalloonExpr()
1077 set ballooneval
1078 <
1079 NOTE: The balloon is displayed only if the cursor is on a text
1080 character. If the result of evaluating 'balloonexpr' is not empty,
1081 Vim does not try to send a message to an external debugger (Netbeans
1082 or Sun Workshop).
1084 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
1085 |sandbox-option|.
1087 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
1088 evaluating 'balloonexpr' |textlock|.
1090 To check whether line breaks in the balloon text work use this check: >
1091 if has("balloon_multiline")
1092 < When they are supported "\n" characters will start a new line. If the
1093 expression evaluates to a |List| this is equal to using each List item
1094 as a string and putting "\n" in between them.
1096 *'binary'* *'bin'* *'nobinary'* *'nobin'*
1097 'binary' 'bin' boolean (default off)
1098 local to buffer
1099 {not in Vi}
1100 This option should be set before editing a binary file. You can also
1101 use the |-b| Vim argument. When this option is switched on a few
1102 options will be changed (also when it already was on):
1103 'textwidth' will be set to 0
1104 'wrapmargin' will be set to 0
1105 'modeline' will be off
1106 'expandtab' will be off
1107 Also, 'fileformat' and 'fileformats' options will not be used, the
1108 file is read and written like 'fileformat' was "unix" (a single <NL>
1109 separates lines).
1110 The 'fileencoding' and 'fileencodings' options will not be used, the
1111 file is read without conversion.
1112 NOTE: When you start editing a(nother) file while the 'bin' option is
1113 on, settings from autocommands may change the settings again (e.g.,
1114 'textwidth'), causing trouble when editing. You might want to set
1115 'bin' again when the file has been loaded.
1116 The previous values of these options are remembered and restored when
1117 'bin' is switched from on to off. Each buffer has its own set of
1118 saved option values.
1119 To edit a file with 'binary' set you can use the |++bin| argument.
1120 This avoids you have to do ":set bin", which would have effect for all
1121 files you edit.
1122 When writing a file the <EOL> for the last line is only written if
1123 there was one in the original file (normally Vim appends an <EOL> to
1124 the last line if there is none; this would make the file longer). See
1125 the 'endofline' option.
1127 *'bioskey'* *'biosk'* *'nobioskey'* *'nobiosk'*
1128 'bioskey' 'biosk' boolean (default on)
1129 global
1130 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1131 When on the BIOS is called to obtain a keyboard character. This works
1132 better to detect CTRL-C, but only works for the console. When using a
1133 terminal over a serial port reset this option.
1134 Also see |'conskey'|.
1136 *'bomb'* *'nobomb'*
1137 'bomb' boolean (default off)
1138 local to buffer
1139 {not in Vi}
1140 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1141 feature}
1142 When writing a file and the following conditions are met, a BOM (Byte
1143 Order Mark) is prepended to the file:
1144 - this option is on
1145 - the 'binary' option is off
1146 - 'fileencoding' is "utf-8", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" or one of the little/big
1147 endian variants.
1148 Some applications use the BOM to recognize the encoding of the file.
1149 Often used for UCS-2 files on MS-Windows. For other applications it
1150 causes trouble, for example: "cat file1 file2" makes the BOM of file2
1151 appear halfway the resulting file.
1152 When Vim reads a file and 'fileencodings' starts with "ucs-bom", a
1153 check for the presence of the BOM is done and 'bomb' set accordingly.
1154 Unless 'binary' is set, it is removed from the first line, so that you
1155 don't see it when editing. When you don't change the options, the BOM
1156 will be restored when writing the file.
1158 *'breakat'* *'brk'*
1159 'breakat' 'brk' string (default " ^I!@*-+;:,./?")
1160 global
1161 {not in Vi}
1162 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
1163 feature}
1164 This option lets you choose which characters might cause a line
1165 break if 'linebreak' is on. Only works for ASCII and also for 8-bit
1166 characters when 'encoding' is an 8-bit encoding.
1168 *'browsedir'* *'bsdir'*
1169 'browsedir' 'bsdir' string (default: "last")
1170 global
1171 {not in Vi} {only for Motif, Athena, GTK, Mac and
1172 Win32 GUI}
1173 Which directory to use for the file browser:
1174 last Use same directory as with last file browser, where a
1175 file was opened or saved.
1176 buffer Use the directory of the related buffer.
1177 current Use the current directory.
1178 {path} Use the specified directory
1180 *'bufhidden'* *'bh'*
1181 'bufhidden' 'bh' string (default: "")
1182 local to buffer
1183 {not in Vi}
1184 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1185 feature}
1186 This option specifies what happens when a buffer is no longer
1187 displayed in a window:
1188 <empty> follow the global 'hidden' option
1189 hide hide the buffer (don't unload it), also when 'hidden'
1190 is not set
1191 unload unload the buffer, also when 'hidden' is set or using
1192 |:hide|
1193 delete delete the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1194 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1195 |:bdelete|
1196 wipe wipe out the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1197 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1198 |:bwipeout|
1200 CAREFUL: when "unload", "delete" or "wipe" is used changes in a buffer
1201 are lost without a warning.
1202 This option is used together with 'buftype' and 'swapfile' to specify
1203 special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1205 *'buflisted'* *'bl'* *'nobuflisted'* *'nobl'* *E85*
1206 'buflisted' 'bl' boolean (default: on)
1207 local to buffer
1208 {not in Vi}
1209 When this option is set, the buffer shows up in the buffer list. If
1210 it is reset it is not used for ":bnext", "ls", the Buffers menu, etc.
1211 This option is reset by Vim for buffers that are only used to remember
1212 a file name or marks. Vim sets it when starting to edit a buffer.
1213 But not when moving to a buffer with ":buffer".
1215 *'buftype'* *'bt'* *E382*
1216 'buftype' 'bt' string (default: "")
1217 local to buffer
1218 {not in Vi}
1219 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1220 feature}
1221 The value of this option specifies the type of a buffer:
1222 <empty> normal buffer
1223 nofile buffer which is not related to a file and will not be
1224 written
1225 nowrite buffer which will not be written
1226 acwrite buffer which will always be written with BufWriteCmd
1227 autocommands. {not available when compiled without the
1228 |+autocmd| feature}
1229 quickfix quickfix buffer, contains list of errors |:cwindow|
1230 or list of locations |:lwindow|
1231 help help buffer (you are not supposed to set this
1232 manually)
1234 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'swapfile' to
1235 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1237 Be careful with changing this option, it can have many side effects!
1239 A "quickfix" buffer is only used for the error list and the location
1240 list. This value is set by the |:cwindow| and |:lwindow| commands and
1241 you are not supposed to change it.
1243 "nofile" and "nowrite" buffers are similar:
1244 both: The buffer is not to be written to disk, ":w" doesn't
1245 work (":w filename" does work though).
1246 both: The buffer is never considered to be |'modified'|.
1247 There is no warning when the changes will be lost, for
1248 example when you quit Vim.
1249 both: A swap file is only created when using too much memory
1250 (when 'swapfile' has been reset there is never a swap
1251 file).
1252 nofile only: The buffer name is fixed, it is not handled like a
1253 file name. It is not modified in response to a |:cd|
1254 command.
1255 *E676*
1256 "acwrite" implies that the buffer name is not related to a file, like
1257 "nofile", but it will be written. Thus, in contrast to "nofile" and
1258 "nowrite", ":w" does work and a modified buffer can't be abandoned
1259 without saving. For writing there must be matching |BufWriteCmd|,
1260 |FileWriteCmd| or |FileAppendCmd| autocommands.
1262 *'casemap'* *'cmp'*
1263 'casemap' 'cmp' string (default: "internal,keepascii")
1264 global
1265 {not in Vi}
1266 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1267 feature}
1268 Specifies details about changing the case of letters. It may contain
1269 these words, separated by a comma:
1270 internal Use internal case mapping functions, the current
1271 locale does not change the case mapping. This only
1272 matters when 'encoding' is a Unicode encoding,
1273 "latin1" or "iso-8859-15". When "internal" is
1274 omitted, the towupper() and towlower() system library
1275 functions are used when available.
1276 keepascii For the ASCII characters (0x00 to 0x7f) use the US
1277 case mapping, the current locale is not effective.
1278 This probably only matters for Turkish.
1280 *'cdpath'* *'cd'* *E344* *E346*
1281 'cdpath' 'cd' string (default: equivalent to $CDPATH or ",,")
1282 global
1283 {not in Vi}
1284 {not available when compiled without the
1285 |+file_in_path| feature}
1286 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
1287 |:cd| and |:lcd| commands, provided that the directory being searched
1288 for has a relative path, not an absolute part starting with "/", "./"
1289 or "../", the 'cdpath' option is not used then.
1290 The 'cdpath' option's value has the same form and semantics as
1291 |'path'|. Also see |file-searching|.
1292 The default value is taken from $CDPATH, with a "," prepended to look
1293 in the current directory first.
1294 If the default value taken from $CDPATH is not what you want, include
1295 a modified version of the following command in your vimrc file to
1296 override it: >
1297 :let &cdpath = ',' . substitute(substitute($CDPATH, '[, ]', '\\\0', 'g'), ':', ',', 'g')
1298 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1299 security reasons.
1300 (parts of 'cdpath' can be passed to the shell to expand file names).
1302 *'cedit'*
1303 'cedit' string (Vi default: "", Vim default: CTRL-F)
1304 global
1305 {not in Vi}
1306 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1307 feature}
1308 The key used in Command-line Mode to open the command-line window.
1309 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is off.
1310 Only non-printable keys are allowed.
1311 The key can be specified as a single character, but it is difficult to
1312 type. The preferred way is to use the <> notation. Examples: >
1313 :set cedit=<C-Y>
1314 :set cedit=<Esc>
1315 < |Nvi| also has this option, but it only uses the first character.
1316 See |cmdwin|.
1318 *'charconvert'* *'ccv'* *E202* *E214* *E513*
1319 'charconvert' 'ccv' string (default "")
1320 global
1321 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1322 feature and the |+eval| feature}
1323 {not in Vi}
1324 An expression that is used for character encoding conversion. It is
1325 evaluated when a file that is to be read or has been written has a
1326 different encoding from what is desired.
1327 'charconvert' is not used when the internal iconv() function is
1328 supported and is able to do the conversion. Using iconv() is
1329 preferred, because it is much faster.
1330 'charconvert' is not used when reading stdin |--|, because there is no
1331 file to convert from. You will have to save the text in a file first.
1332 The expression must return zero or an empty string for success,
1333 non-zero for failure.
1334 The possible encoding names encountered are in 'encoding'.
1335 Additionally, names given in 'fileencodings' and 'fileencoding' are
1336 used.
1337 Conversion between "latin1", "unicode", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" and "utf-8"
1338 is done internally by Vim, 'charconvert' is not used for this.
1339 'charconvert' is also used to convert the viminfo file, if the 'c'
1340 flag is present in 'viminfo'. Also used for Unicode conversion.
1341 Example: >
1342 set charconvert=CharConvert()
1343 fun CharConvert()
1344 system("recode "
1345 \ . v:charconvert_from . ".." . v:charconvert_to
1346 \ . " <" . v:fname_in . " >" v:fname_out)
1347 return v:shell_error
1348 endfun
1349 < The related Vim variables are:
1350 v:charconvert_from name of the current encoding
1351 v:charconvert_to name of the desired encoding
1352 v:fname_in name of the input file
1353 v:fname_out name of the output file
1354 Note that v:fname_in and v:fname_out will never be the same.
1355 Note that v:charconvert_from and v:charconvert_to may be different
1356 from 'encoding'. Vim internally uses UTF-8 instead of UCS-2 or UCS-4.
1357 Encryption is not done by Vim when using 'charconvert'. If you want
1358 to encrypt the file after conversion, 'charconvert' should take care
1359 of this.
1360 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1361 security reasons.
1363 *'cindent'* *'cin'* *'nocindent'* *'nocin'*
1364 'cindent' 'cin' boolean (default off)
1365 local to buffer
1366 {not in Vi}
1367 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1368 feature}
1369 Enables automatic C program indenting. See 'cinkeys' to set the keys
1370 that trigger reindenting in insert mode and 'cinoptions' to set your
1371 preferred indent style.
1372 If 'indentexpr' is not empty, it overrules 'cindent'.
1373 If 'lisp' is not on and both 'indentexpr' and 'equalprg' are empty,
1374 the "=" operator indents using this algorithm rather than calling an
1375 external program.
1376 See |C-indenting|.
1377 When you don't like the way 'cindent' works, try the 'smartindent'
1378 option or 'indentexpr'.
1379 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
1380 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1382 *'cinkeys'* *'cink'*
1383 'cinkeys' 'cink' string (default "0{,0},0),:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
1384 local to buffer
1385 {not in Vi}
1386 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1387 feature}
1388 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
1389 the current line. Only used if 'cindent' is on and 'indentexpr' is
1390 empty.
1391 For the format of this option see |cinkeys-format|.
1392 See |C-indenting|.
1394 *'cinoptions'* *'cino'*
1395 'cinoptions' 'cino' string (default "")
1396 local to buffer
1397 {not in Vi}
1398 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1399 feature}
1400 The 'cinoptions' affect the way 'cindent' reindents lines in a C
1401 program. See |cinoptions-values| for the values of this option, and
1402 |C-indenting| for info on C indenting in general.
1405 *'cinwords'* *'cinw'*
1406 'cinwords' 'cinw' string (default "if,else,while,do,for,switch")
1407 local to buffer
1408 {not in Vi}
1409 {not available when compiled without both the
1410 |+cindent| and the |+smartindent| features}
1411 These keywords start an extra indent in the next line when
1412 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is set. For 'cindent' this is only done at
1413 an appropriate place (inside {}).
1414 Note that 'ignorecase' isn't used for 'cinwords'. If case doesn't
1415 matter, include the keyword both the uppercase and lowercase:
1416 "if,If,IF".
1418 *'clipboard'* *'cb'*
1419 'clipboard' 'cb' string (default "autoselect,exclude:cons\|linux"
1420 for X-windows, "" otherwise)
1421 global
1422 {not in Vi}
1423 {only in GUI versions or when the |+xterm_clipboard|
1424 feature is included}
1425 This option is a list of comma separated names.
1426 These names are recognized:
1428 unnamed When included, Vim will use the clipboard register '*'
1429 for all yank, delete, change and put operations which
1430 would normally go to the unnamed register. When a
1431 register is explicitly specified, it will always be
1432 used regardless of whether "unnamed" is in 'clipboard'
1433 or not. The clipboard register can always be
1434 explicitly accessed using the "* notation. Also see
1435 |gui-clipboard|.
1437 autoselect Works like the 'a' flag in 'guioptions': If present,
1438 then whenever Visual mode is started, or the Visual
1439 area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of the
1440 windowing system's global selection or put the
1441 selected text on the clipboard used by the selection
1442 register "*. See |guioptions_a| and |quotestar| for
1443 details. When the GUI is active, the 'a' flag in
1444 'guioptions' is used, when the GUI is not active, this
1445 "autoselect" flag is used.
1446 Also applies to the modeless selection.
1448 autoselectml Like "autoselect", but for the modeless selection
1449 only. Compare to the 'A' flag in 'guioptions'.
1451 exclude:{pattern}
1452 Defines a pattern that is matched against the name of
1453 the terminal 'term'. If there is a match, no
1454 connection will be made to the X server. This is
1455 useful in this situation:
1456 - Running Vim in a console.
1457 - $DISPLAY is set to start applications on another
1458 display.
1459 - You do not want to connect to the X server in the
1460 console, but do want this in a terminal emulator.
1461 To never connect to the X server use: >
1462 exclude:.*
1463 < This has the same effect as using the |-X| argument.
1464 Note that when there is no connection to the X server
1465 the window title won't be restored and the clipboard
1466 cannot be accessed.
1467 The value of 'magic' is ignored, {pattern} is
1468 interpreted as if 'magic' was on.
1469 The rest of the option value will be used for
1470 {pattern}, this must be the last entry.
1472 *'cmdheight'* *'ch'*
1473 'cmdheight' 'ch' number (default 1)
1474 global
1475 {not in Vi}
1476 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line. Helps avoiding
1477 |hit-enter| prompts.
1478 The value of this option is stored with the tab page, so that each tab
1479 page can have a different value.
1481 *'cmdwinheight'* *'cwh'*
1482 'cmdwinheight' 'cwh' number (default 7)
1483 global
1484 {not in Vi}
1485 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1486 feature}
1487 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line window. |cmdwin|
1489 *'columns'* *'co'* *E594*
1490 'columns' 'co' number (default 80 or terminal width)
1491 global
1492 {not in Vi}
1493 Number of columns of the screen. Normally this is set by the terminal
1494 initialization and does not have to be set by hand. Also see
1495 |posix-screen-size|.
1496 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
1497 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
1498 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
1499 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
1500 number of columns of the display, the display may be messed up. For
1501 the GUI it is always possible and Vim limits the number of columns to
1502 what fits on the screen. You can use this command to get the widest
1503 window possible: >
1504 :set columns=9999
1505 < Minimum value is 12, maximum value is 10000.
1507 *'comments'* *'com'* *E524* *E525*
1508 'comments' 'com' string (default
1509 "s1:/*,mb:*,ex:*/,://,b:#,:%,:XCOMM,n:>,fb:-")
1510 local to buffer
1511 {not in Vi}
1512 {not available when compiled without the |+comments|
1513 feature}
1514 A comma separated list of strings that can start a comment line. See
1515 |format-comments|. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes to
1516 insert a space.
1518 *'commentstring'* *'cms'* *E537*
1519 'commentstring' 'cms' string (default "/*%s*/")
1520 local to buffer
1521 {not in Vi}
1522 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
1523 feature}
1524 A template for a comment. The "%s" in the value is replaced with the
1525 comment text. Currently only used to add markers for folding, see
1526 |fold-marker|.
1528 *'compatible'* *'cp'* *'nocompatible'* *'nocp'*
1529 'compatible' 'cp' boolean (default on, off when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc|
1530 file is found)
1531 global
1532 {not in Vi}
1533 This option has the effect of making Vim either more Vi-compatible, or
1534 make Vim behave in a more useful way.
1535 This is a special kind of option, because when it's set or reset,
1536 other options are also changed as a side effect. CAREFUL: Setting or
1537 resetting this option can have a lot of unexpected effects: Mappings
1538 are interpreted in another way, undo behaves differently, etc. If you
1539 set this option in your vimrc file, you should probably put it at the
1540 very start.
1541 By default this option is on and the Vi defaults are used for the
1542 options. This default was chosen for those people who want to use Vim
1543 just like Vi, and don't even (want to) know about the 'compatible'
1544 option.
1545 When a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file is found while Vim is starting up,
1546 this option is switched off, and all options that have not been
1547 modified will be set to the Vim defaults. Effectively, this means
1548 that when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file exists, Vim will use the Vim
1549 defaults, otherwise it will use the Vi defaults. (Note: This doesn't
1550 happen for the system-wide vimrc or gvimrc file, nor for a file given
1551 with the |-u| argument). Also see |compatible-default| and
1552 |posix-compliance|.
1553 You can also set this option with the "-C" argument, and reset it with
1554 "-N". See |-C| and |-N|.
1555 Switching this option off makes the Vim defaults be used for options
1556 that have a different Vi and Vim default value. See the options
1557 marked with a '+' below. Other options are not modified.
1558 At the moment this option is set, several other options will be set
1559 or reset to make Vim as Vi-compatible as possible. See the table
1560 below. This can be used if you want to revert to Vi compatible
1561 editing.
1562 See also 'cpoptions'.
1564 option + set value effect ~
1566 'allowrevins' off no CTRL-_ command
1567 'backupcopy' Unix: "yes" backup file is a copy
1568 others: "auto" copy or rename backup file
1569 'backspace' "" normal backspace
1570 'backup' off no backup file
1571 'cindent' off no C code indentation
1572 'cedit' + "" no key to open the |cmdwin|
1573 'cpoptions' + (all flags) Vi-compatible flags
1574 'cscopetag' off don't use cscope for ":tag"
1575 'cscopetagorder' 0 see |cscopetagorder|
1576 'cscopeverbose' off see |cscopeverbose|
1577 'digraph' off no digraphs
1578 'esckeys' + off no <Esc>-keys in Insert mode
1579 'expandtab' off tabs not expanded to spaces
1580 'fileformats' + "" no automatic file format detection,
1581 "dos,unix" except for DOS, Windows and OS/2
1582 'formatoptions' + "vt" Vi compatible formatting
1583 'gdefault' off no default 'g' flag for ":s"
1584 'history' + 0 no commandline history
1585 'hkmap' off no Hebrew keyboard mapping
1586 'hkmapp' off no phonetic Hebrew keyboard mapping
1587 'hlsearch' off no highlighting of search matches
1588 'incsearch' off no incremental searching
1589 'indentexpr' "" no indenting by expression
1590 'insertmode' off do not start in Insert mode
1591 'iskeyword' + "@,48-57,_" keywords contain alphanumeric
1592 characters and '_'
1593 'joinspaces' on insert 2 spaces after period
1594 'modeline' + off no modelines
1595 'more' + off no pauses in listings
1596 'revins' off no reverse insert
1597 'ruler' off no ruler
1598 'scrolljump' 1 no jump scroll
1599 'scrolloff' 0 no scroll offset
1600 'shiftround' off indent not rounded to shiftwidth
1601 'shortmess' + "" no shortening of messages
1602 'showcmd' + off command characters not shown
1603 'showmode' + off current mode not shown
1604 'smartcase' off no automatic ignore case switch
1605 'smartindent' off no smart indentation
1606 'smarttab' off no smart tab size
1607 'softtabstop' 0 tabs are always 'tabstop' positions
1608 'startofline' on goto startofline with some commands
1609 'tagrelative' + off tag file names are not relative
1610 'textauto' + off no automatic textmode detection
1611 'textwidth' 0 no automatic line wrap
1612 'tildeop' off tilde is not an operator
1613 'ttimeout' off no terminal timeout
1614 'whichwrap' + "" left-right movements don't wrap
1615 'wildchar' + CTRL-E only when the current value is <Tab>
1616 use CTRL-E for cmdline completion
1617 'writebackup' on or off depends on +writebackup feature
1619 *'complete'* *'cpt'* *E535*
1620 'complete' 'cpt' string (default: ".,w,b,u,t,i")
1621 local to buffer
1622 {not in Vi}
1623 This option specifies how keyword completion |ins-completion| works
1624 when CTRL-P or CTRL-N are used. It is also used for whole-line
1625 completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|. It indicates the type of completion
1626 and the places to scan. It is a comma separated list of flags:
1627 . scan the current buffer ('wrapscan' is ignored)
1628 w scan buffers from other windows
1629 b scan other loaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1630 u scan the unloaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1631 U scan the buffers that are not in the buffer list
1632 k scan the files given with the 'dictionary' option
1633 kspell use the currently active spell checking |spell|
1634 k{dict} scan the file {dict}. Several "k" flags can be given,
1635 patterns are valid too. For example: >
1636 :set cpt=k/usr/dict/*,k~/spanish
1637 < s scan the files given with the 'thesaurus' option
1638 s{tsr} scan the file {tsr}. Several "s" flags can be given, patterns
1639 are valid too.
1640 i scan current and included files
1641 d scan current and included files for defined name or macro
1642 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
1643 ] tag completion
1644 t same as "]"
1646 Unloaded buffers are not loaded, thus their autocmds |:autocmd| are
1647 not executed, this may lead to unexpected completions from some files
1648 (gzipped files for example). Unloaded buffers are not scanned for
1649 whole-line completion.
1651 The default is ".,w,b,u,t,i", which means to scan:
1652 1. the current buffer
1653 2. buffers in other windows
1654 3. other loaded buffers
1655 4. unloaded buffers
1656 5. tags
1657 6. included files
1659 As you can see, CTRL-N and CTRL-P can be used to do any 'iskeyword'-
1660 based expansion (e.g., dictionary |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|, included patterns
1661 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|, tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]| and normal expansions).
1663 *'completefunc'* *'cfu'*
1664 'completefunc' 'cfu' string (default: empty)
1665 local to buffer
1666 {not in Vi}
1667 {not available when compiled without the +eval
1668 or +insert_expand feature}
1669 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode completion
1670 with CTRL-X CTRL-U. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
1671 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
1672 invoked and what it should return.
1675 *'completeopt'* *'cot'*
1676 'completeopt' 'cot' string (default: "menu,preview")
1677 global
1678 {not available when compiled without the
1679 |+insert_expand| feature}
1680 {not in Vi}
1681 A comma separated list of options for Insert mode completion
1682 |ins-completion|. The supported values are:
1684 menu Use a popup menu to show the possible completions. The
1685 menu is only shown when there is more than one match and
1686 sufficient colors are available. |ins-completion-menu|
1688 menuone Use the popup menu also when there is only one match.
1689 Useful when there is additional information about the
1690 match, e.g., what file it comes from.
1692 longest Only insert the longest common text of the matches. If
1693 the menu is displayed you can use CTRL-L to add more
1694 characters. Whether case is ignored depends on the kind
1695 of completion. For buffer text the 'ignorecase' option is
1696 used.
1698 preview Show extra information about the currently selected
1699 completion in the preview window. Only works in
1700 combination with "menu" or "menuone".
1703 *'confirm'* *'cf'* *'noconfirm'* *'nocf'*
1704 'confirm' 'cf' boolean (default off)
1705 global
1706 {not in Vi}
1707 When 'confirm' is on, certain operations that would normally
1708 fail because of unsaved changes to a buffer, e.g. ":q" and ":e",
1709 instead raise a |dialog| asking if you wish to save the current
1710 file(s). You can still use a ! to unconditionally |abandon| a buffer.
1711 If 'confirm' is off you can still activate confirmation for one
1712 command only (this is most useful in mappings) with the |:confirm|
1713 command.
1714 Also see the |confirm()| function and the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'.
1716 *'conskey'* *'consk'* *'noconskey'* *'noconsk'*
1717 'conskey' 'consk' boolean (default off)
1718 global
1719 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1720 When on direct console I/O is used to obtain a keyboard character.
1721 This should work in most cases. Also see |'bioskey'|. Together,
1722 three methods of console input are available:
1723 'conskey' 'bioskey' action ~
1724 on on or off direct console input
1725 off on BIOS
1726 off off STDIN
1728 *'copyindent'* *'ci'* *'nocopyindent'* *'noci'*
1729 'copyindent' 'ci' boolean (default off)
1730 local to buffer
1731 {not in Vi}
1732 Copy the structure of the existing lines indent when autoindenting a
1733 new line. Normally the new indent is reconstructed by a series of
1734 tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is enabled,
1735 in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option makes the
1736 new line copy whatever characters were used for indenting on the
1737 existing line. 'expandtab' has no effect on these characters, a Tab
1738 remains a Tab. If the new indent is greater than on the existing
1739 line, the remaining space is filled in the normal manner.
1740 NOTE: 'copyindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1741 Also see 'preserveindent'.
1743 *'cpoptions'* *'cpo'*
1744 'cpoptions' 'cpo' string (Vim default: "aABceFs",
1745 Vi default: all flags)
1746 global
1747 {not in Vi}
1748 A sequence of single character flags. When a character is present
1749 this indicates vi-compatible behavior. This is used for things where
1750 not being vi-compatible is mostly or sometimes preferred.
1751 'cpoptions' stands for "compatible-options".
1752 Commas can be added for readability.
1753 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
1754 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
1755 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
1756 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
1757 NOTE: This option is set to the POSIX default value at startup when
1758 the Vi default value would be used and the $VIM_POSIX environment
1759 variable exists |posix|. This means tries to behave like the POSIX
1760 specification.
1762 contains behavior ~
1763 *cpo-a*
1764 a When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1765 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1766 current window.
1767 *cpo-A*
1768 A When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1769 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1770 current window.
1771 *cpo-b*
1772 b "\|" in a ":map" command is recognized as the end of
1773 the map command. The '\' is included in the mapping,
1774 the text after the '|' is interpreted as the next
1775 command. Use a CTRL-V instead of a backslash to
1776 include the '|' in the mapping. Applies to all
1777 mapping, abbreviation, menu and autocmd commands.
1778 See also |map_bar|.
1779 *cpo-B*
1780 B A backslash has no special meaning in mappings,
1781 abbreviations and the "to" part of the menu commands.
1782 Remove this flag to be able to use a backslash like a
1783 CTRL-V. For example, the command ":map X \<Esc>"
1784 results in X being mapped to:
1785 'B' included: "\^[" (^[ is a real <Esc>)
1786 'B' excluded: "<Esc>" (5 characters)
1787 ('<' excluded in both cases)
1788 *cpo-c*
1789 c Searching continues at the end of any match at the
1790 cursor position, but not further than the start of the
1791 next line. When not present searching continues
1792 one character from the cursor position. With 'c'
1793 "abababababab" only gets three matches when repeating
1794 "/abab", without 'c' there are five matches.
1795 *cpo-C*
1796 C Do not concatenate sourced lines that start with a
1797 backslash. See |line-continuation|.
1798 *cpo-d*
1799 d Using "./" in the 'tags' option doesn't mean to use
1800 the tags file relative to the current file, but the
1801 tags file in the current directory.
1802 *cpo-D*
1803 D Can't use CTRL-K to enter a digraph after Normal mode
1804 commands with a character argument, like |r|, |f| and
1805 |t|.
1806 *cpo-e*
1807 e When executing a register with ":@r", always add a
1808 <CR> to the last line, also when the register is not
1809 linewise. If this flag is not present, the register
1810 is not linewise and the last line does not end in a
1811 <CR>, then the last line is put on the command-line
1812 and can be edited before hitting <CR>.
1813 *cpo-E*
1814 E It is an error when using "y", "d", "c", "g~", "gu" or
1815 "gU" on an Empty region. The operators only work when
1816 at least one character is to be operate on. Example:
1817 This makes "y0" fail in the first column.
1818 *cpo-f*
1819 f When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1820 argument will set the file name for the current buffer,
1821 if the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet.
1822 *cpo-F*
1823 F When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1824 argument will set the file name for the current
1825 buffer, if the current buffer doesn't have a file name
1826 yet. Also see |cpo-P|.
1827 *cpo-g*
1828 g Goto line 1 when using ":edit" without argument.
1829 *cpo-H*
1830 H When using "I" on a line with only blanks, insert
1831 before the last blank. Without this flag insert after
1832 the last blank.
1833 *cpo-i*
1834 i When included, interrupting the reading of a file will
1835 leave it modified.
1836 *cpo-I*
1837 I When moving the cursor up or down just after inserting
1838 indent for 'autoindent', do not delete the indent.
1839 *cpo-j*
1840 j When joining lines, only add two spaces after a '.',
1841 not after '!' or '?'. Also see 'joinspaces'.
1842 *cpo-J*
1843 J A |sentence| has to be followed by two spaces after
1844 the '.', '!' or '?'. A <Tab> is not recognized as
1845 white space.
1846 *cpo-k*
1847 k Disable the recognition of raw key codes in
1848 mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of menu
1849 commands. For example, if <Key> sends ^[OA (where ^[
1850 is <Esc>), the command ":map X ^[OA" results in X
1851 being mapped to:
1852 'k' included: "^[OA" (3 characters)
1853 'k' excluded: "<Key>" (one key code)
1854 Also see the '<' flag below.
1855 *cpo-K*
1856 K Don't wait for a key code to complete when it is
1857 halfway a mapping. This breaks mapping <F1><F1> when
1858 only part of the second <F1> has been read. It
1859 enables cancelling the mapping by typing <F1><Esc>.
1860 *cpo-l*
1861 l Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
1862 literally, only "\]", "\^", "\-" and "\\" are special.
1863 See |/[]|
1864 'l' included: "/[ \t]" finds <Space>, '\' and 't'
1865 'l' excluded: "/[ \t]" finds <Space> and <Tab>
1866 Also see |cpo-\|.
1867 *cpo-L*
1868 L When the 'list' option is set, 'wrapmargin',
1869 'textwidth', 'softtabstop' and Virtual Replace mode
1870 (see |gR|) count a <Tab> as two characters, instead of
1871 the normal behavior of a <Tab>.
1872 *cpo-m*
1873 m When included, a showmatch will always wait half a
1874 second. When not included, a showmatch will wait half
1875 a second or until a character is typed. |'showmatch'|
1876 *cpo-M*
1877 M When excluded, "%" matching will take backslashes into
1878 account. Thus in "( \( )" and "\( ( \)" the outer
1879 parenthesis match. When included "%" ignores
1880 backslashes, which is Vi compatible.
1881 *cpo-n*
1882 n When included, the column used for 'number' will also
1883 be used for text of wrapped lines.
1884 *cpo-o*
1885 o Line offset to search command is not remembered for
1886 next search.
1887 *cpo-O*
1888 O Don't complain if a file is being overwritten, even
1889 when it didn't exist when editing it. This is a
1890 protection against a file unexpectedly created by
1891 someone else. Vi didn't complain about this.
1892 *cpo-p*
1893 p Vi compatible Lisp indenting. When not present, a
1894 slightly better algorithm is used.
1895 *cpo-P*
1896 P When included, a ":write" command that appends to a
1897 file will set the file name for the current buffer, if
1898 the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet and
1899 the 'F' flag is also included |cpo-F|.
1900 *cpo-q*
1901 q When joining multiple lines leave the cursor at the
1902 position where it would be when joining two lines.
1903 *cpo-r*
1904 r Redo ("." command) uses "/" to repeat a search
1905 command, instead of the actually used search string.
1906 *cpo-R*
1907 R Remove marks from filtered lines. Without this flag
1908 marks are kept like |:keepmarks| was used.
1909 *cpo-s*
1910 s Set buffer options when entering the buffer for the
1911 first time. This is like it is in Vim version 3.0.
1912 And it is the default. If not present the options are
1913 set when the buffer is created.
1914 *cpo-S*
1915 S Set buffer options always when entering a buffer
1916 (except 'readonly', 'fileformat', 'filetype' and
1917 'syntax'). This is the (most) Vi compatible setting.
1918 The options are set to the values in the current
1919 buffer. When you change an option and go to another
1920 buffer, the value is copied. Effectively makes the
1921 buffer options global to all buffers.
1923 's' 'S' copy buffer options
1924 no no when buffer created
1925 yes no when buffer first entered (default)
1926 X yes each time when buffer entered (vi comp.)
1927 *cpo-t*
1928 t Search pattern for the tag command is remembered for
1929 "n" command. Otherwise Vim only puts the pattern in
1930 the history for search pattern, but doesn't change the
1931 last used search pattern.
1932 *cpo-u*
1933 u Undo is Vi compatible. See |undo-two-ways|.
1934 *cpo-v*
1935 v Backspaced characters remain visible on the screen in
1936 Insert mode. Without this flag the characters are
1937 erased from the screen right away. With this flag the
1938 screen newly typed text overwrites backspaced
1939 characters.
1940 *cpo-w*
1941 w When using "cw" on a blank character, only change one
1942 character and not all blanks until the start of the
1943 next word.
1944 *cpo-W*
1945 W Don't overwrite a readonly file. When omitted, ":w!"
1946 overwrites a readonly file, if possible.
1947 *cpo-x*
1948 x <Esc> on the command-line executes the command-line.
1949 The default in Vim is to abandon the command-line,
1950 because <Esc> normally aborts a command. |c_<Esc>|
1951 *cpo-X*
1952 X When using a count with "R" the replaced text is
1953 deleted only once. Also when repeating "R" with "."
1954 and a count.
1955 *cpo-y*
1956 y A yank command can be redone with ".".
1957 *cpo-Z*
1958 Z When using "w!" while the 'readonly' option is set,
1959 don't reset 'readonly'.
1960 *cpo-!*
1961 ! When redoing a filter command, use the last used
1962 external command, whatever it was. Otherwise the last
1963 used -filter- command is used.
1964 *cpo-$*
1965 $ When making a change to one line, don't redisplay the
1966 line, but put a '$' at the end of the changed text.
1967 The changed text will be overwritten when you type the
1968 new text. The line is redisplayed if you type any
1969 command that moves the cursor from the insertion
1970 point.
1971 *cpo-%*
1972 % Vi-compatible matching is done for the "%" command.
1973 Does not recognize "#if", "#endif", etc.
1974 Does not recognize "/*" and "*/".
1975 Parens inside single and double quotes are also
1976 counted, causing a string that contains a paren to
1977 disturb the matching. For example, in a line like
1978 "if (strcmp("foo(", s))" the first paren does not
1979 match the last one. When this flag is not included,
1980 parens inside single and double quotes are treated
1981 specially. When matching a paren outside of quotes,
1982 everything inside quotes is ignored. When matching a
1983 paren inside quotes, it will find the matching one (if
1984 there is one). This works very well for C programs.
1985 This flag is also used for other features, such as
1986 C-indenting.
1987 *cpo--*
1988 - When included, a vertical movement command fails when
1989 it would go above the first line or below the last
1990 line. Without it the cursor moves to the first or
1991 last line, unless it already was in that line.
1992 Applies to the commands "-", "k", CTRL-P, "+", "j",
1993 CTRL-N, CTRL-J and ":1234".
1994 *cpo-+*
1995 + When included, a ":write file" command will reset the
1996 'modified' flag of the buffer, even though the buffer
1997 itself may still be different from its file.
1998 *cpo-star*
1999 * Use ":*" in the same way as ":@". When not included,
2000 ":*" is an alias for ":'<,'>", select the Visual area.
2001 *cpo-<*
2002 < Disable the recognition of special key codes in |<>|
2003 form in mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of
2004 menu commands. For example, the command
2005 ":map X <Tab>" results in X being mapped to:
2006 '<' included: "<Tab>" (5 characters)
2007 '<' excluded: "^I" (^I is a real <Tab>)
2008 Also see the 'k' flag above.
2009 *cpo->*
2010 > When appending to a register, put a line break before
2011 the appended text.
2013 POSIX flags. These are not included in the Vi default value, except
2014 when $VIM_POSIX was set on startup. |posix|
2016 contains behavior ~
2017 *cpo-#*
2018 # A count before "D", "o" and "O" has no effect.
2019 *cpo-&*
2020 & When ":preserve" was used keep the swap file when
2021 exiting normally while this buffer is still loaded.
2022 This flag is tested when exiting.
2023 *cpo-\*
2024 \ Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
2025 literally, only "\]" is special See |/[]|
2026 '\' included: "/[ \-]" finds <Space>, '\' and '-'
2027 '\' excluded: "/[ \-]" finds <Space> and '-'
2028 Also see |cpo-l|.
2029 *cpo-/*
2030 / When "%" is used as the replacement string in a |:s|
2031 command, use the previous replacement string. |:s%|
2032 *cpo-{*
2033 { The |{| and |}| commands also stop at a "{" character
2034 at the start of a line.
2035 *cpo-.*
2036 . The ":chdir" and ":cd" commands fail if the current
2037 buffer is modified, unless ! is used. Vim doesn't
2038 need this, since it remembers the full path of an
2039 opened file.
2040 *cpo-bar*
2041 | The value of the $LINES and $COLUMNS environment
2042 variables overrule the terminal size values obtained
2043 with system specific functions.
2046 *'cscopepathcomp'* *'cspc'*
2047 'cscopepathcomp' 'cspc' number (default 0)
2048 global
2049 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2050 feature}
2051 {not in Vi}
2052 Determines how many components of the path to show in a list of tags.
2053 See |cscopepathcomp|.
2055 *'cscopeprg'* *'csprg'*
2056 'cscopeprg' 'csprg' string (default "cscope")
2057 global
2058 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2059 feature}
2060 {not in Vi}
2061 Specifies the command to execute cscope. See |cscopeprg|.
2062 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2063 security reasons.
2065 *'cscopequickfix'* *'csqf'*
2066 'cscopequickfix' 'csqf' string (default "")
2067 global
2068 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2069 or |+quickfix| features}
2070 {not in Vi}
2071 Specifies whether to use quickfix window to show cscope results.
2072 See |cscopequickfix|.
2074 *'cscopetag'* *'cst'* *'nocscopetag'* *'nocst'*
2075 'cscopetag' 'cst' boolean (default off)
2076 global
2077 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2078 feature}
2079 {not in Vi}
2080 Use cscope for tag commands. See |cscope-options|.
2081 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2083 *'cscopetagorder'* *'csto'*
2084 'cscopetagorder' 'csto' number (default 0)
2085 global
2086 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2087 feature}
2088 {not in Vi}
2089 Determines the order in which ":cstag" performs a search. See
2090 |cscopetagorder|.
2091 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
2093 *'cscopeverbose'* *'csverb'*
2094 *'nocscopeverbose'* *'nocsverb'*
2095 'cscopeverbose' 'csverb' boolean (default off)
2096 global
2097 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2098 feature}
2099 {not in Vi}
2100 Give messages when adding a cscope database. See |cscopeverbose|.
2101 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2104 *'cursorcolumn'* *'cuc'* *'nocursorcolumn'* *'nocuc'*
2105 'cursorcolumn' 'cuc' boolean (default off)
2106 local to window
2107 {not in Vi}
2108 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2109 feature}
2110 Highlight the screen column of the cursor with CursorColumn
2111 |hl-CursorColumn|. Useful to align text. Will make screen redrawing
2112 slower.
2113 If you only want the highlighting in the current window you can use
2114 these autocommands: >
2115 au WinLeave * set nocursorline nocursorcolumn
2116 au WinEnter * set cursorline cursorcolumn
2117 <
2119 *'cursorline'* *'cul'* *'nocursorline'* *'nocul'*
2120 'cursorline' 'cul' boolean (default off)
2121 local to window
2122 {not in Vi}
2123 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2124 feature}
2125 Highlight the screen line of the cursor with CursorLine
2126 |hl-CursorLine|. Useful to easily spot the cursor. Will make screen
2127 redrawing slower.
2128 When Visual mode is active the highlighting isn't used to make it
2129 easier to see the selected text.
2132 *'debug'*
2133 'debug' string (default "")
2134 global
2135 {not in Vi}
2136 These values can be used:
2137 msg Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2138 anyway.
2139 throw Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2140 anyway and also throw an exception and set |v:errmsg|.
2141 beep A message will be given when otherwise only a beep would be
2142 produced.
2143 The values can be combined, separated by a comma.
2144 "msg" and "throw" are useful for debugging 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr' or
2145 'indentexpr'.
2147 *'define'* *'def'*
2148 'define' 'def' string (default "^\s*#\s*define")
2149 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2150 {not in Vi}
2151 Pattern to be used to find a macro definition. It is a search
2152 pattern, just like for the "/" command. This option is used for the
2153 commands like "[i" and "[d" |include-search|. The 'isident' option is
2154 used to recognize the defined name after the match:
2155 {match with 'define'}{non-ID chars}{defined name}{non-ID char}
2156 See |option-backslash| about inserting backslashes to include a space
2157 or backslash.
2158 The default value is for C programs. For C++ this value would be
2159 useful, to include const type declarations: >
2160 ^\(#\s*define\|[a-z]*\s*const\s*[a-z]*\)
2161 < When using the ":set" command, you need to double the backslashes!
2163 *'delcombine'* *'deco'* *'nodelcombine'* *'nodeco'*
2164 'delcombine' 'deco' boolean (default off)
2165 global
2166 {not in Vi}
2167 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2168 feature}
2169 If editing Unicode and this option is set, backspace and Normal mode
2170 "x" delete each combining character on its own. When it is off (the
2171 default) the character along with its combining characters are
2172 deleted.
2173 Note: When 'delcombine' is set "xx" may work different from "2x"!
2175 This is useful for Arabic, Hebrew and many other languages where one
2176 may have combining characters overtop of base characters, and want
2177 to remove only the combining ones.
2179 *'dictionary'* *'dict'*
2180 'dictionary' 'dict' string (default "")
2181 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2182 {not in Vi}
2183 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
2184 for keyword completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|. Each file should
2185 contain a list of words. This can be one word per line, or several
2186 words per line, separated by non-keyword characters (white space is
2187 preferred). Maximum line length is 510 bytes.
2188 When this option is empty, or an entry "spell" is present, spell
2189 checking is enabled the currently active spelling is used. |spell|
2190 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
2191 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
2192 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
2193 This has nothing to do with the |Dictionary| variable type.
2194 Where to find a list of words?
2195 - On FreeBSD, there is the file "/usr/share/dict/words".
2196 - In the Simtel archive, look in the "msdos/linguist" directory.
2197 - In "miscfiles" of the GNU collection.
2198 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2199 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2200 uses another default.
2201 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
2203 *'diff'* *'nodiff'*
2204 'diff' boolean (default off)
2205 local to window
2206 {not in Vi}
2207 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2208 feature}
2209 Join the current window in the group of windows that shows differences
2210 between files. See |vimdiff|.
2212 *'dex'* *'diffexpr'*
2213 'diffexpr' 'dex' string (default "")
2214 global
2215 {not in Vi}
2216 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2217 feature}
2218 Expression which is evaluated to obtain an ed-style diff file from two
2219 versions of a file. See |diff-diffexpr|.
2220 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2221 security reasons.
2223 *'dip'* *'diffopt'*
2224 'diffopt' 'dip' string (default "filler")
2225 global
2226 {not in Vi}
2227 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2228 feature}
2229 Option settings for diff mode. It can consist of the following items.
2230 All are optional. Items must be separated by a comma.
2232 filler Show filler lines, to keep the text
2233 synchronized with a window that has inserted
2234 lines at the same position. Mostly useful
2235 when windows are side-by-side and 'scrollbind'
2236 is set.
2238 context:{n} Use a context of {n} lines between a change
2239 and a fold that contains unchanged lines.
2240 When omitted a context of six lines is used.
2241 See |fold-diff|.
2243 icase Ignore changes in case of text. "a" and "A"
2244 are considered the same. Adds the "-i" flag
2245 to the "diff" command if 'diffexpr' is empty.
2247 iwhite Ignore changes in amount of white space. Adds
2248 the "-b" flag to the "diff" command if
2249 'diffexpr' is empty. Check the documentation
2250 of the "diff" command for what this does
2251 exactly. It should ignore adding trailing
2252 white space, but not leading white space.
2254 horizontal Start diff mode with horizontal splits (unless
2255 explicitly specified otherwise).
2257 vertical Start diff mode with vertical splits (unless
2258 explicitly specified otherwise).
2260 foldcolumn:{n} Set the 'foldcolumn' option to {n} when
2261 starting diff mode. Without this 2 is used.
2263 Examples: >
2265 :set diffopt=filler,context:4
2266 :set diffopt=
2267 :set diffopt=filler,foldcolumn:3
2268 <
2269 *'digraph'* *'dg'* *'nodigraph'* *'nodg'*
2270 'digraph' 'dg' boolean (default off)
2271 global
2272 {not in Vi}
2273 {not available when compiled without the |+digraphs|
2274 feature}
2275 Enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode with {char1} <BS>
2276 {char2}. See |digraphs|.
2277 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2279 *'directory'* *'dir'*
2280 'directory' 'dir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
2281 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:\tmp,c:\temp"
2282 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,/var/tmp,/tmp")
2283 global
2284 List of directory names for the swap file, separated with commas.
2285 - The swap file will be created in the first directory where this is
2286 possible.
2287 - Empty means that no swap file will be used (recovery is
2288 impossible!).
2289 - A directory "." means to put the swap file in the same directory as
2290 the edited file. On Unix, a dot is prepended to the file name, so
2291 it doesn't show in a directory listing. On MS-Windows the "hidden"
2292 attribute is set and a dot prepended if possible.
2293 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
2294 put the swap file relative to where the edited file is. The leading
2295 "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
2296 - For Unix and Win32, if a directory ends in two path separators "//"
2297 or "\\", the swap file name will be built from the complete path to
2298 the file with all path separators substituted to percent '%' signs.
2299 This will ensure file name uniqueness in the preserve directory.
2300 On Win32, when a separating comma is following, you must use "//",
2301 since "\\" will include the comma in the file name.
2302 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
2303 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
2304 name, precede it with a backslash.
2305 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
2306 - A directory name may end in an ':' or '/'.
2307 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2308 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
2309 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
2310 :set dir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
2311 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
2312 of the option is removed.
2313 Using "." first in the list is recommended. This means that editing
2314 the same file twice will result in a warning. Using "/tmp" on Unix is
2315 discouraged: When the system crashes you lose the swap file.
2316 "/var/tmp" is often not cleared when rebooting, thus is a better
2317 choice than "/tmp". But it can contain a lot of files, your swap
2318 files get lost in the crowd. That is why a "tmp" directory in your
2319 home directory is tried first.
2320 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2321 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2322 uses another default.
2323 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2324 security reasons.
2325 {Vi: directory to put temp file in, defaults to "/tmp"}
2327 *'display'* *'dy'*
2328 'display' 'dy' string (default "")
2329 global
2330 {not in Vi}
2331 Change the way text is displayed. This is comma separated list of
2332 flags:
2333 lastline When included, as much as possible of the last line
2334 in a window will be displayed. When not included, a
2335 last line that doesn't fit is replaced with "@" lines.
2336 uhex Show unprintable characters hexadecimal as <xx>
2337 instead of using ^C and ~C.
2339 *'eadirection'* *'ead'*
2340 'eadirection' 'ead' string (default "both")
2341 global
2342 {not in Vi}
2343 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
2344 feature}
2345 Tells when the 'equalalways' option applies:
2346 ver vertically, width of windows is not affected
2347 hor horizontally, height of windows is not affected
2348 both width and height of windows is affected
2350 *'ed'* *'edcompatible'* *'noed'* *'noedcompatible'*
2351 'edcompatible' 'ed' boolean (default off)
2352 global
2353 Makes the 'g' and 'c' flags of the ":substitute" command to be
2354 toggled each time the flag is given. See |complex-change|. See
2355 also 'gdefault' option.
2356 Switching this option on is discouraged!
2358 *'encoding'* *'enc'* *E543*
2359 'encoding' 'enc' string (default: "latin1" or value from $LANG)
2360 global
2361 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2362 feature}
2363 {not in Vi}
2364 Sets the character encoding used inside Vim. It applies to text in
2365 the buffers, registers, Strings in expressions, text stored in the
2366 viminfo file, etc. It sets the kind of characters which Vim can work
2367 with. See |encoding-names| for the possible values.
2369 NOTE: Changing this option will not change the encoding of the
2370 existing text in Vim. It may cause non-ASCII text to become invalid.
2371 It should normally be kept at its default value, or set when Vim
2372 starts up. See |multibyte|. To reload the menus see |:menutrans|.
2374 NOTE: For MacVim and GTK+ 2 it is highly recommended to set 'encoding'
2375 to "utf-8". Although care has been taken to allow different values of
2376 'encoding', "utf-8" is the natural choice for the environment and
2377 avoids unnecessary conversion overhead. "utf-8" has not been made
2378 the default to prevent different behavior of the GUI and terminal
2379 versions, and to avoid changing the encoding of newly created files
2380 without your knowledge (in case 'fileencodings' is empty).
2382 The character encoding of files can be different from 'encoding'.
2383 This is specified with 'fileencoding'. The conversion is done with
2384 iconv() or as specified with 'charconvert'.
2386 Normally 'encoding' will be equal to your current locale. This will
2387 be the default if Vim recognizes your environment settings. If
2388 'encoding' is not set to the current locale, 'termencoding' must be
2389 set to convert typed and displayed text. See |encoding-table|.
2391 When you set this option, it fires the |EncodingChanged| autocommand
2392 event so that you can set up fonts if necessary.
2394 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2395 you can set it with uppercase values too. Underscores are translated
2396 to '-' signs.
2397 When the encoding is recognized, it is changed to the standard name.
2398 For example "Latin-1" becomes "latin1", "ISO_88592" becomes
2399 "iso-8859-2" and "utf8" becomes "utf-8".
2401 Note: "latin1" is also used when the encoding could not be detected.
2402 This only works when editing files in the same encoding! When the
2403 actual character set is not latin1, make sure 'fileencoding' and
2404 'fileencodings' are empty. When conversion is needed, switch to using
2405 utf-8.
2407 When "unicode", "ucs-2" or "ucs-4" is used, Vim internally uses utf-8.
2408 You don't notice this while editing, but it does matter for the
2409 |viminfo-file|. And Vim expects the terminal to use utf-8 too. Thus
2410 setting 'encoding' to one of these values instead of utf-8 only has
2411 effect for encoding used for files when 'fileencoding' is empty.
2413 When 'encoding' is set to a Unicode encoding, and 'fileencodings' was
2414 not set yet, the default for 'fileencodings' is changed.
2416 *'endofline'* *'eol'* *'noendofline'* *'noeol'*
2417 'endofline' 'eol' boolean (default on)
2418 local to buffer
2419 {not in Vi}
2420 When writing a file and this option is off and the 'binary' option
2421 is on, no <EOL> will be written for the last line in the file. This
2422 option is automatically set when starting to edit a new file, unless
2423 the file does not have an <EOL> for the last line in the file, in
2424 which case it is reset. Normally you don't have to set or reset this
2425 option. When 'binary' is off the value is not used when writing the
2426 file. When 'binary' is on it is used to remember the presence of a
2427 <EOL> for the last line in the file, so that when you write the file
2428 the situation from the original file can be kept. But you can change
2429 it if you want to.
2431 *'equalalways'* *'ea'* *'noequalalways'* *'noea'*
2432 'equalalways' 'ea' boolean (default on)
2433 global
2434 {not in Vi}
2435 When on, all the windows are automatically made the same size after
2436 splitting or closing a window. This also happens the moment the
2437 option is switched on. When off, splitting a window will reduce the
2438 size of the current window and leave the other windows the same. When
2439 closing a window the extra lines are given to the window next to it
2440 (depending on 'splitbelow' and 'splitright').
2441 When mixing vertically and horizontally split windows, a minimal size
2442 is computed and some windows may be larger if there is room. The
2443 'eadirection' option tells in which direction the size is affected.
2444 Changing the height and width of a window can be avoided by setting
2445 'winfixheight' and 'winfixwidth', respectively.
2447 *'equalprg'* *'ep'*
2448 'equalprg' 'ep' string (default "")
2449 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2450 {not in Vi}
2451 External program to use for "=" command. When this option is empty
2452 the internal formatting functions are used; either 'lisp', 'cindent'
2453 or 'indentexpr'.
2454 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
2455 about including spaces and backslashes.
2456 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2457 security reasons.
2459 *'errorbells'* *'eb'* *'noerrorbells'* *'noeb'*
2460 'errorbells' 'eb' boolean (default off)
2461 global
2462 Ring the bell (beep or screen flash) for error messages. This only
2463 makes a difference for error messages, the bell will be used always
2464 for a lot of errors without a message (e.g., hitting <Esc> in Normal
2465 mode). See 'visualbell' on how to make the bell behave like a beep,
2466 screen flash or do nothing.
2468 *'errorfile'* *'ef'*
2469 'errorfile' 'ef' string (Amiga default: "AztecC.Err",
2470 others: "errors.err")
2471 global
2472 {not in Vi}
2473 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2474 feature}
2475 Name of the errorfile for the QuickFix mode (see |:cf|).
2476 When the "-q" command-line argument is used, 'errorfile' is set to the
2477 following argument. See |-q|.
2478 NOT used for the ":make" command. See 'makeef' for that.
2479 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2480 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
2481 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2482 security reasons.
2484 *'errorformat'* *'efm'*
2485 'errorformat' 'efm' string (default is very long)
2486 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2487 {not in Vi}
2488 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2489 feature}
2490 Scanf-like description of the format for the lines in the error file
2491 (see |errorformat|).
2493 *'esckeys'* *'ek'* *'noesckeys'* *'noek'*
2494 'esckeys' 'ek' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
2495 global
2496 {not in Vi}
2497 Function keys that start with an <Esc> are recognized in Insert
2498 mode. When this option is off, the cursor and function keys cannot be
2499 used in Insert mode if they start with an <Esc>. The advantage of
2500 this is that the single <Esc> is recognized immediately, instead of
2501 after one second. Instead of resetting this option, you might want to
2502 try changing the values for 'timeoutlen' and 'ttimeoutlen'. Note that
2503 when 'esckeys' is off, you can still map anything, but the cursor keys
2504 won't work by default.
2505 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2506 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2508 *'eventignore'* *'ei'*
2509 'eventignore' 'ei' string (default "")
2510 global
2511 {not in Vi}
2512 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2513 feature}
2514 A list of autocommand event names, which are to be ignored.
2515 When set to "all" or when "all" is one of the items, all autocommand
2516 events are ignored, autocommands will not be executed.
2517 Otherwise this is a comma separated list of event names. Example: >
2518 :set ei=WinEnter,WinLeave
2519 <
2520 *'expandtab'* *'et'* *'noexpandtab'* *'noet'*
2521 'expandtab' 'et' boolean (default off)
2522 local to buffer
2523 {not in Vi}
2524 In Insert mode: Use the appropriate number of spaces to insert a
2525 <Tab>. Spaces are used in indents with the '>' and '<' commands and
2526 when 'autoindent' is on. To insert a real tab when 'expandtab' is
2527 on, use CTRL-V<Tab>. See also |:retab| and |ins-expandtab|.
2528 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2530 *'exrc'* *'ex'* *'noexrc'* *'noex'*
2531 'exrc' 'ex' boolean (default off)
2532 global
2533 {not in Vi}
2534 Enables the reading of .vimrc, .exrc and .gvimrc in the current
2535 directory. If you switch this option on you should also consider
2536 setting the 'secure' option (see |initialization|). Using a local
2537 .exrc, .vimrc or .gvimrc is a potential security leak, use with care!
2538 also see |.vimrc| and |gui-init|.
2539 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2540 security reasons.
2542 *'fileencoding'* *'fenc'* *E213*
2543 'fileencoding' 'fenc' string (default: "")
2544 local to buffer
2545 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2546 feature}
2547 {not in Vi}
2548 Sets the character encoding for the file of this buffer.
2549 When 'fileencoding' is different from 'encoding', conversion will be
2550 done when reading and writing the file.
2551 When 'fileencoding' is empty, the same value as 'encoding' will be
2552 used (no conversion when reading or writing a file).
2553 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2554 'encoding' is "utf-8" conversion is most likely done in a way
2555 that the reverse conversion results in the same text. When
2556 'encoding' is not "utf-8" some characters may be lost!
2557 See 'encoding' for the possible values. Additionally, values may be
2558 specified that can be handled by the converter, see
2559 |mbyte-conversion|.
2560 When reading a file 'fileencoding' will be set from 'fileencodings'.
2561 To read a file in a certain encoding it won't work by setting
2562 'fileencoding', use the |++enc| argument. One exception: when
2563 'fileencodings' is empty the value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2564 For a new file the global value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2565 Prepending "8bit-" and "2byte-" has no meaning here, they are ignored.
2566 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2567 you can set it with uppercase values too. '_' characters are
2568 replaced with '-'. If a name is recognized from the list for
2569 'encoding', it is replaced by the standard name. For example
2570 "ISO8859-2" becomes "iso-8859-2".
2571 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2572 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2573 If you do this in a modeline, you might want to set 'nomodified' to
2574 avoid this.
2575 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2577 *'fe'*
2578 NOTE: Before version 6.0 this option specified the encoding for the
2579 whole of Vim, this was a mistake. Now use 'encoding' instead. The
2580 old short name was 'fe', which is no longer used.
2582 *'fileencodings'* *'fencs'*
2583 'fileencodings' 'fencs' string (default: "ucs-bom",
2584 "ucs-bom,utf-8,default,latin1" when
2585 'encoding' is set to a Unicode value)
2586 global
2587 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2588 feature}
2589 {not in Vi}
2590 This is a list of character encodings considered when starting to edit
2591 an existing file. When a file is read, Vim tries to use the first
2592 mentioned character encoding. If an error is detected, the next one
2593 in the list is tried. When an encoding is found that works,
2594 'fileencoding' is set to it. If all fail, 'fileencoding' is set to
2595 an empty string, which means the value of 'encoding' is used.
2596 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2597 'encoding' is "utf-8" (or one of the other Unicode variants)
2598 conversion is most likely done in a way that the reverse
2599 conversion results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not
2600 "utf-8" some non-ASCII characters may be lost! You can use
2601 the |++bad| argument to specify what is done with characters
2602 that can't be converted.
2603 For an empty file or a file with only ASCII characters most encodings
2604 will work and the first entry of 'fileencodings' will be used (except
2605 "ucs-bom", which requires the BOM to be present). If you prefer
2606 another encoding use an BufReadPost autocommand event to test if your
2607 preferred encoding is to be used. Example: >
2608 au BufReadPost * if search('\S', 'w') == 0 |
2609 \ set fenc=iso-2022-jp | endif
2610 < This sets 'fileencoding' to "iso-2022-jp" if the file does not contain
2611 non-blank characters.
2612 When the |++enc| argument is used then the value of 'fileencodings' is
2613 not used.
2614 Note that 'fileencodings' is not used for a new file, the global value
2615 of 'fileencoding' is used instead. You can set it with: >
2616 :setglobal fenc=iso-8859-2
2617 < This means that a non-existing file may get a different encoding than
2618 an empty file.
2619 The special value "ucs-bom" can be used to check for a Unicode BOM
2620 (Byte Order Mark) at the start of the file. It must not be preceded
2621 by "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding for this to work properly.
2622 An entry for an 8-bit encoding (e.g., "latin1") should be the last,
2623 because Vim cannot detect an error, thus the encoding is always
2624 accepted.
2625 The special value "default" can be used for the encoding from the
2626 environment. This is the default value for 'encoding'. It is useful
2627 when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and your environment uses a
2628 non-latin1 encoding, such as Russian.
2629 When 'encoding' is "utf-8" and a file contains an illegal byte
2630 sequence it won't be recognized as UTF-8. You can use the |8g8|
2631 command to find the illegal byte sequence.
2632 WRONG VALUES: WHAT'S WRONG:
2633 latin1,utf-8 "latin1" will always be used
2634 utf-8,ucs-bom,latin1 BOM won't be recognized in an utf-8
2635 file
2636 cp1250,latin1 "cp1250" will always be used
2637 If 'fileencodings' is empty, 'fileencoding' is not modified.
2638 See 'fileencoding' for the possible values.
2639 Setting this option does not have an effect until the next time a file
2640 is read.
2642 *'fileformat'* *'ff'*
2643 'fileformat' 'ff' string (MS-DOS, MS-Windows, OS/2 default: "dos",
2644 Unix default: "unix",
2645 Macintosh default: "mac")
2646 local to buffer
2647 {not in Vi}
2648 This gives the <EOL> of the current buffer, which is used for
2649 reading/writing the buffer from/to a file:
2650 dos <CR> <NL>
2651 unix <NL>
2652 mac <CR>
2653 When "dos" is used, CTRL-Z at the end of a file is ignored.
2654 See |file-formats| and |file-read|.
2655 For the character encoding of the file see 'fileencoding'.
2656 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformat' is ignored, file I/O
2657 works like it was set to "unix'.
2658 This option is set automatically when starting to edit a file and
2659 'fileformats' is not empty and 'binary' is off.
2660 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2661 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2662 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2663 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to "dos",
2664 'textmode' is set, otherwise 'textmode' is reset.
2666 *'fileformats'* *'ffs'*
2667 'fileformats' 'ffs' string (default:
2668 Vim+Vi MS-DOS, MS-Windows OS/2: "dos,unix",
2669 Vim Unix: "unix,dos",
2670 Vim Mac: "mac,unix,dos",
2671 Vi Cygwin: "unix,dos",
2672 Vi others: "")
2673 global
2674 {not in Vi}
2675 This gives the end-of-line (<EOL>) formats that will be tried when
2676 starting to edit a new buffer and when reading a file into an existing
2677 buffer:
2678 - When empty, the format defined with 'fileformat' will be used
2679 always. It is not set automatically.
2680 - When set to one name, that format will be used whenever a new buffer
2681 is opened. 'fileformat' is set accordingly for that buffer. The
2682 'fileformats' name will be used when a file is read into an existing
2683 buffer, no matter what 'fileformat' for that buffer is set to.
2684 - When more than one name is present, separated by commas, automatic
2685 <EOL> detection will be done when reading a file. When starting to
2686 edit a file, a check is done for the <EOL>:
2687 1. If all lines end in <CR><NL>, and 'fileformats' includes "dos",
2688 'fileformat' is set to "dos".
2689 2. If a <NL> is found and 'fileformats' includes "unix", 'fileformat'
2690 is set to "unix". Note that when a <NL> is found without a
2691 preceding <CR>, "unix" is preferred over "dos".
2692 3. If 'fileformats' includes "mac", 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2693 This means that "mac" is only chosen when "unix" is not present,
2694 or when no <NL> is found in the file, and when "dos" is not
2695 present, or no <CR><NL> is present in the file.
2696 Also if "unix" was first chosen, but the first <CR> is before
2697 the first <NL> and there appears to be more <CR>'s than <NL>'s in
2698 the file, then 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2699 4. If 'fileformat' is still not set, the first name from
2700 'fileformats' is used.
2701 When reading a file into an existing buffer, the same is done, but
2702 this happens like 'fileformat' has been set appropriately for that
2703 file only, the option is not changed.
2704 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformats' is not used.
2706 For systems with a Dos-like <EOL> (<CR><NL>), when reading files that
2707 are ":source"ed and for vimrc files, automatic <EOL> detection may be
2708 done:
2709 - When 'fileformats' is empty, there is no automatic detection. Dos
2710 format will be used.
2711 - When 'fileformats' is set to one or more names, automatic detection
2712 is done. This is based on the first <NL> in the file: If there is a
2713 <CR> in front of it, Dos format is used, otherwise Unix format is
2714 used.
2715 Also see |file-formats|.
2716 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to an empty
2717 string or one format (no comma is included), 'textauto' is reset,
2718 otherwise 'textauto' is set.
2719 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2720 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2722 *'filetype'* *'ft'*
2723 'filetype' 'ft' string (default: "")
2724 local to buffer
2725 {not in Vi}
2726 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2727 feature}
2728 When this option is set, the FileType autocommand event is triggered.
2729 All autocommands that match with the value of this option will be
2730 executed. Thus the value of 'filetype' is used in place of the file
2731 name.
2732 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current file type.
2733 This option is normally set when the file type is detected. To enable
2734 this use the ":filetype on" command. |:filetype|
2735 Setting this option to a different value is most useful in a modeline,
2736 for a file for which the file type is not automatically recognized.
2737 Example, for in an IDL file:
2738 /* vim: set filetype=idl : */ ~
2739 |FileType| |filetypes|
2740 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
2741 names. Example:
2742 /* vim: set filetype=c.doxygen : */ ~
2743 This will use the "c" filetype first, then the "doxygen" filetype.
2744 This works both for filetype plugins and for syntax files. More than
2745 one dot may appear.
2746 Do not confuse this option with 'osfiletype', which is for the file
2747 type that is actually stored with the file.
2748 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
2749 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
2750 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
2752 *'fillchars'* *'fcs'*
2753 'fillchars' 'fcs' string (default "vert:|,fold:-")
2754 global
2755 {not in Vi}
2756 {not available when compiled without the |+windows|
2757 and |+folding| features}
2758 Characters to fill the statuslines and vertical separators.
2759 It is a comma separated list of items:
2761 item default Used for ~
2762 stl:c ' ' or '^' statusline of the current window
2763 stlnc:c ' ' or '-' statusline of the non-current windows
2764 vert:c '|' vertical separators |:vsplit|
2765 fold:c '-' filling 'foldtext'
2766 diff:c '-' deleted lines of the 'diff' option
2768 Any one that is omitted will fall back to the default. For "stl" and
2769 "stlnc" the space will be used when there is highlighting, '^' or '-'
2770 otherwise.
2772 Example: >
2773 :set fillchars=stl:^,stlnc:-,vert:\|,fold:-,diff:-
2774 < This is similar to the default, except that these characters will also
2775 be used when there is highlighting.
2777 for "stl" and "stlnc" only single-byte values are supported.
2779 The highlighting used for these items:
2780 item highlight group ~
2781 stl:c StatusLine |hl-StatusLine|
2782 stlnc:c StatusLineNC |hl-StatusLineNC|
2783 vert:c VertSplit |hl-VertSplit|
2784 fold:c Folded |hl-Folded|
2785 diff:c DiffDelete |hl-DiffDelete|
2787 *'fkmap'* *'fk'* *'nofkmap'* *'nofk'*
2788 'fkmap' 'fk' boolean (default off) *E198*
2789 global
2790 {not in Vi}
2791 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
2792 feature}
2793 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Farsi character set.
2794 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
2795 toggle this option |i_CTRL-_|. See |farsi.txt|.
2797 *'foldclose'* *'fcl'*
2798 'foldclose' 'fcl' string (default "")
2799 global
2800 {not in Vi}
2801 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2802 feature}
2803 When set to "all", a fold is closed when the cursor isn't in it and
2804 its level is higher than 'foldlevel'. Useful if you want folds to
2805 automatically close when moving out of them.
2807 *'foldcolumn'* *'fdc'*
2808 'foldcolumn' 'fdc' number (default 0)
2809 local to window
2810 {not in Vi}
2811 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2812 feature}
2813 When non-zero, a column with the specified width is shown at the side
2814 of the window which indicates open and closed folds. The maximum
2815 value is 12.
2816 See |folding|.
2818 *'foldenable'* *'fen'* *'nofoldenable'* *'nofen'*
2819 'foldenable' 'fen' boolean (default on)
2820 local to window
2821 {not in Vi}
2822 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2823 feature}
2824 When off, all folds are open. This option can be used to quickly
2825 switch between showing all text unfolded and viewing the text with
2826 folds (including manually opened or closed folds). It can be toggled
2827 with the |zi| command. The 'foldcolumn' will remain blank when
2828 'foldenable' is off.
2829 This option is set by commands that create a new fold or close a fold.
2830 See |folding|.
2832 *'foldexpr'* *'fde'*
2833 'foldexpr' 'fde' string (default: "0")
2834 local to window
2835 {not in Vi}
2836 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2837 or |+eval| feature}
2838 The expression used for when 'foldmethod' is "expr". It is evaluated
2839 for each line to obtain its fold level. See |fold-expr|.
2841 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2842 |sandbox-option|.
2844 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2845 evaluating 'foldexpr' |textlock|.
2847 *'foldignore'* *'fdi'*
2848 'foldignore' 'fdi' string (default: "#")
2849 local to window
2850 {not in Vi}
2851 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2852 feature}
2853 Used only when 'foldmethod' is "indent". Lines starting with
2854 characters in 'foldignore' will get their fold level from surrounding
2855 lines. White space is skipped before checking for this character.
2856 The default "#" works well for C programs. See |fold-indent|.
2858 *'foldlevel'* *'fdl'*
2859 'foldlevel' 'fdl' number (default: 0)
2860 local to window
2861 {not in Vi}
2862 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2863 feature}
2864 Sets the fold level: Folds with a higher level will be closed.
2865 Setting this option to zero will close all folds. Higher numbers will
2866 close fewer folds.
2867 This option is set by commands like |zm|, |zM| and |zR|.
2868 See |fold-foldlevel|.
2870 *'foldlevelstart'* *'fdls'*
2871 'foldlevelstart' 'fdls' number (default: -1)
2872 global
2873 {not in Vi}
2874 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2875 feature}
2876 Sets 'foldlevel' when starting to edit another buffer in a window.
2877 Useful to always start editing with all folds closed (value zero),
2878 some folds closed (one) or no folds closed (99).
2879 This is done before reading any modeline, thus a setting in a modeline
2880 overrules this option. Starting to edit a file for |diff-mode| also
2881 ignores this option and closes all folds.
2882 It is also done before BufReadPre autocommands, to allow an autocmd to
2883 overrule the 'foldlevel' value for specific files.
2884 When the value is negative, it is not used.
2886 *'foldmarker'* *'fmr'* *E536*
2887 'foldmarker' 'fmr' string (default: "{{{,}}}")
2888 local to window
2889 {not in Vi}
2890 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2891 feature}
2892 The start and end marker used when 'foldmethod' is "marker". There
2893 must be one comma, which separates the start and end marker. The
2894 marker is a literal string (a regular expression would be too slow).
2895 See |fold-marker|.
2897 *'foldmethod'* *'fdm'*
2898 'foldmethod' 'fdm' string (default: "manual")
2899 local to window
2900 {not in Vi}
2901 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2902 feature}
2903 The kind of folding used for the current window. Possible values:
2904 |fold-manual| manual Folds are created manually.
2905 |fold-indent| indent Lines with equal indent form a fold.
2906 |fold-expr| expr 'foldexpr' gives the fold level of a line.
2907 |fold-marker| marker Markers are used to specify folds.
2908 |fold-syntax| syntax Syntax highlighting items specify folds.
2909 |fold-diff| diff Fold text that is not changed.
2911 *'foldminlines'* *'fml'*
2912 'foldminlines' 'fml' number (default: 1)
2913 local to window
2914 {not in Vi}
2915 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2916 feature}
2917 Sets the minimum number of screen lines for a fold to be displayed
2918 closed. Also for manually closed folds.
2919 Note that this only has an effect of what is displayed. After using
2920 "zc" to close a fold, which is displayed open because it's smaller
2921 than 'foldminlines', a following "zc" may close a containing fold.
2923 *'foldnestmax'* *'fdn'*
2924 'foldnestmax' 'fdn' number (default: 20)
2925 local to window
2926 {not in Vi}
2927 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2928 feature}
2929 Sets the maximum nesting of folds for the "indent" and "syntax"
2930 methods. This avoids that too many folds will be created. Using more
2931 than 20 doesn't work, because the internal limit is 20.
2933 *'foldopen'* *'fdo'*
2934 'foldopen' 'fdo' string (default: "block,hor,mark,percent,quickfix,
2935 search,tag,undo")
2936 global
2937 {not in Vi}
2938 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2939 feature}
2940 Specifies for which type of commands folds will be opened, if the
2941 command moves the cursor into a closed fold. It is a comma separated
2942 list of items.
2943 item commands ~
2944 all any
2945 block "(", "{", "[[", "[{", etc.
2946 hor horizontal movements: "l", "w", "fx", etc.
2947 insert any command in Insert mode
2948 jump far jumps: "G", "gg", etc.
2949 mark jumping to a mark: "'m", CTRL-O, etc.
2950 percent "%"
2951 quickfix ":cn", ":crew", ":make", etc.
2952 search search for a pattern: "/", "n", "*", "gd", etc.
2953 (not for a search pattern in a ":" command)
2954 Also for |[s| and |]s|.
2955 tag jumping to a tag: ":ta", CTRL-T, etc.
2956 undo undo or redo: "u" and CTRL-R
2957 When the command is part of a mapping this option is not used. Add
2958 the |zv| command to the mapping to get the same effect.
2959 When a movement command is used for an operator (e.g., "dl" or "y%")
2960 this option is not used. This means the operator will include the
2961 whole closed fold.
2962 Note that vertical movements are not here, because it would make it
2963 very difficult to move onto a closed fold.
2964 In insert mode the folds containing the cursor will always be open
2965 when text is inserted.
2966 To close folds you can re-apply 'foldlevel' with the |zx| command or
2967 set the 'foldclose' option to "all".
2969 *'foldtext'* *'fdt'*
2970 'foldtext' 'fdt' string (default: "foldtext()")
2971 local to window
2972 {not in Vi}
2973 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2974 feature}
2975 An expression which is used to specify the text displayed for a closed
2976 fold. See |fold-foldtext|.
2978 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2979 |sandbox-option|.
2981 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2982 evaluating 'foldtext' |textlock|.
2984 *'formatoptions'* *'fo'*
2985 'formatoptions' 'fo' string (Vim default: "tcq", Vi default: "vt")
2986 local to buffer
2987 {not in Vi}
2988 This is a sequence of letters which describes how automatic
2989 formatting is to be done. See |fo-table|. When the 'paste' option is
2990 on, no formatting is done (like 'formatoptions' is empty). Commas can
2991 be inserted for readability.
2992 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
2993 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
2994 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2995 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2997 *'formatlistpat'* *'flp'*
2998 'formatlistpat' 'flp' string (default: "^\s*\d\+[\]:.)}\t ]\s*")
2999 local to buffer
3000 {not in Vi}
3001 A pattern that is used to recognize a list header. This is used for
3002 the "n" flag in 'formatoptions'.
3003 The pattern must match exactly the text that will be the indent for
3004 the line below it. You can use |/\ze| to mark the end of the match
3005 while still checking more characters. There must be a character
3006 following the pattern, when it matches the whole line it is handled
3007 like there is no match.
3008 The default recognizes a number, followed by an optional punctuation
3009 character and white space.
3011 *'formatprg'* *'fp'*
3012 'formatprg' 'fp' string (default "")
3013 global
3014 {not in Vi}
3015 The name of an external program that will be used to format the lines
3016 selected with the |gq| operator. The program must take the input on
3017 stdin and produce the output on stdout. The Unix program "fmt" is
3018 such a program.
3019 If the 'formatexpr' option is not empty it will be used instead.
3020 Otherwise, if 'formatprg' option is an empty string, the internal
3021 format function will be used |C-indenting|.
3022 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
3023 about including spaces and backslashes.
3024 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3025 |sandbox-option|.
3027 *'formatexpr'* *'fex'*
3028 'formatexpr' 'fex' string (default "")
3029 local to buffer
3030 {not in Vi}
3031 {not available when compiled without the |+eval|
3032 feature}
3033 Expression which is evaluated to format a range of lines for the |gq|
3034 operator. When this option is empty 'formatprg' is used.
3036 The |v:lnum| variable holds the first line to be formatted.
3037 The |v:count| variable holds the number of lines to be formatted.
3038 The |v:char| variable holds the character that is going to be
3039 inserted. This can be empty. Don't insert it yet!
3041 Example: >
3042 :set formatexpr=mylang#Format()
3043 < This will invoke the mylang#Format() function in the
3044 autoload/mylang.vim file in 'runtimepath'. |autoload|
3046 The expression is also evaluated when 'textwidth' is set and adding
3047 text beyond that limit. This happens under the same conditions as
3048 when internal formatting is used. Make sure the cursor is kept in the
3049 same spot relative to the text then! The |mode()| function will
3050 return "i" or "R" in this situation. When the function returns
3051 non-zero Vim will fall back to using the internal format mechanism.
3053 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3054 |sandbox-option|.
3056 *'fsync'* *'fs'* *'nofsync'* *'nofs'*
3057 'fsync' 'fs' boolean (default on)
3058 global
3059 {not in Vi}
3060 When on, the library function fsync() will be called after writing a
3061 file. This will flush a file to disk, ensuring that it is safely
3062 written even on filesystems which do metadata-only journaling. This
3063 will force the harddrive to spin up on Linux systems running in laptop
3064 mode, so it may be undesirable in some situations. Be warned that
3065 turning this off increases the chances of data loss after a crash. On
3066 systems without an fsync() implementation, this variable is always
3067 off.
3068 Also see 'swapsync' for controlling fsync() on swap files.
3070 *'fullscreen'* *'fu'* *'nofullscreen'* *'nofu'*
3071 'fullscreen' 'fu' boolean (default off)
3072 global
3073 {not in Vi}
3074 {only in MacVim GUI}
3075 When this option is set, the whole screen is covered by Vim. Screen
3076 decorations drawn by the operating system (such as the dock or the
3077 menu bar) are hidden. Most of Vim's window chrome is hidden as well
3078 (e.g. toolbar, title bar). The tab bar and scroll bars remain visible.
3079 Updates to the window position are ignored in fullscreen mode.
3081 See 'fuoptions' for how Vim resizes and colors the background when
3082 entering and leaving fullscreen mode.
3084 Note: Setting 'fullscreen' usually changes the size of the Vim
3085 control. However, for technical reasons, 'lines' and 'columns' will
3086 currently only be updated when Vim runs its event loop. As a
3087 consequence, if you set 'fullscreen' and 'lines' or 'columns' in a
3088 Vim script file, you should always set 'fullscreen' after setting
3089 'lines' and 'columns', else 'lines' and 'columns' will be overwritten
3090 with the values 'fullscreen' sets after the script has been executed
3091 and the event loop is ran again.
3093 XXX: Add fuenter/fuleave autocommands? You might want to display
3094 a NERDTree or a Tlist only in fullscreen for example. Then again, this
3095 could probably be in a sizechanged autocommand that triggers if the
3096 size is above a certain threshold.
3097 XXX: Think about how 'fullscreen' and 'transparency' should interact.
3099 *'fuoptions'* *'fuopt'*
3100 'fuoptions' 'fuopt' string (default "maxvert")
3101 global
3102 {not in Vi}
3103 {only in MacVim GUI}
3104 In fullscreen mode, most of the screen is black, only a part of the
3105 screen is covered by the actual Vim control. The control is centered.
3106 This option controls the size of the Vim control as well as the color
3107 of the unused screen area.
3108 value effect ~
3109 maxvert When entering fullscreen, 'lines' is set to the maximum number
3110 of lines fitting on the screen in fullscreen mode. When
3111 leaving fullscreen, if 'lines' is still equal to the maximized
3112 number of lines, it is restored to the value it had before
3113 entering fullscreen.
3114 maxhorz When entering fullscreen, 'columns' is set to the maximum number
3115 of columns fitting on the screen in fullscreen mode. When
3116 leaving fullscreen, if 'columns' is still equal to the maximized
3117 number of columns, it is restored to the value it had before
3118 entering fullscreen.
3119 background:color
3120 When entering fullscreen, 'color' defines the color of the part
3121 of the screen that is not occupied by the Vim control. If
3122 'color' is an 8-digit hexadecimal number preceded by '#',
3123 it is interpreted as an explicit color value '#aarrggbb', with
3124 one byte each for the alpha, red, green, and blue values.
3125 Otherwise, 'color' is interpreted as a highlight group name,
3126 and the fullscreen background is filled with that highlight
3127 group's background color, as defined by the current color
3128 scheme.
3130 Examples:
3131 Don't change size of Vim when entering fullscreen: >
3132 :set fuoptions=
3133 < Maximize Vim when entering fullscreen: >
3134 :set fuoptions=maxvert,maxhorz
3135 < Maximize Vim only vertically when entering fullscreen, and color the
3136 background dark blue: >
3137 :set fuoptions=maxvert,background:#FF003042
3138 < Don't change the size of Vim when entering fullscreen, and color the
3139 background like the current text background: >
3140 :set fuoptions=background:Normal
3141 <
3142 XXX: what if the font size is changed? you probably never want to
3143 restore the old 'lines' or 'columns' in that case.
3144 XXX: Each time the Vim window resizes (for example due to font size
3145 changes, re-maximize Vim to fullscreen?)
3146 XXX: The approach doesn't restore vertical Vim size if fu is entered
3147 without tabs and leaves with tabs (or the other way round).
3151 *'gdefault'* *'gd'* *'nogdefault'* *'nogd'*
3152 'gdefault' 'gd' boolean (default off)
3153 global
3154 {not in Vi}
3155 When on, the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on. This means that
3156 all matches in a line are substituted instead of one. When a 'g' flag
3157 is given to a ":substitute" command, this will toggle the substitution
3158 of all or one match. See |complex-change|.
3160 command 'gdefault' on 'gdefault' off ~
3161 :s/// subst. all subst. one
3162 :s///g subst. one subst. all
3163 :s///gg subst. all subst. one
3165 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3167 *'grepformat'* *'gfm'*
3168 'grepformat' 'gfm' string (default "%f:%l%m,%f %l%m")
3169 global
3170 {not in Vi}
3171 Format to recognize for the ":grep" command output.
3172 This is a scanf-like string that uses the same format as the
3173 'errorformat' option: see |errorformat|.
3175 *'grepprg'* *'gp'*
3176 'grepprg' 'gp' string (default "grep -n ",
3177 Unix: "grep -n $* /dev/null",
3178 Win32: "findstr /n" or "grep -n",
3179 VMS: "SEARCH/NUMBERS ")
3180 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3181 {not in Vi}
3182 Program to use for the |:grep| command. This option may contain '%'
3183 and '#' characters, which are expanded like when used in a command-
3184 line. The placeholder "$*" is allowed to specify where the arguments
3185 will be included. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See
3186 |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3187 When your "grep" accepts the "-H" argument, use this to make ":grep"
3188 also work well with a single file: >
3189 :set grepprg=grep\ -nH
3190 < Special value: When 'grepprg' is set to "internal" the |:grep| command
3191 works like |:vimgrep|, |:lgrep| like |:lvimgrep|, |:grepadd| like
3192 |:vimgrepadd| and |:lgrepadd| like |:lvimgrepadd|.
3193 See also the section |:make_makeprg|, since most of the comments there
3194 apply equally to 'grepprg'.
3195 For Win32, the default is "findstr /n" if "findstr.exe" can be found,
3196 otherwise it's "grep -n".
3197 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3198 security reasons.
3200 *'guicursor'* *'gcr'* *E545* *E546* *E548* *E549*
3201 'guicursor' 'gcr' string (default "n-v-c:block-Cursor/lCursor,
3202 ve:ver35-Cursor,
3203 o:hor50-Cursor,
3204 i-ci:ver25-Cursor/lCursor,
3205 r-cr:hor20-Cursor/lCursor,
3206 sm:block-Cursor
3207 -blinkwait175-blinkoff150-blinkon175",
3208 for MS-DOS and Win32 console:
3209 "n-v-c:block,o:hor50,i-ci:hor15,
3210 r-cr:hor30,sm:block")
3211 global
3212 {not in Vi}
3213 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled, and
3214 for MS-DOS and Win32 console}
3215 This option tells Vim what the cursor should look like in different
3216 modes. It fully works in the GUI. In an MSDOS or Win32 console, only
3217 the height of the cursor can be changed. This can be done by
3218 specifying a block cursor, or a percentage for a vertical or
3219 horizontal cursor.
3220 For a console the 't_SI' and 't_EI' escape sequences are used.
3222 The option is a comma separated list of parts. Each part consist of a
3223 mode-list and an argument-list:
3224 mode-list:argument-list,mode-list:argument-list,..
3225 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes:
3226 n Normal mode
3227 v Visual mode
3228 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
3229 if not specified)
3230 o Operator-pending mode
3231 i Insert mode
3232 r Replace mode
3233 c Command-line Normal (append) mode
3234 ci Command-line Insert mode
3235 cr Command-line Replace mode
3236 sm showmatch in Insert mode
3237 a all modes
3238 The argument-list is a dash separated list of these arguments:
3239 hor{N} horizontal bar, {N} percent of the character height
3240 ver{N} vertical bar, {N} percent of the character width
3241 block block cursor, fills the whole character
3242 [only one of the above three should be present]
3243 blinkwait{N} *cursor-blinking*
3244 blinkon{N}
3245 blinkoff{N}
3246 blink times for cursor: blinkwait is the delay before
3247 the cursor starts blinking, blinkon is the time that
3248 the cursor is shown and blinkoff is the time that the
3249 cursor is not shown. The times are in msec. When one
3250 of the numbers is zero, there is no blinking. The
3251 default is: "blinkwait700-blinkon400-blinkoff250".
3252 These numbers are used for a missing entry. This
3253 means that blinking is enabled by default. To switch
3254 blinking off you can use "blinkon0". The cursor only
3255 blinks when Vim is waiting for input, not while
3256 executing a command.
3257 To make the cursor blink in an xterm, see
3258 |xterm-blink|.
3259 {group-name}
3260 a highlight group name, that sets the color and font
3261 for the cursor
3262 {group-name}/{group-name}
3263 Two highlight group names, the first is used when
3264 no language mappings are used, the other when they
3265 are. |language-mapping|
3267 Examples of parts:
3268 n-c-v:block-nCursor in Normal, Command-line and Visual mode, use a
3269 block cursor with colors from the "nCursor"
3270 highlight group
3271 i-ci:ver30-iCursor-blinkwait300-blinkon200-blinkoff150
3272 In Insert and Command-line Insert mode, use a
3273 30% vertical bar cursor with colors from the
3274 "iCursor" highlight group. Blink a bit
3275 faster.
3277 The 'a' mode is different. It will set the given argument-list for
3278 all modes. It does not reset anything to defaults. This can be used
3279 to do a common setting for all modes. For example, to switch off
3280 blinking: "a:blinkon0"
3282 Examples of cursor highlighting: >
3283 :highlight Cursor gui=reverse guifg=NONE guibg=NONE
3284 :highlight Cursor gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=fg
3285 <
3286 *'guifont'* *'gfn'*
3287 *E235* *E596* *E610* *E611*
3288 'guifont' 'gfn' string (default "")
3289 global
3290 {not in Vi}
3291 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3292 This is a list of fonts which will be used for the GUI version of Vim.
3293 In its simplest form the value is just one font name. When
3294 the font cannot be found you will get an error message. To try other
3295 font names a list can be specified, font names separated with commas.
3296 The first valid font is used.
3298 On systems where 'guifontset' is supported (X11) and 'guifontset' is
3299 not empty, then 'guifont' is not used.
3301 Spaces after a comma are ignored. To include a comma in a font name
3302 precede it with a backslash. Setting an option requires an extra
3303 backslash before a space and a backslash. See also
3304 |option-backslash|. For example: >
3305 :set guifont=Screen15,\ 7x13,font\\,with\\,commas
3306 < will make Vim try to use the font "Screen15" first, and if it fails it
3307 will try to use "7x13" and then "font,with,commas" instead.
3309 If none of the fonts can be loaded, Vim will keep the current setting.
3310 If an empty font list is given, Vim will try using other resource
3311 settings (for X, it will use the Vim.font resource), and finally it
3312 will try some builtin default which should always be there ("7x13" in
3313 the case of X). The font names given should be "normal" fonts. Vim
3314 will try to find the related bold and italic fonts.
3316 For Win32, GTK, Mac OS and Photon: >
3317 :set guifont=*
3318 < will bring up a font requester, where you can pick the font you want.
3319 In MacVim ":set guifont=*" calls: >
3320 :macaction orderFrontFontPanel:
3321 < which is the same as choosing "Show Fonts..." from the main menu.
3323 The font name depends on the GUI used. See |setting-guifont| for a
3324 way to set 'guifont' for various systems.
3326 For the GTK+ 2 GUI the font name looks like this: >
3327 :set guifont=Andale\ Mono\ 11
3328 < That's all. XLFDs are no longer accepted.
3330 For Mac OS X you can use something like this: >
3331 :set guifont=Monaco:h10
3332 < Also see 'macatsui', it can help fix display problems {not in MacVim}.
3333 In MacVim, fonts with spaces are set like this: >
3334 :set guifont=DejaVu\ Sans\ Mono:h13
3335 <
3336 *E236*
3337 Note that the fonts must be mono-spaced (all characters have the same
3338 width). An exception is MacVim and GTK 2: all fonts are accepted, but
3339 mono-spaced fonts look best.
3341 To preview a font on X11, you might be able to use the "xfontsel"
3342 program. The "xlsfonts" program gives a list of all available fonts.
3344 For the Win32 GUI *E244* *E245*
3345 - takes these options in the font name:
3346 hXX - height is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3347 wXX - width is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3348 b - bold
3349 i - italic
3350 u - underline
3351 s - strikeout
3352 cXX - character set XX. Valid charsets are: ANSI, ARABIC,
3353 BALTIC, CHINESEBIG5, DEFAULT, EASTEUROPE, GB2312, GREEK,
3354 HANGEUL, HEBREW, JOHAB, MAC, OEM, RUSSIAN, SHIFTJIS,
3355 SYMBOL, THAI, TURKISH, VIETNAMESE ANSI and BALTIC.
3356 Normally you would use "cDEFAULT".
3358 Use a ':' to separate the options.
3359 - A '_' can be used in the place of a space, so you don't need to use
3360 backslashes to escape the spaces.
3361 - Examples: >
3362 :set guifont=courier_new:h12:w5:b:cRUSSIAN
3363 :set guifont=Andale_Mono:h7.5:w4.5
3364 < See also |font-sizes|.
3366 *'guifontset'* *'gfs'*
3367 *E250* *E252* *E234* *E597* *E598*
3368 'guifontset' 'gfs' string (default "")
3369 global
3370 {not in Vi}
3371 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3372 with the |+xfontset| feature}
3373 {not available in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
3374 When not empty, specifies two (or more) fonts to be used. The first
3375 one for normal English, the second one for your special language. See
3376 |xfontset|.
3377 Setting this option also means that all font names will be handled as
3378 a fontset name. Also the ones used for the "font" argument of the
3379 |:highlight| command.
3380 The fonts must match with the current locale. If fonts for the
3381 character sets that the current locale uses are not included, setting
3382 'guifontset' will fail.
3383 Note the difference between 'guifont' and 'guifontset': In 'guifont'
3384 the comma-separated names are alternative names, one of which will be
3385 used. In 'guifontset' the whole string is one fontset name,
3386 including the commas. It is not possible to specify alternative
3387 fontset names.
3388 This example works on many X11 systems: >
3389 :set guifontset=-*-*-medium-r-normal--16-*-*-*-c-*-*-*
3390 <
3391 *'guifontwide'* *'gfw'* *E231* *E533* *E534*
3392 'guifontwide' 'gfw' string (default "")
3393 global
3394 {not in Vi}
3395 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3396 When not empty, specifies a comma-separated list of fonts to be used
3397 for double-width characters. The first font that can be loaded is
3398 used.
3399 Note: The size of these fonts must be exactly twice as wide as the one
3400 specified with 'guifont' and the same height.
3402 All GUI versions but MacVim and GTK+ 2:
3404 'guifontwide' is only used when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and
3405 'guifontset' is empty or invalid.
3406 When 'guifont' is set and a valid font is found in it and
3407 'guifontwide' is empty Vim will attempt to find a matching
3408 double-width font and set 'guifontwide' to it.
3410 MacVim only: *guifontwide_macvim*
3412 MacVim performs automatic font substitution. If 'guifontwide' is set,
3413 that font will be used for all wide fonts. However, if a glyph is
3414 not available in the wide font, then font substitution is still used.
3416 GTK+ 2 GUI only: *guifontwide_gtk2*
3418 If set and valid, 'guifontwide' is always used for double width
3419 characters, even if 'encoding' is not set to "utf-8".
3420 Vim does not attempt to find an appropriate value for 'guifontwide'
3421 automatically. If 'guifontwide' is empty Pango/Xft will choose the
3422 font for characters not available in 'guifont'. Thus you do not need
3423 to set 'guifontwide' at all unless you want to override the choice
3424 made by Pango/Xft.
3426 *'guiheadroom'* *'ghr'*
3427 'guiheadroom' 'ghr' number (default 50)
3428 global
3429 {not in Vi} {only for GTK and X11 GUI}
3430 The number of pixels subtracted from the screen height when fitting
3431 the GUI window on the screen. Set this before the GUI is started,
3432 e.g., in your |gvimrc| file. When zero, the whole screen height will
3433 be used by the window. When positive, the specified number of pixel
3434 lines will be left for window decorations and other items on the
3435 screen. Set it to a negative value to allow windows taller than the
3436 screen.
3438 *'guioptions'* *'go'*
3439 'guioptions' 'go' string (default "gmrLtT" (MS-Windows),
3440 "agimrLtT" (GTK, Motif and Athena))
3441 global
3442 {not in Vi}
3443 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3444 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim. It is a
3445 sequence of letters which describes what components and options of the
3446 GUI should be used.
3447 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3448 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3450 Valid letters are as follows:
3451 *guioptions_a* *'go-a'*
3452 'a' Autoselect: If present, then whenever VISUAL mode is started,
3453 or the Visual area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of
3454 the windowing system's global selection. This means that the
3455 Visually highlighted text is available for pasting into other
3456 applications as well as into Vim itself. When the Visual mode
3457 ends, possibly due to an operation on the text, or when an
3458 application wants to paste the selection, the highlighted text
3459 is automatically yanked into the "* selection register.
3460 Thus the selection is still available for pasting into other
3461 applications after the VISUAL mode has ended.
3462 If not present, then Vim won't become the owner of the
3463 windowing system's global selection unless explicitly told to
3464 by a yank or delete operation for the "* register.
3465 The same applies to the modeless selection.
3466 *'go-A'*
3467 'A' Autoselect for the modeless selection. Like 'a', but only
3468 applies to the modeless selection.
3470 'guioptions' autoselect Visual autoselect modeless ~
3471 "" - -
3472 "a" yes yes
3473 "A" - yes
3474 "aA" yes yes
3476 *'go-c'*
3477 'c' Use console dialogs instead of popup dialogs for simple
3478 choices.
3479 *'go-e'*
3480 'e' Add tab pages when indicated with 'showtabline'.
3481 'guitablabel' can be used to change the text in the labels.
3482 When 'e' is missing a non-GUI tab pages line may be used.
3483 The GUI tabs are only supported on some systems, currently
3484 GTK, Motif, Mac OS/X and MS-Windows.
3485 *'go-f'*
3486 'f' Foreground: Don't use fork() to detach the GUI from the shell
3487 where it was started. Use this for programs that wait for the
3488 editor to finish (e.g., an e-mail program). Alternatively you
3489 can use "gvim -f" or ":gui -f" to start the GUI in the
3490 foreground. |gui-fork|
3491 Note: Set this option in the vimrc file. The forking may have
3492 happened already when the |gvimrc| file is read.
3493 *'go-i'*
3494 'i' Use a Vim icon. For GTK with KDE it is used in the left-upper
3495 corner of the window. It's black&white on non-GTK, because of
3496 limitations of X11. For a color icon, see |X11-icon|.
3497 *'go-m'*
3498 'm' Menu bar is present.
3499 *'go-M'*
3500 'M' The system menu "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim" is not sourced. Note
3501 that this flag must be added in the .vimrc file, before
3502 switching on syntax or filetype recognition (when the |gvimrc|
3503 file is sourced the system menu has already been loaded; the
3504 ":syntax on" and ":filetype on" commands load the menu too).
3505 *'go-g'*
3506 'g' Grey menu items: Make menu items that are not active grey. If
3507 'g' is not included inactive menu items are not shown at all.
3508 Exception: Athena will always use grey menu items.
3509 *'go-t'*
3510 't' Include tearoff menu items. Currently only works for Win32,
3511 GTK+, MacVim, and Motif 1.2 GUI.
3512 *'go-T'*
3513 'T' Include Toolbar. Currently only in Win32, GTK+, Motif, Photon
3514 and Athena GUIs.
3515 *'go-r'*
3516 'r' Right-hand scrollbar is always present.
3517 *'go-R'*
3518 'R' Right-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3519 split window.
3520 *'go-l'*
3521 'l' Left-hand scrollbar is always present.
3522 *'go-L'*
3523 'L' Left-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3524 split window.
3525 *'go-b'*
3526 'b' Bottom (horizontal) scrollbar is present. Its size depends on
3527 the longest visible line, or on the cursor line if the 'h'
3528 flag is included. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3529 *'go-h'*
3530 'h' Limit horizontal scrollbar size to the length of the cursor
3531 line. Reduces computations. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3533 And yes, you may even have scrollbars on the left AND the right if
3534 you really want to :-). See |gui-scrollbars| for more information.
3536 *'go-v'*
3537 'v' Use a vertical button layout for dialogs. When not included,
3538 a horizontal layout is preferred, but when it doesn't fit a
3539 vertical layout is used anyway.
3540 *'go-p'*
3541 'p' Use Pointer callbacks for X11 GUI. This is required for some
3542 window managers. If the cursor is not blinking or hollow at
3543 the right moment, try adding this flag. This must be done
3544 before starting the GUI. Set it in your |gvimrc|. Adding or
3545 removing it after the GUI has started has no effect.
3546 *'go-F'*
3547 'F' Add a footer. Only for Motif. See |gui-footer|.
3550 *'guipty'* *'noguipty'*
3551 'guipty' boolean (default on)
3552 global
3553 {not in Vi}
3554 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3555 Only in the GUI: If on, an attempt is made to open a pseudo-tty for
3556 I/O to/from shell commands. See |gui-pty|.
3558 *'guitablabel'* *'gtl'*
3559 'guitablabel' 'gtl' string (default empty)
3560 global
3561 {not in Vi}
3562 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3563 with the +windows feature}
3564 When nonempty describes the text to use in a label of the GUI tab
3565 pages line. When empty and when the result is empty Vim will use a
3566 default label. See |setting-guitablabel| for more info.
3568 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
3569 'guitabtooltip' is used for the tooltip, see below.
3571 Only used when the GUI tab pages line is displayed. 'e' must be
3572 present in 'guioptions'. For the non-GUI tab pages line 'tabline' is
3573 used.
3575 *'guitabtooltip'* *'gtt'*
3576 'guitabtooltip' 'gtt' string (default empty)
3577 global
3578 {not in Vi}
3579 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3580 with the +windows feature}
3581 When nonempty describes the text to use in a tooltip for the GUI tab
3582 pages line. When empty Vim will use a default tooltip.
3583 This option is otherwise just like 'guitablabel' above.
3586 *'helpfile'* *'hf'*
3587 'helpfile' 'hf' string (default (MSDOS) "$VIMRUNTIME\doc\help.txt"
3588 (others) "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt")
3589 global
3590 {not in Vi}
3591 Name of the main help file. All distributed help files should be
3592 placed together in one directory. Additionally, all "doc" directories
3593 in 'runtimepath' will be used.
3594 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. For example:
3595 "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt". If $VIMRUNTIME is not set, $VIM is also
3596 tried. Also see |$VIMRUNTIME| and |option-backslash| about including
3597 spaces and backslashes.
3598 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3599 security reasons.
3601 *'helpheight'* *'hh'*
3602 'helpheight' 'hh' number (default 20)
3603 global
3604 {not in Vi}
3605 {not available when compiled without the +windows
3606 feature}
3607 Minimal initial height of the help window when it is opened with the
3608 ":help" command. The initial height of the help window is half of the
3609 current window, or (when the 'ea' option is on) the same as other
3610 windows. When the height is less than 'helpheight', the height is
3611 set to 'helpheight'. Set to zero to disable.
3613 *'helplang'* *'hlg'*
3614 'helplang' 'hlg' string (default: messages language or empty)
3615 global
3616 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_lang|
3617 feature}
3618 {not in Vi}
3619 Comma separated list of languages. Vim will use the first language
3620 for which the desired help can be found. The English help will always
3621 be used as a last resort. You can add "en" to prefer English over
3622 another language, but that will only find tags that exist in that
3623 language and not in the English help.
3624 Example: >
3625 :set helplang=de,it
3626 < This will first search German, then Italian and finally English help
3627 files.
3628 When using |CTRL-]| and ":help!" in a non-English help file Vim will
3629 try to find the tag in the current language before using this option.
3630 See |help-translated|.
3632 *'hidden'* *'hid'* *'nohidden'* *'nohid'*
3633 'hidden' 'hid' boolean (default off)
3634 global
3635 {not in Vi}
3636 When off a buffer is unloaded when it is |abandon|ed. When on a
3637 buffer becomes hidden when it is |abandon|ed. If the buffer is still
3638 displayed in another window, it does not become hidden, of course.
3639 The commands that move through the buffer list sometimes make a buffer
3640 hidden although the 'hidden' option is off: When the buffer is
3641 modified, 'autowrite' is off or writing is not possible, and the '!'
3642 flag was used. See also |windows.txt|.
3643 To only make one buffer hidden use the 'bufhidden' option.
3644 This option is set for one command with ":hide {command}" |:hide|.
3645 WARNING: It's easy to forget that you have changes in hidden buffers.
3646 Think twice when using ":q!" or ":qa!".
3648 *'highlight'* *'hl'*
3649 'highlight' 'hl' string (default (as a single string):
3650 "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,
3651 e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,
3652 M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,r:Question,
3653 s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,
3654 t:Title,v:Visual,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,
3655 f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,
3656 C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,
3657 >:SignColumn,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,
3658 R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,
3659 +:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,
3660 x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb")
3661 global
3662 {not in Vi}
3663 This option can be used to set highlighting mode for various
3664 occasions. It is a comma separated list of character pairs. The
3665 first character in a pair gives the occasion, the second the mode to
3666 use for that occasion. The occasions are:
3667 |hl-SpecialKey| 8 Meta and special keys listed with ":map"
3668 |hl-NonText| @ '~' and '@' at the end of the window and
3669 characters from 'showbreak'
3670 |hl-Directory| d directories in CTRL-D listing and other special
3671 things in listings
3672 |hl-ErrorMsg| e error messages
3673 h (obsolete, ignored)
3674 |hl-IncSearch| i 'incsearch' highlighting
3675 |hl-Search| l last search pattern highlighting (see 'hlsearch')
3676 |hl-MoreMsg| m |more-prompt|
3677 |hl-ModeMsg| M Mode (e.g., "-- INSERT --")
3678 |hl-LineNr| n line number for ":number" and ":#" commands
3679 |hl-Question| r |hit-enter| prompt and yes/no questions
3680 |hl-StatusLine| s status line of current window |status-line|
3681 |hl-StatusLineNC| S status lines of not-current windows
3682 |hl-Title| t Titles for output from ":set all", ":autocmd" etc.
3683 |hl-VertSplit| c column used to separate vertically split windows
3684 |hl-Visual| v Visual mode
3685 |hl-VisualNOS| V Visual mode when Vim does is "Not Owning the
3686 Selection" Only X11 Gui's |gui-x11| and
3687 |xterm-clipboard|.
3688 |hl-WarningMsg| w warning messages
3689 |hl-WildMenu| W wildcard matches displayed for 'wildmenu'
3690 |hl-Folded| f line used for closed folds
3691 |hl-FoldColumn| F 'foldcolumn'
3692 |hl-DiffAdd| A added line in diff mode
3693 |hl-DiffChange| C changed line in diff mode
3694 |hl-DiffDelete| D deleted line in diff mode
3695 |hl-DiffText| T inserted text in diff mode
3696 |hl-SignColumn| > column used for |signs|
3697 |hl-SpellBad| B misspelled word |spell|
3698 |hl-SpellCap| P word that should start with capital|spell|
3699 |hl-SpellRare| R rare word |spell|
3700 |hl-SpellLocal| L word from other region |spell|
3701 |hl-Pmenu| + popup menu normal line
3702 |hl-PmenuSel| = popup menu normal line
3703 |hl-PmenuSbar| x popup menu scrollbar
3704 |hl-PmenuThumb| X popup menu scrollbar thumb
3706 The display modes are:
3707 r reverse (termcap entry "mr" and "me")
3708 i italic (termcap entry "ZH" and "ZR")
3709 b bold (termcap entry "md" and "me")
3710 s standout (termcap entry "so" and "se")
3711 u underline (termcap entry "us" and "ue")
3712 c undercurl (termcap entry "Cs" and "Ce")
3713 n no highlighting
3714 - no highlighting
3715 : use a highlight group
3716 The default is used for occasions that are not included.
3717 If you want to change what the display modes do, see |dos-colors|
3718 for an example.
3719 When using the ':' display mode, this must be followed by the name of
3720 a highlight group. A highlight group can be used to define any type
3721 of highlighting, including using color. See |:highlight| on how to
3722 define one. The default uses a different group for each occasion.
3723 See |highlight-default| for the default highlight groups.
3725 *'hlsearch'* *'hls'* *'nohlsearch'* *'nohls'*
3726 'hlsearch' 'hls' boolean (default off)
3727 global
3728 {not in Vi}
3729 {not available when compiled without the
3730 |+extra_search| feature}
3731 When there is a previous search pattern, highlight all its matches.
3732 The type of highlighting used can be set with the 'l' occasion in the
3733 'highlight' option. This uses the "Search" highlight group by
3734 default. Note that only the matching text is highlighted, any offsets
3735 are not applied.
3736 See also: 'incsearch' and |:match|.
3737 When you get bored looking at the highlighted matches, you can turn it
3738 off with |:nohlsearch|. As soon as you use a search command, the
3739 highlighting comes back.
3740 'redrawtime' specifies the maximum time spent on finding matches.
3741 When the search pattern can match an end-of-line, Vim will try to
3742 highlight all of the matched text. However, this depends on where the
3743 search starts. This will be the first line in the window or the first
3744 line below a closed fold. A match in a previous line which is not
3745 drawn may not continue in a newly drawn line.
3746 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3748 *'history'* *'hi'*
3749 'history' 'hi' number (Vim default: 20, Vi default: 0)
3750 global
3751 {not in Vi}
3752 A history of ":" commands, and a history of previous search patterns
3753 are remembered. This option decides how many entries may be stored in
3754 each of these histories (see |cmdline-editing|).
3755 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3756 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3758 *'hkmap'* *'hk'* *'nohkmap'* *'nohk'*
3759 'hkmap' 'hk' boolean (default off)
3760 global
3761 {not in Vi}
3762 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3763 feature}
3764 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Hebrew character set.
3765 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
3766 toggle this option. See |rileft.txt|.
3767 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3769 *'hkmapp'* *'hkp'* *'nohkmapp'* *'nohkp'*
3770 'hkmapp' 'hkp' boolean (default off)
3771 global
3772 {not in Vi}
3773 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3774 feature}
3775 When on, phonetic keyboard mapping is used. 'hkmap' must also be on.
3776 This is useful if you have a non-Hebrew keyboard.
3777 See |rileft.txt|.
3778 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3780 *'icon'* *'noicon'*
3781 'icon' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
3782 global
3783 {not in Vi}
3784 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3785 feature}
3786 When on, the icon text of the window will be set to the value of
3787 'iconstring' (if it is not empty), or to the name of the file
3788 currently being edited. Only the last part of the name is used.
3789 Overridden by the 'iconstring' option.
3790 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icons (currently
3791 only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option - these are
3792 Unix xterm and iris-ansi by default, where 't_IS' is taken from the
3793 builtin termcap).
3794 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3795 restored if possible |X11|. See |X11-icon| for changing the icon on
3796 X11.
3798 *'iconstring'*
3799 'iconstring' string (default "")
3800 global
3801 {not in Vi}
3802 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3803 feature}
3804 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the icon text of
3805 the window. This happens only when the 'icon' option is on.
3806 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icon text
3807 (currently only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option).
3808 Does not work for MS Windows.
3809 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3810 restored if possible |X11|.
3811 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
3812 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'. See
3813 'titlestring' for example settings.
3814 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
3816 *'ignorecase'* *'ic'* *'noignorecase'* *'noic'*
3817 'ignorecase' 'ic' boolean (default off)
3818 global
3819 Ignore case in search patterns. Also used when searching in the tags
3820 file.
3821 Also see 'smartcase'.
3822 Can be overruled by using "\c" or "\C" in the pattern, see
3823 |/ignorecase|.
3825 *'imactivatekey'* *'imak'*
3826 'imactivatekey' 'imak' string (default "")
3827 global
3828 {not in Vi}
3829 {only available when compiled with |+xim| and
3830 |+GUI_GTK|}
3831 Specifies the key that your Input Method in X-Windows uses for
3832 activation. When this is specified correctly, vim can fully control
3833 IM with 'imcmdline', 'iminsert' and 'imsearch'.
3834 You can't use this option to change the activation key, the option
3835 tells Vim what the key is.
3836 Format:
3837 [MODIFIER_FLAG-]KEY_STRING
3839 These characters can be used for MODIFIER_FLAG (case is ignored):
3840 S Shift key
3841 L Lock key
3842 C Control key
3843 1 Mod1 key
3844 2 Mod2 key
3845 3 Mod3 key
3846 4 Mod4 key
3847 5 Mod5 key
3848 Combinations are allowed, for example "S-C-space" or "SC-space" are
3849 both shift+ctrl+space.
3850 See <X11/keysymdef.h> and XStringToKeysym for KEY_STRING.
3852 Example: >
3853 :set imactivatekey=S-space
3854 < "S-space" means shift+space. This is the activation key for kinput2 +
3855 canna (Japanese), and ami (Korean).
3857 *'imcmdline'* *'imc'* *'noimcmdline'* *'noimc'*
3858 'imcmdline' 'imc' boolean (default off)
3859 global
3860 {not in Vi}
3861 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3862 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3863 When set the Input Method is always on when starting to edit a command
3864 line, unless entering a search pattern (see 'imsearch' for that).
3865 Setting this option is useful when your input method allows entering
3866 English characters directly, e.g., when it's used to type accented
3867 characters with dead keys.
3869 *'imdisable'* *'imd'* *'nodisable'* *'noimd'*
3870 'imdisable' 'imd' boolean (default off, on for some systems (SGI))
3871 global
3872 {not in Vi}
3873 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3874 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3875 When set the Input Method is never used. This is useful to disable
3876 the IM when it doesn't work properly.
3877 Currently this option is on by default for SGI/IRIX machines. This
3878 may change in later releases.
3880 *'iminsert'* *'imi'*
3881 'iminsert' 'imi' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3882 local to buffer
3883 {not in Vi}
3884 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used in
3885 Insert mode. Valid values:
3886 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3887 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3888 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3889 2 is available only when compiled with the |+multi_byte_ime|, |+xim|
3890 or |global-ime|.
3891 To always reset the option to zero when leaving Insert mode with <Esc>
3892 this can be used: >
3893 :inoremap <ESC> <ESC>:set iminsert=0<CR>
3894 < This makes :lmap and IM turn off automatically when leaving Insert
3895 mode.
3896 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Insert mode
3897 |i_CTRL-^|.
3898 The value is set to 1 when setting 'keymap' to a valid keymap name.
3899 It is also used for the argument of commands like "r" and "f".
3900 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3901 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3903 *'imsearch'* *'ims'*
3904 'imsearch' 'ims' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3905 local to buffer
3906 {not in Vi}
3907 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used when
3908 entering a search pattern. Valid values:
3909 -1 the value of 'iminsert' is used, makes it look like
3910 'iminsert' is also used when typing a search pattern
3911 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3912 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3913 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3914 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Command-line mode
3915 |c_CTRL-^|.
3916 The value is set to 1 when it is not -1 and setting the 'keymap'
3917 option to a valid keymap name.
3918 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3919 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3921 *'include'* *'inc'*
3922 'include' 'inc' string (default "^\s*#\s*include")
3923 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3924 {not in Vi}
3925 {not available when compiled without the
3926 |+find_in_path| feature}
3927 Pattern to be used to find an include command. It is a search
3928 pattern, just like for the "/" command (See |pattern|). The default
3929 value is for C programs. This option is used for the commands "[i",
3930 "]I", "[d", etc.
3931 Normally the 'isfname' option is used to recognize the file name that
3932 comes after the matched pattern. But if "\zs" appears in the pattern
3933 then the text matched from "\zs" to the end, or until "\ze" if it
3934 appears, is used as the file name. Use this to include characters
3935 that are not in 'isfname', such as a space. You can then use
3936 'includeexpr' to process the matched text.
3937 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3939 *'includeexpr'* *'inex'*
3940 'includeexpr' 'inex' string (default "")
3941 local to buffer
3942 {not in Vi}
3943 {not available when compiled without the
3944 |+find_in_path| or |+eval| feature}
3945 Expression to be used to transform the string found with the 'include'
3946 option to a file name. Mostly useful to change "." to "/" for Java: >
3947 :set includeexpr=substitute(v:fname,'\\.','/','g')
3948 < The "v:fname" variable will be set to the file name that was detected.
3950 Also used for the |gf| command if an unmodified file name can't be
3951 found. Allows doing "gf" on the name after an 'include' statement.
3952 Also used for |<cfile>|.
3954 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3955 |sandbox-option|.
3957 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3958 evaluating 'includeexpr' |textlock|.
3960 *'incsearch'* *'is'* *'noincsearch'* *'nois'*
3961 'incsearch' 'is' boolean (default off)
3962 global
3963 {not in Vi}
3964 {not available when compiled without the
3965 |+extra_search| feature}
3966 While typing a search command, show where the pattern, as it was typed
3967 so far, matches. The matched string is highlighted. If the pattern
3968 is invalid or not found, nothing is shown. The screen will be updated
3969 often, this is only useful on fast terminals.
3970 Note that the match will be shown, but the cursor will return to its
3971 original position when no match is found and when pressing <Esc>. You
3972 still need to finish the search command with <Enter> to move the
3973 cursor to the match.
3974 When compiled with the |+reltime| feature Vim only searches for about
3975 half a second. With a complicated pattern and/or a lot of text the
3976 match may not be found. This is to avoid that Vim hangs while you
3977 are typing the pattern.
3978 The highlighting can be set with the 'i' flag in 'highlight'.
3979 See also: 'hlsearch'.
3980 CTRL-L can be used to add one character from after the current match
3981 to the command line.
3982 CTRL-R CTRL-W can be used to add the word at the end of the current
3983 match, excluding the characters that were already typed.
3984 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3986 *'indentexpr'* *'inde'*
3987 'indentexpr' 'inde' string (default "")
3988 local to buffer
3989 {not in Vi}
3990 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3991 or |+eval| features}
3992 Expression which is evaluated to obtain the proper indent for a line.
3993 It is used when a new line is created, for the |=| operator and
3994 in Insert mode as specified with the 'indentkeys' option.
3995 When this option is not empty, it overrules the 'cindent' and
3996 'smartindent' indenting.
3997 When 'paste' is set this option is not used for indenting.
3998 The expression is evaluated with |v:lnum| set to the line number for
3999 which the indent is to be computed. The cursor is also in this line
4000 when the expression is evaluated (but it may be moved around).
4001 The expression must return the number of spaces worth of indent. It
4002 can return "-1" to keep the current indent (this means 'autoindent' is
4003 used for the indent).
4004 Functions useful for computing the indent are |indent()|, |cindent()|
4005 and |lispindent()|.
4006 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects! It must
4007 not change the text, jump to another window, etc. Afterwards the
4008 cursor position is always restored, thus the cursor may be moved.
4009 Normally this option would be set to call a function: >
4010 :set indentexpr=GetMyIndent()
4011 < Error messages will be suppressed, unless the 'debug' option contains
4012 "msg".
4013 See |indent-expression|.
4014 NOTE: This option is made empty when 'compatible' is set.
4016 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
4017 |sandbox-option|.
4019 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
4020 evaluating 'indentexpr' |textlock|.
4023 *'indentkeys'* *'indk'*
4024 'indentkeys' 'indk' string (default "0{,0},:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
4025 local to buffer
4026 {not in Vi}
4027 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
4028 feature}
4029 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
4030 the current line. Only happens if 'indentexpr' isn't empty.
4031 The format is identical to 'cinkeys', see |indentkeys-format|.
4032 See |C-indenting| and |indent-expression|.
4034 *'infercase'* *'inf'* *'noinfercase'* *'noinf'*
4035 'infercase' 'inf' boolean (default off)
4036 local to buffer
4037 {not in Vi}
4038 When doing keyword completion in insert mode |ins-completion|, and
4039 'ignorecase' is also on, the case of the match is adjusted depending
4040 on the typed text. If the typed text contains a lowercase letter
4041 where the match has an upper case letter, the completed part is made
4042 lowercase. If the typed text has no lowercase letters and the match
4043 has a lowercase letter where the typed text has an uppercase letter,
4044 and there is a letter before it, the completed part is made uppercase.
4045 With 'noinfercase' the match is used as-is.
4047 *'insertmode'* *'im'* *'noinsertmode'* *'noim'*
4048 'insertmode' 'im' boolean (default off)
4049 global
4050 {not in Vi}
4051 Makes Vim work in a way that Insert mode is the default mode. Useful
4052 if you want to use Vim as a modeless editor. Used for |evim|.
4053 These Insert mode commands will be useful:
4054 - Use the cursor keys to move around.
4055 - Use CTRL-O to execute one Normal mode command |i_CTRL-O|). When
4056 this is a mapping, it is executed as if 'insertmode' was off.
4057 Normal mode remains active until the mapping is finished.
4058 - Use CTRL-L to execute a number of Normal mode commands, then use
4059 <Esc> to get back to Insert mode. Note that CTRL-L moves the cursor
4060 left, like <Esc> does when 'insertmode' isn't set. |i_CTRL-L|
4062 These items change when 'insertmode' is set:
4063 - when starting to edit of a file, Vim goes to Insert mode.
4064 - <Esc> in Insert mode is a no-op and beeps.
4065 - <Esc> in Normal mode makes Vim go to Insert mode.
4066 - CTRL-L in Insert mode is a command, it is not inserted.
4067 - CTRL-Z in Insert mode suspends Vim, see |CTRL-Z|. *i_CTRL-Z*
4068 However, when <Esc> is used inside a mapping, it behaves like
4069 'insertmode' was not set. This was done to be able to use the same
4070 mappings with 'insertmode' set or not set.
4071 When executing commands with |:normal| 'insertmode' is not used.
4073 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
4075 *'isfname'* *'isf'*
4076 'isfname' 'isf' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4077 "@,48-57,/,\,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,{,},[,],:,@-@,!,~,="
4078 for AMIGA: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,$,:"
4079 for VMS: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,<,>,[,],:,;,~"
4080 for OS/390: "@,240-249,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,="
4081 otherwise: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,=")
4082 global
4083 {not in Vi}
4084 The characters specified by this option are included in file names and
4085 path names. Filenames are used for commands like "gf", "[i" and in
4086 the tags file. It is also used for "\f" in a |pattern|.
4087 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4088 characters up to 255 are specified with this option.
4089 For UTF-8 the characters 0xa0 to 0xff are included as well.
4090 Think twice before adding white space to this option. Although a
4091 space may appear inside a file name, the effect will be that Vim
4092 doesn't know where a file name starts or ends when doing completion.
4093 It most likely works better without a space in 'isfname'.
4095 Note that on systems using a backslash as path separator, Vim tries to
4096 do its best to make it work as you would expect. That is a bit
4097 tricky, since Vi originally used the backslash to escape special
4098 characters. Vim will not remove a backslash in front of a normal file
4099 name character on these systems, but it will on Unix and alikes. The
4100 '&' and '^' are not included by default, because these are special for
4101 cmd.exe.
4103 The format of this option is a list of parts, separated with commas.
4104 Each part can be a single character number or a range. A range is two
4105 character numbers with '-' in between. A character number can be a
4106 decimal number between 0 and 255 or the ASCII character itself (does
4107 not work for digits). Example:
4108 "_,-,128-140,#-43" (include '_' and '-' and the range
4109 128 to 140 and '#' to 43)
4110 If a part starts with '^', the following character number or range
4111 will be excluded from the option. The option is interpreted from left
4112 to right. Put the excluded character after the range where it is
4113 included. To include '^' itself use it as the last character of the
4114 option or the end of a range. Example:
4115 "^a-z,#,^" (exclude 'a' to 'z', include '#' and '^')
4116 If the character is '@', all characters where isalpha() returns TRUE
4117 are included. Normally these are the characters a to z and A to Z,
4118 plus accented characters. To include '@' itself use "@-@". Examples:
4119 "@,^a-z" All alphabetic characters, excluding lower
4120 case ASCII letters.
4121 "a-z,A-Z,@-@" All letters plus the '@' character.
4122 A comma can be included by using it where a character number is
4123 expected. Example:
4124 "48-57,,,_" Digits, comma and underscore.
4125 A comma can be excluded by prepending a '^'. Example:
4126 " -~,^,,9" All characters from space to '~', excluding
4127 comma, plus <Tab>.
4128 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4130 *'isident'* *'isi'*
4131 'isident' 'isi' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4132 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4133 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255")
4134 global
4135 {not in Vi}
4136 The characters given by this option are included in identifiers.
4137 Identifiers are used in recognizing environment variables and after a
4138 match of the 'define' option. It is also used for "\i" in a
4139 |pattern|. See 'isfname' for a description of the format of this
4140 option.
4141 Careful: If you change this option, it might break expanding
4142 environment variables. E.g., when '/' is included and Vim tries to
4143 expand "$HOME/.viminfo". Maybe you should change 'iskeyword' instead.
4145 *'iskeyword'* *'isk'*
4146 'iskeyword' 'isk' string (Vim default for MS-DOS and Win32:
4147 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4148 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255"
4149 Vi default: "@,48-57,_")
4150 local to buffer
4151 {not in Vi}
4152 Keywords are used in searching and recognizing with many commands:
4153 "w", "*", "[i", etc. It is also used for "\k" in a |pattern|. See
4154 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option. For C
4155 programs you could use "a-z,A-Z,48-57,_,.,-,>".
4156 For a help file it is set to all non-blank printable characters except
4157 '*', '"' and '|' (so that CTRL-] on a command finds the help for that
4158 command).
4159 When the 'lisp' option is on the '-' character is always included.
4160 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4161 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4163 *'isprint'* *'isp'*
4164 'isprint' 'isp' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32, OS/2 and Macintosh:
4165 "@,~-255"; otherwise: "@,161-255")
4166 global
4167 {not in Vi}
4168 The characters given by this option are displayed directly on the
4169 screen. It is also used for "\p" in a |pattern|. The characters from
4170 space (ASCII 32) to '~' (ASCII 126) are always displayed directly,
4171 even when they are not included in 'isprint' or excluded. See
4172 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option.
4174 Non-printable characters are displayed with two characters:
4175 0 - 31 "^@" - "^_"
4176 32 - 126 always single characters
4177 127 "^?"
4178 128 - 159 "~@" - "~_"
4179 160 - 254 "| " - "|~"
4180 255 "~?"
4181 When 'encoding' is a Unicode one, illegal bytes from 128 to 255 are
4182 displayed as <xx>, with the hexadecimal value of the byte.
4183 When 'display' contains "uhex" all unprintable characters are
4184 displayed as <xx>.
4185 The NonText highlighting will be used for unprintable characters.
4186 |hl-NonText|
4188 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4189 characters up to 255 are specified with this option. When a character
4190 is printable but it is not available in the current font, a
4191 replacement character will be shown.
4192 Unprintable and zero-width Unicode characters are displayed as <xxxx>.
4193 There is no option to specify these characters.
4195 *'joinspaces'* *'js'* *'nojoinspaces'* *'nojs'*
4196 'joinspaces' 'js' boolean (default on)
4197 global
4198 {not in Vi}
4199 Insert two spaces after a '.', '?' and '!' with a join command.
4200 When 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, only do this after a '.'.
4201 Otherwise only one space is inserted.
4202 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
4204 *'key'*
4205 'key' string (default "")
4206 local to buffer
4207 {not in Vi}
4208 The key that is used for encrypting and decrypting the current buffer.
4209 See |encryption|.
4210 Careful: Do not set the key value by hand, someone might see the typed
4211 key. Use the |:X| command. But you can make 'key' empty: >
4212 :set key=
4213 < It is not possible to get the value of this option with ":set key" or
4214 "echo &key". This is to avoid showing it to someone who shouldn't
4215 know. It also means you cannot see it yourself once you have set it,
4216 be careful not to make a typing error!
4218 *'keymap'* *'kmp'* *E544*
4219 'keymap' 'kmp' string (default "")
4220 local to buffer
4221 {not in Vi}
4222 {only available when compiled with the |+keymap|
4223 feature}
4224 Name of a keyboard mapping. See |mbyte-keymap|.
4225 Setting this option to a valid keymap name has the side effect of
4226 setting 'iminsert' to one, so that the keymap becomes effective.
4227 'imsearch' is also set to one, unless it was -1
4228 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4230 *'keymodel'* *'km'*
4231 'keymodel' 'km' string (default "")
4232 global
4233 {not in Vi}
4234 List of comma separated words, which enable special things that keys
4235 can do. These values can be used:
4236 startsel Using a shifted special key starts selection (either
4237 Select mode or Visual mode, depending on "key" being
4238 present in 'selectmode').
4239 stopsel Using a not-shifted special key stops selection.
4240 Special keys in this context are the cursor keys, <End>, <Home>,
4241 <PageUp> and <PageDown>.
4242 The 'keymodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4244 *'keywordprg'* *'kp'*
4245 'keywordprg' 'kp' string (default "man" or "man -s", DOS: ":help",
4246 OS/2: "view /", VMS: "help")
4247 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4248 {not in Vi}
4249 Program to use for the |K| command. Environment variables are
4250 expanded |:set_env|. ":help" may be used to access the Vim internal
4251 help. (Note that previously setting the global option to the empty
4252 value did this, which is now deprecated.)
4253 When "man" is used, Vim will automatically translate a count for the
4254 "K" command to a section number. Also for "man -s", in which case the
4255 "-s" is removed when there is no count.
4256 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4257 Example: >
4258 :set keywordprg=man\ -s
4259 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4260 security reasons.
4262 *'langmap'* *'lmap'* *E357* *E358*
4263 'langmap' 'lmap' string (default "")
4264 global
4265 {not in Vi}
4266 {only available when compiled with the |+langmap|
4267 feature}
4268 This option allows switching your keyboard into a special language
4269 mode. When you are typing text in Insert mode the characters are
4270 inserted directly. When in command mode the 'langmap' option takes
4271 care of translating these special characters to the original meaning
4272 of the key. This means you don't have to change the keyboard mode to
4273 be able to execute Normal mode commands.
4274 This is the opposite of the 'keymap' option, where characters are
4275 mapped in Insert mode.
4276 This only works for 8-bit characters. The value of 'langmap' may be
4277 specified with multi-byte characters (e.g., UTF-8), but only the lower
4278 8 bits of each character will be used.
4280 Example (for Greek, in UTF-8): *greek* >
4281 :set langmap=ΑA,ΒB,ΨC,ΔD,ΕE,ΦF,ΓG,ΗH,ΙI,ΞJ,ΚK,ΛL,ΜM,ΝN,ΟO,ΠP,QQ,ΡR,ΣS,ΤT,ΘU,ΩV,WW,ΧX,ΥY,ΖZ,αa,βb,ψc,δd,εe,φf,γg,ηh,ιi,ξj,κk,λl,μm,νn,οo,πp,qq,ρr,σs,τt,θu,ωv,ςw,χx,υy,ζz
4282 < Example (exchanges meaning of z and y for commands): >
4283 :set langmap=zy,yz,ZY,YZ
4284 <
4285 The 'langmap' option is a list of parts, separated with commas. Each
4286 part can be in one of two forms:
4287 1. A list of pairs. Each pair is a "from" character immediately
4288 followed by the "to" character. Examples: "aA", "aAbBcC".
4289 2. A list of "from" characters, a semi-colon and a list of "to"
4290 characters. Example: "abc;ABC"
4291 Example: "aA,fgh;FGH,cCdDeE"
4292 Special characters need to be preceded with a backslash. These are
4293 ";", ',' and backslash itself.
4295 This will allow you to activate vim actions without having to switch
4296 back and forth between the languages. Your language characters will
4297 be understood as normal vim English characters (according to the
4298 langmap mappings) in the following cases:
4299 o Normal/Visual mode (commands, buffer/register names, user mappings)
4300 o Insert/Replace Mode: Register names after CTRL-R
4301 o Insert/Replace Mode: Mappings
4302 Characters entered in Command-line mode will NOT be affected by
4303 this option. Note that this option can be changed at any time
4304 allowing to switch between mappings for different languages/encodings.
4305 Use a mapping to avoid having to type it each time!
4307 *'langmenu'* *'lm'*
4308 'langmenu' 'lm' string (default "")
4309 global
4310 {not in Vi}
4311 {only available when compiled with the |+menu| and
4312 |+multi_lang| features}
4313 Language to use for menu translation. Tells which file is loaded
4314 from the "lang" directory in 'runtimepath': >
4315 "lang/menu_" . &langmenu . ".vim"
4316 < (without the spaces). For example, to always use the Dutch menus, no
4317 matter what $LANG is set to: >
4318 :set langmenu=nl_NL.ISO_8859-1
4319 < When 'langmenu' is empty, |v:lang| is used.
4320 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4321 If your $LANG is set to a non-English language but you do want to use
4322 the English menus: >
4323 :set langmenu=none
4324 < This option must be set before loading menus, switching on filetype
4325 detection or syntax highlighting. Once the menus are defined setting
4326 this option has no effect. But you could do this: >
4327 :source $VIMRUNTIME/delmenu.vim
4328 :set langmenu=de_DE.ISO_8859-1
4329 :source $VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim
4330 < Warning: This deletes all menus that you defined yourself!
4332 *'laststatus'* *'ls'*
4333 'laststatus' 'ls' number (default 1)
4334 global
4335 {not in Vi}
4336 The value of this option influences when the last window will have a
4337 status line:
4338 0: never
4339 1: only if there are at least two windows
4340 2: always
4341 The screen looks nicer with a status line if you have several
4342 windows, but it takes another screen line. |status-line|
4344 *'lazyredraw'* *'lz'* *'nolazyredraw'* *'nolz'*
4345 'lazyredraw' 'lz' boolean (default off)
4346 global
4347 {not in Vi}
4348 When this option is set, the screen will not be redrawn while
4349 executing macros, registers and other commands that have not been
4350 typed. Also, updating the window title is postponed. To force an
4351 update use |:redraw|.
4353 *'linebreak'* *'lbr'* *'nolinebreak'* *'nolbr'*
4354 'linebreak' 'lbr' boolean (default off)
4355 local to window
4356 {not in Vi}
4357 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
4358 feature}
4359 If on Vim will wrap long lines at a character in 'breakat' rather
4360 than at the last character that fits on the screen. Unlike
4361 'wrapmargin' and 'textwidth', this does not insert <EOL>s in the file,
4362 it only affects the way the file is displayed, not its contents. The
4363 value of 'showbreak' is used to put in front of wrapped lines.
4364 This option is not used when the 'wrap' option is off or 'list' is on.
4365 Note that <Tab> characters after an <EOL> are mostly not displayed
4366 with the right amount of white space.
4368 *'lines'* *E593*
4369 'lines' number (default 24 or terminal height)
4370 global
4371 Number of lines of the Vim window.
4372 Normally you don't need to set this. It is done automatically by the
4373 terminal initialization code. Also see |posix-screen-size|.
4374 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
4375 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
4376 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
4377 Vim limits the number of lines to what fits on the screen. You can
4378 use this command to get the tallest window possible: >
4379 :set lines=999
4380 < Minimum value is 2, maximum value is 1000.
4381 If you get less lines than expected, check the 'guiheadroom' option.
4382 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
4383 number of lines of the display, the display may be messed up.
4385 *'linespace'* *'lsp'*
4386 'linespace' 'lsp' number (default 0, 1 for Win32 GUI)
4387 global
4388 {not in Vi}
4389 {only in the GUI}
4390 Number of pixel lines inserted between characters. Useful if the font
4391 uses the full character cell height, making lines touch each other.
4392 When non-zero there is room for underlining.
4393 With some fonts there can be too much room between lines (to have
4394 space for ascents and descents). Then it makes sense to set
4395 'linespace' to a negative value. This may cause display problems
4396 though!
4398 *'lisp'* *'nolisp'*
4399 'lisp' boolean (default off)
4400 local to buffer
4401 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4402 feature}
4403 Lisp mode: When <Enter> is typed in insert mode set the indent for
4404 the next line to Lisp standards (well, sort of). Also happens with
4405 "cc" or "S". 'autoindent' must also be on for this to work. The 'p'
4406 flag in 'cpoptions' changes the method of indenting: Vi compatible or
4407 better. Also see 'lispwords'.
4408 The '-' character is included in keyword characters. Redefines the
4409 "=" operator to use this same indentation algorithm rather than
4410 calling an external program if 'equalprg' is empty.
4411 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
4412 {Vi: Does it a little bit differently}
4414 *'lispwords'* *'lw'*
4415 'lispwords' 'lw' string (default is very long)
4416 global
4417 {not in Vi}
4418 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4419 feature}
4420 Comma separated list of words that influence the Lisp indenting.
4421 |'lisp'|
4423 *'list'* *'nolist'*
4424 'list' boolean (default off)
4425 local to window
4426 List mode: Show tabs as CTRL-I, show end of line with $. Useful to
4427 see the difference between tabs and spaces and for trailing blanks.
4428 Note that this will also affect formatting (set with 'textwidth' or
4429 'wrapmargin') when 'cpoptions' includes 'L'. See 'listchars' for
4430 changing the way tabs are displayed.
4432 *'listchars'* *'lcs'*
4433 'listchars' 'lcs' string (default "eol:$")
4434 global
4435 {not in Vi}
4436 Strings to use in 'list' mode. It is a comma separated list of string
4437 settings.
4438 eol:c Character to show at the end of each line. When
4439 omitted, there is no extra character at the end of the
4440 line.
4441 tab:xy Two characters to be used to show a tab. The first
4442 char is used once. The second char is repeated to
4443 fill the space that the tab normally occupies.
4444 "tab:>-" will show a tab that takes four spaces as
4445 ">---". When omitted, a tab is show as ^I.
4446 trail:c Character to show for trailing spaces. When omitted,
4447 trailing spaces are blank.
4448 extends:c Character to show in the last column, when 'wrap' is
4449 off and the line continues beyond the right of the
4450 screen.
4451 precedes:c Character to show in the first column, when 'wrap'
4452 is off and there is text preceding the character
4453 visible in the first column.
4454 nbsp:c Character to show for a non-breakable space (character
4455 0xA0, 160). Left blank when omitted.
4457 The characters ':' and ',' should not be used. UTF-8 characters can
4458 be used when 'encoding' is "utf-8", otherwise only printable
4459 characters are allowed. All characters must be single width.
4461 Examples: >
4462 :set lcs=tab:>-,trail:-
4463 :set lcs=tab:>-,eol:<,nbsp:%
4464 :set lcs=extends:>,precedes:<
4465 < The "NonText" highlighting will be used for "eol", "extends" and
4466 "precedes". "SpecialKey" for "nbsp", "tab" and "trail".
4467 |hl-NonText| |hl-SpecialKey|
4469 *'lpl'* *'nolpl'* *'loadplugins'* *'noloadplugins'*
4470 'loadplugins' 'lpl' boolean (default on)
4471 global
4472 {not in Vi}
4473 When on the plugin scripts are loaded when starting up |load-plugins|.
4474 This option can be reset in your |vimrc| file to disable the loading
4475 of plugins.
4476 Note that using the "-u NONE" and "--noplugin" command line arguments
4477 reset this option. |-u| |--noplugin|
4479 *'macatsui'* *'nomacatsui'*
4480 'macatsui' boolean (default on)
4481 global
4482 {only available in Mac Carbon GUI version}
4483 This is a workaround for when drawing doesn't work properly. When set
4484 and compiled with multi-byte support ATSUI text drawing is used. When
4485 not set ATSUI text drawing is not used. Switch this option off when
4486 you experience drawing problems. In a future version the problems may
4487 be solved and this option becomes obsolete. Therefore use this method
4488 to unset it: >
4489 if exists('&macatsui')
4490 set nomacatsui
4491 endif
4492 < Another option to check if you have drawing problems is
4493 'termencoding'.
4494 Note: MacVim does not use this option.
4496 *'macmeta'* *'mmta'* *'nomacmeta'* *'nommta'*
4497 'macmeta' boolean (default off)
4498 local to buffer
4499 {only available in MacVim GUI}
4500 Use option (alt) as meta key. When on, option-key presses are not
4501 interpreted, thus enabling bindings to <M-..>. When off, option-key
4502 presses are interpreted by the selected input method and inserted as
4503 text.
4504 Note: Some keys (e.g. <M-F1>, <M-Tab>, <M-Return>, <M-Left>) can be
4505 bound with the Meta flag even when this option is disabled, but this
4506 is not the case for the majority of keys (e.g. <M-a>, <M-`>).
4508 *'magic'* *'nomagic'*
4509 'magic' boolean (default on)
4510 global
4511 Changes the special characters that can be used in search patterns.
4512 See |pattern|.
4513 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with using patterns, always keep
4514 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
4515 old Vi scripts. In any other situation write patterns that work when
4516 'magic' is on. Include "\M" when you want to |/\M|.
4518 *'makeef'* *'mef'*
4519 'makeef' 'mef' string (default: "")
4520 global
4521 {not in Vi}
4522 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
4523 feature}
4524 Name of the errorfile for the |:make| command (see |:make_makeprg|)
4525 and the |:grep| command.
4526 When it is empty, an internally generated temp file will be used.
4527 When "##" is included, it is replaced by a number to make the name
4528 unique. This makes sure that the ":make" command doesn't overwrite an
4529 existing file.
4530 NOT used for the ":cf" command. See 'errorfile' for that.
4531 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
4532 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4533 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4534 security reasons.
4536 *'makeprg'* *'mp'*
4537 'makeprg' 'mp' string (default "make", VMS: "MMS")
4538 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4539 {not in Vi}
4540 Program to use for the ":make" command. See |:make_makeprg|.
4541 This option may contain '%' and '#' characters, which are expanded to
4542 the current and alternate file name. |:_%| |:_#|
4543 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
4544 about including spaces and backslashes.
4545 Note that a '|' must be escaped twice: once for ":set" and once for
4546 the interpretation of a command. When you use a filter called
4547 "myfilter" do it like this: >
4548 :set makeprg=gmake\ \\\|\ myfilter
4549 < The placeholder "$*" can be given (even multiple times) to specify
4550 where the arguments will be included, for example: >
4551 :set makeprg=latex\ \\\\nonstopmode\ \\\\input\\{$*}
4552 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4553 security reasons.
4555 *'matchpairs'* *'mps'*
4556 'matchpairs' 'mps' string (default "(:),{:},[:]")
4557 local to buffer
4558 {not in Vi}
4559 Characters that form pairs. The |%| command jumps from one to the
4560 other. Currently only single byte character pairs are allowed, and
4561 they must be different. The characters must be separated by a colon.
4562 The pairs must be separated by a comma. Example for including '<' and
4563 '>' (HTML): >
4564 :set mps+=<:>
4566 < A more exotic example, to jump between the '=' and ';' in an
4567 assignment, useful for languages like C and Java: >
4568 :au FileType c,cpp,java set mps+==:;
4570 < For a more advanced way of using "%", see the matchit.vim plugin in
4571 the $VIMRUNTIME/macros directory. |add-local-help|
4573 *'matchtime'* *'mat'*
4574 'matchtime' 'mat' number (default 5)
4575 global
4576 {not in Vi}{in Nvi}
4577 Tenths of a second to show the matching paren, when 'showmatch' is
4578 set. Note that this is not in milliseconds, like other options that
4579 set a time. This is to be compatible with Nvi.
4581 *'maxcombine'* *'mco'*
4582 'maxcombine' 'mco' number (default 2)
4583 global
4584 {not in Vi}
4585 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
4586 feature}
4587 The maximum number of combining characters supported for displaying.
4588 Only used when 'encoding' is "utf-8".
4589 The default is OK for most languages. Hebrew may require 4.
4590 Maximum value is 6.
4591 Even when this option is set to 2 you can still edit text with more
4592 combining characters, you just can't see them. Use |g8| or |ga|.
4593 See |mbyte-combining|.
4595 *'maxfuncdepth'* *'mfd'*
4596 'maxfuncdepth' 'mfd' number (default 100)
4597 global
4598 {not in Vi}
4599 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4600 feature}
4601 Maximum depth of function calls for user functions. This normally
4602 catches endless recursion. When using a recursive function with
4603 more depth, set 'maxfuncdepth' to a bigger number. But this will use
4604 more memory, there is the danger of failing when memory is exhausted.
4605 See also |:function|.
4607 *'maxmapdepth'* *'mmd'* *E223*
4608 'maxmapdepth' 'mmd' number (default 1000)
4609 global
4610 {not in Vi}
4611 Maximum number of times a mapping is done without resulting in a
4612 character to be used. This normally catches endless mappings, like
4613 ":map x y" with ":map y x". It still does not catch ":map g wg",
4614 because the 'w' is used before the next mapping is done. See also
4615 |key-mapping|.
4617 *'maxmem'* *'mm'*
4618 'maxmem' 'mm' number (default between 256 to 5120 (system
4619 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4620 available)
4621 global
4622 {not in Vi}
4623 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for one buffer. When this
4624 limit is reached allocating extra memory for a buffer will cause
4625 other memory to be freed. Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work
4626 without a limit. Also see 'maxmemtot'.
4628 *'maxmempattern'* *'mmp'*
4629 'maxmempattern' 'mmp' number (default 1000)
4630 global
4631 {not in Vi}
4632 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for pattern matching.
4633 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit.
4634 *E363*
4635 When Vim runs into the limit it gives an error message and mostly
4636 behaves like CTRL-C was typed.
4637 Running into the limit often means that the pattern is very
4638 inefficient or too complex. This may already happen with the pattern
4639 "\(.\)*" on a very long line. ".*" works much better.
4640 Vim may run out of memory before hitting the 'maxmempattern' limit.
4642 *'maxmemtot'* *'mmt'*
4643 'maxmemtot' 'mmt' number (default between 2048 and 10240 (system
4644 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4645 available)
4646 global
4647 {not in Vi}
4648 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for all buffers together.
4649 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit. Also see
4650 'maxmem'.
4652 *'menuitems'* *'mis'*
4653 'menuitems' 'mis' number (default 25)
4654 global
4655 {not in Vi}
4656 {not available when compiled without the |+menu|
4657 feature}
4658 Maximum number of items to use in a menu. Used for menus that are
4659 generated from a list of items, e.g., the Buffers menu. Changing this
4660 option has no direct effect, the menu must be refreshed first.
4662 *'mkspellmem'* *'msm'*
4663 'mkspellmem' 'msm' string (default "460000,2000,500")
4664 global
4665 {not in Vi}
4666 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
4667 feature}
4668 Parameters for |:mkspell|. This tunes when to start compressing the
4669 word tree. Compression can be slow when there are many words, but
4670 it's needed to avoid running out of memory. The amount of memory used
4671 per word depends very much on how similar the words are, that's why
4672 this tuning is complicated.
4674 There are three numbers, separated by commas:
4675 {start},{inc},{added}
4677 For most languages the uncompressed word tree fits in memory. {start}
4678 gives the amount of memory in Kbyte that can be used before any
4679 compression is done. It should be a bit smaller than the amount of
4680 memory that is available to Vim.
4682 When going over the {start} limit the {inc} number specifies the
4683 amount of memory in Kbyte that can be allocated before another
4684 compression is done. A low number means compression is done after
4685 less words are added, which is slow. A high number means more memory
4686 will be allocated.
4688 After doing compression, {added} times 1024 words can be added before
4689 the {inc} limit is ignored and compression is done when any extra
4690 amount of memory is needed. A low number means there is a smaller
4691 chance of hitting the {inc} limit, less memory is used but it's
4692 slower.
4694 The languages for which these numbers are important are Italian and
4695 Hungarian. The default works for when you have about 512 Mbyte. If
4696 you have 1 Gbyte you could use: >
4697 :set mkspellmem=900000,3000,800
4698 < If you have less than 512 Mbyte |:mkspell| may fail for some
4699 languages, no matter what you set 'mkspellmem' to.
4701 *'modeline'* *'ml'* *'nomodeline'* *'noml'*
4702 'modeline' 'ml' boolean (Vim default: on (off for root),
4703 Vi default: off)
4704 local to buffer
4705 *'modelines'* *'mls'*
4706 'modelines' 'mls' number (default 5)
4707 global
4708 {not in Vi}
4709 If 'modeline' is on 'modelines' gives the number of lines that is
4710 checked for set commands. If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is zero
4711 no lines are checked. See |modeline|.
4712 NOTE: 'modeline' is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4713 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4715 *'modifiable'* *'ma'* *'nomodifiable'* *'noma'*
4716 'modifiable' 'ma' boolean (default on)
4717 local to buffer
4718 {not in Vi} *E21*
4719 When off the buffer contents cannot be changed. The 'fileformat' and
4720 'fileencoding' options also can't be changed.
4721 Can be reset with the |-M| command line argument.
4723 *'modified'* *'mod'* *'nomodified'* *'nomod'*
4724 'modified' 'mod' boolean (default off)
4725 local to buffer
4726 {not in Vi}
4727 When on, the buffer is considered to be modified. This option is set
4728 when:
4729 1. A change was made to the text since it was last written. Using the
4730 |undo| command to go back to the original text will reset the
4731 option. But undoing changes that were made before writing the
4732 buffer will set the option again, since the text is different from
4733 when it was written.
4734 2. 'fileformat' or 'fileencoding' is different from its original
4735 value. The original value is set when the buffer is read or
4736 written. A ":set nomodified" command also resets the original
4737 values to the current values and the 'modified' option will be
4738 reset.
4739 When 'buftype' is "nowrite" or "nofile" this option may be set, but
4740 will be ignored.
4742 *'more'* *'nomore'*
4743 'more' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
4744 global
4745 {not in Vi}
4746 When on, listings pause when the whole screen is filled. You will get
4747 the |more-prompt|. When this option is off there are no pauses, the
4748 listing continues until finished.
4749 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4750 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4752 *'mouse'* *E538*
4753 'mouse' string (default "", "a" for GUI, MS-DOS and Win32)
4754 global
4755 {not in Vi}
4756 Enable the use of the mouse. Only works for certain terminals
4757 (xterm, MS-DOS, Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, *BSD console with
4758 sysmouse and Linux console with gpm). For using the mouse in the
4759 GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
4760 The mouse can be enabled for different modes:
4761 n Normal mode
4762 v Visual mode
4763 i Insert mode
4764 c Command-line mode
4765 h all previous modes when editing a help file
4766 a all previous modes
4767 r for |hit-enter| and |more-prompt| prompt
4768 Normally you would enable the mouse in all four modes with: >
4769 :set mouse=a
4770 < When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
4771 modeless selection. This doesn't move the text cursor.
4773 See |mouse-using|. Also see |'clipboard'|.
4775 Note: When enabling the mouse in a terminal, copy/paste will use the
4776 "* register if there is access to an X-server. The xterm handling of
4777 the mouse buttons can still be used by keeping the shift key pressed.
4778 Also see the 'clipboard' option.
4780 *'mousefocus'* *'mousef'* *'nomousefocus'* *'nomousef'*
4781 'mousefocus' 'mousef' boolean (default off)
4782 global
4783 {not in Vi}
4784 {only works in the GUI}
4785 The window that the mouse pointer is on is automatically activated.
4786 When changing the window layout or window focus in another way, the
4787 mouse pointer is moved to the window with keyboard focus. Off is the
4788 default because it makes using the pull down menus a little goofy, as
4789 a pointer transit may activate a window unintentionally.
4791 *'mousehide'* *'mh'* *'nomousehide'* *'nomh'*
4792 'mousehide' 'mh' boolean (default on)
4793 global
4794 {not in Vi}
4795 {only works in the GUI}
4796 When on, the mouse pointer is hidden when characters are typed.
4797 The mouse pointer is restored when the mouse is moved.
4799 *'mousemodel'* *'mousem'*
4800 'mousemodel' 'mousem' string (default "extend", "popup" for MS-DOS and Win32)
4801 global
4802 {not in Vi}
4803 Sets the model to use for the mouse. The name mostly specifies what
4804 the right mouse button is used for:
4805 extend Right mouse button extends a selection. This works
4806 like in an xterm.
4807 popup Right mouse button pops up a menu. The shifted left
4808 mouse button extends a selection. This works like
4809 with Microsoft Windows.
4810 popup_setpos Like "popup", but the cursor will be moved to the
4811 position where the mouse was clicked, and thus the
4812 selected operation will act upon the clicked object.
4813 If clicking inside a selection, that selection will
4814 be acted upon, i.e. no cursor move. This implies of
4815 course, that right clicking outside a selection will
4816 end Visual mode.
4817 Overview of what button does what for each model:
4818 mouse extend popup(_setpos) ~
4819 left click place cursor place cursor
4820 left drag start selection start selection
4821 shift-left search word extend selection
4822 right click extend selection popup menu (place cursor)
4823 right drag extend selection -
4824 middle click paste paste
4826 In the "popup" model the right mouse button produces a pop-up menu.
4827 You need to define this first, see |popup-menu|.
4829 Note that you can further refine the meaning of buttons with mappings.
4830 See |gui-mouse-mapping|. But mappings are NOT used for modeless
4831 selection (because that's handled in the GUI code directly).
4833 The 'mousemodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4835 *'mouseshape'* *'mouses'* *E547*
4836 'mouseshape' 'mouses' string (default "i:beam,r:beam,s:updown,sd:cross,
4837 m:no,ml:up-arrow,v:rightup-arrow")
4838 global
4839 {not in Vi}
4840 {only available when compiled with the |+mouseshape|
4841 feature}
4842 This option tells Vim what the mouse pointer should look like in
4843 different modes. The option is a comma separated list of parts, much
4844 like used for 'guicursor'. Each part consist of a mode/location-list
4845 and an argument-list:
4846 mode-list:shape,mode-list:shape,..
4847 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes/locations:
4848 In a normal window: ~
4849 n Normal mode
4850 v Visual mode
4851 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
4852 if not specified)
4853 o Operator-pending mode
4854 i Insert mode
4855 r Replace mode
4857 Others: ~
4858 c appending to the command-line
4859 ci inserting in the command-line
4860 cr replacing in the command-line
4861 m at the 'Hit ENTER' or 'More' prompts
4862 ml idem, but cursor in the last line
4863 e any mode, pointer below last window
4864 s any mode, pointer on a status line
4865 sd any mode, while dragging a status line
4866 vs any mode, pointer on a vertical separator line
4867 vd any mode, while dragging a vertical separator line
4868 a everywhere
4870 The shape is one of the following:
4871 avail name looks like ~
4872 w x arrow Normal mouse pointer
4873 w x blank no pointer at all (use with care!)
4874 w x beam I-beam
4875 w x updown up-down sizing arrows
4876 w x leftright left-right sizing arrows
4877 w x busy The system's usual busy pointer
4878 w x no The system's usual 'no input' pointer
4879 x udsizing indicates up-down resizing
4880 x lrsizing indicates left-right resizing
4881 x crosshair like a big thin +
4882 x hand1 black hand
4883 x hand2 white hand
4884 x pencil what you write with
4885 x question big ?
4886 x rightup-arrow arrow pointing right-up
4887 w x up-arrow arrow pointing up
4888 x <number> any X11 pointer number (see X11/cursorfont.h)
4890 The "avail" column contains a 'w' if the shape is available for Win32,
4891 x for X11.
4892 Any modes not specified or shapes not available use the normal mouse
4893 pointer.
4895 Example: >
4896 :set mouseshape=s:udsizing,m:no
4897 < will make the mouse turn to a sizing arrow over the status lines and
4898 indicate no input when the hit-enter prompt is displayed (since
4899 clicking the mouse has no effect in this state.)
4901 *'mousetime'* *'mouset'*
4902 'mousetime' 'mouset' number (default 500)
4903 global
4904 {not in Vi}
4905 Only for GUI, MS-DOS, Win32 and Unix with xterm. Defines the maximum
4906 time in msec between two mouse clicks for the second click to be
4907 recognized as a multi click.
4909 *'mzquantum'* *'mzq'*
4910 'mzquantum' 'mzq' number (default 100)
4911 global
4912 {not in Vi}
4913 {not available when compiled without the |+mzscheme|
4914 feature}
4915 The number of milliseconds between polls for MzScheme threads.
4916 Negative or zero value means no thread scheduling.
4918 *'nrformats'* *'nf'*
4919 'nrformats' 'nf' string (default "octal,hex")
4920 local to buffer
4921 {not in Vi}
4922 This defines what bases Vim will consider for numbers when using the
4923 CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands for adding to and subtracting from a number
4924 respectively; see |CTRL-A| for more info on these commands.
4925 alpha If included, single alphabetical characters will be
4926 incremented or decremented. This is useful for a list with a
4927 letter index a), b), etc.
4928 octal If included, numbers that start with a zero will be considered
4929 to be octal. Example: Using CTRL-A on "007" results in "010".
4930 hex If included, numbers starting with "0x" or "0X" will be
4931 considered to be hexadecimal. Example: Using CTRL-X on
4932 "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
4933 Numbers which simply begin with a digit in the range 1-9 are always
4934 considered decimal. This also happens for numbers that are not
4935 recognized as octal or hex.
4937 *'number'* *'nu'* *'nonumber'* *'nonu'*
4938 'number' 'nu' boolean (default off)
4939 local to window
4940 Print the line number in front of each line. When the 'n' option is
4941 excluded from 'cpoptions' a wrapped line will not use the column of
4942 line numbers (this is the default when 'compatible' isn't set).
4943 The 'numberwidth' option can be used to set the room used for the line
4944 number.
4945 When a long, wrapped line doesn't start with the first character, '-'
4946 characters are put before the number.
4947 See |hl-LineNr| for the highlighting used for the number.
4949 *'numberwidth'* *'nuw'*
4950 'numberwidth' 'nuw' number (Vim default: 4 Vi default: 8)
4951 local to window
4952 {not in Vi}
4953 {only available when compiled with the |+linebreak|
4954 feature}
4955 Minimal number of columns to use for the line number. Only relevant
4956 when the 'number' option is set or printing lines with a line number.
4957 Since one space is always between the number and the text, there is
4958 one less character for the number itself.
4959 The value is the minimum width. A bigger width is used when needed to
4960 fit the highest line number in the buffer. Thus with the Vim default
4961 of 4 there is room for a line number up to 999. When the buffer has
4962 1000 lines five columns will be used.
4963 The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 10.
4964 NOTE: 'numberwidth' is reset to 8 when 'compatible' is set.
4966 *'omnifunc'* *'ofu'*
4967 'omnifunc' 'ofu' string (default: empty)
4968 local to buffer
4969 {not in Vi}
4970 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4971 or +insert_expand feature}
4972 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode omni
4973 completion with CTRL-X CTRL-O. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
4974 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
4975 invoked and what it should return.
4976 This option is usually set by a filetype plugin:
4977 |:filetype-plugin-on|
4980 *'opendevice'* *'odev'* *'noopendevice'* *'noodev'*
4981 'opendevice' 'odev' boolean (default off)
4982 global
4983 {not in Vi}
4984 {only for MS-DOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
4985 Enable reading and writing from devices. This may get Vim stuck on a
4986 device that can be opened but doesn't actually do the I/O. Therefore
4987 it is off by default.
4988 Note that on MS-Windows editing "aux.h", "lpt1.txt" and the like also
4989 result in editing a device.
4992 *'operatorfunc'* *'opfunc'*
4993 'operatorfunc' 'opfunc' string (default: empty)
4994 global
4995 {not in Vi}
4996 This option specifies a function to be called by the |g@| operator.
4997 See |:map-operator| for more info and an example.
4999 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5000 security reasons.
5003 *'osfiletype'* *'oft'* *E366*
5004 'osfiletype' 'oft' string (RISC-OS default: "Text",
5005 others default: "")
5006 local to buffer
5007 {not in Vi}
5008 {only available when compiled with the |+osfiletype|
5009 feature}
5010 Some operating systems store extra information about files besides
5011 name, datestamp and permissions. This option contains the extra
5012 information, the nature of which will vary between systems.
5013 The value of this option is usually set when the file is loaded, and
5014 is used to set the operating system file type when file is written.
5015 It can affect the pattern matching of the automatic commands.
5016 |autocmd-osfiletypes|
5018 *'paragraphs'* *'para'*
5019 'paragraphs' 'para' string (default "IPLPPPQPP TPHPLIPpLpItpplpipbp")
5020 global
5021 Specifies the nroff macros that separate paragraphs. These are pairs
5022 of two letters (see |object-motions|).
5024 *'paste'* *'nopaste'*
5025 'paste' boolean (default off)
5026 global
5027 {not in Vi}
5028 Put Vim in Paste mode. This is useful if you want to cut or copy
5029 some text from one window and paste it in Vim. This will avoid
5030 unexpected effects.
5031 Setting this option is useful when using Vim in a terminal, where Vim
5032 cannot distinguish between typed text and pasted text. In the GUI, Vim
5033 knows about pasting and will mostly do the right thing without 'paste'
5034 being set. The same is true for a terminal where Vim handles the
5035 mouse clicks itself.
5036 This option is reset when starting the GUI. Thus if you set it in
5037 your .vimrc it will work in a terminal, but not in the GUI. Setting
5038 'paste' in the GUI has side effects: e.g., the Paste toolbar button
5039 will no longer work in Insert mode, because it uses a mapping.
5040 When the 'paste' option is switched on (also when it was already on):
5041 - mapping in Insert mode and Command-line mode is disabled
5042 - abbreviations are disabled
5043 - 'textwidth' is set to 0
5044 - 'wrapmargin' is set to 0
5045 - 'autoindent' is reset
5046 - 'smartindent' is reset
5047 - 'softtabstop' is set to 0
5048 - 'revins' is reset
5049 - 'ruler' is reset
5050 - 'showmatch' is reset
5051 - 'formatoptions' is used like it is empty
5052 These options keep their value, but their effect is disabled:
5053 - 'lisp'
5054 - 'indentexpr'
5055 - 'cindent'
5056 NOTE: When you start editing another file while the 'paste' option is
5057 on, settings from the modelines or autocommands may change the
5058 settings again, causing trouble when pasting text. You might want to
5059 set the 'paste' option again.
5060 When the 'paste' option is reset the mentioned options are restored to
5061 the value before the moment 'paste' was switched from off to on.
5062 Resetting 'paste' before ever setting it does not have any effect.
5063 Since mapping doesn't work while 'paste' is active, you need to use
5064 the 'pastetoggle' option to toggle the 'paste' option with some key.
5066 *'pastetoggle'* *'pt'*
5067 'pastetoggle' 'pt' string (default "")
5068 global
5069 {not in Vi}
5070 When non-empty, specifies the key sequence that toggles the 'paste'
5071 option. This is like specifying a mapping: >
5072 :map {keys} :set invpaste<CR>
5073 < Where {keys} is the value of 'pastetoggle'.
5074 The difference is that it will work even when 'paste' is set.
5075 'pastetoggle' works in Insert mode and Normal mode, but not in
5076 Command-line mode.
5077 Mappings are checked first, thus overrule 'pastetoggle'. However,
5078 when 'paste' is on mappings are ignored in Insert mode, thus you can do
5079 this: >
5080 :map <F10> :set paste<CR>
5081 :map <F11> :set nopaste<CR>
5082 :imap <F10> <C-O>:set paste<CR>
5083 :imap <F11> <nop>
5084 :set pastetoggle=<F11>
5085 < This will make <F10> start paste mode and <F11> stop paste mode.
5086 Note that typing <F10> in paste mode inserts "<F10>", since in paste
5087 mode everything is inserted literally, except the 'pastetoggle' key
5088 sequence.
5089 When the value has several bytes 'ttimeoutlen' applies.
5091 *'pex'* *'patchexpr'*
5092 'patchexpr' 'pex' string (default "")
5093 global
5094 {not in Vi}
5095 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
5096 feature}
5097 Expression which is evaluated to apply a patch to a file and generate
5098 the resulting new version of the file. See |diff-patchexpr|.
5100 *'patchmode'* *'pm'* *E206*
5101 'patchmode' 'pm' string (default "")
5102 global
5103 {not in Vi}
5104 When non-empty the oldest version of a file is kept. This can be used
5105 to keep the original version of a file if you are changing files in a
5106 source distribution. Only the first time that a file is written a
5107 copy of the original file will be kept. The name of the copy is the
5108 name of the original file with the string in the 'patchmode' option
5109 appended. This option should start with a dot. Use a string like
5110 ".org". 'backupdir' must not be empty for this to work (Detail: The
5111 backup file is renamed to the patchmode file after the new file has
5112 been successfully written, that's why it must be possible to write a
5113 backup file). If there was no file to be backed up, an empty file is
5114 created.
5115 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a patchmode file is not made.
5116 Using 'patchmode' for compressed files appends the extension at the
5117 end (e.g., "file.gz.orig"), thus the resulting name isn't always
5118 recognized as a compressed file.
5119 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
5121 *'path'* *'pa'* *E343* *E345* *E347*
5122 'path' 'pa' string (default on Unix: ".,/usr/include,,"
5123 on OS/2: ".,/emx/include,,"
5124 other systems: ".,,")
5125 global or local to buffer |global-local|
5126 {not in Vi}
5127 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
5128 |gf|, [f, ]f, ^Wf, |:find|, |:sfind|, |:tabfind| and other commands,
5129 provided that the file being searched for has a relative path (not
5130 starting with "/", "./" or "../"). The directories in the 'path'
5131 option may be relative or absolute.
5132 - Use commas to separate directory names: >
5133 :set path=.,/usr/local/include,/usr/include
5134 < - Spaces can also be used to separate directory names (for backwards
5135 compatibility with version 3.0). To have a space in a directory
5136 name, precede it with an extra backslash, and escape the space: >
5137 :set path=.,/dir/with\\\ space
5138 < - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with an extra
5139 backslash: >
5140 :set path=.,/dir/with\\,comma
5141 < - To search relative to the directory of the current file, use: >
5142 :set path=.
5143 < - To search in the current directory use an empty string between two
5144 commas: >
5145 :set path=,,
5146 < - A directory name may end in a ':' or '/'.
5147 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5148 - When using |netrw.vim| URLs can be used. For example, adding
5149 "http://www.vim.org" will make ":find index.html" work.
5150 - Search upwards and downwards in a directory tree using "*", "**" and
5151 ";". See |file-searching| for info and syntax.
5152 {not available when compiled without the |+path_extra| feature}
5153 - Careful with '\' characters, type two to get one in the option: >
5154 :set path=.,c:\\include
5155 < Or just use '/' instead: >
5156 :set path=.,c:/include
5157 < Don't forget "." or files won't even be found in the same directory as
5158 the file!
5159 The maximum length is limited. How much depends on the system, mostly
5160 it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
5161 You can check if all the include files are found, using the value of
5162 'path', see |:checkpath|.
5163 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
5164 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
5165 uses another default. To remove the current directory use: >
5166 :set path-=
5167 < To add the current directory use: >
5168 :set path+=
5169 < To use an environment variable, you probably need to replace the
5170 separator. Here is an example to append $INCL, in which directory
5171 names are separated with a semi-colon: >
5172 :let &path = &path . "," . substitute($INCL, ';', ',', 'g')
5173 < Replace the ';' with a ':' or whatever separator is used. Note that
5174 this doesn't work when $INCL contains a comma or white space.
5176 *'preserveindent'* *'pi'* *'nopreserveindent'* *'nopi'*
5177 'preserveindent' 'pi' boolean (default off)
5178 local to buffer
5179 {not in Vi}
5180 When changing the indent of the current line, preserve as much of the
5181 indent structure as possible. Normally the indent is replaced by a
5182 series of tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is
5183 enabled, in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option
5184 means the indent will preserve as many existing characters as possible
5185 for indenting, and only add additional tabs or spaces as required.
5186 'expandtab' does not apply to the preserved white space, a Tab remains
5187 a Tab.
5188 NOTE: When using ">>" multiple times the resulting indent is a mix of
5189 tabs and spaces. You might not like this.
5190 NOTE: 'preserveindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5191 Also see 'copyindent'.
5192 Use |:retab| to clean up white space.
5194 *'previewheight'* *'pvh'*
5195 'previewheight' 'pvh' number (default 12)
5196 global
5197 {not in Vi}
5198 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5199 |+quickfix| feature}
5200 Default height for a preview window. Used for |:ptag| and associated
5201 commands. Used for |CTRL-W_}| when no count is given.
5203 *'previewwindow'* *'nopreviewwindow'*
5204 *'pvw'* *'nopvw'* *E590*
5205 'previewwindow' 'pvw' boolean (default off)
5206 local to window
5207 {not in Vi}
5208 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5209 |+quickfix| feature}
5210 Identifies the preview window. Only one window can have this option
5211 set. It's normally not set directly, but by using one of the commands
5212 |:ptag|, |:pedit|, etc.
5214 *'printdevice'* *'pdev'*
5215 'printdevice' 'pdev' string (default empty)
5216 global
5217 {not in Vi}
5218 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5219 feature}
5220 The name of the printer to be used for |:hardcopy|.
5221 See |pdev-option|.
5222 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5223 security reasons.
5225 *'printencoding'* *'penc'*
5226 'printencoding' 'penc' String (default empty, except for some systems)
5227 global
5228 {not in Vi}
5229 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5230 and |+postscript| features}
5231 Sets the character encoding used when printing.
5232 See |penc-option|.
5234 *'printexpr'* *'pexpr'*
5235 'printexpr' 'pexpr' String (default: see below)
5236 global
5237 {not in Vi}
5238 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5239 and |+postscript| features}
5240 Expression used to print the PostScript produced with |:hardcopy|.
5241 See |pexpr-option|.
5243 *'printfont'* *'pfn'*
5244 'printfont' 'pfn' string (default "courier")
5245 global
5246 {not in Vi}
5247 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5248 feature}
5249 The name of the font that will be used for |:hardcopy|.
5250 See |pfn-option|.
5252 *'printheader'* *'pheader'*
5253 'printheader' 'pheader' string (default "%<%f%h%m%=Page %N")
5254 global
5255 {not in Vi}
5256 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5257 feature}
5258 The format of the header produced in |:hardcopy| output.
5259 See |pheader-option|.
5261 *'printmbcharset'* *'pmbcs'*
5262 'printmbcharset' 'pmbcs' string (default "")
5263 global
5264 {not in Vi}
5265 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5266 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5267 The CJK character set to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5268 See |pmbcs-option|.
5270 *'printmbfont'* *'pmbfn'*
5271 'printmbfont' 'pmbfn' string (default "")
5272 global
5273 {not in Vi}
5274 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5275 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5276 List of font names to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5277 See |pmbfn-option|.
5279 *'printoptions'* *'popt'*
5280 'printoptions' 'popt' string (default "")
5281 global
5282 {not in Vi}
5283 {only available when compiled with |+printer| feature}
5284 List of items that control the format of the output of |:hardcopy|.
5285 See |popt-option|.
5287 *'prompt'* *'noprompt'*
5288 'prompt' boolean (default on)
5289 global
5290 When on a ":" prompt is used in Ex mode.
5292 *'pumheight'* *'ph'*
5293 'pumheight' 'ph' number (default 0)
5294 global
5295 {not available when compiled without the
5296 |+insert_expand| feature}
5297 {not in Vi}
5298 Determines the maximum number of items to show in the popup menu for
5299 Insert mode completion. When zero as much space as available is used.
5300 |ins-completion-menu|.
5303 *'quoteescape'* *'qe'*
5304 'quoteescape' 'qe' string (default "\")
5305 local to buffer
5306 {not in Vi}
5307 The characters that are used to escape quotes in a string. Used for
5308 objects like a', a" and a` |a'|.
5309 When one of the characters in this option is found inside a string,
5310 the following character will be skipped. The default value makes the
5311 text "foo\"bar\\" considered to be one string.
5313 *'readonly'* *'ro'* *'noreadonly'* *'noro'*
5314 'readonly' 'ro' boolean (default off)
5315 local to buffer
5316 If on, writes fail unless you use a '!'. Protects you from
5317 accidentally overwriting a file. Default on when Vim is started
5318 in read-only mode ("vim -R") or when the executable is called "view".
5319 When using ":w!" the 'readonly' option is reset for the current
5320 buffer, unless the 'Z' flag is in 'cpoptions'.
5321 {not in Vi:} When using the ":view" command the 'readonly' option is
5322 set for the newly edited buffer.
5324 *'redrawtime'* *'rdt'*
5325 'redrawtime' 'rdt' number (default 2000)
5326 global
5327 {not in Vi}
5328 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime|
5329 feature}
5330 The time in milliseconds for redrawing the display. This applies to
5331 searching for patterns for 'hlsearch' and |:match| highlighting.
5332 When redrawing takes more than this many milliseconds no further
5333 matches will be highlighted. This is used to avoid that Vim hangs
5334 when using a very complicated pattern.
5336 *'remap'* *'noremap'*
5337 'remap' boolean (default on)
5338 global
5339 Allows for mappings to work recursively. If you do not want this for
5340 a single entry, use the :noremap[!] command.
5341 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with Vim scripts, always keep
5342 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
5343 old Vi scripts.
5345 *'report'*
5346 'report' number (default 2)
5347 global
5348 Threshold for reporting number of lines changed. When the number of
5349 changed lines is more than 'report' a message will be given for most
5350 ":" commands. If you want it always, set 'report' to 0.
5351 For the ":substitute" command the number of substitutions is used
5352 instead of the number of lines.
5354 *'restorescreen'* *'rs'* *'norestorescreen'* *'nors'*
5355 'restorescreen' 'rs' boolean (default on)
5356 global
5357 {not in Vi} {only in Windows 95/NT console version}
5358 When set, the screen contents is restored when exiting Vim. This also
5359 happens when executing external commands.
5361 For non-Windows Vim: You can set or reset the 't_ti' and 't_te'
5362 options in your .vimrc. To disable restoring:
5363 set t_ti= t_te=
5364 To enable restoring (for an xterm):
5365 set t_ti=^[7^[[r^[[?47h t_te=^[[?47l^[8
5366 (Where ^[ is an <Esc>, type CTRL-V <Esc> to insert it)
5368 *'revins'* *'ri'* *'norevins'* *'nori'*
5369 'revins' 'ri' boolean (default off)
5370 global
5371 {not in Vi}
5372 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5373 feature}
5374 Inserting characters in Insert mode will work backwards. See "typing
5375 backwards" |ins-reverse|. This option can be toggled with the CTRL-_
5376 command in Insert mode, when 'allowrevins' is set.
5377 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' or 'paste' is set.
5379 *'rightleft'* *'rl'* *'norightleft'* *'norl'*
5380 'rightleft' 'rl' boolean (default off)
5381 local to window
5382 {not in Vi}
5383 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5384 feature}
5385 When on, display orientation becomes right-to-left, i.e., characters
5386 that are stored in the file appear from the right to the left.
5387 Using this option, it is possible to edit files for languages that
5388 are written from the right to the left such as Hebrew and Arabic.
5389 This option is per window, so it is possible to edit mixed files
5390 simultaneously, or to view the same file in both ways (this is
5391 useful whenever you have a mixed text file with both right-to-left
5392 and left-to-right strings so that both sets are displayed properly
5393 in different windows). Also see |rileft.txt|.
5395 *'rightleftcmd'* *'rlc'* *'norightleftcmd'* *'norlc'*
5396 'rightleftcmd' 'rlc' string (default "search")
5397 local to window
5398 {not in Vi}
5399 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5400 feature}
5401 Each word in this option enables the command line editing to work in
5402 right-to-left mode for a group of commands:
5404 search "/" and "?" commands
5406 This is useful for languages such as Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi.
5407 The 'rightleft' option must be set for 'rightleftcmd' to take effect.
5409 *'ruler'* *'ru'* *'noruler'* *'noru'*
5410 'ruler' 'ru' boolean (default off)
5411 global
5412 {not in Vi}
5413 {not available when compiled without the
5414 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5415 Show the line and column number of the cursor position, separated by a
5416 comma. When there is room, the relative position of the displayed
5417 text in the file is shown on the far right:
5418 Top first line is visible
5419 Bot last line is visible
5420 All first and last line are visible
5421 45% relative position in the file
5422 If 'rulerformat' is set, it will determine the contents of the ruler.
5423 Each window has its own ruler. If a window has a status line, the
5424 ruler is shown there. Otherwise it is shown in the last line of the
5425 screen. If the statusline is given by 'statusline' (i.e. not empty),
5426 this option takes precedence over 'ruler' and 'rulerformat'
5427 If the number of characters displayed is different from the number of
5428 bytes in the text (e.g., for a TAB or a multi-byte character), both
5429 the text column (byte number) and the screen column are shown,
5430 separated with a dash.
5431 For an empty line "0-1" is shown.
5432 For an empty buffer the line number will also be zero: "0,0-1".
5433 This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5434 If you don't want to see the ruler all the time but want to know where
5435 you are, use "g CTRL-G" |g_CTRL-G|.
5436 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5438 *'rulerformat'* *'ruf'*
5439 'rulerformat' 'ruf' string (default empty)
5440 global
5441 {not in Vi}
5442 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
5443 feature}
5444 When this option is not empty, it determines the content of the ruler
5445 string, as displayed for the 'ruler' option.
5446 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
5447 The default ruler width is 17 characters. To make the ruler 15
5448 characters wide, put "%15(" at the start and "%)" at the end.
5449 Example: >
5450 :set rulerformat=%15(%c%V\ %p%%%)
5451 <
5452 *'runtimepath'* *'rtp'* *vimfiles*
5453 'runtimepath' 'rtp' string (default:
5454 Unix, Mac OS X: "$HOME/.vim,
5455 $VIM/vimfiles,
5456 $VIMRUNTIME,
5457 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5458 $HOME/.vim/after"
5459 Amiga: "home:vimfiles,
5460 $VIM/vimfiles,
5461 $VIMRUNTIME,
5462 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5463 home:vimfiles/after"
5464 PC, OS/2: "$HOME/vimfiles,
5465 $VIM/vimfiles,
5466 $VIMRUNTIME,
5467 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5468 $HOME/vimfiles/after"
5469 Macintosh (pre-OS X): "$VIM:vimfiles,
5470 $VIMRUNTIME,
5471 $VIM:vimfiles:after"
5472 RISC-OS: "Choices:vimfiles,
5473 $VIMRUNTIME,
5474 Choices:vimfiles/after"
5475 VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles,
5476 $VIM/vimfiles,
5477 $VIMRUNTIME,
5478 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5479 sys$login:vimfiles/after")
5480 global
5481 {not in Vi}
5482 This is a list of directories which will be searched for runtime
5483 files:
5484 filetype.vim filetypes by file name |new-filetype|
5485 scripts.vim filetypes by file contents |new-filetype-scripts|
5486 autoload/ automatically loaded scripts |autoload-functions|
5487 colors/ color scheme files |:colorscheme|
5488 compiler/ compiler files |:compiler|
5489 doc/ documentation |write-local-help|
5490 ftplugin/ filetype plugins |write-filetype-plugin|
5491 indent/ indent scripts |indent-expression|
5492 keymap/ key mapping files |mbyte-keymap|
5493 lang/ menu translations |:menutrans|
5494 menu.vim GUI menus |menu.vim|
5495 plugin/ plugin scripts |write-plugin|
5496 print/ files for printing |postscript-print-encoding|
5497 spell/ spell checking files |spell|
5498 syntax/ syntax files |mysyntaxfile|
5499 tutor/ files for vimtutor |tutor|
5501 And any other file searched for with the |:runtime| command.
5503 The defaults for most systems are setup to search five locations:
5504 1. In your home directory, for your personal preferences.
5505 2. In a system-wide Vim directory, for preferences from the system
5506 administrator.
5507 3. In $VIMRUNTIME, for files distributed with Vim.
5508 *after-directory*
5509 4. In the "after" directory in the system-wide Vim directory. This is
5510 for the system administrator to overrule or add to the distributed
5511 defaults (rarely needed)
5512 5. In the "after" directory in your home directory. This is for
5513 personal preferences to overrule or add to the distributed defaults
5514 or system-wide settings (rarely needed).
5516 Note that, unlike 'path', no wildcards like "**" are allowed. Normal
5517 wildcards are allowed, but can significantly slow down searching for
5518 runtime files. For speed, use as few items as possible and avoid
5519 wildcards.
5520 See |:runtime|.
5521 Example: >
5522 :set runtimepath=~/vimruntime,/mygroup/vim,$VIMRUNTIME
5523 < This will use the directory "~/vimruntime" first (containing your
5524 personal Vim runtime files), then "/mygroup/vim" (shared between a
5525 group of people) and finally "$VIMRUNTIME" (the distributed runtime
5526 files).
5527 You probably should always include $VIMRUNTIME somewhere, to use the
5528 distributed runtime files. You can put a directory before $VIMRUNTIME
5529 to find files which replace a distributed runtime files. You can put
5530 a directory after $VIMRUNTIME to find files which add to distributed
5531 runtime files.
5532 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5533 security reasons.
5535 *'scroll'* *'scr'*
5536 'scroll' 'scr' number (default: half the window height)
5537 local to window
5538 Number of lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D commands. Will be
5539 set to half the number of lines in the window when the window size
5540 changes. If you give a count to the CTRL-U or CTRL-D command it will
5541 be used as the new value for 'scroll'. Reset to half the window
5542 height with ":set scroll=0". {Vi is a bit different: 'scroll' gives
5543 the number of screen lines instead of file lines, makes a difference
5544 when lines wrap}
5546 *'scrollbind'* *'scb'* *'noscrollbind'* *'noscb'*
5547 'scrollbind' 'scb' boolean (default off)
5548 local to window
5549 {not in Vi}
5550 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5551 feature}
5552 See also |scroll-binding|. When this option is set, the current
5553 window scrolls as other scrollbind windows (windows that also have
5554 this option set) scroll. This option is useful for viewing the
5555 differences between two versions of a file, see 'diff'.
5556 See |'scrollopt'| for options that determine how this option should be
5557 interpreted.
5558 This option is mostly reset when splitting a window to edit another
5559 file. This means that ":split | edit file" results in two windows
5560 with scroll-binding, but ":split file" does not.
5562 *'scrolljump'* *'sj'*
5563 'scrolljump' 'sj' number (default 1)
5564 global
5565 {not in Vi}
5566 Minimal number of lines to scroll when the cursor gets off the
5567 screen (e.g., with "j"). Not used for scroll commands (e.g., CTRL-E,
5568 CTRL-D). Useful if your terminal scrolls very slowly.
5569 When set to a negative number from -1 to -100 this is used as the
5570 percentage of the window height. Thus -50 scrolls half the window
5571 height.
5572 NOTE: This option is set to 1 when 'compatible' is set.
5574 *'scrolloff'* *'so'*
5575 'scrolloff' 'so' number (default 0)
5576 global
5577 {not in Vi}
5578 Minimal number of screen lines to keep above and below the cursor.
5579 This will make some context visible around where you are working. If
5580 you set it to a very large value (999) the cursor line will always be
5581 in the middle of the window (except at the start or end of the file or
5582 when long lines wrap).
5583 For scrolling horizontally see 'sidescrolloff'.
5584 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5586 *'scrollopt'* *'sbo'*
5587 'scrollopt' 'sbo' string (default "ver,jump")
5588 global
5589 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5590 feature}
5591 {not in Vi}
5592 This is a comma-separated list of words that specifies how
5593 'scrollbind' windows should behave. 'sbo' stands for ScrollBind
5594 Options.
5595 The following words are available:
5596 ver Bind vertical scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5597 hor Bind horizontal scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5598 jump Applies to the offset between two windows for vertical
5599 scrolling. This offset is the difference in the first
5600 displayed line of the bound windows. When moving
5601 around in a window, another 'scrollbind' window may
5602 reach a position before the start or after the end of
5603 the buffer. The offset is not changed though, when
5604 moving back the 'scrollbind' window will try to scroll
5605 to the desired position when possible.
5606 When now making that window the current one, two
5607 things can be done with the relative offset:
5608 1. When "jump" is not included, the relative offset is
5609 adjusted for the scroll position in the new current
5610 window. When going back to the other window, the
5611 new relative offset will be used.
5612 2. When "jump" is included, the other windows are
5613 scrolled to keep the same relative offset. When
5614 going back to the other window, it still uses the
5615 same relative offset.
5616 Also see |scroll-binding|.
5617 When 'diff' mode is active there always is vertical scroll binding,
5618 even when "ver" isn't there.
5620 *'sections'* *'sect'*
5621 'sections' 'sect' string (default "SHNHH HUnhsh")
5622 global
5623 Specifies the nroff macros that separate sections. These are pairs of
5624 two letters (See |object-motions|). The default makes a section start
5625 at the nroff macros ".SH", ".NH", ".H", ".HU", ".nh" and ".sh".
5627 *'secure'* *'nosecure'* *E523*
5628 'secure' boolean (default off)
5629 global
5630 {not in Vi}
5631 When on, ":autocmd", shell and write commands are not allowed in
5632 ".vimrc" and ".exrc" in the current directory and map commands are
5633 displayed. Switch it off only if you know that you will not run into
5634 problems, or when the 'exrc' option is off. On Unix this option is
5635 only used if the ".vimrc" or ".exrc" is not owned by you. This can be
5636 dangerous if the systems allows users to do a "chown". You better set
5637 'secure' at the end of your ~/.vimrc then.
5638 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5639 security reasons.
5641 *'selection'* *'sel'*
5642 'selection' 'sel' string (default "inclusive")
5643 global
5644 {not in Vi}
5645 This option defines the behavior of the selection. It is only used
5646 in Visual and Select mode.
5647 Possible values:
5648 value past line inclusive ~
5649 old no yes
5650 inclusive yes yes
5651 exclusive yes no
5652 "past line" means that the cursor is allowed to be positioned one
5653 character past the line.
5654 "inclusive" means that the last character of the selection is included
5655 in an operation. For example, when "x" is used to delete the
5656 selection.
5657 Note that when "exclusive" is used and selecting from the end
5658 backwards, you cannot include the last character of a line, when
5659 starting in Normal mode and 'virtualedit' empty.
5661 The 'selection' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5663 *'selectmode'* *'slm'*
5664 'selectmode' 'slm' string (default "")
5665 global
5666 {not in Vi}
5667 This is a comma separated list of words, which specifies when to start
5668 Select mode instead of Visual mode, when a selection is started.
5669 Possible values:
5670 mouse when using the mouse
5671 key when using shifted special keys
5672 cmd when using "v", "V" or CTRL-V
5673 See |Select-mode|.
5674 The 'selectmode' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5676 *'sessionoptions'* *'ssop'*
5677 'sessionoptions' 'ssop' string (default: "blank,buffers,curdir,folds,
5678 help,options,tabpages,winsize")
5679 global
5680 {not in Vi}
5681 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
5682 feature}
5683 Changes the effect of the |:mksession| command. It is a comma
5684 separated list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring
5685 something:
5686 word save and restore ~
5687 blank empty windows
5688 buffers hidden and unloaded buffers, not just those in windows
5689 curdir the current directory
5690 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
5691 fold options
5692 globals global variables that start with an uppercase letter
5693 and contain at least one lowercase letter. Only
5694 String and Number types are stored.
5695 help the help window
5696 localoptions options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
5697 global values for local options)
5698 options all options and mappings (also global values for local
5699 options)
5700 resize size of the Vim window: 'lines' and 'columns'
5701 sesdir the directory in which the session file is located
5702 will become the current directory (useful with
5703 projects accessed over a network from different
5704 systems)
5705 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
5706 slashes
5707 tabpages all tab pages; without this only the current tab page
5708 is restored, so that you can make a session for each
5709 tab page separately
5710 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
5711 on Windows or DOS
5712 winpos position of the whole Vim window
5713 winsize window sizes
5715 Don't include both "curdir" and "sesdir".
5716 When "curdir" nor "sesdir" is included, file names are stored with
5717 absolute paths.
5718 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing session files
5719 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
5720 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
5722 *'shell'* *'sh'* *E91*
5723 'shell' 'sh' string (default $SHELL or "sh",
5724 MS-DOS and Win32: "command.com" or
5725 "cmd.exe", OS/2: "cmd")
5726 global
5727 Name of the shell to use for ! and :! commands. When changing the
5728 value also check these options: 'shelltype', 'shellpipe', 'shellslash'
5729 'shellredir', 'shellquote', 'shellxquote' and 'shellcmdflag'.
5730 It is allowed to give an argument to the command, e.g. "csh -f".
5731 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
5732 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5733 If the name of the shell contains a space, you might need to enclose
5734 it in quotes. Example: >
5735 :set shell=\"c:\program\ files\unix\sh.exe\"\ -f
5736 < Note the backslash before each quote (to avoid starting a comment) and
5737 each space (to avoid ending the option value). Also note that the
5738 "-f" is not inside the quotes, because it is not part of the command
5739 name. And Vim automagically recognizes the backslashes that are path
5740 separators.
5741 For Dos 32 bits (DJGPP), you can set the $DJSYSFLAGS environment
5742 variable to change the way external commands are executed. See the
5743 libc.inf file of DJGPP.
5744 Under MS-Windows, when the executable ends in ".com" it must be
5745 included. Thus setting the shell to "command.com" or "4dos.com"
5746 works, but "command" and "4dos" do not work for all commands (e.g.,
5747 filtering).
5748 For unknown reasons, when using "4dos.com" the current directory is
5749 changed to "C:\". To avoid this set 'shell' like this: >
5750 :set shell=command.com\ /c\ 4dos
5751 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5752 security reasons.
5754 *'shellcmdflag'* *'shcf'*
5755 'shellcmdflag' 'shcf' string (default: "-c", MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5756 does not contain "sh" somewhere: "/c")
5757 global
5758 {not in Vi}
5759 Flag passed to the shell to execute "!" and ":!" commands; e.g.,
5760 "bash.exe -c ls" or "command.com /c dir". For the MS-DOS-like
5761 systems, the default is set according to the value of 'shell', to
5762 reduce the need to set this option by the user. It's not used for
5763 OS/2 (EMX figures this out itself). See |option-backslash| about
5764 including spaces and backslashes. See |dos-shell|.
5765 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5766 security reasons.
5768 *'shellpipe'* *'sp'*
5769 'shellpipe' 'sp' string (default ">", "| tee", "|& tee" or "2>&1| tee")
5770 global
5771 {not in Vi}
5772 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
5773 feature}
5774 String to be used to put the output of the ":make" command in the
5775 error file. See also |:make_makeprg|. See |option-backslash| about
5776 including spaces and backslashes.
5777 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5778 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5779 of this option).
5780 For the Amiga and MS-DOS the default is ">". The output is directly
5781 saved in a file and not echoed to the screen.
5782 For Unix the default it "| tee". The stdout of the compiler is saved
5783 in a file and echoed to the screen. If the 'shell' option is "csh" or
5784 "tcsh" after initializations, the default becomes "|& tee". If the
5785 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh", "zsh" or "bash" the default becomes
5786 "2>&1| tee". This means that stderr is also included.
5787 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5788 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5789 there, the 'shellpipe' option changes automatically, unless it was
5790 explicitly set before.
5791 When 'shellpipe' is set to an empty string, no redirection of the
5792 ":make" output will be done. This is useful if you use a 'makeprg'
5793 that writes to 'makeef' by itself. If you want no piping, but do
5794 want to include the 'makeef', set 'shellpipe' to a single space.
5795 Don't forget to precede the space with a backslash: ":set sp=\ ".
5796 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5797 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5798 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5799 security reasons.
5801 *'shellquote'* *'shq'*
5802 'shellquote' 'shq' string (default: ""; MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5803 contains "sh" somewhere: "\"")
5804 global
5805 {not in Vi}
5806 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5807 the "!" and ":!" commands. The redirection is kept outside of the
5808 quoting. See 'shellxquote' to include the redirection. It's
5809 probably not useful to set both options.
5810 This is an empty string by default. Only known to be useful for
5811 third-party shells on MS-DOS-like systems, such as the MKS Korn Shell
5812 or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted according
5813 the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option by the
5814 user. See |dos-shell|.
5815 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5816 security reasons.
5818 *'shellredir'* *'srr'*
5819 'shellredir' 'srr' string (default ">", ">&" or ">%s 2>&1")
5820 global
5821 {not in Vi}
5822 String to be used to put the output of a filter command in a temporary
5823 file. See also |:!|. See |option-backslash| about including spaces
5824 and backslashes.
5825 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5826 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5827 of this option).
5828 The default is ">". For Unix, if the 'shell' option is "csh", "tcsh"
5829 or "zsh" during initializations, the default becomes ">&". If the
5830 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh" or "bash" the default becomes
5831 ">%s 2>&1". This means that stderr is also included.
5832 For Win32, the Unix checks are done and additionally "cmd" is checked
5833 for, which makes the default ">%s 2>&1". Also, the same names with
5834 ".exe" appended are checked for.
5835 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5836 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5837 there, the 'shellredir' option changes automatically unless it was
5838 explicitly set before.
5839 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5840 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5841 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5842 security reasons.
5844 *'shellslash'* *'ssl'* *'noshellslash'* *'nossl'*
5845 'shellslash' 'ssl' boolean (default off)
5846 global
5847 {not in Vi} {only for MSDOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
5848 When set, a forward slash is used when expanding file names. This is
5849 useful when a Unix-like shell is used instead of command.com or
5850 cmd.exe. Backward slashes can still be typed, but they are changed to
5851 forward slashes by Vim.
5852 Note that setting or resetting this option has no effect for some
5853 existing file names, thus this option needs to be set before opening
5854 any file for best results. This might change in the future.
5855 'shellslash' only works when a backslash can be used as a path
5856 separator. To test if this is so use: >
5857 if exists('+shellslash')
5858 <
5859 *'shelltemp'* *'stmp'* *'noshelltemp'* *'nostmp'*
5860 'shelltemp' 'stmp' boolean (Vi default off, Vim default on)
5861 global
5862 {not in Vi}
5863 When on, use temp files for shell commands. When off use a pipe.
5864 When using a pipe is not possible temp files are used anyway.
5865 Currently a pipe is only supported on Unix. You can check it with: >
5866 :if has("filterpipe")
5867 < The advantage of using a pipe is that nobody can read the temp file
5868 and the 'shell' command does not need to support redirection.
5869 The advantage of using a temp file is that the file type and encoding
5870 can be detected.
5871 The |FilterReadPre|, |FilterReadPost| and |FilterWritePre|,
5872 |FilterWritePost| autocommands event are not triggered when
5873 'shelltemp' is off.
5875 *'shelltype'* *'st'*
5876 'shelltype' 'st' number (default 0)
5877 global
5878 {not in Vi} {only for the Amiga}
5879 On the Amiga this option influences the way how the commands work
5880 which use a shell.
5881 0 and 1: always use the shell
5882 2 and 3: use the shell only to filter lines
5883 4 and 5: use shell only for ':sh' command
5884 When not using the shell, the command is executed directly.
5886 0 and 2: use "shell 'shellcmdflag' cmd" to start external commands
5887 1 and 3: use "shell cmd" to start external commands
5889 *'shellxquote'* *'sxq'*
5890 'shellxquote' 'sxq' string (default: "";
5891 for Win32, when 'shell' contains "sh"
5892 somewhere: "\""
5893 for Unix, when using system(): "\"")
5894 global
5895 {not in Vi}
5896 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5897 the "!" and ":!" commands. Includes the redirection. See
5898 'shellquote' to exclude the redirection. It's probably not useful
5899 to set both options.
5900 This is an empty string by default. Known to be useful for
5901 third-party shells when using the Win32 version, such as the MKS Korn
5902 Shell or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted
5903 according the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option
5904 by the user. See |dos-shell|.
5905 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5906 security reasons.
5908 *'shiftround'* *'sr'* *'noshiftround'* *'nosr'*
5909 'shiftround' 'sr' boolean (default off)
5910 global
5911 {not in Vi}
5912 Round indent to multiple of 'shiftwidth'. Applies to > and <
5913 commands. CTRL-T and CTRL-D in Insert mode always round the indent to
5914 a multiple of 'shiftwidth' (this is Vi compatible).
5915 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5917 *'shiftwidth'* *'sw'*
5918 'shiftwidth' 'sw' number (default 8)
5919 local to buffer
5920 Number of spaces to use for each step of (auto)indent. Used for
5921 |'cindent'|, |>>|, |<<|, etc.
5923 *'shortmess'* *'shm'*
5924 'shortmess' 'shm' string (Vim default "filnxtToO", Vi default: "",
5925 POSIX default: "A")
5926 global
5927 {not in Vi}
5928 This option helps to avoid all the |hit-enter| prompts caused by file
5929 messages, for example with CTRL-G, and to avoid some other messages.
5930 It is a list of flags:
5931 flag meaning when present ~
5932 f use "(3 of 5)" instead of "(file 3 of 5)"
5933 i use "[noeol]" instead of "[Incomplete last line]"
5934 l use "999L, 888C" instead of "999 lines, 888 characters"
5935 m use "[+]" instead of "[Modified]"
5936 n use "[New]" instead of "[New File]"
5937 r use "[RO]" instead of "[readonly]"
5938 w use "[w]" instead of "written" for file write message
5939 and "[a]" instead of "appended" for ':w >> file' command
5940 x use "[dos]" instead of "[dos format]", "[unix]" instead of
5941 "[unix format]" and "[mac]" instead of "[mac format]".
5942 a all of the above abbreviations
5944 o overwrite message for writing a file with subsequent message
5945 for reading a file (useful for ":wn" or when 'autowrite' on)
5946 O message for reading a file overwrites any previous message.
5947 Also for quickfix message (e.g., ":cn").
5948 s don't give "search hit BOTTOM, continuing at TOP" or "search
5949 hit TOP, continuing at BOTTOM" messages
5950 t truncate file message at the start if it is too long to fit
5951 on the command-line, "<" will appear in the left most column.
5952 Ignored in Ex mode.
5953 T truncate other messages in the middle if they are too long to
5954 fit on the command line. "..." will appear in the middle.
5955 Ignored in Ex mode.
5956 W don't give "written" or "[w]" when writing a file
5957 A don't give the "ATTENTION" message when an existing swap file
5958 is found.
5959 I don't give the intro message when starting Vim |:intro|.
5961 This gives you the opportunity to avoid that a change between buffers
5962 requires you to hit <Enter>, but still gives as useful a message as
5963 possible for the space available. To get the whole message that you
5964 would have got with 'shm' empty, use ":file!"
5965 Useful values:
5966 shm= No abbreviation of message.
5967 shm=a Abbreviation, but no loss of information.
5968 shm=at Abbreviation, and truncate message when necessary.
5970 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5971 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5973 *'shortname'* *'sn'* *'noshortname'* *'nosn'*
5974 'shortname' 'sn' boolean (default off)
5975 local to buffer
5976 {not in Vi, not in MS-DOS versions}
5977 Filenames are assumed to be 8 characters plus one extension of 3
5978 characters. Multiple dots in file names are not allowed. When this
5979 option is on, dots in file names are replaced with underscores when
5980 adding an extension (".~" or ".swp"). This option is not available
5981 for MS-DOS, because then it would always be on. This option is useful
5982 when editing files on an MS-DOS compatible filesystem, e.g., messydos
5983 or crossdos. When running the Win32 GUI version under Win32s, this
5984 option is always on by default.
5986 *'showbreak'* *'sbr'* *E595*
5987 'showbreak' 'sbr' string (default "")
5988 global
5989 {not in Vi}
5990 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
5991 feature}
5992 String to put at the start of lines that have been wrapped. Useful
5993 values are "> " or "+++ ".
5994 Only printable single-cell characters are allowed, excluding <Tab> and
5995 comma (in a future version the comma might be used to separate the
5996 part that is shown at the end and at the start of a line).
5997 The characters are highlighted according to the '@' flag in
5998 'highlight'.
5999 Note that tabs after the showbreak will be displayed differently.
6000 If you want the 'showbreak' to appear in between line numbers, add the
6001 "n" flag to 'cpoptions'.
6003 *'showcmd'* *'sc'* *'noshowcmd'* *'nosc'*
6004 'showcmd' 'sc' boolean (Vim default: on, off for Unix, Vi default:
6005 off)
6006 global
6007 {not in Vi}
6008 {not available when compiled without the
6009 |+cmdline_info| feature}
6010 Show (partial) command in the last line of the screen. Set this
6011 option off if your terminal is slow.
6012 In Visual mode the size of the selected area is shown:
6013 - When selecting characters within a line, the number of characters.
6014 - When selecting more than one line, the number of lines.
6015 - When selecting a block, the size in screen characters: linesxcolumns.
6016 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6017 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6019 *'showfulltag'* *'sft'* *'noshowfulltag'* *'nosft'*
6020 'showfulltag' 'sft' boolean (default off)
6021 global
6022 {not in Vi}
6023 When completing a word in insert mode (see |ins-completion|) from the
6024 tags file, show both the tag name and a tidied-up form of the search
6025 pattern (if there is one) as possible matches. Thus, if you have
6026 matched a C function, you can see a template for what arguments are
6027 required (coding style permitting).
6028 Note that this doesn't work well together with having "longest" in
6029 'completeopt', because the completion from the search pattern may not
6030 match the typed text.
6032 *'showmatch'* *'sm'* *'noshowmatch'* *'nosm'*
6033 'showmatch' 'sm' boolean (default off)
6034 global
6035 When a bracket is inserted, briefly jump to the matching one. The
6036 jump is only done if the match can be seen on the screen. The time to
6037 show the match can be set with 'matchtime'.
6038 A Beep is given if there is no match (no matter if the match can be
6039 seen or not). This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
6040 When the 'm' flag is not included in 'cpoptions', typing a character
6041 will immediately move the cursor back to where it belongs.
6042 See the "sm" field in 'guicursor' for setting the cursor shape and
6043 blinking when showing the match.
6044 The 'matchpairs' option can be used to specify the characters to show
6045 matches for. 'rightleft' and 'revins' are used to look for opposite
6046 matches.
6047 Also see the matchparen plugin for highlighting the match when moving
6048 around |pi_paren.txt|.
6049 Note: Use of the short form is rated PG.
6051 *'showmode'* *'smd'* *'noshowmode'* *'nosmd'*
6052 'showmode' 'smd' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6053 global
6054 If in Insert, Replace or Visual mode put a message on the last line.
6055 Use the 'M' flag in 'highlight' to set the type of highlighting for
6056 this message.
6057 When |XIM| may be used the message will include "XIM". But this
6058 doesn't mean XIM is really active, especially when 'imactivatekey' is
6059 not set.
6060 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6061 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6063 *'showtabline'* *'stal'*
6064 'showtabline' 'stal' number (default 1)
6065 global
6066 {not in Vi}
6067 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6068 feature}
6069 The value of this option specifies when the line with tab page labels
6070 will be displayed:
6071 0: never
6072 1: only if there are at least two tab pages
6073 2: always
6074 This is both for the GUI and non-GUI implementation of the tab pages
6075 line.
6076 See |tab-page| for more information about tab pages.
6078 *'sidescroll'* *'ss'*
6079 'sidescroll' 'ss' number (default 0)
6080 global
6081 {not in Vi}
6082 The minimal number of columns to scroll horizontally. Used only when
6083 the 'wrap' option is off and the cursor is moved off of the screen.
6084 When it is zero the cursor will be put in the middle of the screen.
6085 When using a slow terminal set it to a large number or 0. When using
6086 a fast terminal use a small number or 1. Not used for "zh" and "zl"
6087 commands.
6089 *'sidescrolloff'* *'siso'*
6090 'sidescrolloff' 'siso' number (default 0)
6091 global
6092 {not in Vi}
6093 The minimal number of screen columns to keep to the left and to the
6094 right of the cursor if 'nowrap' is set. Setting this option to a
6095 value greater than 0 while having |'sidescroll'| also at a non-zero
6096 value makes some context visible in the line you are scrolling in
6097 horizontally (except at beginning of the line). Setting this option
6098 to a large value (like 999) has the effect of keeping the cursor
6099 horizontally centered in the window, as long as one does not come too
6100 close to the beginning of the line.
6101 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6103 Example: Try this together with 'sidescroll' and 'listchars' as
6104 in the following example to never allow the cursor to move
6105 onto the "extends" character:
6107 :set nowrap sidescroll=1 listchars=extends:>,precedes:<
6108 :set sidescrolloff=1
6111 *'smartcase'* *'scs'* *'nosmartcase'* *'noscs'*
6112 'smartcase' 'scs' boolean (default off)
6113 global
6114 {not in Vi}
6115 Override the 'ignorecase' option if the search pattern contains upper
6116 case characters. Only used when the search pattern is typed and
6117 'ignorecase' option is on. Used for the commands "/", "?", "n", "N",
6118 ":g" and ":s". Not used for "*", "#", "gd", tag search, etc.. After
6119 "*" and "#" you can make 'smartcase' used by doing a "/" command,
6120 recalling the search pattern from history and hitting <Enter>.
6121 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6123 *'smartindent'* *'si'* *'nosmartindent'* *'nosi'*
6124 'smartindent' 'si' boolean (default off)
6125 local to buffer
6126 {not in Vi}
6127 {not available when compiled without the
6128 |+smartindent| feature}
6129 Do smart autoindenting when starting a new line. Works for C-like
6130 programs, but can also be used for other languages. 'cindent' does
6131 something like this, works better in most cases, but is more strict,
6132 see |C-indenting|. When 'cindent' is on, setting 'si' has no effect.
6133 'indentexpr' is a more advanced alternative.
6134 Normally 'autoindent' should also be on when using 'smartindent'.
6135 An indent is automatically inserted:
6136 - After a line ending in '{'.
6137 - After a line starting with a keyword from 'cinwords'.
6138 - Before a line starting with '}' (only with the "O" command).
6139 When typing '}' as the first character in a new line, that line is
6140 given the same indent as the matching '{'.
6141 When typing '#' as the first character in a new line, the indent for
6142 that line is removed, the '#' is put in the first column. The indent
6143 is restored for the next line. If you don't want this, use this
6144 mapping: ":inoremap # X^H#", where ^H is entered with CTRL-V CTRL-H.
6145 When using the ">>" command, lines starting with '#' are not shifted
6146 right.
6147 NOTE: 'smartindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set. When 'paste'
6148 is set smart indenting is disabled.
6150 *'smarttab'* *'sta'* *'nosmarttab'* *'nosta'*
6151 'smarttab' 'sta' boolean (default off)
6152 global
6153 {not in Vi}
6154 When on, a <Tab> in front of a line inserts blanks according to
6155 'shiftwidth'. 'tabstop' or 'softtabstop' is used in other places. A
6156 <BS> will delete a 'shiftwidth' worth of space at the start of the
6157 line.
6158 When off, a <Tab> always inserts blanks according to 'tabstop' or
6159 'softtabstop'. 'shiftwidth' is only used for shifting text left or
6160 right |shift-left-right|.
6161 What gets inserted (a <Tab> or spaces) depends on the 'expandtab'
6162 option. Also see |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the
6163 number of spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6164 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6166 *'softtabstop'* *'sts'*
6167 'softtabstop' 'sts' number (default 0)
6168 local to buffer
6169 {not in Vi}
6170 Number of spaces that a <Tab> counts for while performing editing
6171 operations, like inserting a <Tab> or using <BS>. It "feels" like
6172 <Tab>s are being inserted, while in fact a mix of spaces and <Tab>s is
6173 used. This is useful to keep the 'ts' setting at its standard value
6174 of 8, while being able to edit like it is set to 'sts'. However,
6175 commands like "x" still work on the actual characters.
6176 When 'sts' is zero, this feature is off.
6177 'softtabstop' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set.
6178 See also |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the number of
6179 spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6180 The 'L' flag in 'cpoptions' changes how tabs are used when 'list' is
6181 set.
6182 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6184 *'spell'* *'nospell'*
6185 'spell' boolean (default off)
6186 local to window
6187 {not in Vi}
6188 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6189 feature}
6190 When on spell checking will be done. See |spell|.
6191 The languages are specified with 'spelllang'.
6193 *'spellcapcheck'* *'spc'*
6194 'spellcapcheck' 'spc' string (default "[.?!]\_[\])'" \t]\+")
6195 local to buffer
6196 {not in Vi}
6197 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6198 feature}
6199 Pattern to locate the end of a sentence. The following word will be
6200 checked to start with a capital letter. If not then it is highlighted
6201 with SpellCap |hl-SpellCap| (unless the word is also badly spelled).
6202 When this check is not wanted make this option empty.
6203 Only used when 'spell' is set.
6204 Be careful with special characters, see |option-backslash| about
6205 including spaces and backslashes.
6206 To set this option automatically depending on the language, see
6207 |set-spc-auto|.
6209 *'spellfile'* *'spf'*
6210 'spellfile' 'spf' string (default empty)
6211 local to buffer
6212 {not in Vi}
6213 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6214 feature}
6215 Name of the word list file where words are added for the |zg| and |zw|
6216 commands. It must end in ".{encoding}.add". You need to include the
6217 path, otherwise the file is placed in the current directory.
6218 *E765*
6219 It may also be a comma separated list of names. A count before the
6220 |zg| and |zw| commands can be used to access each. This allows using
6221 a personal word list file and a project word list file.
6222 When a word is added while this option is empty Vim will set it for
6223 you: Using the first directory in 'runtimepath' that is writable. If
6224 there is no "spell" directory yet it will be created. For the file
6225 name the first language name that appears in 'spelllang' is used,
6226 ignoring the region.
6227 The resulting ".spl" file will be used for spell checking, it does not
6228 have to appear in 'spelllang'.
6229 Normally one file is used for all regions, but you can add the region
6230 name if you want to. However, it will then only be used when
6231 'spellfile' is set to it, for entries in 'spelllang' only files
6232 without region name will be found.
6233 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6234 security reasons.
6236 *'spelllang'* *'spl'*
6237 'spelllang' 'spl' string (default "en")
6238 local to buffer
6239 {not in Vi}
6240 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6241 feature}
6242 A comma separated list of word list names. When the 'spell' option is
6243 on spellchecking will be done for these languages. Example: >
6244 set spelllang=en_us,nl,medical
6245 < This means US English, Dutch and medical words are recognized. Words
6246 that are not recognized will be highlighted.
6247 The word list name must not include a comma or dot. Using a dash is
6248 recommended to separate the two letter language name from a
6249 specification. Thus "en-rare" is used for rare English words.
6250 A region name must come last and have the form "_xx", where "xx" is
6251 the two-letter, lower case region name. You can use more than one
6252 region by listing them: "en_us,en_ca" supports both US and Canadian
6253 English, but not words specific for Australia, New Zealand or Great
6254 Britain.
6255 *E757*
6256 As a special case the name of a .spl file can be given as-is. The
6257 first "_xx" in the name is removed and used as the region name
6258 (_xx is an underscore, two letters and followed by a non-letter).
6259 This is mainly for testing purposes. You must make sure the correct
6260 encoding is used, Vim doesn't check it.
6261 When 'encoding' is set the word lists are reloaded. Thus it's a good
6262 idea to set 'spelllang' after setting 'encoding' to avoid loading the
6263 files twice.
6264 How the related spell files are found is explained here: |spell-load|.
6266 If the |spellfile.vim| plugin is active and you use a language name
6267 for which Vim cannot find the .spl file in 'runtimepath' the plugin
6268 will ask you if you want to download the file.
6270 After this option has been set successfully, Vim will source the files
6271 "spell/LANG.vim" in 'runtimepath'. "LANG" is the value of 'spelllang'
6272 up to the first comma, dot or underscore.
6273 Also see |set-spc-auto|.
6276 *'spellsuggest'* *'sps'*
6277 'spellsuggest' 'sps' string (default "best")
6278 global
6279 {not in Vi}
6280 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6281 feature}
6282 Methods used for spelling suggestions. Both for the |z=| command and
6283 the |spellsuggest()| function. This is a comma-separated list of
6284 items:
6286 best Internal method that works best for English. Finds
6287 changes like "fast" and uses a bit of sound-a-like
6288 scoring to improve the ordering.
6290 double Internal method that uses two methods and mixes the
6291 results. The first method is "fast", the other method
6292 computes how much the suggestion sounds like the bad
6293 word. That only works when the language specifies
6294 sound folding. Can be slow and doesn't always give
6295 better results.
6297 fast Internal method that only checks for simple changes:
6298 character inserts/deletes/swaps. Works well for
6299 simple typing mistakes.
6301 {number} The maximum number of suggestions listed for |z=|.
6302 Not used for |spellsuggest()|. The number of
6303 suggestions is never more than the value of 'lines'
6304 minus two.
6306 file:{filename} Read file {filename}, which must have two columns,
6307 separated by a slash. The first column contains the
6308 bad word, the second column the suggested good word.
6309 Example:
6310 theribal/terrible ~
6311 Use this for common mistakes that do not appear at the
6312 top of the suggestion list with the internal methods.
6313 Lines without a slash are ignored, use this for
6314 comments.
6315 The file is used for all languages.
6317 expr:{expr} Evaluate expression {expr}. Use a function to avoid
6318 trouble with spaces. |v:val| holds the badly spelled
6319 word. The expression must evaluate to a List of
6320 Lists, each with a suggestion and a score.
6321 Example:
6322 [['the', 33], ['that', 44]]
6323 Set 'verbose' and use |z=| to see the scores that the
6324 internal methods use. A lower score is better.
6325 This may invoke |spellsuggest()| if you temporarily
6326 set 'spellsuggest' to exclude the "expr:" part.
6327 Errors are silently ignored, unless you set the
6328 'verbose' option to a non-zero value.
6330 Only one of "best", "double" or "fast" may be used. The others may
6331 appear several times in any order. Example: >
6332 :set sps=file:~/.vim/sugg,best,expr:MySuggest()
6333 <
6334 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6335 security reasons.
6338 *'splitbelow'* *'sb'* *'nosplitbelow'* *'nosb'*
6339 'splitbelow' 'sb' boolean (default off)
6340 global
6341 {not in Vi}
6342 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6343 feature}
6344 When on, splitting a window will put the new window below the current
6345 one. |:split|
6347 *'splitright'* *'spr'* *'nosplitright'* *'nospr'*
6348 'splitright' 'spr' boolean (default off)
6349 global
6350 {not in Vi}
6351 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
6352 feature}
6353 When on, splitting a window will put the new window right of the
6354 current one. |:vsplit|
6356 *'startofline'* *'sol'* *'nostartofline'* *'nosol'*
6357 'startofline' 'sol' boolean (default on)
6358 global
6359 {not in Vi}
6360 When "on" the commands listed below move the cursor to the first
6361 non-blank of the line. When off the cursor is kept in the same column
6362 (if possible). This applies to the commands: CTRL-D, CTRL-U, CTRL-B,
6363 CTRL-F, "G", "H", "M", "L", gg, and to the commands "d", "<<" and ">>"
6364 with a linewise operator, with "%" with a count and to buffer changing
6365 commands (CTRL-^, :bnext, :bNext, etc.). Also for an Ex command that
6366 only has a line number, e.g., ":25" or ":+".
6367 In case of buffer changing commands the cursor is placed at the column
6368 where it was the last time the buffer was edited.
6369 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
6371 *'statusline'* *'stl'* *E540* *E541* *E542*
6372 'statusline' 'stl' string (default empty)
6373 global or local to window |global-local|
6374 {not in Vi}
6375 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
6376 feature}
6377 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the status line.
6378 Also see |status-line|.
6380 The option consists of printf style '%' items interspersed with
6381 normal text. Each status line item is of the form:
6382 %-0{minwid}.{maxwid}{item}
6383 All fields except the {item} is optional. A single percent sign can
6384 be given as "%%". Up to 80 items can be specified.
6386 When the option starts with "%!" then it is used as an expression,
6387 evaluated and the result is used as the option value. Example: >
6388 :set statusline=%!MyStatusLine()
6389 < The result can contain %{} items that will be evaluated too.
6391 When there is error while evaluating the option then it will be made
6392 empty to avoid further errors. Otherwise screen updating would loop.
6394 Note that the only effect of 'ruler' when this option is set (and
6395 'laststatus' is 2) is controlling the output of |CTRL-G|.
6397 field meaning ~
6398 - Left justify the item. The default is right justified
6399 when minwid is larger than the length of the item.
6400 0 Leading zeroes in numeric items. Overridden by '-'.
6401 minwid Minimum width of the item, padding as set by '-' & '0'.
6402 Value must be 50 or less.
6403 maxwid Maximum width of the item. Truncation occurs with a '<'
6404 on the left for text items. Numeric items will be
6405 shifted down to maxwid-2 digits followed by '>'number
6406 where number is the amount of missing digits, much like
6407 an exponential notation.
6408 item A one letter code as described below.
6410 Following is a description of the possible statusline items. The
6411 second character in "item" is the type:
6412 N for number
6413 S for string
6414 F for flags as described below
6415 - not applicable
6417 item meaning ~
6418 f S Path to the file in the buffer, as typed or relative to current
6419 directory.
6420 F S Full path to the file in the buffer.
6421 t S File name (tail) of file in the buffer.
6422 m F Modified flag, text is "[+]"; "[-]" if 'modifiable' is off.
6423 M F Modified flag, text is ",+" or ",-".
6424 r F Readonly flag, text is "[RO]".
6425 R F Readonly flag, text is ",RO".
6426 h F Help buffer flag, text is "[help]".
6427 H F Help buffer flag, text is ",HLP".
6428 w F Preview window flag, text is "[Preview]".
6429 W F Preview window flag, text is ",PRV".
6430 y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., "[vim]". See 'filetype'.
6431 Y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., ",VIM". See 'filetype'.
6432 {not available when compiled without |+autocmd| feature}
6433 k S Value of "b:keymap_name" or 'keymap' when |:lmap| mappings are
6434 being used: "<keymap>"
6435 n N Buffer number.
6436 b N Value of byte under cursor.
6437 B N As above, in hexadecimal.
6438 o N Byte number in file of byte under cursor, first byte is 1.
6439 Mnemonic: Offset from start of file (with one added)
6440 {not available when compiled without |+byte_offset| feature}
6441 O N As above, in hexadecimal.
6442 N N Printer page number. (Only works in the 'printheader' option.)
6443 l N Line number.
6444 L N Number of lines in buffer.
6445 c N Column number.
6446 v N Virtual column number.
6447 V N Virtual column number as -{num}. Not displayed if equal to 'c'.
6448 p N Percentage through file in lines as in |CTRL-G|.
6449 P S Percentage through file of displayed window. This is like the
6450 percentage described for 'ruler'. Always 3 in length.
6451 a S Argument list status as in default title. ({current} of {max})
6452 Empty if the argument file count is zero or one.
6453 { NF Evaluate expression between '%{' and '}' and substitute result.
6454 Note that there is no '%' before the closing '}'.
6455 ( - Start of item group. Can be used for setting the width and
6456 alignment of a section. Must be followed by %) somewhere.
6457 ) - End of item group. No width fields allowed.
6458 T N For 'tabline': start of tab page N label. Use %T after the last
6459 label. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6460 X N For 'tabline': start of close tab N label. Use %X after the
6461 label, e.g.: %3Xclose%X. Use %999X for a "close current tab"
6462 mark. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6463 < - Where to truncate line if too long. Default is at the start.
6464 No width fields allowed.
6465 = - Separation point between left and right aligned items.
6466 No width fields allowed.
6467 # - Set highlight group. The name must follow and then a # again.
6468 Thus use %#HLname# for highlight group HLname. The same
6469 highlighting is used, also for the statusline of non-current
6470 windows.
6471 * - Set highlight group to User{N}, where {N} is taken from the
6472 minwid field, e.g. %1*. Restore normal highlight with %* or %0*.
6473 The difference between User{N} and StatusLine will be applied
6474 to StatusLineNC for the statusline of non-current windows.
6475 The number N must be between 1 and 9. See |hl-User1..9|
6477 When displaying a flag, Vim removes the leading comma, if any, when
6478 that flag comes right after plaintext. This will make a nice display
6479 when flags are used like in the examples below.
6481 When all items in a group becomes an empty string (i.e. flags that are
6482 not set) and a minwid is not set for the group, the whole group will
6483 become empty. This will make a group like the following disappear
6484 completely from the statusline when none of the flags are set. >
6485 :set statusline=...%(\ [%M%R%H]%)...
6486 <
6487 Beware that an expression is evaluated each and every time the status
6488 line is displayed. The current buffer and current window will be set
6489 temporarily to that of the window (and buffer) whose statusline is
6490 currently being drawn. The expression will evaluate in this context.
6491 The variable "actual_curbuf" is set to the 'bufnr()' number of the
6492 real current buffer.
6494 The 'statusline' option may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
6495 |sandbox-option|.
6497 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
6498 evaluating 'statusline' |textlock|.
6500 If the statusline is not updated when you want it (e.g., after setting
6501 a variable that's used in an expression), you can force an update by
6502 setting an option without changing its value. Example: >
6503 :let &ro = &ro
6505 < A result of all digits is regarded a number for display purposes.
6506 Otherwise the result is taken as flag text and applied to the rules
6507 described above.
6509 Watch out for errors in expressions. They may render Vim unusable!
6510 If you are stuck, hold down ':' or 'Q' to get a prompt, then quit and
6511 edit your .vimrc or whatever with "vim -u NONE" to get it right.
6513 Examples:
6514 Emulate standard status line with 'ruler' set >
6515 :set statusline=%<%f\ %h%m%r%=%-14.(%l,%c%V%)\ %P
6516 < Similar, but add ASCII value of char under the cursor (like "ga") >
6517 :set statusline=%<%f%h%m%r%=%b\ 0x%B\ \ %l,%c%V\ %P
6518 < Display byte count and byte value, modified flag in red. >
6519 :set statusline=%<%f%=\ [%1*%M%*%n%R%H]\ %-19(%3l,%02c%03V%)%O'%02b'
6520 :hi User1 term=inverse,bold cterm=inverse,bold ctermfg=red
6521 < Display a ,GZ flag if a compressed file is loaded >
6522 :set statusline=...%r%{VarExists('b:gzflag','\ [GZ]')}%h...
6523 < In the |:autocmd|'s: >
6524 :let b:gzflag = 1
6525 < And: >
6526 :unlet b:gzflag
6527 < And define this function: >
6528 :function VarExists(var, val)
6529 : if exists(a:var) | return a:val | else | return '' | endif
6530 :endfunction
6531 <
6532 *'suffixes'* *'su'*
6533 'suffixes' 'su' string (default ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj")
6534 global
6535 {not in Vi}
6536 Files with these suffixes get a lower priority when multiple files
6537 match a wildcard. See |suffixes|. Commas can be used to separate the
6538 suffixes. Spaces after the comma are ignored. A dot is also seen as
6539 the start of a suffix. To avoid a dot or comma being recognized as a
6540 separator, precede it with a backslash (see |option-backslash| about
6541 including spaces and backslashes).
6542 See 'wildignore' for completely ignoring files.
6543 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6544 suffixes from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6545 uses another default.
6547 *'suffixesadd'* *'sua'*
6548 'suffixesadd' 'sua' string (default "")
6549 local to buffer
6550 {not in Vi}
6551 {not available when compiled without the
6552 |+file_in_path| feature}
6553 Comma separated list of suffixes, which are used when searching for a
6554 file for the "gf", "[I", etc. commands. Example: >
6555 :set suffixesadd=.java
6556 <
6557 *'swapfile'* *'swf'* *'noswapfile'* *'noswf'*
6558 'swapfile' 'swf' boolean (default on)
6559 local to buffer
6560 {not in Vi}
6561 Use a swapfile for the buffer. This option can be reset when a
6562 swapfile is not wanted for a specific buffer. For example, with
6563 confidential information that even root must not be able to access.
6564 Careful: All text will be in memory:
6565 - Don't use this for big files.
6566 - Recovery will be impossible!
6567 A swapfile will only be present when |'updatecount'| is non-zero and
6568 'swapfile' is set.
6569 When 'swapfile' is reset, the swap file for the current buffer is
6570 immediately deleted. When 'swapfile' is set, and 'updatecount' is
6571 non-zero, a swap file is immediately created.
6572 Also see |swap-file| and |'swapsync'|.
6574 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'buftype' to
6575 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
6577 *'swapsync'* *'sws'*
6578 'swapsync' 'sws' string (default "fsync")
6579 global
6580 {not in Vi}
6581 When this option is not empty a swap file is synced to disk after
6582 writing to it. This takes some time, especially on busy unix systems.
6583 When this option is empty parts of the swap file may be in memory and
6584 not written to disk. When the system crashes you may lose more work.
6585 On Unix the system does a sync now and then without Vim asking for it,
6586 so the disadvantage of setting this option off is small. On some
6587 systems the swap file will not be written at all. For a unix system
6588 setting it to "sync" will use the sync() call instead of the default
6589 fsync(), which may work better on some systems.
6590 The 'fsync' option is used for the actual file.
6592 *'switchbuf'* *'swb'*
6593 'switchbuf' 'swb' string (default "")
6594 global
6595 {not in Vi}
6596 This option controls the behavior when switching between buffers.
6597 Possible values (comma separated list):
6598 useopen If included, jump to the first open window that
6599 contains the specified buffer (if there is one).
6600 Otherwise: Do not examine other windows.
6601 This setting is checked with |quickfix| commands, when
6602 jumping to errors (":cc", ":cn", "cp", etc.). It is
6603 also used in all buffer related split commands, for
6604 example ":sbuffer", ":sbnext", or ":sbrewind".
6605 usetab Like "useopen", but also consider windows in other tab
6606 pages.
6607 split If included, split the current window before loading
6608 a buffer. Otherwise: do not split, use current window.
6609 Supported in |quickfix| commands that display errors.
6610 newtab Like "split", but open a new tab page. Overrules
6611 "split" when both are present.
6613 *'synmaxcol'* *'smc'*
6614 'synmaxcol' 'smc' number (default 3000)
6615 local to buffer
6616 {not in Vi}
6617 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6618 feature}
6619 Maximum column in which to search for syntax items. In long lines the
6620 text after this column is not highlighted and following lines may not
6621 be highlighted correctly, because the syntax state is cleared.
6622 This helps to avoid very slow redrawing for an XML file that is one
6623 long line.
6624 Set to zero to remove the limit.
6626 *'syntax'* *'syn'*
6627 'syntax' 'syn' string (default empty)
6628 local to buffer
6629 {not in Vi}
6630 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6631 feature}
6632 When this option is set, the syntax with this name is loaded, unless
6633 syntax highlighting has been switched off with ":syntax off".
6634 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current syntax (the
6635 b:current_syntax variable does).
6636 This option is most useful in a modeline, for a file which syntax is
6637 not automatically recognized. Example, in an IDL file:
6638 /* vim: set syntax=idl : */ ~
6639 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
6640 names. Example:
6641 /* vim: set syntax=c.doxygen : */ ~
6642 This will use the "c" syntax first, then the "doxygen" syntax.
6643 Note that the second one must be prepared to be loaded as an addition,
6644 otherwise it will be skipped. More than one dot may appear.
6645 To switch off syntax highlighting for the current file, use: >
6646 :set syntax=OFF
6647 < To switch syntax highlighting on according to the current value of the
6648 'filetype' option: >
6649 :set syntax=ON
6650 < What actually happens when setting the 'syntax' option is that the
6651 Syntax autocommand event is triggered with the value as argument.
6652 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
6653 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
6654 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
6656 *'tabline'* *'tal'*
6657 'tabline' 'tal' string (default empty)
6658 global
6659 {not in Vi}
6660 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6661 feature}
6662 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the tab pages
6663 line at the top of the Vim window. When empty Vim will use a default
6664 tab pages line. See |setting-tabline| for more info.
6666 The tab pages line only appears as specified with the 'showtabline'
6667 option and only when there is no GUI tab line. When 'e' is in
6668 'guioptions' and the GUI supports a tab line 'guitablabel' is used
6669 instead.
6671 The value is evaluated like with 'statusline'. You can use
6672 |tabpagenr()|, |tabpagewinnr()| and |tabpagebuflist()| to figure out
6673 the text to be displayed. Use "%1T" for the first label, "%2T" for
6674 the second one, etc. Use "%X" items for closing labels.
6676 Keep in mind that only one of the tab pages is the current one, others
6677 are invisible and you can't jump to their windows.
6680 *'tabpagemax'* *'tpm'*
6681 'tabpagemax' 'tpm' number (default 10)
6682 global
6683 {not in Vi}
6684 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6685 feature}
6686 Maximum number of tab pages to be opened by the |-p| command line
6687 argument or the ":tab all" command. |tabpage|
6690 *'tabstop'* *'ts'*
6691 'tabstop' 'ts' number (default 8)
6692 local to buffer
6693 Number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for. Also see
6694 |:retab| command, and 'softtabstop' option.
6696 Note: Setting 'tabstop' to any other value than 8 can make your file
6697 appear wrong in many places (e.g., when printing it).
6699 There are four main ways to use tabs in Vim:
6700 1. Always keep 'tabstop' at 8, set 'softtabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to 4
6701 (or 3 or whatever you prefer) and use 'noexpandtab'. Then Vim
6702 will use a mix of tabs and spaces, but typing <Tab> and <BS> will
6703 behave like a tab appears every 4 (or 3) characters.
6704 2. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use
6705 'expandtab'. This way you will always insert spaces. The
6706 formatting will never be messed up when 'tabstop' is changed.
6707 3. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use a
6708 |modeline| to set these values when editing the file again. Only
6709 works when using Vim to edit the file.
6710 4. Always set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to the same value, and
6711 'noexpandtab'. This should then work (for initial indents only)
6712 for any tabstop setting that people use. It might be nice to have
6713 tabs after the first non-blank inserted as spaces if you do this
6714 though. Otherwise aligned comments will be wrong when 'tabstop' is
6715 changed.
6717 *'tagbsearch'* *'tbs'* *'notagbsearch'* *'notbs'*
6718 'tagbsearch' 'tbs' boolean (default on)
6719 global
6720 {not in Vi}
6721 When searching for a tag (e.g., for the |:ta| command), Vim can either
6722 use a binary search or a linear search in a tags file. Binary
6723 searching makes searching for a tag a LOT faster, but a linear search
6724 will find more tags if the tags file wasn't properly sorted.
6725 Vim normally assumes that your tags files are sorted, or indicate that
6726 they are not sorted. Only when this is not the case does the
6727 'tagbsearch' option need to be switched off.
6729 When 'tagbsearch' is on, binary searching is first used in the tags
6730 files. In certain situations, Vim will do a linear search instead for
6731 certain files, or retry all files with a linear search. When
6732 'tagbsearch' is off, only a linear search is done.
6734 Linear searching is done anyway, for one file, when Vim finds a line
6735 at the start of the file indicating that it's not sorted: >
6736 !_TAG_FILE_SORTED 0 /some comment/
6737 < [The whitespace before and after the '0' must be a single <Tab>]
6739 When a binary search was done and no match was found in any of the
6740 files listed in 'tags', and 'ignorecase' is set or a pattern is used
6741 instead of a normal tag name, a retry is done with a linear search.
6742 Tags in unsorted tags files, and matches with different case will only
6743 be found in the retry.
6745 If a tag file indicates that it is case-fold sorted, the second,
6746 linear search can be avoided for the 'ignorecase' case. Use a value
6747 of '2' in the "!_TAG_FILE_SORTED" line for this. A tag file can be
6748 case-fold sorted with the -f switch to "sort" in most unices, as in
6749 the command: "sort -f -o tags tags". For "Exuberant ctags" version
6750 5.3 or higher the -f or --fold-case-sort switch can be used for this
6751 as well. Note that case must be folded to uppercase for this to work.
6753 When 'tagbsearch' is off, tags searching is slower when a full match
6754 exists, but faster when no full match exists. Tags in unsorted tags
6755 files may only be found with 'tagbsearch' off.
6756 When the tags file is not sorted, or sorted in a wrong way (not on
6757 ASCII byte value), 'tagbsearch' should be off, or the line given above
6758 must be included in the tags file.
6759 This option doesn't affect commands that find all matching tags (e.g.,
6760 command-line completion and ":help").
6761 {Vi: always uses binary search in some versions}
6763 *'taglength'* *'tl'*
6764 'taglength' 'tl' number (default 0)
6765 global
6766 If non-zero, tags are significant up to this number of characters.
6768 *'tagrelative'* *'tr'* *'notagrelative'* *'notr'*
6769 'tagrelative' 'tr' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6770 global
6771 {not in Vi}
6772 If on and using a tags file in another directory, file names in that
6773 tags file are relative to the directory where the tags file is.
6774 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6775 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6777 *'tags'* *'tag'* *E433*
6778 'tags' 'tag' string (default "./tags,tags", when compiled with
6779 |+emacs_tags|: "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS")
6780 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6781 Filenames for the tag command, separated by spaces or commas. To
6782 include a space or comma in a file name, precede it with a backslash
6783 (see |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes).
6784 When a file name starts with "./", the '.' is replaced with the path
6785 of the current file. But only when the 'd' flag is not included in
6786 'cpoptions'. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. Also see
6787 |tags-option|.
6788 "*", "**" and other wildcards can be used to search for tags files in
6789 a directory tree. See |file-searching|. {not available when compiled
6790 without the |+path_extra| feature}
6791 The |tagfiles()| function can be used to get a list of the file names
6792 actually used.
6793 If Vim was compiled with the |+emacs_tags| feature, Emacs-style tag
6794 files are also supported. They are automatically recognized. The
6795 default value becomes "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS", unless case
6796 differences are ignored (MS-Windows). |emacs-tags|
6797 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6798 file names from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6799 uses another default.
6800 {Vi: default is "tags /usr/lib/tags"}
6802 *'tagstack'* *'tgst'* *'notagstack'* *'notgst'*
6803 'tagstack' 'tgst' boolean (default on)
6804 global
6805 {not in all versions of Vi}
6806 When on, the |tagstack| is used normally. When off, a ":tag" or
6807 ":tselect" command with an argument will not push the tag onto the
6808 tagstack. A following ":tag" without an argument, a ":pop" command or
6809 any other command that uses the tagstack will use the unmodified
6810 tagstack, but does change the pointer to the active entry.
6811 Resetting this option is useful when using a ":tag" command in a
6812 mapping which should not change the tagstack.
6814 *'term'* *E529* *E530* *E531*
6815 'term' string (default is $TERM, if that fails:
6816 in the GUI: "builtin_gui"
6817 on Amiga: "amiga"
6818 on BeOS: "beos-ansi"
6819 on Mac: "mac-ansi"
6820 on MiNT: "vt52"
6821 on MS-DOS: "pcterm"
6822 on OS/2: "os2ansi"
6823 on Unix: "ansi"
6824 on VMS: "ansi"
6825 on Win 32: "win32")
6826 global
6827 Name of the terminal. Used for choosing the terminal control
6828 characters. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
6829 For example: >
6830 :set term=$TERM
6831 < See |termcap|.
6833 *'termbidi'* *'tbidi'*
6834 *'notermbidi'* *'notbidi'*
6835 'termbidi' 'tbidi' boolean (default off, on for "mlterm")
6836 global
6837 {not in Vi}
6838 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
6839 feature}
6840 The terminal is in charge of Bi-directionality of text (as specified
6841 by Unicode). The terminal is also expected to do the required shaping
6842 that some languages (such as Arabic) require.
6843 Setting this option implies that 'rightleft' will not be set when
6844 'arabic' is set and the value of 'arabicshape' will be ignored.
6845 Note that setting 'termbidi' has the immediate effect that
6846 'arabicshape' is ignored, but 'rightleft' isn't changed automatically.
6847 This option is reset when the GUI is started.
6848 For further details see |arabic.txt|.
6850 *'termencoding'* *'tenc'*
6851 'termencoding' 'tenc' string (default ""
6852 with GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs: "utf-8"
6853 with Macintosh (Carbon) GUI: "macroman")
6854 global
6855 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
6856 feature}
6857 {not in Vi}
6858 Encoding used for the terminal. This specifies what character
6859 encoding the keyboard produces and the display will understand. For
6860 the GUI it only applies to the keyboard ('encoding' is used for the
6861 display). Except for the Mac when 'macatsui' is off, then
6862 'termencoding' should be "macroman" (for the Carbon GUI).
6863 In the Win32 console version the default value is the console codepage
6864 when it differs from the ANSI codepage.
6865 *E617*
6866 Note: This does not apply to the GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs. After the
6867 GUI has been successfully initialized, 'termencoding' is forcibly set
6868 to "utf-8". Any attempts to set a different value will be rejected,
6869 and an error message is shown.
6870 For the Win32 GUI 'termencoding' is not used for typed characters,
6871 because the Win32 system always passes Unicode characters.
6872 When empty, the same encoding is used as for the 'encoding' option.
6873 This is the normal value.
6874 Not all combinations for 'termencoding' and 'encoding' are valid. See
6875 |encoding-table|.
6876 The value for this option must be supported by internal conversions or
6877 iconv(). When this is not possible no conversion will be done and you
6878 will probably experience problems with non-ASCII characters.
6879 Example: You are working with the locale set to euc-jp (Japanese) and
6880 want to edit a UTF-8 file: >
6881 :let &termencoding = &encoding
6882 :set encoding=utf-8
6883 < You need to do this when your system has no locale support for UTF-8.
6885 *'terse'* *'noterse'*
6886 'terse' boolean (default off)
6887 global
6888 When set: Add 's' flag to 'shortmess' option (this makes the message
6889 for a search that hits the start or end of the file not being
6890 displayed). When reset: Remove 's' flag from 'shortmess' option. {Vi
6891 shortens a lot of messages}
6893 *'textauto'* *'ta'* *'notextauto'* *'nota'*
6894 'textauto' 'ta' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6895 global
6896 {not in Vi}
6897 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformats'.
6898 For backwards compatibility, when 'textauto' is set, 'fileformats' is
6899 set to the default value for the current system. When 'textauto' is
6900 reset, 'fileformats' is made empty.
6901 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6902 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6904 *'textmode'* *'tx'* *'notextmode'* *'notx'*
6905 'textmode' 'tx' boolean (MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: default on,
6906 others: default off)
6907 local to buffer
6908 {not in Vi}
6909 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformat'.
6910 For backwards compatibility, when 'textmode' is set, 'fileformat' is
6911 set to "dos". When 'textmode' is reset, 'fileformat' is set to
6912 "unix".
6914 *'textwidth'* *'tw'*
6915 'textwidth' 'tw' number (default 0)
6916 local to buffer
6917 {not in Vi}
6918 Maximum width of text that is being inserted. A longer line will be
6919 broken after white space to get this width. A zero value disables
6920 this. 'textwidth' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set. When
6921 'textwidth' is zero, 'wrapmargin' may be used. See also
6922 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|.
6923 When 'formatexpr' is set it will be used to break the line.
6924 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6926 *'thesaurus'* *'tsr'*
6927 'thesaurus' 'tsr' string (default "")
6928 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6929 {not in Vi}
6930 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
6931 for thesaurus completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|. Each line in
6932 the file should contain words with similar meaning, separated by
6933 non-keyword characters (white space is preferred). Maximum line
6934 length is 510 bytes.
6935 To obtain a file to be used here, check out the wordlist FAQ at
6936 http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk .
6937 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
6938 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
6939 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
6940 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6941 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6942 uses another default.
6943 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
6945 *'tildeop'* *'top'* *'notildeop'* *'notop'*
6946 'tildeop' 'top' boolean (default off)
6947 global
6948 {not in Vi}
6949 When on: The tilde command "~" behaves like an operator.
6950 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6952 *'timeout'* *'to'* *'notimeout'* *'noto'*
6953 'timeout' 'to' boolean (default on)
6954 global
6955 *'ttimeout'* *'nottimeout'*
6956 'ttimeout' boolean (default off)
6957 global
6958 {not in Vi}
6959 These two options together determine the behavior when part of a
6960 mapped key sequence or keyboard code has been received:
6962 'timeout' 'ttimeout' action ~
6963 off off do not time out
6964 on on or off time out on :mappings and key codes
6965 off on time out on key codes
6967 If both options are off, Vim will wait until either the complete
6968 mapping or key sequence has been received, or it is clear that there
6969 is no mapping or key sequence for the received characters. For
6970 example: if you have mapped "vl" and Vim has received 'v', the next
6971 character is needed to see if the 'v' is followed by an 'l'.
6972 When one of the options is on, Vim will wait for about 1 second for
6973 the next character to arrive. After that the already received
6974 characters are interpreted as single characters. The waiting time can
6975 be changed with the 'timeoutlen' option.
6976 On slow terminals or very busy systems timing out may cause
6977 malfunctioning cursor keys. If both options are off, Vim waits
6978 forever after an entered <Esc> if there are key codes that start
6979 with <Esc>. You will have to type <Esc> twice. If you do not have
6980 problems with key codes, but would like to have :mapped key
6981 sequences not timing out in 1 second, set the 'ttimeout' option and
6982 reset the 'timeout' option.
6984 NOTE: 'ttimeout' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6986 *'timeoutlen'* *'tm'*
6987 'timeoutlen' 'tm' number (default 1000)
6988 global
6989 {not in all versions of Vi}
6990 *'ttimeoutlen'* *'ttm'*
6991 'ttimeoutlen' 'ttm' number (default -1)
6992 global
6993 {not in Vi}
6994 The time in milliseconds that is waited for a key code or mapped key
6995 sequence to complete. Also used for CTRL-\ CTRL-N and CTRL-\ CTRL-G
6996 when part of a command has been typed.
6997 Normally only 'timeoutlen' is used and 'ttimeoutlen' is -1. When a
6998 different timeout value for key codes is desired set 'ttimeoutlen' to
6999 a non-negative number.
7001 ttimeoutlen mapping delay key code delay ~
7002 < 0 'timeoutlen' 'timeoutlen'
7003 >= 0 'timeoutlen' 'ttimeoutlen'
7005 The timeout only happens when the 'timeout' and 'ttimeout' options
7006 tell so. A useful setting would be >
7007 :set timeout timeoutlen=3000 ttimeoutlen=100
7008 < (time out on mapping after three seconds, time out on key codes after
7009 a tenth of a second).
7011 *'title'* *'notitle'*
7012 'title' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
7013 global
7014 {not in Vi}
7015 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
7016 feature}
7017 When on, the title of the window will be set to the value of
7018 'titlestring' (if it is not empty), or to:
7019 filename [+=-] (path) - VIM
7020 Where:
7021 filename the name of the file being edited
7022 - indicates the file cannot be modified, 'ma' off
7023 + indicates the file was modified
7024 = indicates the file is read-only
7025 =+ indicates the file is read-only and modified
7026 (path) is the path of the file being edited
7027 - VIM the server name |v:servername| or "VIM"
7028 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles
7029 (currently Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and
7030 terminals with a non- empty 't_ts' option - these are Unix xterm and
7031 iris-ansi by default, where 't_ts' is taken from the builtin termcap).
7032 *X11*
7033 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
7034 be restored if possible. The output of ":version" will include "+X11"
7035 when HAVE_X11 was defined, otherwise it will be "-X11". This also
7036 works for the icon name |'icon'|.
7037 But: When Vim was started with the |-X| argument, restoring the title
7038 will not work (except in the GUI).
7039 If the title cannot be restored, it is set to the value of 'titleold'.
7040 You might want to restore the title outside of Vim then.
7041 When using an xterm from a remote machine you can use this command:
7042 rsh machine_name xterm -display $DISPLAY &
7043 then the WINDOWID environment variable should be inherited and the
7044 title of the window should change back to what it should be after
7045 exiting Vim.
7047 *'titlelen'*
7048 'titlelen' number (default 85)
7049 global
7050 {not in Vi}
7051 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
7052 feature}
7053 Gives the percentage of 'columns' to use for the length of the window
7054 title. When the title is longer, only the end of the path name is
7055 shown. A '<' character before the path name is used to indicate this.
7056 Using a percentage makes this adapt to the width of the window. But
7057 it won't work perfectly, because the actual number of characters
7058 available also depends on the font used and other things in the title
7059 bar. When 'titlelen' is zero the full path is used. Otherwise,
7060 values from 1 to 30000 percent can be used.
7061 'titlelen' is also used for the 'titlestring' option.
7063 *'titleold'*
7064 'titleold' string (default "Thanks for flying Vim")
7065 global
7066 {not in Vi}
7067 {only available when compiled with the |+title|
7068 feature}
7069 This option will be used for the window title when exiting Vim if the
7070 original title cannot be restored. Only happens if 'title' is on or
7071 'titlestring' is not empty.
7072 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7073 security reasons.
7074 *'titlestring'*
7075 'titlestring' string (default "")
7076 global
7077 {not in Vi}
7078 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
7079 feature}
7080 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the title of the
7081 window. This happens only when the 'title' option is on.
7082 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles (currently
7083 Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and terminals with a
7084 non-empty 't_ts' option).
7085 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
7086 be restored if possible |X11|.
7087 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
7088 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'.
7089 Example: >
7090 :auto BufEnter * let &titlestring = hostname() . "/" . expand("%:p")
7091 :set title titlestring=%<%F%=%l/%L-%P titlelen=70
7092 < The value of 'titlelen' is used to align items in the middle or right
7093 of the available space.
7094 Some people prefer to have the file name first: >
7095 :set titlestring=%t%(\ %M%)%(\ (%{expand(\"%:~:.:h\")})%)%(\ %a%)
7096 < Note the use of "%{ }" and an expression to get the path of the file,
7097 without the file name. The "%( %)" constructs are used to add a
7098 separating space only when needed.
7099 NOTE: Use of special characters in 'titlestring' may cause the display
7100 to be garbled (e.g., when it contains a CR or NL character).
7101 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
7103 *'toolbar'* *'tb'*
7104 'toolbar' 'tb' string (default "icons,tooltips")
7105 global
7106 {only for |+GUI_GTK|, |+GUI_Athena|, |+GUI_Motif|,
7107 |+GUI_Photon| and |gui_macvim|}
7108 The contents of this option controls various toolbar settings. The
7109 possible values are:
7110 icons Toolbar buttons are shown with icons.
7111 text Toolbar buttons shown with text.
7112 horiz Icon and text of a toolbar button are
7113 horizontally arranged. {only in GTK+ 2 GUI}
7114 tooltips Tooltips are active for toolbar buttons.
7115 Tooltips refer to the popup help text which appears after the mouse
7116 cursor is placed over a toolbar button for a brief moment.
7117 Note: Tooltips are always enabled in MacVim.
7119 If you want the toolbar to be shown with icons as well as text, do the
7120 following: >
7121 :set tb=icons,text
7122 < Motif and Athena cannot display icons and text at the same time. They
7123 will show icons if both are requested.
7125 If none of the strings specified in 'toolbar' are valid or if
7126 'toolbar' is empty, this option is ignored. If you want to disable
7127 the toolbar, you need to set the 'guioptions' option. For example: >
7128 :set guioptions-=T
7129 < Also see |gui-toolbar|.
7131 *'toolbariconsize'* *'tbis'*
7132 'toolbariconsize' 'tbis' string (default "small")
7133 global
7134 {not in Vi}
7135 {only in the GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs}
7136 Controls the size of toolbar icons. The possible values are:
7137 tiny Use tiny toolbar icons.
7138 small Use small toolbar icons (default).
7139 medium Use medium-sized toolbar icons.
7140 large Use large toolbar icons.
7141 The exact dimensions in pixels of the various icon sizes depend on
7142 the current theme. Common dimensions are large=32x32, medium=24x24,
7143 small=20x20 and tiny=16x16. In MacVim, both tiny and small equal
7144 24x24, whereas medium and large equal 32x32.
7146 If 'toolbariconsize' is empty, the global default size as determined
7147 by user preferences or the current theme is used.
7149 *'transparency'* *'transp'*
7150 'transparency' 'transp' number (default 0)
7151 global
7152 {not in Vi}
7153 {only in MacVim GUI}
7154 Transparency of the window background as a percent, with 0 meaning
7155 opaque and 100 meaning completely transparent. Trying to set a value
7156 outside the range 0-100 results in an error.
7158 *'ttybuiltin'* *'tbi'* *'nottybuiltin'* *'notbi'*
7159 'ttybuiltin' 'tbi' boolean (default on)
7160 global
7161 {not in Vi}
7162 When on, the builtin termcaps are searched before the external ones.
7163 When off the builtin termcaps are searched after the external ones.
7164 When this option is changed, you should set the 'term' option next for
7165 the change to take effect, for example: >
7166 :set notbi term=$TERM
7167 < See also |termcap|.
7168 Rationale: The default for this option is "on", because the builtin
7169 termcap entries are generally better (many systems contain faulty
7170 xterm entries...).
7172 *'ttyfast'* *'tf'* *'nottyfast'* *'notf'*
7173 'ttyfast' 'tf' boolean (default off, on when 'term' is xterm, hpterm,
7174 sun-cmd, screen, rxvt, dtterm or
7175 iris-ansi; also on when running Vim in
7176 a DOS console)
7177 global
7178 {not in Vi}
7179 Indicates a fast terminal connection. More characters will be sent to
7180 the screen for redrawing, instead of using insert/delete line
7181 commands. Improves smoothness of redrawing when there are multiple
7182 windows and the terminal does not support a scrolling region.
7183 Also enables the extra writing of characters at the end of each screen
7184 line for lines that wrap. This helps when using copy/paste with the
7185 mouse in an xterm and other terminals.
7187 *'ttymouse'* *'ttym'*
7188 'ttymouse' 'ttym' string (default depends on 'term')
7189 global
7190 {not in Vi}
7191 {only in Unix and VMS, doesn't work in the GUI; not
7192 available when compiled without |+mouse|}
7193 Name of the terminal type for which mouse codes are to be recognized.
7194 Currently these strings are valid:
7195 *xterm-mouse*
7196 xterm xterm-like mouse handling. The mouse generates
7197 "<Esc>[Mscr", where "scr" is three bytes:
7198 "s" = button state
7199 "c" = column plus 33
7200 "r" = row plus 33
7201 This only works up to 223 columns! See "dec" for a
7202 solution.
7203 xterm2 Works like "xterm", but with the xterm reporting the
7204 mouse position while the mouse is dragged. This works
7205 much faster and more precise. Your xterm must at
7206 least at patchlevel 88 / XFree 3.3.3 for this to
7207 work. See below for how Vim detects this
7208 automatically.
7209 *netterm-mouse*
7210 netterm NetTerm mouse handling. The mouse generates
7211 "<Esc>}r,c<CR>", where "r,c" are two decimal numbers
7212 for the row and column.
7213 *dec-mouse*
7214 dec DEC terminal mouse handling. The mouse generates a
7215 rather complex sequence, starting with "<Esc>[".
7216 This is also available for an Xterm, if it was
7217 configured with "--enable-dec-locator".
7218 *jsbterm-mouse*
7219 jsbterm JSB term mouse handling.
7220 *pterm-mouse*
7221 pterm QNX pterm mouse handling.
7223 The mouse handling must be enabled at compile time |+mouse_xterm|
7224 |+mouse_dec| |+mouse_netterm|.
7225 Only "xterm"(2) is really recognized. NetTerm mouse codes are always
7226 recognized, if enabled at compile time. DEC terminal mouse codes
7227 are recognized if enabled at compile time, and 'ttymouse' is not
7228 "xterm" (because the xterm and dec mouse codes conflict).
7229 This option is automatically set to "xterm", when the 'term' option is
7230 set to a name that starts with "xterm", and 'ttymouse' is not "xterm"
7231 or "xterm2" already. The main use of this option is to set it to
7232 "xterm", when the terminal name doesn't start with "xterm", but it can
7233 handle xterm mouse codes.
7234 The "xterm2" value will be set if the xterm version is reported to be
7235 95 or higher. This only works when compiled with the |+termresponse|
7236 feature and if |t_RV| is set to the escape sequence to request the
7237 xterm version number. Otherwise "xterm2" must be set explicitly.
7238 If you do not want 'ttymouse' to be set to "xterm2" automatically, set
7239 t_RV to an empty string: >
7240 :set t_RV=
7241 <
7242 *'ttyscroll'* *'tsl'*
7243 'ttyscroll' 'tsl' number (default 999)
7244 global
7245 Maximum number of lines to scroll the screen. If there are more lines
7246 to scroll the window is redrawn. For terminals where scrolling is
7247 very slow and redrawing is not slow this can be set to a small number,
7248 e.g., 3, to speed up displaying.
7250 *'ttytype'* *'tty'*
7251 'ttytype' 'tty' string (default from $TERM)
7252 global
7253 Alias for 'term', see above.
7255 *'undolevels'* *'ul'*
7256 'undolevels' 'ul' number (default 100, 1000 for Unix, VMS,
7257 Win32 and OS/2)
7258 global
7259 {not in Vi}
7260 Maximum number of changes that can be undone. Since undo information
7261 is kept in memory, higher numbers will cause more memory to be used
7262 (nevertheless, a single change can use an unlimited amount of memory).
7263 Set to 0 for Vi compatibility: One level of undo and "u" undoes
7264 itself: >
7265 set ul=0
7266 < But you can also get Vi compatibility by including the 'u' flag in
7267 'cpoptions', and still be able to use CTRL-R to repeat undo.
7268 Set to a negative number for no undo at all: >
7269 set ul=-1
7270 < This helps when you run out of memory for a single change.
7271 Also see |undo-two-ways|.
7273 *'updatecount'* *'uc'*
7274 'updatecount' 'uc' number (default: 200)
7275 global
7276 {not in Vi}
7277 After typing this many characters the swap file will be written to
7278 disk. When zero, no swap file will be created at all (see chapter on
7279 recovery |crash-recovery|). 'updatecount' is set to zero by starting
7280 Vim with the "-n" option, see |startup|. When editing in readonly
7281 mode this option will be initialized to 10000.
7282 The swapfile can be disabled per buffer with |'swapfile'|.
7283 When 'updatecount' is set from zero to non-zero, swap files are
7284 created for all buffers that have 'swapfile' set. When 'updatecount'
7285 is set to zero, existing swap files are not deleted.
7286 Also see |'swapsync'|.
7287 This option has no meaning in buffers where |'buftype'| is "nofile"
7288 or "nowrite".
7290 *'updatetime'* *'ut'*
7291 'updatetime' 'ut' number (default 4000)
7292 global
7293 {not in Vi}
7294 If this many milliseconds nothing is typed the swap file will be
7295 written to disk (see |crash-recovery|). Also used for the
7296 |CursorHold| autocommand event.
7298 *'verbose'* *'vbs'*
7299 'verbose' 'vbs' number (default 0)
7300 global
7301 {not in Vi, although some versions have a boolean
7302 verbose option}
7303 When bigger than zero, Vim will give messages about what it is doing.
7304 Currently, these messages are given:
7305 >= 1 When the viminfo file is read or written.
7306 >= 2 When a file is ":source"'ed.
7307 >= 5 Every searched tags file and include file.
7308 >= 8 Files for which a group of autocommands is executed.
7309 >= 9 Every executed autocommand.
7310 >= 12 Every executed function.
7311 >= 13 When an exception is thrown, caught, finished, or discarded.
7312 >= 14 Anything pending in a ":finally" clause.
7313 >= 15 Every executed Ex command (truncated at 200 characters).
7315 This option can also be set with the "-V" argument. See |-V|.
7316 This option is also set by the |:verbose| command.
7318 When the 'verbosefile' option is set then the verbose messages are not
7319 displayed.
7321 *'verbosefile'* *'vfile'*
7322 'verbosefile' 'vfile' string (default empty)
7323 global
7324 {not in Vi}
7325 When not empty all messages are written in a file with this name.
7326 When the file exists messages are appended.
7327 Writing to the file ends when Vim exits or when 'verbosefile' is made
7328 empty.
7329 Setting 'verbosefile' to a new value is like making it empty first.
7330 The difference with |:redir| is that verbose messages are not
7331 displayed when 'verbosefile' is set.
7333 *'viewdir'* *'vdir'*
7334 'viewdir' 'vdir' string (default for Amiga, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Win32:
7335 "$VIM/vimfiles/view",
7336 for Unix: "~/.vim/view",
7337 for Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles:view"
7338 for VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles/view"
7339 for RiscOS: "Choices:vimfiles/view")
7340 global
7341 {not in Vi}
7342 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7343 feature}
7344 Name of the directory where to store files for |:mkview|.
7345 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7346 security reasons.
7348 *'viewoptions'* *'vop'*
7349 'viewoptions' 'vop' string (default: "folds,options,cursor")
7350 global
7351 {not in Vi}
7352 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7353 feature}
7354 Changes the effect of the |:mkview| command. It is a comma separated
7355 list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring something:
7356 word save and restore ~
7357 cursor cursor position in file and in window
7358 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
7359 fold options
7360 options options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
7361 global values for local options)
7362 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
7363 slashes
7364 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
7365 on Windows or DOS
7367 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing view files
7368 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
7369 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
7371 *'viminfo'* *'vi'* *E526* *E527* *E528*
7372 'viminfo' 'vi' string (Vi default: "", Vim default for MS-DOS,
7373 Windows and OS/2: '20,<50,s10,h,rA:,rB:,
7374 for Amiga: '20,<50,s10,h,rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:
7375 for others: '20,<50,s10,h)
7376 global
7377 {not in Vi}
7378 {not available when compiled without the |+viminfo|
7379 feature}
7380 When non-empty, the viminfo file is read upon startup and written
7381 when exiting Vim (see |viminfo-file|). The string should be a comma
7382 separated list of parameters, each consisting of a single character
7383 identifying the particular parameter, followed by a number or string
7384 which specifies the value of that parameter. If a particular
7385 character is left out, then the default value is used for that
7386 parameter. The following is a list of the identifying characters and
7387 the effect of their value.
7388 CHAR VALUE ~
7389 ! When included, save and restore global variables that start
7390 with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase
7391 letter. Thus "KEEPTHIS and "K_L_M" are stored, but "KeepThis"
7392 and "_K_L_M" are not. Only String and Number types are
7393 stored.
7394 " Maximum number of lines saved for each register. Old name of
7395 the '<' item, with the disadvantage that you need to put a
7396 backslash before the ", otherwise it will be recognized as the
7397 start of a comment!
7398 % When included, save and restore the buffer list. If Vim is
7399 started with a file name argument, the buffer list is not
7400 restored. If Vim is started without a file name argument, the
7401 buffer list is restored from the viminfo file. Buffers
7402 without a file name and buffers for help files are not written
7403 to the viminfo file.
7404 When followed by a number, the number specifies the maximum
7405 number of buffers that are stored. Without a number all
7406 buffers are stored.
7407 ' Maximum number of previously edited files for which the marks
7408 are remembered. This parameter must always be included when
7409 'viminfo' is non-empty.
7410 Including this item also means that the |jumplist| and the
7411 |changelist| are stored in the viminfo file.
7412 / Maximum number of items in the search pattern history to be
7413 saved. If non-zero, then the previous search and substitute
7414 patterns are also saved. When not included, the value of
7415 'history' is used.
7416 : Maximum number of items in the command-line history to be
7417 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7418 < Maximum number of lines saved for each register. If zero then
7419 registers are not saved. When not included, all lines are
7420 saved. '"' is the old name for this item.
7421 Also see the 's' item below: limit specified in Kbyte.
7422 @ Maximum number of items in the input-line history to be
7423 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7424 c When included, convert the text in the viminfo file from the
7425 'encoding' used when writing the file to the current
7426 'encoding'. See |viminfo-encoding|.
7427 f Whether file marks need to be stored. If zero, file marks ('0
7428 to '9, 'A to 'Z) are not stored. When not present or when
7429 non-zero, they are all stored. '0 is used for the current
7430 cursor position (when exiting or when doing ":wviminfo").
7431 h Disable the effect of 'hlsearch' when loading the viminfo
7432 file. When not included, it depends on whether ":nohlsearch"
7433 has been used since the last search command.
7434 n Name of the viminfo file. The name must immediately follow
7435 the 'n'. Must be the last one! If the "-i" argument was
7436 given when starting Vim, that file name overrides the one
7437 given here with 'viminfo'. Environment variables are expanded
7438 when opening the file, not when setting the option.
7439 r Removable media. The argument is a string (up to the next
7440 ','). This parameter can be given several times. Each
7441 specifies the start of a path for which no marks will be
7442 stored. This is to avoid removable media. For MS-DOS you
7443 could use "ra:,rb:", for Amiga "rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:". You can
7444 also use it for temp files, e.g., for Unix: "r/tmp". Case is
7445 ignored. Maximum length of each 'r' argument is 50
7446 characters.
7447 s Maximum size of an item in Kbyte. If zero then registers are
7448 not saved. Currently only applies to registers. The default
7449 "s10" will exclude registers with more than 10 Kbyte of text.
7450 Also see the '<' item above: line count limit.
7452 Example: >
7453 :set viminfo='50,<1000,s100,:0,n~/vim/viminfo
7454 <
7455 '50 Marks will be remembered for the last 50 files you
7456 edited.
7457 <1000 Contents of registers (up to 1000 lines each) will be
7458 remembered.
7459 s100 Registers with more than 100 Kbyte text are skipped.
7460 :0 Command-line history will not be saved.
7461 n~/vim/viminfo The name of the file to use is "~/vim/viminfo".
7462 no / Since '/' is not specified, the default will be used,
7463 that is, save all of the search history, and also the
7464 previous search and substitute patterns.
7465 no % The buffer list will not be saved nor read back.
7466 no h 'hlsearch' highlighting will be restored.
7468 When setting 'viminfo' from an empty value you can use |:rviminfo| to
7469 load the contents of the file, this is not done automatically.
7471 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7472 security reasons.
7474 *'virtualedit'* *'ve'*
7475 'virtualedit' 've' string (default "")
7476 global
7477 {not in Vi}
7478 {not available when compiled without the
7479 |+virtualedit| feature}
7480 A comma separated list of these words:
7481 block Allow virtual editing in Visual block mode.
7482 insert Allow virtual editing in Insert mode.
7483 all Allow virtual editing in all modes.
7484 onemore Allow the cursor to move just past the end of the line
7486 Virtual editing means that the cursor can be positioned where there is
7487 no actual character. This can be halfway into a tab or beyond the end
7488 of the line. Useful for selecting a rectangle in Visual mode and
7489 editing a table.
7490 "onemore" is not the same, it will only allow moving the cursor just
7491 after the last character of the line. This makes some commands more
7492 consistent. Previously the cursor was always past the end of the line
7493 if the line was empty. But it is far from Vi compatible. It may also
7494 break some plugins or Vim scripts. For example because |l| can move
7495 the cursor after the last character. Use with care!
7496 Using the |$| command will move to the last character in the line, not
7497 past it. This may actually move the cursor to the left!
7498 It doesn't make sense to combine "all" with "onemore", but you will
7499 not get a warning for it.
7501 *'visualbell'* *'vb'* *'novisualbell'* *'novb'* *beep*
7502 'visualbell' 'vb' boolean (default off)
7503 global
7504 {not in Vi}
7505 Use visual bell instead of beeping. The terminal code to display the
7506 visual bell is given with 't_vb'. When no beep or flash is wanted,
7507 use ":set vb t_vb=".
7508 Note: When the GUI starts, 't_vb' is reset to its default value. You
7509 might want to set it again in your |gvimrc|.
7510 In the GUI, 't_vb' defaults to "<Esc>|f", which inverts the display
7511 for 20 msec. If you want to use a different time, use "<Esc>|40f",
7512 where 40 is the time in msec.
7513 Does not work on the Amiga, you always get a screen flash.
7514 Also see 'errorbells'.
7516 *'warn'* *'nowarn'*
7517 'warn' boolean (default on)
7518 global
7519 Give a warning message when a shell command is used while the buffer
7520 has been changed.
7522 *'weirdinvert'* *'wiv'* *'noweirdinvert'* *'nowiv'*
7523 'weirdinvert' 'wiv' boolean (default off)
7524 global
7525 {not in Vi}
7526 This option has the same effect as the 't_xs' terminal option.
7527 It is provided for backwards compatibility with version 4.x.
7528 Setting 'weirdinvert' has the effect of making 't_xs' non-empty, and
7529 vice versa. Has no effect when the GUI is running.
7531 *'whichwrap'* *'ww'*
7532 'whichwrap' 'ww' string (Vim default: "b,s", Vi default: "")
7533 global
7534 {not in Vi}
7535 Allow specified keys that move the cursor left/right to move to the
7536 previous/next line when the cursor is on the first/last character in
7537 the line. Concatenate characters to allow this for these keys:
7538 char key mode ~
7539 b <BS> Normal and Visual
7540 s <Space> Normal and Visual
7541 h "h" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7542 l "l" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7543 < <Left> Normal and Visual
7544 > <Right> Normal and Visual
7545 ~ "~" Normal
7546 [ <Left> Insert and Replace
7547 ] <Right> Insert and Replace
7548 For example: >
7549 :set ww=<,>,[,]
7550 < allows wrap only when cursor keys are used.
7551 When the movement keys are used in combination with a delete or change
7552 operator, the <EOL> also counts for a character. This makes "3h"
7553 different from "3dh" when the cursor crosses the end of a line. This
7554 is also true for "x" and "X", because they do the same as "dl" and
7555 "dh". If you use this, you may also want to use the mapping
7556 ":map <BS> X" to make backspace delete the character in front of the
7557 cursor.
7558 When 'l' is included and it is used after an operator at the end of a
7559 line then it will not move to the next line. This makes "dl", "cl",
7560 "yl" etc. work normally.
7561 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7562 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7564 *'wildchar'* *'wc'*
7565 'wildchar' 'wc' number (Vim default: <Tab>, Vi default: CTRL-E)
7566 global
7567 {not in Vi}
7568 Character you have to type to start wildcard expansion in the
7569 command-line, as specified with 'wildmode'.
7570 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7571 The character is not recognized when used inside a macro. See
7572 'wildcharm' for that.
7573 Although 'wc' is a number option, you can set it to a special key: >
7574 :set wc=<Esc>
7575 < NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7576 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7578 *'wildcharm'* *'wcm'*
7579 'wildcharm' 'wcm' number (default: none (0))
7580 global
7581 {not in Vi}
7582 'wildcharm' works exactly like 'wildchar', except that it is
7583 recognized when used inside a macro. You can find "spare" command-line
7584 keys suitable for this option by looking at |ex-edit-index|. Normally
7585 you'll never actually type 'wildcharm', just use it in mappings that
7586 automatically invoke completion mode, e.g.: >
7587 :set wcm=<C-Z>
7588 :cnoremap ss so $vim/sessions/*.vim<C-Z>
7589 < Then after typing :ss you can use CTRL-P & CTRL-N.
7591 *'wildignore'* *'wig'*
7592 'wildignore' 'wig' string (default "")
7593 global
7594 {not in Vi}
7595 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7596 feature}
7597 A list of file patterns. A file that matches with one of these
7598 patterns is ignored when completing file or directory names.
7599 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
7600 Also see 'suffixes'.
7601 Example: >
7602 :set wildignore=*.o,*.obj
7603 < The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
7604 a pattern from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
7605 uses another default.
7607 *'wildmenu'* *'wmnu'* *'nowildmenu'* *'nowmnu'*
7608 'wildmenu' 'wmnu' boolean (default off)
7609 global
7610 {not in Vi}
7611 {not available if compiled without the |+wildmenu|
7612 feature}
7613 When 'wildmenu' is on, command-line completion operates in an enhanced
7614 mode. On pressing 'wildchar' (usually <Tab>) to invoke completion,
7615 the possible matches are shown just above the command line, with the
7616 first match highlighted (overwriting the status line, if there is
7617 one). Keys that show the previous/next match, such as <Tab> or
7618 CTRL-P/CTRL-N, cause the highlight to move to the appropriate match.
7619 When 'wildmode' is used, "wildmenu" mode is used where "full" is
7620 specified. "longest" and "list" do not start "wildmenu" mode.
7621 If there are more matches than can fit in the line, a ">" is shown on
7622 the right and/or a "<" is shown on the left. The status line scrolls
7623 as needed.
7624 The "wildmenu" mode is abandoned when a key is hit that is not used
7625 for selecting a completion.
7626 While the "wildmenu" is active the following keys have special
7627 meanings:
7629 <Left> <Right> - select previous/next match (like CTRL-P/CTRL-N)
7630 <Down> - in filename/menu name completion: move into a
7631 subdirectory or submenu.
7632 <CR> - in menu completion, when the cursor is just after a
7633 dot: move into a submenu.
7634 <Up> - in filename/menu name completion: move up into
7635 parent directory or parent menu.
7637 This makes the menus accessible from the console |console-menus|.
7639 If you prefer the <Left> and <Right> keys to move the cursor instead
7640 of selecting a different match, use this: >
7641 :cnoremap <Left> <Space><BS><Left>
7642 :cnoremap <Right> <Space><BS><Right>
7643 <
7644 The "WildMenu" highlighting is used for displaying the current match
7645 |hl-WildMenu|.
7647 *'wildmode'* *'wim'*
7648 'wildmode' 'wim' string (Vim default: "full")
7649 global
7650 {not in Vi}
7651 Completion mode that is used for the character specified with
7652 'wildchar'. It is a comma separated list of up to four parts. Each
7653 part specifies what to do for each consecutive use of 'wildchar'. The
7654 first part specifies the behavior for the first use of 'wildchar',
7655 The second part for the second use, etc.
7656 These are the possible values for each part:
7657 "" Complete only the first match.
7658 "full" Complete the next full match. After the last match,
7659 the original string is used and then the first match
7660 again.
7661 "longest" Complete till longest common string. If this doesn't
7662 result in a longer string, use the next part.
7663 "longest:full" Like "longest", but also start 'wildmenu' if it is
7664 enabled.
7665 "list" When more than one match, list all matches.
7666 "list:full" When more than one match, list all matches and
7667 complete first match.
7668 "list:longest" When more than one match, list all matches and
7669 complete till longest common string.
7670 When there is only a single match, it is fully completed in all cases.
7672 Examples: >
7673 :set wildmode=full
7674 < Complete first full match, next match, etc. (the default) >
7675 :set wildmode=longest,full
7676 < Complete longest common string, then each full match >
7677 :set wildmode=list:full
7678 < List all matches and complete each full match >
7679 :set wildmode=list,full
7680 < List all matches without completing, then each full match >
7681 :set wildmode=longest,list
7682 < Complete longest common string, then list alternatives.
7683 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7685 *'wildoptions'* *'wop'*
7686 'wildoptions' 'wop' string (default "")
7687 global
7688 {not in Vi}
7689 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7690 feature}
7691 A list of words that change how command line completion is done.
7692 Currently only one word is allowed:
7693 tagfile When using CTRL-D to list matching tags, the kind of
7694 tag and the file of the tag is listed. Only one match
7695 is displayed per line. Often used tag kinds are:
7696 d #define
7697 f function
7698 Also see |cmdline-completion|.
7700 *'winaltkeys'* *'wak'*
7701 'winaltkeys' 'wak' string (default "menu")
7702 global
7703 {not in Vi}
7704 {only used in Win32, Motif, GTK and Photon GUI}
7705 Some GUI versions allow the access to menu entries by using the ALT
7706 key in combination with a character that appears underlined in the
7707 menu. This conflicts with the use of the ALT key for mappings and
7708 entering special characters. This option tells what to do:
7709 no Don't use ALT keys for menus. ALT key combinations can be
7710 mapped, but there is no automatic handling. This can then be
7711 done with the |:simalt| command.
7712 yes ALT key handling is done by the windowing system. ALT key
7713 combinations cannot be mapped.
7714 menu Using ALT in combination with a character that is a menu
7715 shortcut key, will be handled by the windowing system. Other
7716 keys can be mapped.
7717 If the menu is disabled by excluding 'm' from 'guioptions', the ALT
7718 key is never used for the menu.
7719 This option is not used for <F10>; on Win32 and with GTK <F10> will
7720 select the menu, unless it has been mapped.
7722 *'window'* *'wi'*
7723 'window' 'wi' number (default screen height - 1)
7724 global
7725 Window height. Do not confuse this with the height of the Vim window,
7726 use 'lines' for that.
7727 Used for |CTRL-F| and |CTRL-B| when there is only one window and the
7728 value is smaller than 'lines' minus one. The screen will scroll
7729 'window' minus two lines, with a minimum of one.
7730 When 'window' is equal to 'lines' minus one CTRL-F and CTRL-B scroll
7731 in a much smarter way, taking care of wrapping lines.
7732 When resizing the Vim window, the value is smaller than 1 or more than
7733 or equal to 'lines' it will be set to 'lines' minus 1.
7734 {Vi also uses the option to specify the number of displayed lines}
7736 *'winheight'* *'wh'* *E591*
7737 'winheight' 'wh' number (default 1)
7738 global
7739 {not in Vi}
7740 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7741 feature}
7742 Minimal number of lines for the current window. This is not a hard
7743 minimum, Vim will use fewer lines if there is not enough room. If the
7744 focus goes to a window that is smaller, its size is increased, at the
7745 cost of the height of other windows.
7746 Set 'winheight' to a small number for normal editing.
7747 Set it to 999 to make the current window fill most of the screen.
7748 Other windows will be only 'winminheight' high. This has the drawback
7749 that ":all" will create only two windows. To avoid "vim -o 1 2 3 4"
7750 to create only two windows, set the option after startup is done,
7751 using the |VimEnter| event: >
7752 au VimEnter * set winheight=999
7753 < Minimum value is 1.
7754 The height is not adjusted after one of the commands that change the
7755 height of the current window.
7756 'winheight' applies to the current window. Use 'winminheight' to set
7757 the minimal height for other windows.
7759 *'winfixheight'* *'wfh'* *'nowinfixheight'* *'nowfh'*
7760 'winfixheight' 'wfh' boolean (default off)
7761 local to window
7762 {not in Vi}
7763 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7764 feature}
7765 Keep the window height when windows are opened or closed and
7766 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|. Set by default for the
7767 |preview-window| and |quickfix-window|.
7768 The height may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7770 *'winfixwidth'* *'wfw'* *'nowinfixwidth'* *'nowfw'*
7771 'winfixwidth' 'wfw' boolean (default off)
7772 local to window
7773 {not in Vi}
7774 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7775 feature}
7776 Keep the window width when windows are opened or closed and
7777 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|.
7778 The width may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7780 *'winminheight'* *'wmh'*
7781 'winminheight' 'wmh' number (default 1)
7782 global
7783 {not in Vi}
7784 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7785 feature}
7786 The minimal height of a window, when it's not the current window.
7787 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7788 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero lines (i.e. just a
7789 status bar) if necessary. They will return to at least one line when
7790 they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere to go.)
7791 Use 'winheight' to set the minimal height of the current window.
7792 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7793 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7794 windows. A value of 0 to 3 is reasonable.
7796 *'winminwidth'* *'wmw'*
7797 'winminwidth' 'wmw' number (default 1)
7798 global
7799 {not in Vi}
7800 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7801 feature}
7802 The minimal width of a window, when it's not the current window.
7803 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7804 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero columns (i.e. just
7805 a vertical separator) if necessary. They will return to at least one
7806 line when they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere
7807 to go.)
7808 Use 'winwidth' to set the minimal width of the current window.
7809 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7810 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7811 windows. A value of 0 to 12 is reasonable.
7813 *'winwidth'* *'wiw'* *E592*
7814 'winwidth' 'wiw' number (default 20)
7815 global
7816 {not in Vi}
7817 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7818 feature}
7819 Minimal number of columns for the current window. This is not a hard
7820 minimum, Vim will use fewer columns if there is not enough room. If
7821 the current window is smaller, its size is increased, at the cost of
7822 the width of other windows. Set it to 999 to make the current window
7823 always fill the screen. Set it to a small number for normal editing.
7824 The width is not adjusted after one of the commands to change the
7825 width of the current window.
7826 'winwidth' applies to the current window. Use 'winminwidth' to set
7827 the minimal width for other windows.
7829 *'wrap'* *'nowrap'*
7830 'wrap' boolean (default on)
7831 local to window
7832 {not in Vi}
7833 This option changes how text is displayed. It doesn't change the text
7834 in the buffer, see 'textwidth' for that.
7835 When on, lines longer than the width of the window will wrap and
7836 displaying continues on the next line. When off lines will not wrap
7837 and only part of long lines will be displayed. When the cursor is
7838 moved to a part that is not shown, the screen will scroll
7839 horizontally.
7840 The line will be broken in the middle of a word if necessary. See
7841 'linebreak' to get the break at a word boundary.
7842 To make scrolling horizontally a bit more useful, try this: >
7843 :set sidescroll=5
7844 :set listchars+=precedes:<,extends:>
7845 < See 'sidescroll', 'listchars' and |wrap-off|.
7847 *'wrapmargin'* *'wm'*
7848 'wrapmargin' 'wm' number (default 0)
7849 local to buffer
7850 Number of characters from the right window border where wrapping
7851 starts. When typing text beyond this limit, an <EOL> will be inserted
7852 and inserting continues on the next line.
7853 Options that add a margin, such as 'number' and 'foldcolumn', cause
7854 the text width to be further reduced. This is Vi compatible.
7855 When 'textwidth' is non-zero, this option is not used.
7856 See also 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|. {Vi: works differently
7857 and less usefully}
7859 *'wrapscan'* *'ws'* *'nowrapscan'* *'nows'*
7860 'wrapscan' 'ws' boolean (default on) *E384* *E385*
7861 global
7862 Searches wrap around the end of the file. Also applies to |]s| and
7863 |[s|, searching for spelling mistakes.
7865 *'write'* *'nowrite'*
7866 'write' boolean (default on)
7867 global
7868 {not in Vi}
7869 Allows writing files. When not set, writing a file is not allowed.
7870 Can be used for a view-only mode, where modifications to the text are
7871 still allowed. Can be reset with the |-m| or |-M| command line
7872 argument. Filtering text is still possible, even though this requires
7873 writing a temporary file.
7875 *'writeany'* *'wa'* *'nowriteany'* *'nowa'*
7876 'writeany' 'wa' boolean (default off)
7877 global
7878 Allows writing to any file with no need for "!" override.
7880 *'writebackup'* *'wb'* *'nowritebackup'* *'nowb'*
7881 'writebackup' 'wb' boolean (default on with |+writebackup| feature, off
7882 otherwise)
7883 global
7884 {not in Vi}
7885 Make a backup before overwriting a file. The backup is removed after
7886 the file was successfully written, unless the 'backup' option is
7887 also on. Reset this option if your file system is almost full. See
7888 |backup-table| for another explanation.
7889 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
7890 NOTE: This option is set to the default value when 'compatible' is
7891 set.
7893 *'writedelay'* *'wd'*
7894 'writedelay' 'wd' number (default 0)
7895 global
7896 {not in Vi}
7897 The number of microseconds to wait for each character sent to the
7898 screen. When non-zero, characters are sent to the terminal one by
7899 one. For MS-DOS pcterm this does not work. For debugging purposes.
7901 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: