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1 *options.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2009 Feb 11
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)
685 global
686 {not in Vi}
687 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled
688 on 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.
692 Setting this option can sometimes cause problems if 'guifont' is set
693 to its default (empty string).
695 *'autochdir'* *'acd'* *'noautochdir'* *'noacd'*
696 'autochdir' 'acd' boolean (default off)
697 global
698 {not in Vi}
699 {only available when compiled with the
700 |+netbeans_intg| or |+sun_workshop| feature}
701 When on, Vim will change the current working directory whenever you
702 open a file, switch buffers, delete a buffer or open/close a window.
703 It will change to the directory containing the file which was opened
704 or selected.
705 This option is provided for backward compatibility with the Vim
706 released with Sun ONE Studio 4 Enterprise Edition.
707 Note: When this option is on some plugins may not work.
709 *'arabic'* *'arab'* *'noarabic'* *'noarab'*
710 'arabic' 'arab' boolean (default off)
711 local to window
712 {not in Vi}
713 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
714 feature}
715 This option can be set to start editing Arabic text.
716 Setting this option will:
717 - Set the 'rightleft' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
718 - Set the 'arabicshape' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
719 - Set the 'keymap' option to "arabic"; in Insert mode CTRL-^ toggles
720 between typing English and Arabic key mapping.
721 - Set the 'delcombine' option
722 Note that 'encoding' must be "utf-8" for working with Arabic text.
724 Resetting this option will:
725 - Reset the 'rightleft' option.
726 - Disable the use of 'keymap' (without changing its value).
727 Note that 'arabicshape' and 'delcombine' are not reset (it is a global
728 option.
729 Also see |arabic.txt|.
731 *'arabicshape'* *'arshape'*
732 *'noarabicshape'* *'noarshape'*
733 'arabicshape' 'arshape' boolean (default on)
734 global
735 {not in Vi}
736 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
737 feature}
738 When on and 'termbidi' is off, the required visual character
739 corrections that need to take place for displaying the Arabic language
740 take affect. Shaping, in essence, gets enabled; the term is a broad
741 one which encompasses:
742 a) the changing/morphing of characters based on their location
743 within a word (initial, medial, final and stand-alone).
744 b) the enabling of the ability to compose characters
745 c) the enabling of the required combining of some characters
746 When disabled the display shows each character's true stand-alone
747 form.
748 Arabic is a complex language which requires other settings, for
749 further details see |arabic.txt|.
751 *'autoindent'* *'ai'* *'noautoindent'* *'noai'*
752 'autoindent' 'ai' boolean (default off)
753 local to buffer
754 Copy indent from current line when starting a new line (typing <CR>
755 in Insert mode or when using the "o" or "O" command). If you do not
756 type anything on the new line except <BS> or CTRL-D and then type
757 <Esc>, CTRL-O or <CR>, the indent is deleted again. Moving the cursor
758 to another line has the same effect, unless the 'I' flag is included
759 in 'cpoptions'.
760 When autoindent is on, formatting (with the "gq" command or when you
761 reach 'textwidth' in Insert mode) uses the indentation of the first
762 line.
763 When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on the indent is changed in
764 a different way.
765 The 'autoindent' option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
766 {small difference from Vi: After the indent is deleted when typing
767 <Esc> or <CR>, the cursor position when moving up or down is after the
768 deleted indent; Vi puts the cursor somewhere in the deleted indent}.
770 *'autoread'* *'ar'* *'noautoread'* *'noar'*
771 'autoread' 'ar' boolean (default off)
772 global or local to buffer |global-local|
773 {not in Vi}
774 When a file has been detected to have been changed outside of Vim and
775 it has not been changed inside of Vim, automatically read it again.
776 When the file has been deleted this is not done. |timestamp|
777 If this option has a local value, use this command to switch back to
778 using the global value: >
779 :set autoread<
780 <
781 *'autowrite'* *'aw'* *'noautowrite'* *'noaw'*
782 'autowrite' 'aw' boolean (default off)
783 global
784 Write the contents of the file, if it has been modified, on each
785 :next, :rewind, :last, :first, :previous, :stop, :suspend, :tag, :!,
786 :make, CTRL-] and CTRL-^ command; and when a :buffer, CTRL-O, CTRL-I,
787 '{A-Z0-9}, or `{A-Z0-9} command takes one to another file.
788 Note that for some commands the 'autowrite' option is not used, see
789 'autowriteall' for that.
791 *'autowriteall'* *'awa'* *'noautowriteall'* *'noawa'*
792 'autowriteall' 'awa' boolean (default off)
793 global
794 {not in Vi}
795 Like 'autowrite', but also used for commands ":edit", ":enew", ":quit",
796 ":qall", ":exit", ":xit", ":recover" and closing the Vim window.
797 Setting this option also implies that Vim behaves like 'autowrite' has
798 been set.
800 *'background'* *'bg'*
801 'background' 'bg' string (default "dark" or "light")
802 global
803 {not in Vi}
804 When set to "dark", Vim will try to use colors that look good on a
805 dark background. When set to "light", Vim will try to use colors that
806 look good on a light background. Any other value is illegal.
807 Vim tries to set the default value according to the terminal used.
808 This will not always be correct.
809 Setting this option does not change the background color, it tells Vim
810 what the background color looks like. For changing the background
811 color, see |:hi-normal|.
813 When 'background' is set Vim will adjust the default color groups for
814 the new value. But the colors used for syntax highlighting will not
815 change. *g:colors_name*
816 When a color scheme is loaded (the "colors_name" variable is set)
817 setting 'background' will cause the color scheme to be reloaded. If
818 the color scheme adjusts to the value of 'background' this will work.
819 However, if the color scheme sets 'background' itself the effect may
820 be undone. First delete the "colors_name" variable when needed.
822 When setting 'background' to the default value with: >
823 :set background&
824 < Vim will guess the value. In the GUI this should work correctly,
825 in other cases Vim might not be able to guess the right value.
827 When starting the GUI, the default value for 'background' will be
828 "light". When the value is not set in the .gvimrc, and Vim detects
829 that the background is actually quite dark, 'background' is set to
830 "dark". But this happens only AFTER the .gvimrc file has been read
831 (because the window needs to be opened to find the actual background
832 color). To get around this, force the GUI window to be opened by
833 putting a ":gui" command in the .gvimrc file, before where the value
834 of 'background' is used (e.g., before ":syntax on").
835 Normally this option would be set in the .vimrc file. Possibly
836 depending on the terminal name. Example: >
837 :if &term == "pcterm"
838 : set background=dark
839 :endif
840 < When this option is set, the default settings for the highlight groups
841 will change. To use other settings, place ":highlight" commands AFTER
842 the setting of the 'background' option.
843 This option is also used in the "$VIMRUNTIME/syntax/syntax.vim" file
844 to select the colors for syntax highlighting. After changing this
845 option, you must load syntax.vim again to see the result. This can be
846 done with ":syntax on".
848 *'backspace'* *'bs'*
849 'backspace' 'bs' string (default "")
850 global
851 {not in Vi}
852 Influences the working of <BS>, <Del>, CTRL-W and CTRL-U in Insert
853 mode. This is a list of items, separated by commas. Each item allows
854 a way to backspace over something:
855 value effect ~
856 indent allow backspacing over autoindent
857 eol allow backspacing over line breaks (join lines)
858 start allow backspacing over the start of insert; CTRL-W and CTRL-U
859 stop once at the start of insert.
861 When the value is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used.
863 For backwards compatibility with version 5.4 and earlier:
864 value effect ~
865 0 same as ":set backspace=" (Vi compatible)
866 1 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol"
867 2 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol,start"
869 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> or <Del> key does not do what you want.
870 NOTE: This option is set to "" when 'compatible' is set.
872 *'backup'* *'bk'* *'nobackup'* *'nobk'*
873 'backup' 'bk' boolean (default off)
874 global
875 {not in Vi}
876 Make a backup before overwriting a file. Leave it around after the
877 file has been successfully written. If you do not want to keep the
878 backup file, but you do want a backup while the file is being
879 written, reset this option and set the 'writebackup' option (this is
880 the default). If you do not want a backup file at all reset both
881 options (use this if your file system is almost full). See the
882 |backup-table| for more explanations.
883 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
884 When 'patchmode' is set, the backup may be renamed to become the
885 oldest version of a file.
886 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
888 *'backupcopy'* *'bkc'*
889 'backupcopy' 'bkc' string (Vi default for Unix: "yes", otherwise: "auto")
890 global
891 {not in Vi}
892 When writing a file and a backup is made, this option tells how it's
893 done. This is a comma separated list of words.
895 The main values are:
896 "yes" make a copy of the file and overwrite the original one
897 "no" rename the file and write a new one
898 "auto" one of the previous, what works best
900 Extra values that can be combined with the ones above are:
901 "breaksymlink" always break symlinks when writing
902 "breakhardlink" always break hardlinks when writing
904 Making a copy and overwriting the original file:
905 - Takes extra time to copy the file.
906 + When the file has special attributes, is a (hard/symbolic) link or
907 has a resource fork, all this is preserved.
908 - When the file is a link the backup will have the name of the link,
909 not of the real file.
911 Renaming the file and writing a new one:
912 + It's fast.
913 - Sometimes not all attributes of the file can be copied to the new
914 file.
915 - When the file is a link the new file will not be a link.
917 The "auto" value is the middle way: When Vim sees that renaming file
918 is possible without side effects (the attributes can be passed on and
919 the file is not a link) that is used. When problems are expected, a
920 copy will be made.
922 The "breaksymlink" and "breakhardlink" values can be used in
923 combination with any of "yes", "no" and "auto". When included, they
924 force Vim to always break either symbolic or hard links by doing
925 exactly what the "no" option does, renaming the original file to
926 become the backup and writing a new file in its place. This can be
927 useful for example in source trees where all the files are symbolic or
928 hard links and any changes should stay in the local source tree, not
929 be propagated back to the original source.
930 *crontab*
931 One situation where "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
932 that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
933 the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
934 backup file instead of the newly created file. "crontab -e" is an
935 example.
937 When a copy is made, the original file is truncated and then filled
938 with the new text. This means that protection bits, owner and
939 symbolic links of the original file are unmodified. The backup file
940 however, is a new file, owned by the user who edited the file. The
941 group of the backup is set to the group of the original file. If this
942 fails, the protection bits for the group are made the same as for
943 others.
945 When the file is renamed this is the other way around: The backup has
946 the same attributes of the original file, and the newly written file
947 is owned by the current user. When the file was a (hard/symbolic)
948 link, the new file will not! That's why the "auto" value doesn't
949 rename when the file is a link. The owner and group of the newly
950 written file will be set to the same ones as the original file, but
951 the system may refuse to do this. In that case the "auto" value will
952 again not rename the file.
954 *'backupdir'* *'bdir'*
955 'backupdir' 'bdir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
956 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:/tmp,c:/temp"
957 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,~/")
958 global
959 {not in Vi}
960 List of directories for the backup file, separated with commas.
961 - The backup file will be created in the first directory in the list
962 where this is possible.
963 - Empty means that no backup file will be created ('patchmode' is
964 impossible!). Writing may fail because of this.
965 - A directory "." means to put the backup file in the same directory
966 as the edited file.
967 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
968 put the backup file relative to where the edited file is. The
969 leading "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
970 ("." inside a directory name has no special meaning).
971 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
972 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
973 name, precede it with a backslash.
974 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
975 - A directory name may end in an '/'.
976 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
977 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
978 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
979 :set bdir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
980 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
981 of the option is removed.
982 See also 'backup' and 'writebackup' options.
983 If you want to hide your backup files on Unix, consider this value: >
984 :set backupdir=./.backup,~/.backup,.,/tmp
985 < You must create a ".backup" directory in each directory and in your
986 home directory for this to work properly.
987 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
988 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
989 uses another default.
990 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
991 security reasons.
993 *'backupext'* *'bex'* *E589*
994 'backupext' 'bex' string (default "~", for VMS: "_")
995 global
996 {not in Vi}
997 String which is appended to a file name to make the name of the
998 backup file. The default is quite unusual, because this avoids
999 accidentally overwriting existing files with a backup file. You might
1000 prefer using ".bak", but make sure that you don't have files with
1001 ".bak" that you want to keep.
1002 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
1004 If you like to keep a lot of backups, you could use a BufWritePre
1005 autocommand to change 'backupext' just before writing the file to
1006 include a timestamp. >
1007 :au BufWritePre * let &bex = '-' . strftime("%Y%b%d%X") . '~'
1008 < Use 'backupdir' to put the backup in a different directory.
1010 *'backupskip'* *'bsk'*
1011 'backupskip' 'bsk' string (default: "/tmp/*,$TMPDIR/*,$TMP/*,$TEMP/*")
1012 global
1013 {not in Vi}
1014 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
1015 feature}
1016 A list of file patterns. When one of the patterns matches with the
1017 name of the file which is written, no backup file is created. Both
1018 the specified file name and the full path name of the file are used.
1019 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
1020 Watch out for special characters, see |option-backslash|.
1021 When $TMPDIR, $TMP or $TEMP is not defined, it is not used for the
1022 default value. "/tmp/*" is only used for Unix.
1024 Note that environment variables are not expanded. If you want to use
1025 $HOME you must expand it explicitly, e.g.: >
1026 :let backupskip = escape(expand('$HOME'), '\') . '/tmp/*'
1028 < Note that the default also makes sure that "crontab -e" works (when a
1029 backup would be made by renaming the original file crontab won't see
1030 the newly created file). Also see 'backupcopy' and |crontab|.
1032 *'balloondelay'* *'bdlay'*
1033 'balloondelay' 'bdlay' number (default: 600)
1034 global
1035 {not in Vi}
1036 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1037 feature}
1038 Delay in milliseconds before a balloon may pop up. See |balloon-eval|.
1040 *'ballooneval'* *'beval'* *'noballooneval'* *'nobeval'*
1041 'ballooneval' 'beval' boolean (default off)
1042 global
1043 {not in Vi}
1044 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1045 feature}
1046 Switch on the |balloon-eval| functionality.
1048 *'balloonexpr'* *'bexpr'*
1049 'balloonexpr' 'bexpr' string (default "")
1050 global or local to buffer |global-local|
1051 {not in Vi}
1052 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1053 feature}
1054 Expression for text to show in evaluation balloon. It is only used
1055 when 'ballooneval' is on. These variables can be used:
1057 v:beval_bufnr number of the buffer in which balloon is going to show
1058 v:beval_winnr number of the window
1059 v:beval_lnum line number
1060 v:beval_col column number (byte index)
1061 v:beval_text word under or after the mouse pointer
1063 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects!
1064 Example: >
1065 function! MyBalloonExpr()
1066 return 'Cursor is at line ' . v:beval_lnum .
1067 \', column ' . v:beval_col .
1068 \ ' of file ' . bufname(v:beval_bufnr) .
1069 \ ' on word "' . v:beval_text . '"'
1070 endfunction
1071 set bexpr=MyBalloonExpr()
1072 set ballooneval
1073 <
1074 NOTE: The balloon is displayed only if the cursor is on a text
1075 character. If the result of evaluating 'balloonexpr' is not empty,
1076 Vim does not try to send a message to an external debugger (Netbeans
1077 or Sun Workshop).
1079 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
1080 |sandbox-option|.
1082 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
1083 evaluating 'balloonexpr' |textlock|.
1085 To check whether line breaks in the balloon text work use this check: >
1086 if has("balloon_multiline")
1087 < When they are supported "\n" characters will start a new line. If the
1088 expression evaluates to a |List| this is equal to using each List item
1089 as a string and putting "\n" in between them.
1091 *'binary'* *'bin'* *'nobinary'* *'nobin'*
1092 'binary' 'bin' boolean (default off)
1093 local to buffer
1094 {not in Vi}
1095 This option should be set before editing a binary file. You can also
1096 use the |-b| Vim argument. When this option is switched on a few
1097 options will be changed (also when it already was on):
1098 'textwidth' will be set to 0
1099 'wrapmargin' will be set to 0
1100 'modeline' will be off
1101 'expandtab' will be off
1102 Also, 'fileformat' and 'fileformats' options will not be used, the
1103 file is read and written like 'fileformat' was "unix" (a single <NL>
1104 separates lines).
1105 The 'fileencoding' and 'fileencodings' options will not be used, the
1106 file is read without conversion.
1107 NOTE: When you start editing a(nother) file while the 'bin' option is
1108 on, settings from autocommands may change the settings again (e.g.,
1109 'textwidth'), causing trouble when editing. You might want to set
1110 'bin' again when the file has been loaded.
1111 The previous values of these options are remembered and restored when
1112 'bin' is switched from on to off. Each buffer has its own set of
1113 saved option values.
1114 To edit a file with 'binary' set you can use the |++bin| argument.
1115 This avoids you have to do ":set bin", which would have effect for all
1116 files you edit.
1117 When writing a file the <EOL> for the last line is only written if
1118 there was one in the original file (normally Vim appends an <EOL> to
1119 the last line if there is none; this would make the file longer). See
1120 the 'endofline' option.
1122 *'bioskey'* *'biosk'* *'nobioskey'* *'nobiosk'*
1123 'bioskey' 'biosk' boolean (default on)
1124 global
1125 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1126 When on the BIOS is called to obtain a keyboard character. This works
1127 better to detect CTRL-C, but only works for the console. When using a
1128 terminal over a serial port reset this option.
1129 Also see |'conskey'|.
1131 *'bomb'* *'nobomb'*
1132 'bomb' boolean (default off)
1133 local to buffer
1134 {not in Vi}
1135 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1136 feature}
1137 When writing a file and the following conditions are met, a BOM (Byte
1138 Order Mark) is prepended to the file:
1139 - this option is on
1140 - the 'binary' option is off
1141 - 'fileencoding' is "utf-8", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" or one of the little/big
1142 endian variants.
1143 Some applications use the BOM to recognize the encoding of the file.
1144 Often used for UCS-2 files on MS-Windows. For other applications it
1145 causes trouble, for example: "cat file1 file2" makes the BOM of file2
1146 appear halfway the resulting file.
1147 When Vim reads a file and 'fileencodings' starts with "ucs-bom", a
1148 check for the presence of the BOM is done and 'bomb' set accordingly.
1149 Unless 'binary' is set, it is removed from the first line, so that you
1150 don't see it when editing. When you don't change the options, the BOM
1151 will be restored when writing the file.
1153 *'breakat'* *'brk'*
1154 'breakat' 'brk' string (default " ^I!@*-+;:,./?")
1155 global
1156 {not in Vi}
1157 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
1158 feature}
1159 This option lets you choose which characters might cause a line
1160 break if 'linebreak' is on. Only works for ASCII and also for 8-bit
1161 characters when 'encoding' is an 8-bit encoding.
1163 *'browsedir'* *'bsdir'*
1164 'browsedir' 'bsdir' string (default: "last")
1165 global
1166 {not in Vi} {only for Motif, Athena, GTK, Mac and
1167 Win32 GUI}
1168 Which directory to use for the file browser:
1169 last Use same directory as with last file browser, where a
1170 file was opened or saved.
1171 buffer Use the directory of the related buffer.
1172 current Use the current directory.
1173 {path} Use the specified directory
1175 *'bufhidden'* *'bh'*
1176 'bufhidden' 'bh' string (default: "")
1177 local to buffer
1178 {not in Vi}
1179 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1180 feature}
1181 This option specifies what happens when a buffer is no longer
1182 displayed in a window:
1183 <empty> follow the global 'hidden' option
1184 hide hide the buffer (don't unload it), also when 'hidden'
1185 is not set
1186 unload unload the buffer, also when 'hidden' is set or using
1187 |:hide|
1188 delete delete the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1189 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1190 |:bdelete|
1191 wipe wipe out the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1192 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1193 |:bwipeout|
1195 CAREFUL: when "unload", "delete" or "wipe" is used changes in a buffer
1196 are lost without a warning.
1197 This option is used together with 'buftype' and 'swapfile' to specify
1198 special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1200 *'buflisted'* *'bl'* *'nobuflisted'* *'nobl'* *E85*
1201 'buflisted' 'bl' boolean (default: on)
1202 local to buffer
1203 {not in Vi}
1204 When this option is set, the buffer shows up in the buffer list. If
1205 it is reset it is not used for ":bnext", "ls", the Buffers menu, etc.
1206 This option is reset by Vim for buffers that are only used to remember
1207 a file name or marks. Vim sets it when starting to edit a buffer.
1208 But not when moving to a buffer with ":buffer".
1210 *'buftype'* *'bt'* *E382*
1211 'buftype' 'bt' string (default: "")
1212 local to buffer
1213 {not in Vi}
1214 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1215 feature}
1216 The value of this option specifies the type of a buffer:
1217 <empty> normal buffer
1218 nofile buffer which is not related to a file and will not be
1219 written
1220 nowrite buffer which will not be written
1221 acwrite buffer which will always be written with BufWriteCmd
1222 autocommands. {not available when compiled without the
1223 |+autocmd| feature}
1224 quickfix quickfix buffer, contains list of errors |:cwindow|
1225 or list of locations |:lwindow|
1226 help help buffer (you are not supposed to set this
1227 manually)
1229 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'swapfile' to
1230 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1232 Be careful with changing this option, it can have many side effects!
1234 A "quickfix" buffer is only used for the error list and the location
1235 list. This value is set by the |:cwindow| and |:lwindow| commands and
1236 you are not supposed to change it.
1238 "nofile" and "nowrite" buffers are similar:
1239 both: The buffer is not to be written to disk, ":w" doesn't
1240 work (":w filename" does work though).
1241 both: The buffer is never considered to be |'modified'|.
1242 There is no warning when the changes will be lost, for
1243 example when you quit Vim.
1244 both: A swap file is only created when using too much memory
1245 (when 'swapfile' has been reset there is never a swap
1246 file).
1247 nofile only: The buffer name is fixed, it is not handled like a
1248 file name. It is not modified in response to a |:cd|
1249 command.
1250 *E676*
1251 "acwrite" implies that the buffer name is not related to a file, like
1252 "nofile", but it will be written. Thus, in contrast to "nofile" and
1253 "nowrite", ":w" does work and a modified buffer can't be abandoned
1254 without saving. For writing there must be matching |BufWriteCmd|,
1255 |FileWriteCmd| or |FileAppendCmd| autocommands.
1257 *'casemap'* *'cmp'*
1258 'casemap' 'cmp' string (default: "internal,keepascii")
1259 global
1260 {not in Vi}
1261 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1262 feature}
1263 Specifies details about changing the case of letters. It may contain
1264 these words, separated by a comma:
1265 internal Use internal case mapping functions, the current
1266 locale does not change the case mapping. This only
1267 matters when 'encoding' is a Unicode encoding,
1268 "latin1" or "iso-8859-15". When "internal" is
1269 omitted, the towupper() and towlower() system library
1270 functions are used when available.
1271 keepascii For the ASCII characters (0x00 to 0x7f) use the US
1272 case mapping, the current locale is not effective.
1273 This probably only matters for Turkish.
1275 *'cdpath'* *'cd'* *E344* *E346*
1276 'cdpath' 'cd' string (default: equivalent to $CDPATH or ",,")
1277 global
1278 {not in Vi}
1279 {not available when compiled without the
1280 |+file_in_path| feature}
1281 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
1282 |:cd| and |:lcd| commands, provided that the directory being searched
1283 for has a relative path, not an absolute part starting with "/", "./"
1284 or "../", the 'cdpath' option is not used then.
1285 The 'cdpath' option's value has the same form and semantics as
1286 |'path'|. Also see |file-searching|.
1287 The default value is taken from $CDPATH, with a "," prepended to look
1288 in the current directory first.
1289 If the default value taken from $CDPATH is not what you want, include
1290 a modified version of the following command in your vimrc file to
1291 override it: >
1292 :let &cdpath = ',' . substitute(substitute($CDPATH, '[, ]', '\\\0', 'g'), ':', ',', 'g')
1293 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1294 security reasons.
1295 (parts of 'cdpath' can be passed to the shell to expand file names).
1297 *'cedit'*
1298 'cedit' string (Vi default: "", Vim default: CTRL-F)
1299 global
1300 {not in Vi}
1301 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1302 feature}
1303 The key used in Command-line Mode to open the command-line window.
1304 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is off.
1305 Only non-printable keys are allowed.
1306 The key can be specified as a single character, but it is difficult to
1307 type. The preferred way is to use the <> notation. Examples: >
1308 :set cedit=<C-Y>
1309 :set cedit=<Esc>
1310 < |Nvi| also has this option, but it only uses the first character.
1311 See |cmdwin|.
1313 *'charconvert'* *'ccv'* *E202* *E214* *E513*
1314 'charconvert' 'ccv' string (default "")
1315 global
1316 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1317 feature and the |+eval| feature}
1318 {not in Vi}
1319 An expression that is used for character encoding conversion. It is
1320 evaluated when a file that is to be read or has been written has a
1321 different encoding from what is desired.
1322 'charconvert' is not used when the internal iconv() function is
1323 supported and is able to do the conversion. Using iconv() is
1324 preferred, because it is much faster.
1325 'charconvert' is not used when reading stdin |--|, because there is no
1326 file to convert from. You will have to save the text in a file first.
1327 The expression must return zero or an empty string for success,
1328 non-zero for failure.
1329 The possible encoding names encountered are in 'encoding'.
1330 Additionally, names given in 'fileencodings' and 'fileencoding' are
1331 used.
1332 Conversion between "latin1", "unicode", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" and "utf-8"
1333 is done internally by Vim, 'charconvert' is not used for this.
1334 'charconvert' is also used to convert the viminfo file, if the 'c'
1335 flag is present in 'viminfo'. Also used for Unicode conversion.
1336 Example: >
1337 set charconvert=CharConvert()
1338 fun CharConvert()
1339 system("recode "
1340 \ . v:charconvert_from . ".." . v:charconvert_to
1341 \ . " <" . v:fname_in . " >" v:fname_out)
1342 return v:shell_error
1343 endfun
1344 < The related Vim variables are:
1345 v:charconvert_from name of the current encoding
1346 v:charconvert_to name of the desired encoding
1347 v:fname_in name of the input file
1348 v:fname_out name of the output file
1349 Note that v:fname_in and v:fname_out will never be the same.
1350 Note that v:charconvert_from and v:charconvert_to may be different
1351 from 'encoding'. Vim internally uses UTF-8 instead of UCS-2 or UCS-4.
1352 Encryption is not done by Vim when using 'charconvert'. If you want
1353 to encrypt the file after conversion, 'charconvert' should take care
1354 of this.
1355 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1356 security reasons.
1358 *'cindent'* *'cin'* *'nocindent'* *'nocin'*
1359 'cindent' 'cin' boolean (default off)
1360 local to buffer
1361 {not in Vi}
1362 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1363 feature}
1364 Enables automatic C program indenting. See 'cinkeys' to set the keys
1365 that trigger reindenting in insert mode and 'cinoptions' to set your
1366 preferred indent style.
1367 If 'indentexpr' is not empty, it overrules 'cindent'.
1368 If 'lisp' is not on and both 'indentexpr' and 'equalprg' are empty,
1369 the "=" operator indents using this algorithm rather than calling an
1370 external program.
1371 See |C-indenting|.
1372 When you don't like the way 'cindent' works, try the 'smartindent'
1373 option or 'indentexpr'.
1374 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
1375 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1377 *'cinkeys'* *'cink'*
1378 'cinkeys' 'cink' string (default "0{,0},0),:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
1379 local to buffer
1380 {not in Vi}
1381 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1382 feature}
1383 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
1384 the current line. Only used if 'cindent' is on and 'indentexpr' is
1385 empty.
1386 For the format of this option see |cinkeys-format|.
1387 See |C-indenting|.
1389 *'cinoptions'* *'cino'*
1390 'cinoptions' 'cino' string (default "")
1391 local to buffer
1392 {not in Vi}
1393 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1394 feature}
1395 The 'cinoptions' affect the way 'cindent' reindents lines in a C
1396 program. See |cinoptions-values| for the values of this option, and
1397 |C-indenting| for info on C indenting in general.
1400 *'cinwords'* *'cinw'*
1401 'cinwords' 'cinw' string (default "if,else,while,do,for,switch")
1402 local to buffer
1403 {not in Vi}
1404 {not available when compiled without both the
1405 |+cindent| and the |+smartindent| features}
1406 These keywords start an extra indent in the next line when
1407 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is set. For 'cindent' this is only done at
1408 an appropriate place (inside {}).
1409 Note that 'ignorecase' isn't used for 'cinwords'. If case doesn't
1410 matter, include the keyword both the uppercase and lowercase:
1411 "if,If,IF".
1413 *'clipboard'* *'cb'*
1414 'clipboard' 'cb' string (default "autoselect,exclude:cons\|linux"
1415 for X-windows, "" otherwise)
1416 global
1417 {not in Vi}
1418 {only in GUI versions or when the |+xterm_clipboard|
1419 feature is included}
1420 This option is a list of comma separated names.
1421 These names are recognized:
1423 unnamed When included, Vim will use the clipboard register '*'
1424 for all yank, delete, change and put operations which
1425 would normally go to the unnamed register. When a
1426 register is explicitly specified, it will always be
1427 used regardless of whether "unnamed" is in 'clipboard'
1428 or not. The clipboard register can always be
1429 explicitly accessed using the "* notation. Also see
1430 |gui-clipboard|.
1432 autoselect Works like the 'a' flag in 'guioptions': If present,
1433 then whenever Visual mode is started, or the Visual
1434 area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of the
1435 windowing system's global selection or put the
1436 selected text on the clipboard used by the selection
1437 register "*. See |guioptions_a| and |quotestar| for
1438 details. When the GUI is active, the 'a' flag in
1439 'guioptions' is used, when the GUI is not active, this
1440 "autoselect" flag is used.
1441 Also applies to the modeless selection.
1443 autoselectml Like "autoselect", but for the modeless selection
1444 only. Compare to the 'A' flag in 'guioptions'.
1446 exclude:{pattern}
1447 Defines a pattern that is matched against the name of
1448 the terminal 'term'. If there is a match, no
1449 connection will be made to the X server. This is
1450 useful in this situation:
1451 - Running Vim in a console.
1452 - $DISPLAY is set to start applications on another
1453 display.
1454 - You do not want to connect to the X server in the
1455 console, but do want this in a terminal emulator.
1456 To never connect to the X server use: >
1457 exclude:.*
1458 < This has the same effect as using the |-X| argument.
1459 Note that when there is no connection to the X server
1460 the window title won't be restored and the clipboard
1461 cannot be accessed.
1462 The value of 'magic' is ignored, {pattern} is
1463 interpreted as if 'magic' was on.
1464 The rest of the option value will be used for
1465 {pattern}, this must be the last entry.
1467 *'cmdheight'* *'ch'*
1468 'cmdheight' 'ch' number (default 1)
1469 global
1470 {not in Vi}
1471 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line. Helps avoiding
1472 |hit-enter| prompts.
1473 The value of this option is stored with the tab page, so that each tab
1474 page can have a different value.
1476 *'cmdwinheight'* *'cwh'*
1477 'cmdwinheight' 'cwh' number (default 7)
1478 global
1479 {not in Vi}
1480 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1481 feature}
1482 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line window. |cmdwin|
1484 *'columns'* *'co'* *E594*
1485 'columns' 'co' number (default 80 or terminal width)
1486 global
1487 {not in Vi}
1488 Number of columns of the screen. Normally this is set by the terminal
1489 initialization and does not have to be set by hand. Also see
1490 |posix-screen-size|.
1491 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
1492 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
1493 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
1494 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
1495 number of columns of the display, the display may be messed up. For
1496 the GUI it is always possible and Vim limits the number of columns to
1497 what fits on the screen. You can use this command to get the widest
1498 window possible: >
1499 :set columns=9999
1500 < Minimum value is 12, maximum value is 10000.
1502 *'comments'* *'com'* *E524* *E525*
1503 'comments' 'com' string (default
1504 "s1:/*,mb:*,ex:*/,://,b:#,:%,:XCOMM,n:>,fb:-")
1505 local to buffer
1506 {not in Vi}
1507 {not available when compiled without the |+comments|
1508 feature}
1509 A comma separated list of strings that can start a comment line. See
1510 |format-comments|. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes to
1511 insert a space.
1513 *'commentstring'* *'cms'* *E537*
1514 'commentstring' 'cms' string (default "/*%s*/")
1515 local to buffer
1516 {not in Vi}
1517 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
1518 feature}
1519 A template for a comment. The "%s" in the value is replaced with the
1520 comment text. Currently only used to add markers for folding, see
1521 |fold-marker|.
1523 *'compatible'* *'cp'* *'nocompatible'* *'nocp'*
1524 'compatible' 'cp' boolean (default on, off when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc|
1525 file is found)
1526 global
1527 {not in Vi}
1528 This option has the effect of making Vim either more Vi-compatible, or
1529 make Vim behave in a more useful way.
1530 This is a special kind of option, because when it's set or reset,
1531 other options are also changed as a side effect. CAREFUL: Setting or
1532 resetting this option can have a lot of unexpected effects: Mappings
1533 are interpreted in another way, undo behaves differently, etc. If you
1534 set this option in your vimrc file, you should probably put it at the
1535 very start.
1536 By default this option is on and the Vi defaults are used for the
1537 options. This default was chosen for those people who want to use Vim
1538 just like Vi, and don't even (want to) know about the 'compatible'
1539 option.
1540 When a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file is found while Vim is starting up,
1541 this option is switched off, and all options that have not been
1542 modified will be set to the Vim defaults. Effectively, this means
1543 that when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file exists, Vim will use the Vim
1544 defaults, otherwise it will use the Vi defaults. (Note: This doesn't
1545 happen for the system-wide vimrc or gvimrc file, nor for a file given
1546 with the |-u| argument). Also see |compatible-default| and
1547 |posix-compliance|.
1548 You can also set this option with the "-C" argument, and reset it with
1549 "-N". See |-C| and |-N|.
1550 Switching this option off makes the Vim defaults be used for options
1551 that have a different Vi and Vim default value. See the options
1552 marked with a '+' below. Other options are not modified.
1553 At the moment this option is set, several other options will be set
1554 or reset to make Vim as Vi-compatible as possible. See the table
1555 below. This can be used if you want to revert to Vi compatible
1556 editing.
1557 See also 'cpoptions'.
1559 option + set value effect ~
1561 'allowrevins' off no CTRL-_ command
1562 'backupcopy' Unix: "yes" backup file is a copy
1563 others: "auto" copy or rename backup file
1564 'backspace' "" normal backspace
1565 'backup' off no backup file
1566 'cindent' off no C code indentation
1567 'cedit' + "" no key to open the |cmdwin|
1568 'cpoptions' + (all flags) Vi-compatible flags
1569 'cscopetag' off don't use cscope for ":tag"
1570 'cscopetagorder' 0 see |cscopetagorder|
1571 'cscopeverbose' off see |cscopeverbose|
1572 'digraph' off no digraphs
1573 'esckeys' + off no <Esc>-keys in Insert mode
1574 'expandtab' off tabs not expanded to spaces
1575 'fileformats' + "" no automatic file format detection,
1576 "dos,unix" except for DOS, Windows and OS/2
1577 'formatoptions' + "vt" Vi compatible formatting
1578 'gdefault' off no default 'g' flag for ":s"
1579 'history' + 0 no commandline history
1580 'hkmap' off no Hebrew keyboard mapping
1581 'hkmapp' off no phonetic Hebrew keyboard mapping
1582 'hlsearch' off no highlighting of search matches
1583 'incsearch' off no incremental searching
1584 'indentexpr' "" no indenting by expression
1585 'insertmode' off do not start in Insert mode
1586 'iskeyword' + "@,48-57,_" keywords contain alphanumeric
1587 characters and '_'
1588 'joinspaces' on insert 2 spaces after period
1589 'modeline' + off no modelines
1590 'more' + off no pauses in listings
1591 'revins' off no reverse insert
1592 'ruler' off no ruler
1593 'scrolljump' 1 no jump scroll
1594 'scrolloff' 0 no scroll offset
1595 'shiftround' off indent not rounded to shiftwidth
1596 'shortmess' + "" no shortening of messages
1597 'showcmd' + off command characters not shown
1598 'showmode' + off current mode not shown
1599 'smartcase' off no automatic ignore case switch
1600 'smartindent' off no smart indentation
1601 'smarttab' off no smart tab size
1602 'softtabstop' 0 tabs are always 'tabstop' positions
1603 'startofline' on goto startofline with some commands
1604 'tagrelative' + off tag file names are not relative
1605 'textauto' + off no automatic textmode detection
1606 'textwidth' 0 no automatic line wrap
1607 'tildeop' off tilde is not an operator
1608 'ttimeout' off no terminal timeout
1609 'whichwrap' + "" left-right movements don't wrap
1610 'wildchar' + CTRL-E only when the current value is <Tab>
1611 use CTRL-E for cmdline completion
1612 'writebackup' on or off depends on +writebackup feature
1614 *'complete'* *'cpt'* *E535*
1615 'complete' 'cpt' string (default: ".,w,b,u,t,i")
1616 local to buffer
1617 {not in Vi}
1618 This option specifies how keyword completion |ins-completion| works
1619 when CTRL-P or CTRL-N are used. It is also used for whole-line
1620 completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|. It indicates the type of completion
1621 and the places to scan. It is a comma separated list of flags:
1622 . scan the current buffer ('wrapscan' is ignored)
1623 w scan buffers from other windows
1624 b scan other loaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1625 u scan the unloaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1626 U scan the buffers that are not in the buffer list
1627 k scan the files given with the 'dictionary' option
1628 kspell use the currently active spell checking |spell|
1629 k{dict} scan the file {dict}. Several "k" flags can be given,
1630 patterns are valid too. For example: >
1631 :set cpt=k/usr/dict/*,k~/spanish
1632 < s scan the files given with the 'thesaurus' option
1633 s{tsr} scan the file {tsr}. Several "s" flags can be given, patterns
1634 are valid too.
1635 i scan current and included files
1636 d scan current and included files for defined name or macro
1637 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
1638 ] tag completion
1639 t same as "]"
1641 Unloaded buffers are not loaded, thus their autocmds |:autocmd| are
1642 not executed, this may lead to unexpected completions from some files
1643 (gzipped files for example). Unloaded buffers are not scanned for
1644 whole-line completion.
1646 The default is ".,w,b,u,t,i", which means to scan:
1647 1. the current buffer
1648 2. buffers in other windows
1649 3. other loaded buffers
1650 4. unloaded buffers
1651 5. tags
1652 6. included files
1654 As you can see, CTRL-N and CTRL-P can be used to do any 'iskeyword'-
1655 based expansion (e.g., dictionary |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|, included patterns
1656 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|, tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]| and normal expansions).
1658 *'completefunc'* *'cfu'*
1659 'completefunc' 'cfu' string (default: empty)
1660 local to buffer
1661 {not in Vi}
1662 {not available when compiled without the +eval
1663 or +insert_expand feature}
1664 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode completion
1665 with CTRL-X CTRL-U. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
1666 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
1667 invoked and what it should return.
1670 *'completeopt'* *'cot'*
1671 'completeopt' 'cot' string (default: "menu,preview")
1672 global
1673 {not available when compiled without the
1674 |+insert_expand| feature}
1675 {not in Vi}
1676 A comma separated list of options for Insert mode completion
1677 |ins-completion|. The supported values are:
1679 menu Use a popup menu to show the possible completions. The
1680 menu is only shown when there is more than one match and
1681 sufficient colors are available. |ins-completion-menu|
1683 menuone Use the popup menu also when there is only one match.
1684 Useful when there is additional information about the
1685 match, e.g., what file it comes from.
1687 longest Only insert the longest common text of the matches. If
1688 the menu is displayed you can use CTRL-L to add more
1689 characters. Whether case is ignored depends on the kind
1690 of completion. For buffer text the 'ignorecase' option is
1691 used.
1693 preview Show extra information about the currently selected
1694 completion in the preview window. Only works in
1695 combination with "menu" or "menuone".
1698 *'confirm'* *'cf'* *'noconfirm'* *'nocf'*
1699 'confirm' 'cf' boolean (default off)
1700 global
1701 {not in Vi}
1702 When 'confirm' is on, certain operations that would normally
1703 fail because of unsaved changes to a buffer, e.g. ":q" and ":e",
1704 instead raise a |dialog| asking if you wish to save the current
1705 file(s). You can still use a ! to unconditionally |abandon| a buffer.
1706 If 'confirm' is off you can still activate confirmation for one
1707 command only (this is most useful in mappings) with the |:confirm|
1708 command.
1709 Also see the |confirm()| function and the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'.
1711 *'conskey'* *'consk'* *'noconskey'* *'noconsk'*
1712 'conskey' 'consk' boolean (default off)
1713 global
1714 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1715 When on direct console I/O is used to obtain a keyboard character.
1716 This should work in most cases. Also see |'bioskey'|. Together,
1717 three methods of console input are available:
1718 'conskey' 'bioskey' action ~
1719 on on or off direct console input
1720 off on BIOS
1721 off off STDIN
1723 *'copyindent'* *'ci'* *'nocopyindent'* *'noci'*
1724 'copyindent' 'ci' boolean (default off)
1725 local to buffer
1726 {not in Vi}
1727 Copy the structure of the existing lines indent when autoindenting a
1728 new line. Normally the new indent is reconstructed by a series of
1729 tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is enabled,
1730 in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option makes the
1731 new line copy whatever characters were used for indenting on the
1732 existing line. 'expandtab' has no effect on these characters, a Tab
1733 remains a Tab. If the new indent is greater than on the existing
1734 line, the remaining space is filled in the normal manner.
1735 NOTE: 'copyindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1736 Also see 'preserveindent'.
1738 *'cpoptions'* *'cpo'*
1739 'cpoptions' 'cpo' string (Vim default: "aABceFs",
1740 Vi default: all flags)
1741 global
1742 {not in Vi}
1743 A sequence of single character flags. When a character is present
1744 this indicates vi-compatible behavior. This is used for things where
1745 not being vi-compatible is mostly or sometimes preferred.
1746 'cpoptions' stands for "compatible-options".
1747 Commas can be added for readability.
1748 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
1749 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
1750 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
1751 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
1752 NOTE: This option is set to the POSIX default value at startup when
1753 the Vi default value would be used and the $VIM_POSIX environment
1754 variable exists |posix|. This means tries to behave like the POSIX
1755 specification.
1757 contains behavior ~
1758 *cpo-a*
1759 a When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1760 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1761 current window.
1762 *cpo-A*
1763 A When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1764 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1765 current window.
1766 *cpo-b*
1767 b "\|" in a ":map" command is recognized as the end of
1768 the map command. The '\' is included in the mapping,
1769 the text after the '|' is interpreted as the next
1770 command. Use a CTRL-V instead of a backslash to
1771 include the '|' in the mapping. Applies to all
1772 mapping, abbreviation, menu and autocmd commands.
1773 See also |map_bar|.
1774 *cpo-B*
1775 B A backslash has no special meaning in mappings,
1776 abbreviations and the "to" part of the menu commands.
1777 Remove this flag to be able to use a backslash like a
1778 CTRL-V. For example, the command ":map X \<Esc>"
1779 results in X being mapped to:
1780 'B' included: "\^[" (^[ is a real <Esc>)
1781 'B' excluded: "<Esc>" (5 characters)
1782 ('<' excluded in both cases)
1783 *cpo-c*
1784 c Searching continues at the end of any match at the
1785 cursor position, but not further than the start of the
1786 next line. When not present searching continues
1787 one character from the cursor position. With 'c'
1788 "abababababab" only gets three matches when repeating
1789 "/abab", without 'c' there are five matches.
1790 *cpo-C*
1791 C Do not concatenate sourced lines that start with a
1792 backslash. See |line-continuation|.
1793 *cpo-d*
1794 d Using "./" in the 'tags' option doesn't mean to use
1795 the tags file relative to the current file, but the
1796 tags file in the current directory.
1797 *cpo-D*
1798 D Can't use CTRL-K to enter a digraph after Normal mode
1799 commands with a character argument, like |r|, |f| and
1800 |t|.
1801 *cpo-e*
1802 e When executing a register with ":@r", always add a
1803 <CR> to the last line, also when the register is not
1804 linewise. If this flag is not present, the register
1805 is not linewise and the last line does not end in a
1806 <CR>, then the last line is put on the command-line
1807 and can be edited before hitting <CR>.
1808 *cpo-E*
1809 E It is an error when using "y", "d", "c", "g~", "gu" or
1810 "gU" on an Empty region. The operators only work when
1811 at least one character is to be operate on. Example:
1812 This makes "y0" fail in the first column.
1813 *cpo-f*
1814 f When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1815 argument will set the file name for the current buffer,
1816 if the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet.
1817 *cpo-F*
1818 F When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1819 argument will set the file name for the current
1820 buffer, if the current buffer doesn't have a file name
1821 yet. Also see |cpo-P|.
1822 *cpo-g*
1823 g Goto line 1 when using ":edit" without argument.
1824 *cpo-H*
1825 H When using "I" on a line with only blanks, insert
1826 before the last blank. Without this flag insert after
1827 the last blank.
1828 *cpo-i*
1829 i When included, interrupting the reading of a file will
1830 leave it modified.
1831 *cpo-I*
1832 I When moving the cursor up or down just after inserting
1833 indent for 'autoindent', do not delete the indent.
1834 *cpo-j*
1835 j When joining lines, only add two spaces after a '.',
1836 not after '!' or '?'. Also see 'joinspaces'.
1837 *cpo-J*
1838 J A |sentence| has to be followed by two spaces after
1839 the '.', '!' or '?'. A <Tab> is not recognized as
1840 white space.
1841 *cpo-k*
1842 k Disable the recognition of raw key codes in
1843 mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of menu
1844 commands. For example, if <Key> sends ^[OA (where ^[
1845 is <Esc>), the command ":map X ^[OA" results in X
1846 being mapped to:
1847 'k' included: "^[OA" (3 characters)
1848 'k' excluded: "<Key>" (one key code)
1849 Also see the '<' flag below.
1850 *cpo-K*
1851 K Don't wait for a key code to complete when it is
1852 halfway a mapping. This breaks mapping <F1><F1> when
1853 only part of the second <F1> has been read. It
1854 enables cancelling the mapping by typing <F1><Esc>.
1855 *cpo-l*
1856 l Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
1857 literally, only "\]", "\^", "\-" and "\\" are special.
1858 See |/[]|
1859 'l' included: "/[ \t]" finds <Space>, '\' and 't'
1860 'l' excluded: "/[ \t]" finds <Space> and <Tab>
1861 Also see |cpo-\|.
1862 *cpo-L*
1863 L When the 'list' option is set, 'wrapmargin',
1864 'textwidth', 'softtabstop' and Virtual Replace mode
1865 (see |gR|) count a <Tab> as two characters, instead of
1866 the normal behavior of a <Tab>.
1867 *cpo-m*
1868 m When included, a showmatch will always wait half a
1869 second. When not included, a showmatch will wait half
1870 a second or until a character is typed. |'showmatch'|
1871 *cpo-M*
1872 M When excluded, "%" matching will take backslashes into
1873 account. Thus in "( \( )" and "\( ( \)" the outer
1874 parenthesis match. When included "%" ignores
1875 backslashes, which is Vi compatible.
1876 *cpo-n*
1877 n When included, the column used for 'number' will also
1878 be used for text of wrapped lines.
1879 *cpo-o*
1880 o Line offset to search command is not remembered for
1881 next search.
1882 *cpo-O*
1883 O Don't complain if a file is being overwritten, even
1884 when it didn't exist when editing it. This is a
1885 protection against a file unexpectedly created by
1886 someone else. Vi didn't complain about this.
1887 *cpo-p*
1888 p Vi compatible Lisp indenting. When not present, a
1889 slightly better algorithm is used.
1890 *cpo-P*
1891 P When included, a ":write" command that appends to a
1892 file will set the file name for the current buffer, if
1893 the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet and
1894 the 'F' flag is also included |cpo-F|.
1895 *cpo-q*
1896 q When joining multiple lines leave the cursor at the
1897 position where it would be when joining two lines.
1898 *cpo-r*
1899 r Redo ("." command) uses "/" to repeat a search
1900 command, instead of the actually used search string.
1901 *cpo-R*
1902 R Remove marks from filtered lines. Without this flag
1903 marks are kept like |:keepmarks| was used.
1904 *cpo-s*
1905 s Set buffer options when entering the buffer for the
1906 first time. This is like it is in Vim version 3.0.
1907 And it is the default. If not present the options are
1908 set when the buffer is created.
1909 *cpo-S*
1910 S Set buffer options always when entering a buffer
1911 (except 'readonly', 'fileformat', 'filetype' and
1912 'syntax'). This is the (most) Vi compatible setting.
1913 The options are set to the values in the current
1914 buffer. When you change an option and go to another
1915 buffer, the value is copied. Effectively makes the
1916 buffer options global to all buffers.
1918 's' 'S' copy buffer options
1919 no no when buffer created
1920 yes no when buffer first entered (default)
1921 X yes each time when buffer entered (vi comp.)
1922 *cpo-t*
1923 t Search pattern for the tag command is remembered for
1924 "n" command. Otherwise Vim only puts the pattern in
1925 the history for search pattern, but doesn't change the
1926 last used search pattern.
1927 *cpo-u*
1928 u Undo is Vi compatible. See |undo-two-ways|.
1929 *cpo-v*
1930 v Backspaced characters remain visible on the screen in
1931 Insert mode. Without this flag the characters are
1932 erased from the screen right away. With this flag the
1933 screen newly typed text overwrites backspaced
1934 characters.
1935 *cpo-w*
1936 w When using "cw" on a blank character, only change one
1937 character and not all blanks until the start of the
1938 next word.
1939 *cpo-W*
1940 W Don't overwrite a readonly file. When omitted, ":w!"
1941 overwrites a readonly file, if possible.
1942 *cpo-x*
1943 x <Esc> on the command-line executes the command-line.
1944 The default in Vim is to abandon the command-line,
1945 because <Esc> normally aborts a command. |c_<Esc>|
1946 *cpo-X*
1947 X When using a count with "R" the replaced text is
1948 deleted only once. Also when repeating "R" with "."
1949 and a count.
1950 *cpo-y*
1951 y A yank command can be redone with ".".
1952 *cpo-Z*
1953 Z When using "w!" while the 'readonly' option is set,
1954 don't reset 'readonly'.
1955 *cpo-!*
1956 ! When redoing a filter command, use the last used
1957 external command, whatever it was. Otherwise the last
1958 used -filter- command is used.
1959 *cpo-$*
1960 $ When making a change to one line, don't redisplay the
1961 line, but put a '$' at the end of the changed text.
1962 The changed text will be overwritten when you type the
1963 new text. The line is redisplayed if you type any
1964 command that moves the cursor from the insertion
1965 point.
1966 *cpo-%*
1967 % Vi-compatible matching is done for the "%" command.
1968 Does not recognize "#if", "#endif", etc.
1969 Does not recognize "/*" and "*/".
1970 Parens inside single and double quotes are also
1971 counted, causing a string that contains a paren to
1972 disturb the matching. For example, in a line like
1973 "if (strcmp("foo(", s))" the first paren does not
1974 match the last one. When this flag is not included,
1975 parens inside single and double quotes are treated
1976 specially. When matching a paren outside of quotes,
1977 everything inside quotes is ignored. When matching a
1978 paren inside quotes, it will find the matching one (if
1979 there is one). This works very well for C programs.
1980 This flag is also used for other features, such as
1981 C-indenting.
1982 *cpo--*
1983 - When included, a vertical movement command fails when
1984 it would go above the first line or below the last
1985 line. Without it the cursor moves to the first or
1986 last line, unless it already was in that line.
1987 Applies to the commands "-", "k", CTRL-P, "+", "j",
1988 CTRL-N, CTRL-J and ":1234".
1989 *cpo-+*
1990 + When included, a ":write file" command will reset the
1991 'modified' flag of the buffer, even though the buffer
1992 itself may still be different from its file.
1993 *cpo-star*
1994 * Use ":*" in the same way as ":@". When not included,
1995 ":*" is an alias for ":'<,'>", select the Visual area.
1996 *cpo-<*
1997 < Disable the recognition of special key codes in |<>|
1998 form in mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of
1999 menu commands. For example, the command
2000 ":map X <Tab>" results in X being mapped to:
2001 '<' included: "<Tab>" (5 characters)
2002 '<' excluded: "^I" (^I is a real <Tab>)
2003 Also see the 'k' flag above.
2004 *cpo->*
2005 > When appending to a register, put a line break before
2006 the appended text.
2008 POSIX flags. These are not included in the Vi default value, except
2009 when $VIM_POSIX was set on startup. |posix|
2011 contains behavior ~
2012 *cpo-#*
2013 # A count before "D", "o" and "O" has no effect.
2014 *cpo-&*
2015 & When ":preserve" was used keep the swap file when
2016 exiting normally while this buffer is still loaded.
2017 This flag is tested when exiting.
2018 *cpo-\*
2019 \ Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
2020 literally, only "\]" is special See |/[]|
2021 '\' included: "/[ \-]" finds <Space>, '\' and '-'
2022 '\' excluded: "/[ \-]" finds <Space> and '-'
2023 Also see |cpo-l|.
2024 *cpo-/*
2025 / When "%" is used as the replacement string in a |:s|
2026 command, use the previous replacement string. |:s%|
2027 *cpo-{*
2028 { The |{| and |}| commands also stop at a "{" character
2029 at the start of a line.
2030 *cpo-.*
2031 . The ":chdir" and ":cd" commands fail if the current
2032 buffer is modified, unless ! is used. Vim doesn't
2033 need this, since it remembers the full path of an
2034 opened file.
2035 *cpo-bar*
2036 | The value of the $LINES and $COLUMNS environment
2037 variables overrule the terminal size values obtained
2038 with system specific functions.
2041 *'cscopepathcomp'* *'cspc'*
2042 'cscopepathcomp' 'cspc' number (default 0)
2043 global
2044 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2045 feature}
2046 {not in Vi}
2047 Determines how many components of the path to show in a list of tags.
2048 See |cscopepathcomp|.
2050 *'cscopeprg'* *'csprg'*
2051 'cscopeprg' 'csprg' string (default "cscope")
2052 global
2053 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2054 feature}
2055 {not in Vi}
2056 Specifies the command to execute cscope. See |cscopeprg|.
2057 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2058 security reasons.
2060 *'cscopequickfix'* *'csqf'*
2061 'cscopequickfix' 'csqf' string (default "")
2062 global
2063 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2064 or |+quickfix| features}
2065 {not in Vi}
2066 Specifies whether to use quickfix window to show cscope results.
2067 See |cscopequickfix|.
2069 *'cscopetag'* *'cst'* *'nocscopetag'* *'nocst'*
2070 'cscopetag' 'cst' boolean (default off)
2071 global
2072 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2073 feature}
2074 {not in Vi}
2075 Use cscope for tag commands. See |cscope-options|.
2076 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2078 *'cscopetagorder'* *'csto'*
2079 'cscopetagorder' 'csto' number (default 0)
2080 global
2081 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2082 feature}
2083 {not in Vi}
2084 Determines the order in which ":cstag" performs a search. See
2085 |cscopetagorder|.
2086 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
2088 *'cscopeverbose'* *'csverb'*
2089 *'nocscopeverbose'* *'nocsverb'*
2090 'cscopeverbose' 'csverb' boolean (default off)
2091 global
2092 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2093 feature}
2094 {not in Vi}
2095 Give messages when adding a cscope database. See |cscopeverbose|.
2096 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2099 *'cursorcolumn'* *'cuc'* *'nocursorcolumn'* *'nocuc'*
2100 'cursorcolumn' 'cuc' boolean (default off)
2101 local to window
2102 {not in Vi}
2103 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2104 feature}
2105 Highlight the screen column of the cursor with CursorColumn
2106 |hl-CursorColumn|. Useful to align text. Will make screen redrawing
2107 slower.
2108 If you only want the highlighting in the current window you can use
2109 these autocommands: >
2110 au WinLeave * set nocursorline nocursorcolumn
2111 au WinEnter * set cursorline cursorcolumn
2112 <
2114 *'cursorline'* *'cul'* *'nocursorline'* *'nocul'*
2115 'cursorline' 'cul' boolean (default off)
2116 local to window
2117 {not in Vi}
2118 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2119 feature}
2120 Highlight the screen line of the cursor with CursorLine
2121 |hl-CursorLine|. Useful to easily spot the cursor. Will make screen
2122 redrawing slower.
2123 When Visual mode is active the highlighting isn't used to make it
2124 easier to see the selected text.
2127 *'debug'*
2128 'debug' string (default "")
2129 global
2130 {not in Vi}
2131 These values can be used:
2132 msg Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2133 anyway.
2134 throw Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2135 anyway and also throw an exception and set |v:errmsg|.
2136 beep A message will be given when otherwise only a beep would be
2137 produced.
2138 The values can be combined, separated by a comma.
2139 "msg" and "throw" are useful for debugging 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr' or
2140 'indentexpr'.
2142 *'define'* *'def'*
2143 'define' 'def' string (default "^\s*#\s*define")
2144 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2145 {not in Vi}
2146 Pattern to be used to find a macro definition. It is a search
2147 pattern, just like for the "/" command. This option is used for the
2148 commands like "[i" and "[d" |include-search|. The 'isident' option is
2149 used to recognize the defined name after the match:
2150 {match with 'define'}{non-ID chars}{defined name}{non-ID char}
2151 See |option-backslash| about inserting backslashes to include a space
2152 or backslash.
2153 The default value is for C programs. For C++ this value would be
2154 useful, to include const type declarations: >
2155 ^\(#\s*define\|[a-z]*\s*const\s*[a-z]*\)
2156 < When using the ":set" command, you need to double the backslashes!
2158 *'delcombine'* *'deco'* *'nodelcombine'* *'nodeco'*
2159 'delcombine' 'deco' boolean (default off)
2160 global
2161 {not in Vi}
2162 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2163 feature}
2164 If editing Unicode and this option is set, backspace and Normal mode
2165 "x" delete each combining character on its own. When it is off (the
2166 default) the character along with its combining characters are
2167 deleted.
2168 Note: When 'delcombine' is set "xx" may work different from "2x"!
2170 This is useful for Arabic, Hebrew and many other languages where one
2171 may have combining characters overtop of base characters, and want
2172 to remove only the combining ones.
2174 *'dictionary'* *'dict'*
2175 'dictionary' 'dict' string (default "")
2176 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2177 {not in Vi}
2178 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
2179 for keyword completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|. Each file should
2180 contain a list of words. This can be one word per line, or several
2181 words per line, separated by non-keyword characters (white space is
2182 preferred). Maximum line length is 510 bytes.
2183 When this option is empty, or an entry "spell" is present, spell
2184 checking is enabled the currently active spelling is used. |spell|
2185 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
2186 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
2187 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
2188 This has nothing to do with the |Dictionary| variable type.
2189 Where to find a list of words?
2190 - On FreeBSD, there is the file "/usr/share/dict/words".
2191 - In the Simtel archive, look in the "msdos/linguist" directory.
2192 - In "miscfiles" of the GNU collection.
2193 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2194 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2195 uses another default.
2196 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
2198 *'diff'* *'nodiff'*
2199 'diff' boolean (default off)
2200 local to window
2201 {not in Vi}
2202 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2203 feature}
2204 Join the current window in the group of windows that shows differences
2205 between files. See |vimdiff|.
2207 *'dex'* *'diffexpr'*
2208 'diffexpr' 'dex' string (default "")
2209 global
2210 {not in Vi}
2211 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2212 feature}
2213 Expression which is evaluated to obtain an ed-style diff file from two
2214 versions of a file. See |diff-diffexpr|.
2215 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2216 security reasons.
2218 *'dip'* *'diffopt'*
2219 'diffopt' 'dip' string (default "filler")
2220 global
2221 {not in Vi}
2222 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2223 feature}
2224 Option settings for diff mode. It can consist of the following items.
2225 All are optional. Items must be separated by a comma.
2227 filler Show filler lines, to keep the text
2228 synchronized with a window that has inserted
2229 lines at the same position. Mostly useful
2230 when windows are side-by-side and 'scrollbind'
2231 is set.
2233 context:{n} Use a context of {n} lines between a change
2234 and a fold that contains unchanged lines.
2235 When omitted a context of six lines is used.
2236 See |fold-diff|.
2238 icase Ignore changes in case of text. "a" and "A"
2239 are considered the same. Adds the "-i" flag
2240 to the "diff" command if 'diffexpr' is empty.
2242 iwhite Ignore changes in amount of white space. Adds
2243 the "-b" flag to the "diff" command if
2244 'diffexpr' is empty. Check the documentation
2245 of the "diff" command for what this does
2246 exactly. It should ignore adding trailing
2247 white space, but not leading white space.
2249 horizontal Start diff mode with horizontal splits (unless
2250 explicitly specified otherwise).
2252 vertical Start diff mode with vertical splits (unless
2253 explicitly specified otherwise).
2255 foldcolumn:{n} Set the 'foldcolumn' option to {n} when
2256 starting diff mode. Without this 2 is used.
2258 Examples: >
2260 :set diffopt=filler,context:4
2261 :set diffopt=
2262 :set diffopt=filler,foldcolumn:3
2263 <
2264 *'digraph'* *'dg'* *'nodigraph'* *'nodg'*
2265 'digraph' 'dg' boolean (default off)
2266 global
2267 {not in Vi}
2268 {not available when compiled without the |+digraphs|
2269 feature}
2270 Enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode with {char1} <BS>
2271 {char2}. See |digraphs|.
2272 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2274 *'directory'* *'dir'*
2275 'directory' 'dir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
2276 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:\tmp,c:\temp"
2277 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,/var/tmp,/tmp")
2278 global
2279 List of directory names for the swap file, separated with commas.
2280 - The swap file will be created in the first directory where this is
2281 possible.
2282 - Empty means that no swap file will be used (recovery is
2283 impossible!).
2284 - A directory "." means to put the swap file in the same directory as
2285 the edited file. On Unix, a dot is prepended to the file name, so
2286 it doesn't show in a directory listing. On MS-Windows the "hidden"
2287 attribute is set and a dot prepended if possible.
2288 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
2289 put the swap file relative to where the edited file is. The leading
2290 "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
2291 - For Unix and Win32, if a directory ends in two path separators "//"
2292 or "\\", the swap file name will be built from the complete path to
2293 the file with all path separators substituted to percent '%' signs.
2294 This will ensure file name uniqueness in the preserve directory.
2295 On Win32, when a separating comma is following, you must use "//",
2296 since "\\" will include the comma in the file name.
2297 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
2298 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
2299 name, precede it with a backslash.
2300 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
2301 - A directory name may end in an ':' or '/'.
2302 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2303 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
2304 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
2305 :set dir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
2306 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
2307 of the option is removed.
2308 Using "." first in the list is recommended. This means that editing
2309 the same file twice will result in a warning. Using "/tmp" on Unix is
2310 discouraged: When the system crashes you lose the swap file.
2311 "/var/tmp" is often not cleared when rebooting, thus is a better
2312 choice than "/tmp". But it can contain a lot of files, your swap
2313 files get lost in the crowd. That is why a "tmp" directory in your
2314 home directory is tried first.
2315 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2316 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2317 uses another default.
2318 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2319 security reasons.
2320 {Vi: directory to put temp file in, defaults to "/tmp"}
2322 *'display'* *'dy'*
2323 'display' 'dy' string (default "")
2324 global
2325 {not in Vi}
2326 Change the way text is displayed. This is comma separated list of
2327 flags:
2328 lastline When included, as much as possible of the last line
2329 in a window will be displayed. When not included, a
2330 last line that doesn't fit is replaced with "@" lines.
2331 uhex Show unprintable characters hexadecimal as <xx>
2332 instead of using ^C and ~C.
2334 *'eadirection'* *'ead'*
2335 'eadirection' 'ead' string (default "both")
2336 global
2337 {not in Vi}
2338 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
2339 feature}
2340 Tells when the 'equalalways' option applies:
2341 ver vertically, width of windows is not affected
2342 hor horizontally, height of windows is not affected
2343 both width and height of windows is affected
2345 *'ed'* *'edcompatible'* *'noed'* *'noedcompatible'*
2346 'edcompatible' 'ed' boolean (default off)
2347 global
2348 Makes the 'g' and 'c' flags of the ":substitute" command to be
2349 toggled each time the flag is given. See |complex-change|. See
2350 also 'gdefault' option.
2351 Switching this option on is discouraged!
2353 *'encoding'* *'enc'* *E543*
2354 'encoding' 'enc' string (default: "latin1" or value from $LANG)
2355 global
2356 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2357 feature}
2358 {not in Vi}
2359 Sets the character encoding used inside Vim. It applies to text in
2360 the buffers, registers, Strings in expressions, text stored in the
2361 viminfo file, etc. It sets the kind of characters which Vim can work
2362 with. See |encoding-names| for the possible values.
2364 NOTE: Changing this option will not change the encoding of the
2365 existing text in Vim. It may cause non-ASCII text to become invalid.
2366 It should normally be kept at its default value, or set when Vim
2367 starts up. See |multibyte|. To reload the menus see |:menutrans|.
2369 NOTE: For GTK+ 2 it is highly recommended to set 'encoding' to
2370 "utf-8". Although care has been taken to allow different values of
2371 'encoding', "utf-8" is the natural choice for the environment and
2372 avoids unnecessary conversion overhead. "utf-8" has not been made
2373 the default to prevent different behavior of the GUI and terminal
2374 versions, and to avoid changing the encoding of newly created files
2375 without your knowledge (in case 'fileencodings' is empty).
2377 The character encoding of files can be different from 'encoding'.
2378 This is specified with 'fileencoding'. The conversion is done with
2379 iconv() or as specified with 'charconvert'.
2381 If you need to know whether 'encoding' is a multi-byte encoding, you
2382 can use: >
2383 if has("multi_byte_encoding")
2384 <
2385 Normally 'encoding' will be equal to your current locale. This will
2386 be the default if Vim recognizes your environment settings. If
2387 'encoding' is not set to the current locale, 'termencoding' must be
2388 set to convert typed and displayed text. See |encoding-table|.
2390 When you set this option, it fires the |EncodingChanged| autocommand
2391 event so that you can set up fonts if necessary.
2393 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2394 you can set it with uppercase values too. Underscores are translated
2395 to '-' signs.
2396 When the encoding is recognized, it is changed to the standard name.
2397 For example "Latin-1" becomes "latin1", "ISO_88592" becomes
2398 "iso-8859-2" and "utf8" becomes "utf-8".
2400 Note: "latin1" is also used when the encoding could not be detected.
2401 This only works when editing files in the same encoding! When the
2402 actual character set is not latin1, make sure 'fileencoding' and
2403 'fileencodings' are empty. When conversion is needed, switch to using
2404 utf-8.
2406 When "unicode", "ucs-2" or "ucs-4" is used, Vim internally uses utf-8.
2407 You don't notice this while editing, but it does matter for the
2408 |viminfo-file|. And Vim expects the terminal to use utf-8 too. Thus
2409 setting 'encoding' to one of these values instead of utf-8 only has
2410 effect for encoding used for files when 'fileencoding' is empty.
2412 When 'encoding' is set to a Unicode encoding, and 'fileencodings' was
2413 not set yet, the default for 'fileencodings' is changed.
2415 *'endofline'* *'eol'* *'noendofline'* *'noeol'*
2416 'endofline' 'eol' boolean (default on)
2417 local to buffer
2418 {not in Vi}
2419 When writing a file and this option is off and the 'binary' option
2420 is on, no <EOL> will be written for the last line in the file. This
2421 option is automatically set when starting to edit a new file, unless
2422 the file does not have an <EOL> for the last line in the file, in
2423 which case it is reset. Normally you don't have to set or reset this
2424 option. When 'binary' is off the value is not used when writing the
2425 file. When 'binary' is on it is used to remember the presence of a
2426 <EOL> for the last line in the file, so that when you write the file
2427 the situation from the original file can be kept. But you can change
2428 it if you want to.
2430 *'equalalways'* *'ea'* *'noequalalways'* *'noea'*
2431 'equalalways' 'ea' boolean (default on)
2432 global
2433 {not in Vi}
2434 When on, all the windows are automatically made the same size after
2435 splitting or closing a window. This also happens the moment the
2436 option is switched on. When off, splitting a window will reduce the
2437 size of the current window and leave the other windows the same. When
2438 closing a window the extra lines are given to the window next to it
2439 (depending on 'splitbelow' and 'splitright').
2440 When mixing vertically and horizontally split windows, a minimal size
2441 is computed and some windows may be larger if there is room. The
2442 'eadirection' option tells in which direction the size is affected.
2443 Changing the height and width of a window can be avoided by setting
2444 'winfixheight' and 'winfixwidth', respectively.
2446 *'equalprg'* *'ep'*
2447 'equalprg' 'ep' string (default "")
2448 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2449 {not in Vi}
2450 External program to use for "=" command. When this option is empty
2451 the internal formatting functions are used; either 'lisp', 'cindent'
2452 or 'indentexpr'.
2453 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
2454 about including spaces and backslashes.
2455 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2456 security reasons.
2458 *'errorbells'* *'eb'* *'noerrorbells'* *'noeb'*
2459 'errorbells' 'eb' boolean (default off)
2460 global
2461 Ring the bell (beep or screen flash) for error messages. This only
2462 makes a difference for error messages, the bell will be used always
2463 for a lot of errors without a message (e.g., hitting <Esc> in Normal
2464 mode). See 'visualbell' on how to make the bell behave like a beep,
2465 screen flash or do nothing.
2467 *'errorfile'* *'ef'*
2468 'errorfile' 'ef' string (Amiga default: "AztecC.Err",
2469 others: "errors.err")
2470 global
2471 {not in Vi}
2472 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2473 feature}
2474 Name of the errorfile for the QuickFix mode (see |:cf|).
2475 When the "-q" command-line argument is used, 'errorfile' is set to the
2476 following argument. See |-q|.
2477 NOT used for the ":make" command. See 'makeef' for that.
2478 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2479 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
2480 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2481 security reasons.
2483 *'errorformat'* *'efm'*
2484 'errorformat' 'efm' string (default is very long)
2485 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2486 {not in Vi}
2487 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2488 feature}
2489 Scanf-like description of the format for the lines in the error file
2490 (see |errorformat|).
2492 *'esckeys'* *'ek'* *'noesckeys'* *'noek'*
2493 'esckeys' 'ek' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
2494 global
2495 {not in Vi}
2496 Function keys that start with an <Esc> are recognized in Insert
2497 mode. When this option is off, the cursor and function keys cannot be
2498 used in Insert mode if they start with an <Esc>. The advantage of
2499 this is that the single <Esc> is recognized immediately, instead of
2500 after one second. Instead of resetting this option, you might want to
2501 try changing the values for 'timeoutlen' and 'ttimeoutlen'. Note that
2502 when 'esckeys' is off, you can still map anything, but the cursor keys
2503 won't work by default.
2504 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2505 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2507 *'eventignore'* *'ei'*
2508 'eventignore' 'ei' string (default "")
2509 global
2510 {not in Vi}
2511 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2512 feature}
2513 A list of autocommand event names, which are to be ignored.
2514 When set to "all" or when "all" is one of the items, all autocommand
2515 events are ignored, autocommands will not be executed.
2516 Otherwise this is a comma separated list of event names. Example: >
2517 :set ei=WinEnter,WinLeave
2518 <
2519 *'expandtab'* *'et'* *'noexpandtab'* *'noet'*
2520 'expandtab' 'et' boolean (default off)
2521 local to buffer
2522 {not in Vi}
2523 In Insert mode: Use the appropriate number of spaces to insert a
2524 <Tab>. Spaces are used in indents with the '>' and '<' commands and
2525 when 'autoindent' is on. To insert a real tab when 'expandtab' is
2526 on, use CTRL-V<Tab>. See also |:retab| and |ins-expandtab|.
2527 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2529 *'exrc'* *'ex'* *'noexrc'* *'noex'*
2530 'exrc' 'ex' boolean (default off)
2531 global
2532 {not in Vi}
2533 Enables the reading of .vimrc, .exrc and .gvimrc in the current
2534 directory. If you switch this option on you should also consider
2535 setting the 'secure' option (see |initialization|). Using a local
2536 .exrc, .vimrc or .gvimrc is a potential security leak, use with care!
2537 also see |.vimrc| and |gui-init|.
2538 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2539 security reasons.
2541 *'fileencoding'* *'fenc'* *E213*
2542 'fileencoding' 'fenc' string (default: "")
2543 local to buffer
2544 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2545 feature}
2546 {not in Vi}
2547 Sets the character encoding for the file of this buffer.
2548 When 'fileencoding' is different from 'encoding', conversion will be
2549 done when reading and writing the file.
2550 When 'fileencoding' is empty, the same value as 'encoding' will be
2551 used (no conversion when reading or writing a file).
2552 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2553 'encoding' is "utf-8" conversion is most likely done in a way
2554 that the reverse conversion results in the same text. When
2555 'encoding' is not "utf-8" some characters may be lost!
2556 See 'encoding' for the possible values. Additionally, values may be
2557 specified that can be handled by the converter, see
2558 |mbyte-conversion|.
2559 When reading a file 'fileencoding' will be set from 'fileencodings'.
2560 To read a file in a certain encoding it won't work by setting
2561 'fileencoding', use the |++enc| argument. One exception: when
2562 'fileencodings' is empty the value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2563 For a new file the global value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2564 Prepending "8bit-" and "2byte-" has no meaning here, they are ignored.
2565 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2566 you can set it with uppercase values too. '_' characters are
2567 replaced with '-'. If a name is recognized from the list for
2568 'encoding', it is replaced by the standard name. For example
2569 "ISO8859-2" becomes "iso-8859-2".
2570 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2571 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2572 If you do this in a modeline, you might want to set 'nomodified' to
2573 avoid this.
2574 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2576 *'fe'*
2577 NOTE: Before version 6.0 this option specified the encoding for the
2578 whole of Vim, this was a mistake. Now use 'encoding' instead. The
2579 old short name was 'fe', which is no longer used.
2581 *'fileencodings'* *'fencs'*
2582 'fileencodings' 'fencs' string (default: "ucs-bom",
2583 "ucs-bom,utf-8,default,latin1" when
2584 'encoding' is set to a Unicode value)
2585 global
2586 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2587 feature}
2588 {not in Vi}
2589 This is a list of character encodings considered when starting to edit
2590 an existing file. When a file is read, Vim tries to use the first
2591 mentioned character encoding. If an error is detected, the next one
2592 in the list is tried. When an encoding is found that works,
2593 'fileencoding' is set to it. If all fail, 'fileencoding' is set to
2594 an empty string, which means the value of 'encoding' is used.
2595 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2596 'encoding' is "utf-8" (or one of the other Unicode variants)
2597 conversion is most likely done in a way that the reverse
2598 conversion results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not
2599 "utf-8" some non-ASCII characters may be lost! You can use
2600 the |++bad| argument to specify what is done with characters
2601 that can't be converted.
2602 For an empty file or a file with only ASCII characters most encodings
2603 will work and the first entry of 'fileencodings' will be used (except
2604 "ucs-bom", which requires the BOM to be present). If you prefer
2605 another encoding use an BufReadPost autocommand event to test if your
2606 preferred encoding is to be used. Example: >
2607 au BufReadPost * if search('\S', 'w') == 0 |
2608 \ set fenc=iso-2022-jp | endif
2609 < This sets 'fileencoding' to "iso-2022-jp" if the file does not contain
2610 non-blank characters.
2611 When the |++enc| argument is used then the value of 'fileencodings' is
2612 not used.
2613 Note that 'fileencodings' is not used for a new file, the global value
2614 of 'fileencoding' is used instead. You can set it with: >
2615 :setglobal fenc=iso-8859-2
2616 < This means that a non-existing file may get a different encoding than
2617 an empty file.
2618 The special value "ucs-bom" can be used to check for a Unicode BOM
2619 (Byte Order Mark) at the start of the file. It must not be preceded
2620 by "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding for this to work properly.
2621 An entry for an 8-bit encoding (e.g., "latin1") should be the last,
2622 because Vim cannot detect an error, thus the encoding is always
2623 accepted.
2624 The special value "default" can be used for the encoding from the
2625 environment. This is the default value for 'encoding'. It is useful
2626 when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and your environment uses a
2627 non-latin1 encoding, such as Russian.
2628 When 'encoding' is "utf-8" and a file contains an illegal byte
2629 sequence it won't be recognized as UTF-8. You can use the |8g8|
2630 command to find the illegal byte sequence.
2631 WRONG VALUES: WHAT'S WRONG:
2632 latin1,utf-8 "latin1" will always be used
2633 utf-8,ucs-bom,latin1 BOM won't be recognized in an utf-8
2634 file
2635 cp1250,latin1 "cp1250" will always be used
2636 If 'fileencodings' is empty, 'fileencoding' is not modified.
2637 See 'fileencoding' for the possible values.
2638 Setting this option does not have an effect until the next time a file
2639 is read.
2641 *'fileformat'* *'ff'*
2642 'fileformat' 'ff' string (MS-DOS, MS-Windows, OS/2 default: "dos",
2643 Unix default: "unix",
2644 Macintosh default: "mac")
2645 local to buffer
2646 {not in Vi}
2647 This gives the <EOL> of the current buffer, which is used for
2648 reading/writing the buffer from/to a file:
2649 dos <CR> <NL>
2650 unix <NL>
2651 mac <CR>
2652 When "dos" is used, CTRL-Z at the end of a file is ignored.
2653 See |file-formats| and |file-read|.
2654 For the character encoding of the file see 'fileencoding'.
2655 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformat' is ignored, file I/O
2656 works like it was set to "unix'.
2657 This option is set automatically when starting to edit a file and
2658 'fileformats' is not empty and 'binary' is off.
2659 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2660 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2661 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2662 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to "dos",
2663 'textmode' is set, otherwise 'textmode' is reset.
2665 *'fileformats'* *'ffs'*
2666 'fileformats' 'ffs' string (default:
2667 Vim+Vi MS-DOS, MS-Windows OS/2: "dos,unix",
2668 Vim Unix: "unix,dos",
2669 Vim Mac: "mac,unix,dos",
2670 Vi Cygwin: "unix,dos",
2671 Vi others: "")
2672 global
2673 {not in Vi}
2674 This gives the end-of-line (<EOL>) formats that will be tried when
2675 starting to edit a new buffer and when reading a file into an existing
2676 buffer:
2677 - When empty, the format defined with 'fileformat' will be used
2678 always. It is not set automatically.
2679 - When set to one name, that format will be used whenever a new buffer
2680 is opened. 'fileformat' is set accordingly for that buffer. The
2681 'fileformats' name will be used when a file is read into an existing
2682 buffer, no matter what 'fileformat' for that buffer is set to.
2683 - When more than one name is present, separated by commas, automatic
2684 <EOL> detection will be done when reading a file. When starting to
2685 edit a file, a check is done for the <EOL>:
2686 1. If all lines end in <CR><NL>, and 'fileformats' includes "dos",
2687 'fileformat' is set to "dos".
2688 2. If a <NL> is found and 'fileformats' includes "unix", 'fileformat'
2689 is set to "unix". Note that when a <NL> is found without a
2690 preceding <CR>, "unix" is preferred over "dos".
2691 3. If 'fileformats' includes "mac", 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2692 This means that "mac" is only chosen when "unix" is not present,
2693 or when no <NL> is found in the file, and when "dos" is not
2694 present, or no <CR><NL> is present in the file.
2695 Also if "unix" was first chosen, but the first <CR> is before
2696 the first <NL> and there appears to be more <CR>'s than <NL>'s in
2697 the file, then 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2698 4. If 'fileformat' is still not set, the first name from
2699 'fileformats' is used.
2700 When reading a file into an existing buffer, the same is done, but
2701 this happens like 'fileformat' has been set appropriately for that
2702 file only, the option is not changed.
2703 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformats' is not used.
2705 For systems with a Dos-like <EOL> (<CR><NL>), when reading files that
2706 are ":source"ed and for vimrc files, automatic <EOL> detection may be
2707 done:
2708 - When 'fileformats' is empty, there is no automatic detection. Dos
2709 format will be used.
2710 - When 'fileformats' is set to one or more names, automatic detection
2711 is done. This is based on the first <NL> in the file: If there is a
2712 <CR> in front of it, Dos format is used, otherwise Unix format is
2713 used.
2714 Also see |file-formats|.
2715 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to an empty
2716 string or one format (no comma is included), 'textauto' is reset,
2717 otherwise 'textauto' is set.
2718 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2719 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2721 *'filetype'* *'ft'*
2722 'filetype' 'ft' string (default: "")
2723 local to buffer
2724 {not in Vi}
2725 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2726 feature}
2727 When this option is set, the FileType autocommand event is triggered.
2728 All autocommands that match with the value of this option will be
2729 executed. Thus the value of 'filetype' is used in place of the file
2730 name.
2731 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current file type.
2732 This option is normally set when the file type is detected. To enable
2733 this use the ":filetype on" command. |:filetype|
2734 Setting this option to a different value is most useful in a modeline,
2735 for a file for which the file type is not automatically recognized.
2736 Example, for in an IDL file:
2737 /* vim: set filetype=idl : */ ~
2738 |FileType| |filetypes|
2739 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
2740 names. Example:
2741 /* vim: set filetype=c.doxygen : */ ~
2742 This will use the "c" filetype first, then the "doxygen" filetype.
2743 This works both for filetype plugins and for syntax files. More than
2744 one dot may appear.
2745 Do not confuse this option with 'osfiletype', which is for the file
2746 type that is actually stored with the file.
2747 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
2748 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
2749 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
2751 *'fillchars'* *'fcs'*
2752 'fillchars' 'fcs' string (default "vert:|,fold:-")
2753 global
2754 {not in Vi}
2755 {not available when compiled without the |+windows|
2756 and |+folding| features}
2757 Characters to fill the statuslines and vertical separators.
2758 It is a comma separated list of items:
2760 item default Used for ~
2761 stl:c ' ' or '^' statusline of the current window
2762 stlnc:c ' ' or '-' statusline of the non-current windows
2763 vert:c '|' vertical separators |:vsplit|
2764 fold:c '-' filling 'foldtext'
2765 diff:c '-' deleted lines of the 'diff' option
2767 Any one that is omitted will fall back to the default. For "stl" and
2768 "stlnc" the space will be used when there is highlighting, '^' or '-'
2769 otherwise.
2771 Example: >
2772 :set fillchars=stl:^,stlnc:-,vert:\|,fold:-,diff:-
2773 < This is similar to the default, except that these characters will also
2774 be used when there is highlighting.
2776 for "stl" and "stlnc" only single-byte values are supported.
2778 The highlighting used for these items:
2779 item highlight group ~
2780 stl:c StatusLine |hl-StatusLine|
2781 stlnc:c StatusLineNC |hl-StatusLineNC|
2782 vert:c VertSplit |hl-VertSplit|
2783 fold:c Folded |hl-Folded|
2784 diff:c DiffDelete |hl-DiffDelete|
2786 *'fkmap'* *'fk'* *'nofkmap'* *'nofk'*
2787 'fkmap' 'fk' boolean (default off) *E198*
2788 global
2789 {not in Vi}
2790 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
2791 feature}
2792 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Farsi character set.
2793 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
2794 toggle this option |i_CTRL-_|. See |farsi.txt|.
2796 *'foldclose'* *'fcl'*
2797 'foldclose' 'fcl' string (default "")
2798 global
2799 {not in Vi}
2800 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2801 feature}
2802 When set to "all", a fold is closed when the cursor isn't in it and
2803 its level is higher than 'foldlevel'. Useful if you want folds to
2804 automatically close when moving out of them.
2806 *'foldcolumn'* *'fdc'*
2807 'foldcolumn' 'fdc' number (default 0)
2808 local to window
2809 {not in Vi}
2810 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2811 feature}
2812 When non-zero, a column with the specified width is shown at the side
2813 of the window which indicates open and closed folds. The maximum
2814 value is 12.
2815 See |folding|.
2817 *'foldenable'* *'fen'* *'nofoldenable'* *'nofen'*
2818 'foldenable' 'fen' boolean (default on)
2819 local to window
2820 {not in Vi}
2821 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2822 feature}
2823 When off, all folds are open. This option can be used to quickly
2824 switch between showing all text unfolded and viewing the text with
2825 folds (including manually opened or closed folds). It can be toggled
2826 with the |zi| command. The 'foldcolumn' will remain blank when
2827 'foldenable' is off.
2828 This option is set by commands that create a new fold or close a fold.
2829 See |folding|.
2831 *'foldexpr'* *'fde'*
2832 'foldexpr' 'fde' string (default: "0")
2833 local to window
2834 {not in Vi}
2835 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2836 or |+eval| feature}
2837 The expression used for when 'foldmethod' is "expr". It is evaluated
2838 for each line to obtain its fold level. See |fold-expr|.
2840 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2841 |sandbox-option|.
2842 This option can't be set from a |modeline| when the 'diff' option is
2843 on.
2845 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2846 evaluating 'foldexpr' |textlock|.
2848 *'foldignore'* *'fdi'*
2849 'foldignore' 'fdi' string (default: "#")
2850 local to window
2851 {not in Vi}
2852 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2853 feature}
2854 Used only when 'foldmethod' is "indent". Lines starting with
2855 characters in 'foldignore' will get their fold level from surrounding
2856 lines. White space is skipped before checking for this character.
2857 The default "#" works well for C programs. See |fold-indent|.
2859 *'foldlevel'* *'fdl'*
2860 'foldlevel' 'fdl' number (default: 0)
2861 local to window
2862 {not in Vi}
2863 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2864 feature}
2865 Sets the fold level: Folds with a higher level will be closed.
2866 Setting this option to zero will close all folds. Higher numbers will
2867 close fewer folds.
2868 This option is set by commands like |zm|, |zM| and |zR|.
2869 See |fold-foldlevel|.
2871 *'foldlevelstart'* *'fdls'*
2872 'foldlevelstart' 'fdls' number (default: -1)
2873 global
2874 {not in Vi}
2875 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2876 feature}
2877 Sets 'foldlevel' when starting to edit another buffer in a window.
2878 Useful to always start editing with all folds closed (value zero),
2879 some folds closed (one) or no folds closed (99).
2880 This is done before reading any modeline, thus a setting in a modeline
2881 overrules this option. Starting to edit a file for |diff-mode| also
2882 ignores this option and closes all folds.
2883 It is also done before BufReadPre autocommands, to allow an autocmd to
2884 overrule the 'foldlevel' value for specific files.
2885 When the value is negative, it is not used.
2887 *'foldmarker'* *'fmr'* *E536*
2888 'foldmarker' 'fmr' string (default: "{{{,}}}")
2889 local to window
2890 {not in Vi}
2891 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2892 feature}
2893 The start and end marker used when 'foldmethod' is "marker". There
2894 must be one comma, which separates the start and end marker. The
2895 marker is a literal string (a regular expression would be too slow).
2896 See |fold-marker|.
2898 *'foldmethod'* *'fdm'*
2899 'foldmethod' 'fdm' string (default: "manual")
2900 local to window
2901 {not in Vi}
2902 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2903 feature}
2904 The kind of folding used for the current window. Possible values:
2905 |fold-manual| manual Folds are created manually.
2906 |fold-indent| indent Lines with equal indent form a fold.
2907 |fold-expr| expr 'foldexpr' gives the fold level of a line.
2908 |fold-marker| marker Markers are used to specify folds.
2909 |fold-syntax| syntax Syntax highlighting items specify folds.
2910 |fold-diff| diff Fold text that is not changed.
2912 *'foldminlines'* *'fml'*
2913 'foldminlines' 'fml' number (default: 1)
2914 local to window
2915 {not in Vi}
2916 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2917 feature}
2918 Sets the minimum number of screen lines for a fold to be displayed
2919 closed. Also for manually closed folds.
2920 Note that this only has an effect of what is displayed. After using
2921 "zc" to close a fold, which is displayed open because it's smaller
2922 than 'foldminlines', a following "zc" may close a containing fold.
2924 *'foldnestmax'* *'fdn'*
2925 'foldnestmax' 'fdn' number (default: 20)
2926 local to window
2927 {not in Vi}
2928 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2929 feature}
2930 Sets the maximum nesting of folds for the "indent" and "syntax"
2931 methods. This avoids that too many folds will be created. Using more
2932 than 20 doesn't work, because the internal limit is 20.
2934 *'foldopen'* *'fdo'*
2935 'foldopen' 'fdo' string (default: "block,hor,mark,percent,quickfix,
2936 search,tag,undo")
2937 global
2938 {not in Vi}
2939 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2940 feature}
2941 Specifies for which type of commands folds will be opened, if the
2942 command moves the cursor into a closed fold. It is a comma separated
2943 list of items.
2944 item commands ~
2945 all any
2946 block "(", "{", "[[", "[{", etc.
2947 hor horizontal movements: "l", "w", "fx", etc.
2948 insert any command in Insert mode
2949 jump far jumps: "G", "gg", etc.
2950 mark jumping to a mark: "'m", CTRL-O, etc.
2951 percent "%"
2952 quickfix ":cn", ":crew", ":make", etc.
2953 search search for a pattern: "/", "n", "*", "gd", etc.
2954 (not for a search pattern in a ":" command)
2955 Also for |[s| and |]s|.
2956 tag jumping to a tag: ":ta", CTRL-T, etc.
2957 undo undo or redo: "u" and CTRL-R
2958 When the command is part of a mapping this option is not used. Add
2959 the |zv| command to the mapping to get the same effect.
2960 When a movement command is used for an operator (e.g., "dl" or "y%")
2961 this option is not used. This means the operator will include the
2962 whole closed fold.
2963 Note that vertical movements are not here, because it would make it
2964 very difficult to move onto a closed fold.
2965 In insert mode the folds containing the cursor will always be open
2966 when text is inserted.
2967 To close folds you can re-apply 'foldlevel' with the |zx| command or
2968 set the 'foldclose' option to "all".
2970 *'foldtext'* *'fdt'*
2971 'foldtext' 'fdt' string (default: "foldtext()")
2972 local to window
2973 {not in Vi}
2974 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2975 feature}
2976 An expression which is used to specify the text displayed for a closed
2977 fold. See |fold-foldtext|.
2979 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2980 |sandbox-option|.
2982 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2983 evaluating 'foldtext' |textlock|.
2985 *'formatoptions'* *'fo'*
2986 'formatoptions' 'fo' string (Vim default: "tcq", Vi default: "vt")
2987 local to buffer
2988 {not in Vi}
2989 This is a sequence of letters which describes how automatic
2990 formatting is to be done. See |fo-table|. When the 'paste' option is
2991 on, no formatting is done (like 'formatoptions' is empty). Commas can
2992 be inserted for readability.
2993 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
2994 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
2995 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2996 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2998 *'formatlistpat'* *'flp'*
2999 'formatlistpat' 'flp' string (default: "^\s*\d\+[\]:.)}\t ]\s*")
3000 local to buffer
3001 {not in Vi}
3002 A pattern that is used to recognize a list header. This is used for
3003 the "n" flag in 'formatoptions'.
3004 The pattern must match exactly the text that will be the indent for
3005 the line below it. You can use |/\ze| to mark the end of the match
3006 while still checking more characters. There must be a character
3007 following the pattern, when it matches the whole line it is handled
3008 like there is no match.
3009 The default recognizes a number, followed by an optional punctuation
3010 character and white space.
3012 *'formatprg'* *'fp'*
3013 'formatprg' 'fp' string (default "")
3014 global
3015 {not in Vi}
3016 The name of an external program that will be used to format the lines
3017 selected with the |gq| operator. The program must take the input on
3018 stdin and produce the output on stdout. The Unix program "fmt" is
3019 such a program.
3020 If the 'formatexpr' option is not empty it will be used instead.
3021 Otherwise, if 'formatprg' option is an empty string, the internal
3022 format function will be used |C-indenting|.
3023 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
3024 about including spaces and backslashes.
3025 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3026 |sandbox-option|.
3028 *'formatexpr'* *'fex'*
3029 'formatexpr' 'fex' string (default "")
3030 local to buffer
3031 {not in Vi}
3032 {not available when compiled without the |+eval|
3033 feature}
3034 Expression which is evaluated to format a range of lines for the |gq|
3035 operator. When this option is empty 'formatprg' is used.
3037 The |v:lnum| variable holds the first line to be formatted.
3038 The |v:count| variable holds the number of lines to be formatted.
3039 The |v:char| variable holds the character that is going to be
3040 inserted. This can be empty. Don't insert it yet!
3042 Example: >
3043 :set formatexpr=mylang#Format()
3044 < This will invoke the mylang#Format() function in the
3045 autoload/mylang.vim file in 'runtimepath'. |autoload|
3047 The expression is also evaluated when 'textwidth' is set and adding
3048 text beyond that limit. This happens under the same conditions as
3049 when internal formatting is used. Make sure the cursor is kept in the
3050 same spot relative to the text then! The |mode()| function will
3051 return "i" or "R" in this situation. When the function returns
3052 non-zero Vim will fall back to using the internal format mechanism.
3054 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3055 |sandbox-option|.
3057 *'fsync'* *'fs'*
3058 'fsync' 'fs' boolean (default on)
3059 global
3060 {not in Vi}
3061 When on, the library function fsync() will be called after writing a
3062 file. This will flush a file to disk, ensuring that it is safely
3063 written even on filesystems which do metadata-only journaling. This
3064 will force the harddrive to spin up on Linux systems running in laptop
3065 mode, so it may be undesirable in some situations. Be warned that
3066 turning this off increases the chances of data loss after a crash. On
3067 systems without an fsync() implementation, this variable is always
3068 off.
3069 Also see 'swapsync' for controlling fsync() on swap files.
3071 *'gdefault'* *'gd'* *'nogdefault'* *'nogd'*
3072 'gdefault' 'gd' boolean (default off)
3073 global
3074 {not in Vi}
3075 When on, the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on. This means that
3076 all matches in a line are substituted instead of one. When a 'g' flag
3077 is given to a ":substitute" command, this will toggle the substitution
3078 of all or one match. See |complex-change|.
3080 command 'gdefault' on 'gdefault' off ~
3081 :s/// subst. all subst. one
3082 :s///g subst. one subst. all
3083 :s///gg subst. all subst. one
3085 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3087 *'grepformat'* *'gfm'*
3088 'grepformat' 'gfm' string (default "%f:%l%m,%f %l%m")
3089 global
3090 {not in Vi}
3091 Format to recognize for the ":grep" command output.
3092 This is a scanf-like string that uses the same format as the
3093 'errorformat' option: see |errorformat|.
3095 *'grepprg'* *'gp'*
3096 'grepprg' 'gp' string (default "grep -n ",
3097 Unix: "grep -n $* /dev/null",
3098 Win32: "findstr /n" or "grep -n",
3099 VMS: "SEARCH/NUMBERS ")
3100 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3101 {not in Vi}
3102 Program to use for the |:grep| command. This option may contain '%'
3103 and '#' characters, which are expanded like when used in a command-
3104 line. The placeholder "$*" is allowed to specify where the arguments
3105 will be included. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See
3106 |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3107 When your "grep" accepts the "-H" argument, use this to make ":grep"
3108 also work well with a single file: >
3109 :set grepprg=grep\ -nH
3110 < Special value: When 'grepprg' is set to "internal" the |:grep| command
3111 works like |:vimgrep|, |:lgrep| like |:lvimgrep|, |:grepadd| like
3112 |:vimgrepadd| and |:lgrepadd| like |:lvimgrepadd|.
3113 See also the section |:make_makeprg|, since most of the comments there
3114 apply equally to 'grepprg'.
3115 For Win32, the default is "findstr /n" if "findstr.exe" can be found,
3116 otherwise it's "grep -n".
3117 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3118 security reasons.
3120 *'guicursor'* *'gcr'* *E545* *E546* *E548* *E549*
3121 'guicursor' 'gcr' string (default "n-v-c:block-Cursor/lCursor,
3122 ve:ver35-Cursor,
3123 o:hor50-Cursor,
3124 i-ci:ver25-Cursor/lCursor,
3125 r-cr:hor20-Cursor/lCursor,
3126 sm:block-Cursor
3127 -blinkwait175-blinkoff150-blinkon175",
3128 for MS-DOS and Win32 console:
3129 "n-v-c:block,o:hor50,i-ci:hor15,
3130 r-cr:hor30,sm:block")
3131 global
3132 {not in Vi}
3133 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled, and
3134 for MS-DOS and Win32 console}
3135 This option tells Vim what the cursor should look like in different
3136 modes. It fully works in the GUI. In an MSDOS or Win32 console, only
3137 the height of the cursor can be changed. This can be done by
3138 specifying a block cursor, or a percentage for a vertical or
3139 horizontal cursor.
3140 For a console the 't_SI' and 't_EI' escape sequences are used.
3142 The option is a comma separated list of parts. Each part consist of a
3143 mode-list and an argument-list:
3144 mode-list:argument-list,mode-list:argument-list,..
3145 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes:
3146 n Normal mode
3147 v Visual mode
3148 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
3149 if not specified)
3150 o Operator-pending mode
3151 i Insert mode
3152 r Replace mode
3153 c Command-line Normal (append) mode
3154 ci Command-line Insert mode
3155 cr Command-line Replace mode
3156 sm showmatch in Insert mode
3157 a all modes
3158 The argument-list is a dash separated list of these arguments:
3159 hor{N} horizontal bar, {N} percent of the character height
3160 ver{N} vertical bar, {N} percent of the character width
3161 block block cursor, fills the whole character
3162 [only one of the above three should be present]
3163 blinkwait{N} *cursor-blinking*
3164 blinkon{N}
3165 blinkoff{N}
3166 blink times for cursor: blinkwait is the delay before
3167 the cursor starts blinking, blinkon is the time that
3168 the cursor is shown and blinkoff is the time that the
3169 cursor is not shown. The times are in msec. When one
3170 of the numbers is zero, there is no blinking. The
3171 default is: "blinkwait700-blinkon400-blinkoff250".
3172 These numbers are used for a missing entry. This
3173 means that blinking is enabled by default. To switch
3174 blinking off you can use "blinkon0". The cursor only
3175 blinks when Vim is waiting for input, not while
3176 executing a command.
3177 To make the cursor blink in an xterm, see
3178 |xterm-blink|.
3179 {group-name}
3180 a highlight group name, that sets the color and font
3181 for the cursor
3182 {group-name}/{group-name}
3183 Two highlight group names, the first is used when
3184 no language mappings are used, the other when they
3185 are. |language-mapping|
3187 Examples of parts:
3188 n-c-v:block-nCursor in Normal, Command-line and Visual mode, use a
3189 block cursor with colors from the "nCursor"
3190 highlight group
3191 i-ci:ver30-iCursor-blinkwait300-blinkon200-blinkoff150
3192 In Insert and Command-line Insert mode, use a
3193 30% vertical bar cursor with colors from the
3194 "iCursor" highlight group. Blink a bit
3195 faster.
3197 The 'a' mode is different. It will set the given argument-list for
3198 all modes. It does not reset anything to defaults. This can be used
3199 to do a common setting for all modes. For example, to switch off
3200 blinking: "a:blinkon0"
3202 Examples of cursor highlighting: >
3203 :highlight Cursor gui=reverse guifg=NONE guibg=NONE
3204 :highlight Cursor gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=fg
3205 <
3206 *'guifont'* *'gfn'*
3207 *E235* *E596* *E610* *E611*
3208 'guifont' 'gfn' string (default "")
3209 global
3210 {not in Vi}
3211 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3212 This is a list of fonts which will be used for the GUI version of Vim.
3213 In its simplest form the value is just one font name. When
3214 the font cannot be found you will get an error message. To try other
3215 font names a list can be specified, font names separated with commas.
3216 The first valid font is used.
3218 On systems where 'guifontset' is supported (X11) and 'guifontset' is
3219 not empty, then 'guifont' is not used.
3221 Spaces after a comma are ignored. To include a comma in a font name
3222 precede it with a backslash. Setting an option requires an extra
3223 backslash before a space and a backslash. See also
3224 |option-backslash|. For example: >
3225 :set guifont=Screen15,\ 7x13,font\\,with\\,commas
3226 < will make Vim try to use the font "Screen15" first, and if it fails it
3227 will try to use "7x13" and then "font,with,commas" instead.
3229 If none of the fonts can be loaded, Vim will keep the current setting.
3230 If an empty font list is given, Vim will try using other resource
3231 settings (for X, it will use the Vim.font resource), and finally it
3232 will try some builtin default which should always be there ("7x13" in
3233 the case of X). The font names given should be "normal" fonts. Vim
3234 will try to find the related bold and italic fonts.
3236 For Win32, GTK, Mac OS and Photon: >
3237 :set guifont=*
3238 < will bring up a font requester, where you can pick the font you want.
3240 The font name depends on the GUI used. See |setting-guifont| for a
3241 way to set 'guifont' for various systems.
3243 For the GTK+ 2 GUI the font name looks like this: >
3244 :set guifont=Andale\ Mono\ 11
3245 < That's all. XLFDs are not used. For Chinese this is reported to work
3246 well: >
3247 if has("gui_gtk2")
3248 set guifont=Bitstream\ Vera\ Sans\ Mono\ 12,Fixed\ 12
3249 set guifontwide=Microsoft\ Yahei\ 12,WenQuanYi\ Zen\ Hei\ 12
3250 endif
3251 <
3252 For Mac OSX you can use something like this: >
3253 :set guifont=Monaco:h10
3254 < Also see 'macatsui', it can help fix display problems.
3255 *E236*
3256 Note that the fonts must be mono-spaced (all characters have the same
3257 width). An exception is GTK 2: all fonts are accepted, but
3258 mono-spaced fonts look best.
3260 To preview a font on X11, you might be able to use the "xfontsel"
3261 program. The "xlsfonts" program gives a list of all available fonts.
3263 For the Win32 GUI *E244* *E245*
3264 - takes these options in the font name:
3265 hXX - height is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3266 wXX - width is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3267 b - bold
3268 i - italic
3269 u - underline
3270 s - strikeout
3271 cXX - character set XX. Valid charsets are: ANSI, ARABIC,
3272 BALTIC, CHINESEBIG5, DEFAULT, EASTEUROPE, GB2312, GREEK,
3273 HANGEUL, HEBREW, JOHAB, MAC, OEM, RUSSIAN, SHIFTJIS,
3274 SYMBOL, THAI, TURKISH, VIETNAMESE ANSI and BALTIC.
3275 Normally you would use "cDEFAULT".
3277 Use a ':' to separate the options.
3278 - A '_' can be used in the place of a space, so you don't need to use
3279 backslashes to escape the spaces.
3280 - Examples: >
3281 :set guifont=courier_new:h12:w5:b:cRUSSIAN
3282 :set guifont=Andale_Mono:h7.5:w4.5
3283 < See also |font-sizes|.
3285 *'guifontset'* *'gfs'*
3286 *E250* *E252* *E234* *E597* *E598*
3287 'guifontset' 'gfs' string (default "")
3288 global
3289 {not in Vi}
3290 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3291 with the |+xfontset| feature}
3292 {not available in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
3293 When not empty, specifies two (or more) fonts to be used. The first
3294 one for normal English, the second one for your special language. See
3295 |xfontset|.
3296 Setting this option also means that all font names will be handled as
3297 a fontset name. Also the ones used for the "font" argument of the
3298 |:highlight| command.
3299 The fonts must match with the current locale. If fonts for the
3300 character sets that the current locale uses are not included, setting
3301 'guifontset' will fail.
3302 Note the difference between 'guifont' and 'guifontset': In 'guifont'
3303 the comma-separated names are alternative names, one of which will be
3304 used. In 'guifontset' the whole string is one fontset name,
3305 including the commas. It is not possible to specify alternative
3306 fontset names.
3307 This example works on many X11 systems: >
3308 :set guifontset=-*-*-medium-r-normal--16-*-*-*-c-*-*-*
3309 <
3310 *'guifontwide'* *'gfw'* *E231* *E533* *E534*
3311 'guifontwide' 'gfw' string (default "")
3312 global
3313 {not in Vi}
3314 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3315 When not empty, specifies a comma-separated list of fonts to be used
3316 for double-width characters. The first font that can be loaded is
3317 used.
3318 Note: The size of these fonts must be exactly twice as wide as the one
3319 specified with 'guifont' and the same height.
3321 All GUI versions but GTK+ 2:
3323 'guifontwide' is only used when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and
3324 'guifontset' is empty or invalid.
3325 When 'guifont' is set and a valid font is found in it and
3326 'guifontwide' is empty Vim will attempt to find a matching
3327 double-width font and set 'guifontwide' to it.
3329 GTK+ 2 GUI only: *guifontwide_gtk2*
3331 If set and valid, 'guifontwide' is always used for double width
3332 characters, even if 'encoding' is not set to "utf-8".
3333 Vim does not attempt to find an appropriate value for 'guifontwide'
3334 automatically. If 'guifontwide' is empty Pango/Xft will choose the
3335 font for characters not available in 'guifont'. Thus you do not need
3336 to set 'guifontwide' at all unless you want to override the choice
3337 made by Pango/Xft.
3339 *'guiheadroom'* *'ghr'*
3340 'guiheadroom' 'ghr' number (default 50)
3341 global
3342 {not in Vi} {only for GTK and X11 GUI}
3343 The number of pixels subtracted from the screen height when fitting
3344 the GUI window on the screen. Set this before the GUI is started,
3345 e.g., in your |gvimrc| file. When zero, the whole screen height will
3346 be used by the window. When positive, the specified number of pixel
3347 lines will be left for window decorations and other items on the
3348 screen. Set it to a negative value to allow windows taller than the
3349 screen.
3351 *'guioptions'* *'go'*
3352 'guioptions' 'go' string (default "gmrLtT" (MS-Windows),
3353 "agimrLtT" (GTK, Motif and Athena))
3354 global
3355 {not in Vi}
3356 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3357 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim. It is a
3358 sequence of letters which describes what components and options of the
3359 GUI should be used.
3360 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3361 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3363 Valid letters are as follows:
3364 *guioptions_a* *'go-a'*
3365 'a' Autoselect: If present, then whenever VISUAL mode is started,
3366 or the Visual area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of
3367 the windowing system's global selection. This means that the
3368 Visually highlighted text is available for pasting into other
3369 applications as well as into Vim itself. When the Visual mode
3370 ends, possibly due to an operation on the text, or when an
3371 application wants to paste the selection, the highlighted text
3372 is automatically yanked into the "* selection register.
3373 Thus the selection is still available for pasting into other
3374 applications after the VISUAL mode has ended.
3375 If not present, then Vim won't become the owner of the
3376 windowing system's global selection unless explicitly told to
3377 by a yank or delete operation for the "* register.
3378 The same applies to the modeless selection.
3379 *'go-A'*
3380 'A' Autoselect for the modeless selection. Like 'a', but only
3381 applies to the modeless selection.
3383 'guioptions' autoselect Visual autoselect modeless ~
3384 "" - -
3385 "a" yes yes
3386 "A" - yes
3387 "aA" yes yes
3389 *'go-c'*
3390 'c' Use console dialogs instead of popup dialogs for simple
3391 choices.
3392 *'go-e'*
3393 'e' Add tab pages when indicated with 'showtabline'.
3394 'guitablabel' can be used to change the text in the labels.
3395 When 'e' is missing a non-GUI tab pages line may be used.
3396 The GUI tabs are only supported on some systems, currently
3397 GTK, Motif, Mac OS/X and MS-Windows.
3398 *'go-f'*
3399 'f' Foreground: Don't use fork() to detach the GUI from the shell
3400 where it was started. Use this for programs that wait for the
3401 editor to finish (e.g., an e-mail program). Alternatively you
3402 can use "gvim -f" or ":gui -f" to start the GUI in the
3403 foreground. |gui-fork|
3404 Note: Set this option in the vimrc file. The forking may have
3405 happened already when the |gvimrc| file is read.
3406 *'go-i'*
3407 'i' Use a Vim icon. For GTK with KDE it is used in the left-upper
3408 corner of the window. It's black&white on non-GTK, because of
3409 limitations of X11. For a color icon, see |X11-icon|.
3410 *'go-m'*
3411 'm' Menu bar is present.
3412 *'go-M'*
3413 'M' The system menu "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim" is not sourced. Note
3414 that this flag must be added in the .vimrc file, before
3415 switching on syntax or filetype recognition (when the |gvimrc|
3416 file is sourced the system menu has already been loaded; the
3417 ":syntax on" and ":filetype on" commands load the menu too).
3418 *'go-g'*
3419 'g' Grey menu items: Make menu items that are not active grey. If
3420 'g' is not included inactive menu items are not shown at all.
3421 Exception: Athena will always use grey menu items.
3422 *'go-t'*
3423 't' Include tearoff menu items. Currently only works for Win32,
3424 GTK+, and Motif 1.2 GUI.
3425 *'go-T'*
3426 'T' Include Toolbar. Currently only in Win32, GTK+, Motif, Photon
3427 and Athena GUIs.
3428 *'go-r'*
3429 'r' Right-hand scrollbar is always present.
3430 *'go-R'*
3431 'R' Right-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3432 split window.
3433 *'go-l'*
3434 'l' Left-hand scrollbar is always present.
3435 *'go-L'*
3436 'L' Left-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3437 split window.
3438 *'go-b'*
3439 'b' Bottom (horizontal) scrollbar is present. Its size depends on
3440 the longest visible line, or on the cursor line if the 'h'
3441 flag is included. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3442 *'go-h'*
3443 'h' Limit horizontal scrollbar size to the length of the cursor
3444 line. Reduces computations. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3446 And yes, you may even have scrollbars on the left AND the right if
3447 you really want to :-). See |gui-scrollbars| for more information.
3449 *'go-v'*
3450 'v' Use a vertical button layout for dialogs. When not included,
3451 a horizontal layout is preferred, but when it doesn't fit a
3452 vertical layout is used anyway.
3453 *'go-p'*
3454 'p' Use Pointer callbacks for X11 GUI. This is required for some
3455 window managers. If the cursor is not blinking or hollow at
3456 the right moment, try adding this flag. This must be done
3457 before starting the GUI. Set it in your |gvimrc|. Adding or
3458 removing it after the GUI has started has no effect.
3459 *'go-F'*
3460 'F' Add a footer. Only for Motif. See |gui-footer|.
3463 *'guipty'* *'noguipty'*
3464 'guipty' boolean (default on)
3465 global
3466 {not in Vi}
3467 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3468 Only in the GUI: If on, an attempt is made to open a pseudo-tty for
3469 I/O to/from shell commands. See |gui-pty|.
3471 *'guitablabel'* *'gtl'*
3472 'guitablabel' 'gtl' string (default empty)
3473 global
3474 {not in Vi}
3475 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3476 with the +windows feature}
3477 When nonempty describes the text to use in a label of the GUI tab
3478 pages line. When empty and when the result is empty Vim will use a
3479 default label. See |setting-guitablabel| for more info.
3481 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
3482 'guitabtooltip' is used for the tooltip, see below.
3484 Only used when the GUI tab pages line is displayed. 'e' must be
3485 present in 'guioptions'. For the non-GUI tab pages line 'tabline' is
3486 used.
3488 *'guitabtooltip'* *'gtt'*
3489 'guitabtooltip' 'gtt' string (default empty)
3490 global
3491 {not in Vi}
3492 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3493 with the +windows feature}
3494 When nonempty describes the text to use in a tooltip for the GUI tab
3495 pages line. When empty Vim will use a default tooltip.
3496 This option is otherwise just like 'guitablabel' above.
3497 You can include a line break. Simplest method is to use |:let|: >
3498 :let &guitabtooltip = "line one\nline two"
3499 <
3501 *'helpfile'* *'hf'*
3502 'helpfile' 'hf' string (default (MSDOS) "$VIMRUNTIME\doc\help.txt"
3503 (others) "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt")
3504 global
3505 {not in Vi}
3506 Name of the main help file. All distributed help files should be
3507 placed together in one directory. Additionally, all "doc" directories
3508 in 'runtimepath' will be used.
3509 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. For example:
3510 "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt". If $VIMRUNTIME is not set, $VIM is also
3511 tried. Also see |$VIMRUNTIME| and |option-backslash| about including
3512 spaces and backslashes.
3513 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3514 security reasons.
3516 *'helpheight'* *'hh'*
3517 'helpheight' 'hh' number (default 20)
3518 global
3519 {not in Vi}
3520 {not available when compiled without the +windows
3521 feature}
3522 Minimal initial height of the help window when it is opened with the
3523 ":help" command. The initial height of the help window is half of the
3524 current window, or (when the 'ea' option is on) the same as other
3525 windows. When the height is less than 'helpheight', the height is
3526 set to 'helpheight'. Set to zero to disable.
3528 *'helplang'* *'hlg'*
3529 'helplang' 'hlg' string (default: messages language or empty)
3530 global
3531 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_lang|
3532 feature}
3533 {not in Vi}
3534 Comma separated list of languages. Vim will use the first language
3535 for which the desired help can be found. The English help will always
3536 be used as a last resort. You can add "en" to prefer English over
3537 another language, but that will only find tags that exist in that
3538 language and not in the English help.
3539 Example: >
3540 :set helplang=de,it
3541 < This will first search German, then Italian and finally English help
3542 files.
3543 When using |CTRL-]| and ":help!" in a non-English help file Vim will
3544 try to find the tag in the current language before using this option.
3545 See |help-translated|.
3547 *'hidden'* *'hid'* *'nohidden'* *'nohid'*
3548 'hidden' 'hid' boolean (default off)
3549 global
3550 {not in Vi}
3551 When off a buffer is unloaded when it is |abandon|ed. When on a
3552 buffer becomes hidden when it is |abandon|ed. If the buffer is still
3553 displayed in another window, it does not become hidden, of course.
3554 The commands that move through the buffer list sometimes make a buffer
3555 hidden although the 'hidden' option is off: When the buffer is
3556 modified, 'autowrite' is off or writing is not possible, and the '!'
3557 flag was used. See also |windows.txt|.
3558 To only make one buffer hidden use the 'bufhidden' option.
3559 This option is set for one command with ":hide {command}" |:hide|.
3560 WARNING: It's easy to forget that you have changes in hidden buffers.
3561 Think twice when using ":q!" or ":qa!".
3563 *'highlight'* *'hl'*
3564 'highlight' 'hl' string (default (as a single string):
3565 "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,
3566 e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,
3567 M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,r:Question,
3568 s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,
3569 t:Title,v:Visual,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,
3570 f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,
3571 C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,
3572 >:SignColumn,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,
3573 R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,
3574 +:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,
3575 x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb")
3576 global
3577 {not in Vi}
3578 This option can be used to set highlighting mode for various
3579 occasions. It is a comma separated list of character pairs. The
3580 first character in a pair gives the occasion, the second the mode to
3581 use for that occasion. The occasions are:
3582 |hl-SpecialKey| 8 Meta and special keys listed with ":map"
3583 |hl-NonText| @ '~' and '@' at the end of the window and
3584 characters from 'showbreak'
3585 |hl-Directory| d directories in CTRL-D listing and other special
3586 things in listings
3587 |hl-ErrorMsg| e error messages
3588 h (obsolete, ignored)
3589 |hl-IncSearch| i 'incsearch' highlighting
3590 |hl-Search| l last search pattern highlighting (see 'hlsearch')
3591 |hl-MoreMsg| m |more-prompt|
3592 |hl-ModeMsg| M Mode (e.g., "-- INSERT --")
3593 |hl-LineNr| n line number for ":number" and ":#" commands
3594 |hl-Question| r |hit-enter| prompt and yes/no questions
3595 |hl-StatusLine| s status line of current window |status-line|
3596 |hl-StatusLineNC| S status lines of not-current windows
3597 |hl-Title| t Titles for output from ":set all", ":autocmd" etc.
3598 |hl-VertSplit| c column used to separate vertically split windows
3599 |hl-Visual| v Visual mode
3600 |hl-VisualNOS| V Visual mode when Vim does is "Not Owning the
3601 Selection" Only X11 Gui's |gui-x11| and
3602 |xterm-clipboard|.
3603 |hl-WarningMsg| w warning messages
3604 |hl-WildMenu| W wildcard matches displayed for 'wildmenu'
3605 |hl-Folded| f line used for closed folds
3606 |hl-FoldColumn| F 'foldcolumn'
3607 |hl-DiffAdd| A added line in diff mode
3608 |hl-DiffChange| C changed line in diff mode
3609 |hl-DiffDelete| D deleted line in diff mode
3610 |hl-DiffText| T inserted text in diff mode
3611 |hl-SignColumn| > column used for |signs|
3612 |hl-SpellBad| B misspelled word |spell|
3613 |hl-SpellCap| P word that should start with capital|spell|
3614 |hl-SpellRare| R rare word |spell|
3615 |hl-SpellLocal| L word from other region |spell|
3616 |hl-Pmenu| + popup menu normal line
3617 |hl-PmenuSel| = popup menu normal line
3618 |hl-PmenuSbar| x popup menu scrollbar
3619 |hl-PmenuThumb| X popup menu scrollbar thumb
3621 The display modes are:
3622 r reverse (termcap entry "mr" and "me")
3623 i italic (termcap entry "ZH" and "ZR")
3624 b bold (termcap entry "md" and "me")
3625 s standout (termcap entry "so" and "se")
3626 u underline (termcap entry "us" and "ue")
3627 c undercurl (termcap entry "Cs" and "Ce")
3628 n no highlighting
3629 - no highlighting
3630 : use a highlight group
3631 The default is used for occasions that are not included.
3632 If you want to change what the display modes do, see |dos-colors|
3633 for an example.
3634 When using the ':' display mode, this must be followed by the name of
3635 a highlight group. A highlight group can be used to define any type
3636 of highlighting, including using color. See |:highlight| on how to
3637 define one. The default uses a different group for each occasion.
3638 See |highlight-default| for the default highlight groups.
3640 *'hlsearch'* *'hls'* *'nohlsearch'* *'nohls'*
3641 'hlsearch' 'hls' boolean (default off)
3642 global
3643 {not in Vi}
3644 {not available when compiled without the
3645 |+extra_search| feature}
3646 When there is a previous search pattern, highlight all its matches.
3647 The type of highlighting used can be set with the 'l' occasion in the
3648 'highlight' option. This uses the "Search" highlight group by
3649 default. Note that only the matching text is highlighted, any offsets
3650 are not applied.
3651 See also: 'incsearch' and |:match|.
3652 When you get bored looking at the highlighted matches, you can turn it
3653 off with |:nohlsearch|. As soon as you use a search command, the
3654 highlighting comes back.
3655 'redrawtime' specifies the maximum time spent on finding matches.
3656 When the search pattern can match an end-of-line, Vim will try to
3657 highlight all of the matched text. However, this depends on where the
3658 search starts. This will be the first line in the window or the first
3659 line below a closed fold. A match in a previous line which is not
3660 drawn may not continue in a newly drawn line.
3661 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3663 *'history'* *'hi'*
3664 'history' 'hi' number (Vim default: 20, Vi default: 0)
3665 global
3666 {not in Vi}
3667 A history of ":" commands, and a history of previous search patterns
3668 are remembered. This option decides how many entries may be stored in
3669 each of these histories (see |cmdline-editing|).
3670 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3671 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3673 *'hkmap'* *'hk'* *'nohkmap'* *'nohk'*
3674 'hkmap' 'hk' boolean (default off)
3675 global
3676 {not in Vi}
3677 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3678 feature}
3679 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Hebrew character set.
3680 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
3681 toggle this option. See |rileft.txt|.
3682 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3684 *'hkmapp'* *'hkp'* *'nohkmapp'* *'nohkp'*
3685 'hkmapp' 'hkp' boolean (default off)
3686 global
3687 {not in Vi}
3688 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3689 feature}
3690 When on, phonetic keyboard mapping is used. 'hkmap' must also be on.
3691 This is useful if you have a non-Hebrew keyboard.
3692 See |rileft.txt|.
3693 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3695 *'icon'* *'noicon'*
3696 'icon' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
3697 global
3698 {not in Vi}
3699 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3700 feature}
3701 When on, the icon text of the window will be set to the value of
3702 'iconstring' (if it is not empty), or to the name of the file
3703 currently being edited. Only the last part of the name is used.
3704 Overridden by the 'iconstring' option.
3705 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icons (currently
3706 only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option - these are
3707 Unix xterm and iris-ansi by default, where 't_IS' is taken from the
3708 builtin termcap).
3709 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3710 restored if possible |X11|. See |X11-icon| for changing the icon on
3711 X11.
3713 *'iconstring'*
3714 'iconstring' string (default "")
3715 global
3716 {not in Vi}
3717 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3718 feature}
3719 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the icon text of
3720 the window. This happens only when the 'icon' option is on.
3721 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icon text
3722 (currently only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option).
3723 Does not work for MS Windows.
3724 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3725 restored if possible |X11|.
3726 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
3727 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'. See
3728 'titlestring' for example settings.
3729 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
3731 *'ignorecase'* *'ic'* *'noignorecase'* *'noic'*
3732 'ignorecase' 'ic' boolean (default off)
3733 global
3734 Ignore case in search patterns. Also used when searching in the tags
3735 file.
3736 Also see 'smartcase'.
3737 Can be overruled by using "\c" or "\C" in the pattern, see
3738 |/ignorecase|.
3740 *'imactivatekey'* *'imak'*
3741 'imactivatekey' 'imak' string (default "")
3742 global
3743 {not in Vi}
3744 {only available when compiled with |+xim| and
3745 |+GUI_GTK|}
3746 Specifies the key that your Input Method in X-Windows uses for
3747 activation. When this is specified correctly, vim can fully control
3748 IM with 'imcmdline', 'iminsert' and 'imsearch'.
3749 You can't use this option to change the activation key, the option
3750 tells Vim what the key is.
3751 Format:
3752 [MODIFIER_FLAG-]KEY_STRING
3754 These characters can be used for MODIFIER_FLAG (case is ignored):
3755 S Shift key
3756 L Lock key
3757 C Control key
3758 1 Mod1 key
3759 2 Mod2 key
3760 3 Mod3 key
3761 4 Mod4 key
3762 5 Mod5 key
3763 Combinations are allowed, for example "S-C-space" or "SC-space" are
3764 both shift+ctrl+space.
3765 See <X11/keysymdef.h> and XStringToKeysym for KEY_STRING.
3767 Example: >
3768 :set imactivatekey=S-space
3769 < "S-space" means shift+space. This is the activation key for kinput2 +
3770 canna (Japanese), and ami (Korean).
3772 *'imcmdline'* *'imc'* *'noimcmdline'* *'noimc'*
3773 'imcmdline' 'imc' boolean (default off)
3774 global
3775 {not in Vi}
3776 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3777 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3778 When set the Input Method is always on when starting to edit a command
3779 line, unless entering a search pattern (see 'imsearch' for that).
3780 Setting this option is useful when your input method allows entering
3781 English characters directly, e.g., when it's used to type accented
3782 characters with dead keys.
3784 *'imdisable'* *'imd'* *'nodisable'* *'noimd'*
3785 'imdisable' 'imd' boolean (default off, on for some systems (SGI))
3786 global
3787 {not in Vi}
3788 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3789 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3790 When set the Input Method is never used. This is useful to disable
3791 the IM when it doesn't work properly.
3792 Currently this option is on by default for SGI/IRIX machines. This
3793 may change in later releases.
3795 *'iminsert'* *'imi'*
3796 'iminsert' 'imi' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3797 local to buffer
3798 {not in Vi}
3799 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used in
3800 Insert mode. Valid values:
3801 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3802 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3803 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3804 2 is available only when compiled with the |+multi_byte_ime|, |+xim|
3805 or |global-ime|.
3806 To always reset the option to zero when leaving Insert mode with <Esc>
3807 this can be used: >
3808 :inoremap <ESC> <ESC>:set iminsert=0<CR>
3809 < This makes :lmap and IM turn off automatically when leaving Insert
3810 mode.
3811 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Insert mode
3812 |i_CTRL-^|.
3813 The value is set to 1 when setting 'keymap' to a valid keymap name.
3814 It is also used for the argument of commands like "r" and "f".
3815 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3816 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3818 *'imsearch'* *'ims'*
3819 'imsearch' 'ims' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3820 local to buffer
3821 {not in Vi}
3822 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used when
3823 entering a search pattern. Valid values:
3824 -1 the value of 'iminsert' is used, makes it look like
3825 'iminsert' is also used when typing a search pattern
3826 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3827 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3828 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3829 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Command-line mode
3830 |c_CTRL-^|.
3831 The value is set to 1 when it is not -1 and setting the 'keymap'
3832 option to a valid keymap name.
3833 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3834 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3836 *'include'* *'inc'*
3837 'include' 'inc' string (default "^\s*#\s*include")
3838 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3839 {not in Vi}
3840 {not available when compiled without the
3841 |+find_in_path| feature}
3842 Pattern to be used to find an include command. It is a search
3843 pattern, just like for the "/" command (See |pattern|). The default
3844 value is for C programs. This option is used for the commands "[i",
3845 "]I", "[d", etc.
3846 Normally the 'isfname' option is used to recognize the file name that
3847 comes after the matched pattern. But if "\zs" appears in the pattern
3848 then the text matched from "\zs" to the end, or until "\ze" if it
3849 appears, is used as the file name. Use this to include characters
3850 that are not in 'isfname', such as a space. You can then use
3851 'includeexpr' to process the matched text.
3852 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3854 *'includeexpr'* *'inex'*
3855 'includeexpr' 'inex' string (default "")
3856 local to buffer
3857 {not in Vi}
3858 {not available when compiled without the
3859 |+find_in_path| or |+eval| feature}
3860 Expression to be used to transform the string found with the 'include'
3861 option to a file name. Mostly useful to change "." to "/" for Java: >
3862 :set includeexpr=substitute(v:fname,'\\.','/','g')
3863 < The "v:fname" variable will be set to the file name that was detected.
3865 Also used for the |gf| command if an unmodified file name can't be
3866 found. Allows doing "gf" on the name after an 'include' statement.
3867 Also used for |<cfile>|.
3869 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3870 |sandbox-option|.
3872 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3873 evaluating 'includeexpr' |textlock|.
3875 *'incsearch'* *'is'* *'noincsearch'* *'nois'*
3876 'incsearch' 'is' boolean (default off)
3877 global
3878 {not in Vi}
3879 {not available when compiled without the
3880 |+extra_search| feature}
3881 While typing a search command, show where the pattern, as it was typed
3882 so far, matches. The matched string is highlighted. If the pattern
3883 is invalid or not found, nothing is shown. The screen will be updated
3884 often, this is only useful on fast terminals.
3885 Note that the match will be shown, but the cursor will return to its
3886 original position when no match is found and when pressing <Esc>. You
3887 still need to finish the search command with <Enter> to move the
3888 cursor to the match.
3889 When compiled with the |+reltime| feature Vim only searches for about
3890 half a second. With a complicated pattern and/or a lot of text the
3891 match may not be found. This is to avoid that Vim hangs while you
3892 are typing the pattern.
3893 The highlighting can be set with the 'i' flag in 'highlight'.
3894 See also: 'hlsearch'.
3895 CTRL-L can be used to add one character from after the current match
3896 to the command line.
3897 CTRL-R CTRL-W can be used to add the word at the end of the current
3898 match, excluding the characters that were already typed.
3899 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3901 *'indentexpr'* *'inde'*
3902 'indentexpr' 'inde' string (default "")
3903 local to buffer
3904 {not in Vi}
3905 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3906 or |+eval| features}
3907 Expression which is evaluated to obtain the proper indent for a line.
3908 It is used when a new line is created, for the |=| operator and
3909 in Insert mode as specified with the 'indentkeys' option.
3910 When this option is not empty, it overrules the 'cindent' and
3911 'smartindent' indenting.
3912 When 'paste' is set this option is not used for indenting.
3913 The expression is evaluated with |v:lnum| set to the line number for
3914 which the indent is to be computed. The cursor is also in this line
3915 when the expression is evaluated (but it may be moved around).
3916 The expression must return the number of spaces worth of indent. It
3917 can return "-1" to keep the current indent (this means 'autoindent' is
3918 used for the indent).
3919 Functions useful for computing the indent are |indent()|, |cindent()|
3920 and |lispindent()|.
3921 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects! It must
3922 not change the text, jump to another window, etc. Afterwards the
3923 cursor position is always restored, thus the cursor may be moved.
3924 Normally this option would be set to call a function: >
3925 :set indentexpr=GetMyIndent()
3926 < Error messages will be suppressed, unless the 'debug' option contains
3927 "msg".
3928 See |indent-expression|.
3929 NOTE: This option is made empty when 'compatible' is set.
3931 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3932 |sandbox-option|.
3934 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3935 evaluating 'indentexpr' |textlock|.
3938 *'indentkeys'* *'indk'*
3939 'indentkeys' 'indk' string (default "0{,0},:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
3940 local to buffer
3941 {not in Vi}
3942 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3943 feature}
3944 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
3945 the current line. Only happens if 'indentexpr' isn't empty.
3946 The format is identical to 'cinkeys', see |indentkeys-format|.
3947 See |C-indenting| and |indent-expression|.
3949 *'infercase'* *'inf'* *'noinfercase'* *'noinf'*
3950 'infercase' 'inf' boolean (default off)
3951 local to buffer
3952 {not in Vi}
3953 When doing keyword completion in insert mode |ins-completion|, and
3954 'ignorecase' is also on, the case of the match is adjusted depending
3955 on the typed text. If the typed text contains a lowercase letter
3956 where the match has an upper case letter, the completed part is made
3957 lowercase. If the typed text has no lowercase letters and the match
3958 has a lowercase letter where the typed text has an uppercase letter,
3959 and there is a letter before it, the completed part is made uppercase.
3960 With 'noinfercase' the match is used as-is.
3962 *'insertmode'* *'im'* *'noinsertmode'* *'noim'*
3963 'insertmode' 'im' boolean (default off)
3964 global
3965 {not in Vi}
3966 Makes Vim work in a way that Insert mode is the default mode. Useful
3967 if you want to use Vim as a modeless editor. Used for |evim|.
3968 These Insert mode commands will be useful:
3969 - Use the cursor keys to move around.
3970 - Use CTRL-O to execute one Normal mode command |i_CTRL-O|). When
3971 this is a mapping, it is executed as if 'insertmode' was off.
3972 Normal mode remains active until the mapping is finished.
3973 - Use CTRL-L to execute a number of Normal mode commands, then use
3974 <Esc> to get back to Insert mode. Note that CTRL-L moves the cursor
3975 left, like <Esc> does when 'insertmode' isn't set. |i_CTRL-L|
3977 These items change when 'insertmode' is set:
3978 - when starting to edit of a file, Vim goes to Insert mode.
3979 - <Esc> in Insert mode is a no-op and beeps.
3980 - <Esc> in Normal mode makes Vim go to Insert mode.
3981 - CTRL-L in Insert mode is a command, it is not inserted.
3982 - CTRL-Z in Insert mode suspends Vim, see |CTRL-Z|. *i_CTRL-Z*
3983 However, when <Esc> is used inside a mapping, it behaves like
3984 'insertmode' was not set. This was done to be able to use the same
3985 mappings with 'insertmode' set or not set.
3986 When executing commands with |:normal| 'insertmode' is not used.
3988 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3990 *'isfname'* *'isf'*
3991 'isfname' 'isf' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
3992 "@,48-57,/,\,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,{,},[,],:,@-@,!,~,="
3993 for AMIGA: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,$,:"
3994 for VMS: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,<,>,[,],:,;,~"
3995 for OS/390: "@,240-249,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,="
3996 otherwise: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,=")
3997 global
3998 {not in Vi}
3999 The characters specified by this option are included in file names and
4000 path names. Filenames are used for commands like "gf", "[i" and in
4001 the tags file. It is also used for "\f" in a |pattern|.
4002 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4003 characters up to 255 are specified with this option.
4004 For UTF-8 the characters 0xa0 to 0xff are included as well.
4005 Think twice before adding white space to this option. Although a
4006 space may appear inside a file name, the effect will be that Vim
4007 doesn't know where a file name starts or ends when doing completion.
4008 It most likely works better without a space in 'isfname'.
4010 Note that on systems using a backslash as path separator, Vim tries to
4011 do its best to make it work as you would expect. That is a bit
4012 tricky, since Vi originally used the backslash to escape special
4013 characters. Vim will not remove a backslash in front of a normal file
4014 name character on these systems, but it will on Unix and alikes. The
4015 '&' and '^' are not included by default, because these are special for
4016 cmd.exe.
4018 The format of this option is a list of parts, separated with commas.
4019 Each part can be a single character number or a range. A range is two
4020 character numbers with '-' in between. A character number can be a
4021 decimal number between 0 and 255 or the ASCII character itself (does
4022 not work for digits). Example:
4023 "_,-,128-140,#-43" (include '_' and '-' and the range
4024 128 to 140 and '#' to 43)
4025 If a part starts with '^', the following character number or range
4026 will be excluded from the option. The option is interpreted from left
4027 to right. Put the excluded character after the range where it is
4028 included. To include '^' itself use it as the last character of the
4029 option or the end of a range. Example:
4030 "^a-z,#,^" (exclude 'a' to 'z', include '#' and '^')
4031 If the character is '@', all characters where isalpha() returns TRUE
4032 are included. Normally these are the characters a to z and A to Z,
4033 plus accented characters. To include '@' itself use "@-@". Examples:
4034 "@,^a-z" All alphabetic characters, excluding lower
4035 case ASCII letters.
4036 "a-z,A-Z,@-@" All letters plus the '@' character.
4037 A comma can be included by using it where a character number is
4038 expected. Example:
4039 "48-57,,,_" Digits, comma and underscore.
4040 A comma can be excluded by prepending a '^'. Example:
4041 " -~,^,,9" All characters from space to '~', excluding
4042 comma, plus <Tab>.
4043 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4045 *'isident'* *'isi'*
4046 'isident' 'isi' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4047 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4048 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255")
4049 global
4050 {not in Vi}
4051 The characters given by this option are included in identifiers.
4052 Identifiers are used in recognizing environment variables and after a
4053 match of the 'define' option. It is also used for "\i" in a
4054 |pattern|. See 'isfname' for a description of the format of this
4055 option.
4056 Careful: If you change this option, it might break expanding
4057 environment variables. E.g., when '/' is included and Vim tries to
4058 expand "$HOME/.viminfo". Maybe you should change 'iskeyword' instead.
4060 *'iskeyword'* *'isk'*
4061 'iskeyword' 'isk' string (Vim default for MS-DOS and Win32:
4062 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4063 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255"
4064 Vi default: "@,48-57,_")
4065 local to buffer
4066 {not in Vi}
4067 Keywords are used in searching and recognizing with many commands:
4068 "w", "*", "[i", etc. It is also used for "\k" in a |pattern|. See
4069 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option. For C
4070 programs you could use "a-z,A-Z,48-57,_,.,-,>".
4071 For a help file it is set to all non-blank printable characters except
4072 '*', '"' and '|' (so that CTRL-] on a command finds the help for that
4073 command).
4074 When the 'lisp' option is on the '-' character is always included.
4075 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4076 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4078 *'isprint'* *'isp'*
4079 'isprint' 'isp' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32, OS/2 and Macintosh:
4080 "@,~-255"; otherwise: "@,161-255")
4081 global
4082 {not in Vi}
4083 The characters given by this option are displayed directly on the
4084 screen. It is also used for "\p" in a |pattern|. The characters from
4085 space (ASCII 32) to '~' (ASCII 126) are always displayed directly,
4086 even when they are not included in 'isprint' or excluded. See
4087 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option.
4089 Non-printable characters are displayed with two characters:
4090 0 - 31 "^@" - "^_"
4091 32 - 126 always single characters
4092 127 "^?"
4093 128 - 159 "~@" - "~_"
4094 160 - 254 "| " - "|~"
4095 255 "~?"
4096 When 'encoding' is a Unicode one, illegal bytes from 128 to 255 are
4097 displayed as <xx>, with the hexadecimal value of the byte.
4098 When 'display' contains "uhex" all unprintable characters are
4099 displayed as <xx>.
4100 The NonText highlighting will be used for unprintable characters.
4101 |hl-NonText|
4103 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4104 characters up to 255 are specified with this option. When a character
4105 is printable but it is not available in the current font, a
4106 replacement character will be shown.
4107 Unprintable and zero-width Unicode characters are displayed as <xxxx>.
4108 There is no option to specify these characters.
4110 *'joinspaces'* *'js'* *'nojoinspaces'* *'nojs'*
4111 'joinspaces' 'js' boolean (default on)
4112 global
4113 {not in Vi}
4114 Insert two spaces after a '.', '?' and '!' with a join command.
4115 When 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, only do this after a '.'.
4116 Otherwise only one space is inserted.
4117 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
4119 *'key'*
4120 'key' string (default "")
4121 local to buffer
4122 {not in Vi}
4123 The key that is used for encrypting and decrypting the current buffer.
4124 See |encryption|.
4125 Careful: Do not set the key value by hand, someone might see the typed
4126 key. Use the |:X| command. But you can make 'key' empty: >
4127 :set key=
4128 < It is not possible to get the value of this option with ":set key" or
4129 "echo &key". This is to avoid showing it to someone who shouldn't
4130 know. It also means you cannot see it yourself once you have set it,
4131 be careful not to make a typing error!
4133 *'keymap'* *'kmp'* *E544*
4134 'keymap' 'kmp' string (default "")
4135 local to buffer
4136 {not in Vi}
4137 {only available when compiled with the |+keymap|
4138 feature}
4139 Name of a keyboard mapping. See |mbyte-keymap|.
4140 Setting this option to a valid keymap name has the side effect of
4141 setting 'iminsert' to one, so that the keymap becomes effective.
4142 'imsearch' is also set to one, unless it was -1
4143 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4145 *'keymodel'* *'km'*
4146 'keymodel' 'km' string (default "")
4147 global
4148 {not in Vi}
4149 List of comma separated words, which enable special things that keys
4150 can do. These values can be used:
4151 startsel Using a shifted special key starts selection (either
4152 Select mode or Visual mode, depending on "key" being
4153 present in 'selectmode').
4154 stopsel Using a not-shifted special key stops selection.
4155 Special keys in this context are the cursor keys, <End>, <Home>,
4156 <PageUp> and <PageDown>.
4157 The 'keymodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4159 *'keywordprg'* *'kp'*
4160 'keywordprg' 'kp' string (default "man" or "man -s", DOS: ":help",
4161 OS/2: "view /", VMS: "help")
4162 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4163 {not in Vi}
4164 Program to use for the |K| command. Environment variables are
4165 expanded |:set_env|. ":help" may be used to access the Vim internal
4166 help. (Note that previously setting the global option to the empty
4167 value did this, which is now deprecated.)
4168 When "man" is used, Vim will automatically translate a count for the
4169 "K" command to a section number. Also for "man -s", in which case the
4170 "-s" is removed when there is no count.
4171 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4172 Example: >
4173 :set keywordprg=man\ -s
4174 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4175 security reasons.
4177 *'langmap'* *'lmap'* *E357* *E358*
4178 'langmap' 'lmap' string (default "")
4179 global
4180 {not in Vi}
4181 {only available when compiled with the |+langmap|
4182 feature}
4183 This option allows switching your keyboard into a special language
4184 mode. When you are typing text in Insert mode the characters are
4185 inserted directly. When in command mode the 'langmap' option takes
4186 care of translating these special characters to the original meaning
4187 of the key. This means you don't have to change the keyboard mode to
4188 be able to execute Normal mode commands.
4189 This is the opposite of the 'keymap' option, where characters are
4190 mapped in Insert mode.
4192 Example (for Greek, in UTF-8): *greek* >
4193 :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
4194 < Example (exchanges meaning of z and y for commands): >
4195 :set langmap=zy,yz,ZY,YZ
4196 <
4197 The 'langmap' option is a list of parts, separated with commas. Each
4198 part can be in one of two forms:
4199 1. A list of pairs. Each pair is a "from" character immediately
4200 followed by the "to" character. Examples: "aA", "aAbBcC".
4201 2. A list of "from" characters, a semi-colon and a list of "to"
4202 characters. Example: "abc;ABC"
4203 Example: "aA,fgh;FGH,cCdDeE"
4204 Special characters need to be preceded with a backslash. These are
4205 ";", ',' and backslash itself.
4207 This will allow you to activate vim actions without having to switch
4208 back and forth between the languages. Your language characters will
4209 be understood as normal vim English characters (according to the
4210 langmap mappings) in the following cases:
4211 o Normal/Visual mode (commands, buffer/register names, user mappings)
4212 o Insert/Replace Mode: Register names after CTRL-R
4213 o Insert/Replace Mode: Mappings
4214 Characters entered in Command-line mode will NOT be affected by
4215 this option. Note that this option can be changed at any time
4216 allowing to switch between mappings for different languages/encodings.
4217 Use a mapping to avoid having to type it each time!
4219 *'langmenu'* *'lm'*
4220 'langmenu' 'lm' string (default "")
4221 global
4222 {not in Vi}
4223 {only available when compiled with the |+menu| and
4224 |+multi_lang| features}
4225 Language to use for menu translation. Tells which file is loaded
4226 from the "lang" directory in 'runtimepath': >
4227 "lang/menu_" . &langmenu . ".vim"
4228 < (without the spaces). For example, to always use the Dutch menus, no
4229 matter what $LANG is set to: >
4230 :set langmenu=nl_NL.ISO_8859-1
4231 < When 'langmenu' is empty, |v:lang| is used.
4232 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4233 If your $LANG is set to a non-English language but you do want to use
4234 the English menus: >
4235 :set langmenu=none
4236 < This option must be set before loading menus, switching on filetype
4237 detection or syntax highlighting. Once the menus are defined setting
4238 this option has no effect. But you could do this: >
4239 :source $VIMRUNTIME/delmenu.vim
4240 :set langmenu=de_DE.ISO_8859-1
4241 :source $VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim
4242 < Warning: This deletes all menus that you defined yourself!
4244 *'laststatus'* *'ls'*
4245 'laststatus' 'ls' number (default 1)
4246 global
4247 {not in Vi}
4248 The value of this option influences when the last window will have a
4249 status line:
4250 0: never
4251 1: only if there are at least two windows
4252 2: always
4253 The screen looks nicer with a status line if you have several
4254 windows, but it takes another screen line. |status-line|
4256 *'lazyredraw'* *'lz'* *'nolazyredraw'* *'nolz'*
4257 'lazyredraw' 'lz' boolean (default off)
4258 global
4259 {not in Vi}
4260 When this option is set, the screen will not be redrawn while
4261 executing macros, registers and other commands that have not been
4262 typed. Also, updating the window title is postponed. To force an
4263 update use |:redraw|.
4265 *'linebreak'* *'lbr'* *'nolinebreak'* *'nolbr'*
4266 'linebreak' 'lbr' boolean (default off)
4267 local to window
4268 {not in Vi}
4269 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
4270 feature}
4271 If on Vim will wrap long lines at a character in 'breakat' rather
4272 than at the last character that fits on the screen. Unlike
4273 'wrapmargin' and 'textwidth', this does not insert <EOL>s in the file,
4274 it only affects the way the file is displayed, not its contents. The
4275 value of 'showbreak' is used to put in front of wrapped lines.
4276 This option is not used when the 'wrap' option is off or 'list' is on.
4277 Note that <Tab> characters after an <EOL> are mostly not displayed
4278 with the right amount of white space.
4280 *'lines'* *E593*
4281 'lines' number (default 24 or terminal height)
4282 global
4283 Number of lines of the Vim window.
4284 Normally you don't need to set this. It is done automatically by the
4285 terminal initialization code. Also see |posix-screen-size|.
4286 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
4287 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
4288 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
4289 Vim limits the number of lines to what fits on the screen. You can
4290 use this command to get the tallest window possible: >
4291 :set lines=999
4292 < Minimum value is 2, maximum value is 1000.
4293 If you get less lines than expected, check the 'guiheadroom' option.
4294 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
4295 number of lines of the display, the display may be messed up.
4297 *'linespace'* *'lsp'*
4298 'linespace' 'lsp' number (default 0, 1 for Win32 GUI)
4299 global
4300 {not in Vi}
4301 {only in the GUI}
4302 Number of pixel lines inserted between characters. Useful if the font
4303 uses the full character cell height, making lines touch each other.
4304 When non-zero there is room for underlining.
4305 With some fonts there can be too much room between lines (to have
4306 space for ascents and descents). Then it makes sense to set
4307 'linespace' to a negative value. This may cause display problems
4308 though!
4310 *'lisp'* *'nolisp'*
4311 'lisp' boolean (default off)
4312 local to buffer
4313 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4314 feature}
4315 Lisp mode: When <Enter> is typed in insert mode set the indent for
4316 the next line to Lisp standards (well, sort of). Also happens with
4317 "cc" or "S". 'autoindent' must also be on for this to work. The 'p'
4318 flag in 'cpoptions' changes the method of indenting: Vi compatible or
4319 better. Also see 'lispwords'.
4320 The '-' character is included in keyword characters. Redefines the
4321 "=" operator to use this same indentation algorithm rather than
4322 calling an external program if 'equalprg' is empty.
4323 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
4324 {Vi: Does it a little bit differently}
4326 *'lispwords'* *'lw'*
4327 'lispwords' 'lw' string (default is very long)
4328 global
4329 {not in Vi}
4330 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4331 feature}
4332 Comma separated list of words that influence the Lisp indenting.
4333 |'lisp'|
4335 *'list'* *'nolist'*
4336 'list' boolean (default off)
4337 local to window
4338 List mode: Show tabs as CTRL-I is displayed, display $ after end of
4339 line. Useful to see the difference between tabs and spaces and for
4340 trailing blanks. Further changed by the 'listchars' option.
4342 The cursor is displayed at the start of the space a Tab character
4343 occupies, not at the end as usual in Normal mode. To get this cursor
4344 position while displaying Tabs with spaces, use: >
4345 :set list lcs=tab\ \
4346 <
4347 Note that list mode will also affect formatting (set with 'textwidth'
4348 or 'wrapmargin') when 'cpoptions' includes 'L'. See 'listchars' for
4349 changing the way tabs are displayed.
4351 *'listchars'* *'lcs'*
4352 'listchars' 'lcs' string (default "eol:$")
4353 global
4354 {not in Vi}
4355 Strings to use in 'list' mode. It is a comma separated list of string
4356 settings.
4357 eol:c Character to show at the end of each line. When
4358 omitted, there is no extra character at the end of the
4359 line.
4360 tab:xy Two characters to be used to show a tab. The first
4361 char is used once. The second char is repeated to
4362 fill the space that the tab normally occupies.
4363 "tab:>-" will show a tab that takes four spaces as
4364 ">---". When omitted, a tab is show as ^I.
4365 trail:c Character to show for trailing spaces. When omitted,
4366 trailing spaces are blank.
4367 extends:c Character to show in the last column, when 'wrap' is
4368 off and the line continues beyond the right of the
4369 screen.
4370 precedes:c Character to show in the first column, when 'wrap'
4371 is off and there is text preceding the character
4372 visible in the first column.
4373 nbsp:c Character to show for a non-breakable space (character
4374 0xA0, 160). Left blank when omitted.
4376 The characters ':' and ',' should not be used. UTF-8 characters can
4377 be used when 'encoding' is "utf-8", otherwise only printable
4378 characters are allowed. All characters must be single width.
4380 Examples: >
4381 :set lcs=tab:>-,trail:-
4382 :set lcs=tab:>-,eol:<,nbsp:%
4383 :set lcs=extends:>,precedes:<
4384 < The "NonText" highlighting will be used for "eol", "extends" and
4385 "precedes". "SpecialKey" for "nbsp", "tab" and "trail".
4386 |hl-NonText| |hl-SpecialKey|
4388 *'lpl'* *'nolpl'* *'loadplugins'* *'noloadplugins'*
4389 'loadplugins' 'lpl' boolean (default on)
4390 global
4391 {not in Vi}
4392 When on the plugin scripts are loaded when starting up |load-plugins|.
4393 This option can be reset in your |vimrc| file to disable the loading
4394 of plugins.
4395 Note that using the "-u NONE" and "--noplugin" command line arguments
4396 reset this option. |-u| |--noplugin|
4398 *'macatsui'* *'nomacatsui'*
4399 'macatsui' boolean (default on)
4400 global
4401 {only available in Mac GUI version}
4402 This is a workaround for when drawing doesn't work properly. When set
4403 and compiled with multi-byte support ATSUI text drawing is used. When
4404 not set ATSUI text drawing is not used. Switch this option off when
4405 you experience drawing problems. In a future version the problems may
4406 be solved and this option becomes obsolete. Therefore use this method
4407 to unset it: >
4408 if exists('&macatsui')
4409 set nomacatsui
4410 endif
4411 < Another option to check if you have drawing problems is
4412 'termencoding'.
4414 *'magic'* *'nomagic'*
4415 'magic' boolean (default on)
4416 global
4417 Changes the special characters that can be used in search patterns.
4418 See |pattern|.
4419 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with using patterns, always keep
4420 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
4421 old Vi scripts. In any other situation write patterns that work when
4422 'magic' is on. Include "\M" when you want to |/\M|.
4424 *'makeef'* *'mef'*
4425 'makeef' 'mef' string (default: "")
4426 global
4427 {not in Vi}
4428 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
4429 feature}
4430 Name of the errorfile for the |:make| command (see |:make_makeprg|)
4431 and the |:grep| command.
4432 When it is empty, an internally generated temp file will be used.
4433 When "##" is included, it is replaced by a number to make the name
4434 unique. This makes sure that the ":make" command doesn't overwrite an
4435 existing file.
4436 NOT used for the ":cf" command. See 'errorfile' for that.
4437 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
4438 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4439 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4440 security reasons.
4442 *'makeprg'* *'mp'*
4443 'makeprg' 'mp' string (default "make", VMS: "MMS")
4444 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4445 {not in Vi}
4446 Program to use for the ":make" command. See |:make_makeprg|.
4447 This option may contain '%' and '#' characters, which are expanded to
4448 the current and alternate file name. |:_%| |:_#|
4449 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
4450 about including spaces and backslashes.
4451 Note that a '|' must be escaped twice: once for ":set" and once for
4452 the interpretation of a command. When you use a filter called
4453 "myfilter" do it like this: >
4454 :set makeprg=gmake\ \\\|\ myfilter
4455 < The placeholder "$*" can be given (even multiple times) to specify
4456 where the arguments will be included, for example: >
4457 :set makeprg=latex\ \\\\nonstopmode\ \\\\input\\{$*}
4458 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4459 security reasons.
4461 *'matchpairs'* *'mps'*
4462 'matchpairs' 'mps' string (default "(:),{:},[:]")
4463 local to buffer
4464 {not in Vi}
4465 Characters that form pairs. The |%| command jumps from one to the
4466 other. Currently only single byte character pairs are allowed, and
4467 they must be different. The characters must be separated by a colon.
4468 The pairs must be separated by a comma. Example for including '<' and
4469 '>' (HTML): >
4470 :set mps+=<:>
4472 < A more exotic example, to jump between the '=' and ';' in an
4473 assignment, useful for languages like C and Java: >
4474 :au FileType c,cpp,java set mps+==:;
4476 < For a more advanced way of using "%", see the matchit.vim plugin in
4477 the $VIMRUNTIME/macros directory. |add-local-help|
4479 *'matchtime'* *'mat'*
4480 'matchtime' 'mat' number (default 5)
4481 global
4482 {not in Vi}{in Nvi}
4483 Tenths of a second to show the matching paren, when 'showmatch' is
4484 set. Note that this is not in milliseconds, like other options that
4485 set a time. This is to be compatible with Nvi.
4487 *'maxcombine'* *'mco'*
4488 'maxcombine' 'mco' number (default 2)
4489 global
4490 {not in Vi}
4491 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
4492 feature}
4493 The maximum number of combining characters supported for displaying.
4494 Only used when 'encoding' is "utf-8".
4495 The default is OK for most languages. Hebrew may require 4.
4496 Maximum value is 6.
4497 Even when this option is set to 2 you can still edit text with more
4498 combining characters, you just can't see them. Use |g8| or |ga|.
4499 See |mbyte-combining|.
4501 *'maxfuncdepth'* *'mfd'*
4502 'maxfuncdepth' 'mfd' number (default 100)
4503 global
4504 {not in Vi}
4505 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4506 feature}
4507 Maximum depth of function calls for user functions. This normally
4508 catches endless recursion. When using a recursive function with
4509 more depth, set 'maxfuncdepth' to a bigger number. But this will use
4510 more memory, there is the danger of failing when memory is exhausted.
4511 See also |:function|.
4513 *'maxmapdepth'* *'mmd'* *E223*
4514 'maxmapdepth' 'mmd' number (default 1000)
4515 global
4516 {not in Vi}
4517 Maximum number of times a mapping is done without resulting in a
4518 character to be used. This normally catches endless mappings, like
4519 ":map x y" with ":map y x". It still does not catch ":map g wg",
4520 because the 'w' is used before the next mapping is done. See also
4521 |key-mapping|.
4523 *'maxmem'* *'mm'*
4524 'maxmem' 'mm' number (default between 256 to 5120 (system
4525 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4526 available)
4527 global
4528 {not in Vi}
4529 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for one buffer. When this
4530 limit is reached allocating extra memory for a buffer will cause
4531 other memory to be freed. Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work
4532 without a limit. Also see 'maxmemtot'.
4534 *'maxmempattern'* *'mmp'*
4535 'maxmempattern' 'mmp' number (default 1000)
4536 global
4537 {not in Vi}
4538 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for pattern matching.
4539 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit.
4540 *E363*
4541 When Vim runs into the limit it gives an error message and mostly
4542 behaves like CTRL-C was typed.
4543 Running into the limit often means that the pattern is very
4544 inefficient or too complex. This may already happen with the pattern
4545 "\(.\)*" on a very long line. ".*" works much better.
4546 Vim may run out of memory before hitting the 'maxmempattern' limit.
4548 *'maxmemtot'* *'mmt'*
4549 'maxmemtot' 'mmt' number (default between 2048 and 10240 (system
4550 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4551 available)
4552 global
4553 {not in Vi}
4554 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for all buffers together.
4555 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit. Also see
4556 'maxmem'.
4558 *'menuitems'* *'mis'*
4559 'menuitems' 'mis' number (default 25)
4560 global
4561 {not in Vi}
4562 {not available when compiled without the |+menu|
4563 feature}
4564 Maximum number of items to use in a menu. Used for menus that are
4565 generated from a list of items, e.g., the Buffers menu. Changing this
4566 option has no direct effect, the menu must be refreshed first.
4568 *'mkspellmem'* *'msm'*
4569 'mkspellmem' 'msm' string (default "460000,2000,500")
4570 global
4571 {not in Vi}
4572 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
4573 feature}
4574 Parameters for |:mkspell|. This tunes when to start compressing the
4575 word tree. Compression can be slow when there are many words, but
4576 it's needed to avoid running out of memory. The amount of memory used
4577 per word depends very much on how similar the words are, that's why
4578 this tuning is complicated.
4580 There are three numbers, separated by commas:
4581 {start},{inc},{added}
4583 For most languages the uncompressed word tree fits in memory. {start}
4584 gives the amount of memory in Kbyte that can be used before any
4585 compression is done. It should be a bit smaller than the amount of
4586 memory that is available to Vim.
4588 When going over the {start} limit the {inc} number specifies the
4589 amount of memory in Kbyte that can be allocated before another
4590 compression is done. A low number means compression is done after
4591 less words are added, which is slow. A high number means more memory
4592 will be allocated.
4594 After doing compression, {added} times 1024 words can be added before
4595 the {inc} limit is ignored and compression is done when any extra
4596 amount of memory is needed. A low number means there is a smaller
4597 chance of hitting the {inc} limit, less memory is used but it's
4598 slower.
4600 The languages for which these numbers are important are Italian and
4601 Hungarian. The default works for when you have about 512 Mbyte. If
4602 you have 1 Gbyte you could use: >
4603 :set mkspellmem=900000,3000,800
4604 < If you have less than 512 Mbyte |:mkspell| may fail for some
4605 languages, no matter what you set 'mkspellmem' to.
4607 *'modeline'* *'ml'* *'nomodeline'* *'noml'*
4608 'modeline' 'ml' boolean (Vim default: on (off for root),
4609 Vi default: off)
4610 local to buffer
4611 *'modelines'* *'mls'*
4612 'modelines' 'mls' number (default 5)
4613 global
4614 {not in Vi}
4615 If 'modeline' is on 'modelines' gives the number of lines that is
4616 checked for set commands. If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is zero
4617 no lines are checked. See |modeline|.
4618 NOTE: 'modeline' is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4619 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4621 *'modifiable'* *'ma'* *'nomodifiable'* *'noma'*
4622 'modifiable' 'ma' boolean (default on)
4623 local to buffer
4624 {not in Vi} *E21*
4625 When off the buffer contents cannot be changed. The 'fileformat' and
4626 'fileencoding' options also can't be changed.
4627 Can be reset with the |-M| command line argument.
4629 *'modified'* *'mod'* *'nomodified'* *'nomod'*
4630 'modified' 'mod' boolean (default off)
4631 local to buffer
4632 {not in Vi}
4633 When on, the buffer is considered to be modified. This option is set
4634 when:
4635 1. A change was made to the text since it was last written. Using the
4636 |undo| command to go back to the original text will reset the
4637 option. But undoing changes that were made before writing the
4638 buffer will set the option again, since the text is different from
4639 when it was written.
4640 2. 'fileformat' or 'fileencoding' is different from its original
4641 value. The original value is set when the buffer is read or
4642 written. A ":set nomodified" command also resets the original
4643 values to the current values and the 'modified' option will be
4644 reset.
4645 When 'buftype' is "nowrite" or "nofile" this option may be set, but
4646 will be ignored.
4648 *'more'* *'nomore'*
4649 'more' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
4650 global
4651 {not in Vi}
4652 When on, listings pause when the whole screen is filled. You will get
4653 the |more-prompt|. When this option is off there are no pauses, the
4654 listing continues until finished.
4655 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4656 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4658 *'mouse'* *E538*
4659 'mouse' string (default "", "a" for GUI, MS-DOS and Win32)
4660 global
4661 {not in Vi}
4662 Enable the use of the mouse. Only works for certain terminals
4663 (xterm, MS-DOS, Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, *BSD console with
4664 sysmouse and Linux console with gpm). For using the mouse in the
4665 GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
4666 The mouse can be enabled for different modes:
4667 n Normal mode
4668 v Visual mode
4669 i Insert mode
4670 c Command-line mode
4671 h all previous modes when editing a help file
4672 a all previous modes
4673 r for |hit-enter| and |more-prompt| prompt
4674 Normally you would enable the mouse in all four modes with: >
4675 :set mouse=a
4676 < When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
4677 modeless selection. This doesn't move the text cursor.
4679 See |mouse-using|. Also see |'clipboard'|.
4681 Note: When enabling the mouse in a terminal, copy/paste will use the
4682 "* register if there is access to an X-server. The xterm handling of
4683 the mouse buttons can still be used by keeping the shift key pressed.
4684 Also see the 'clipboard' option.
4686 *'mousefocus'* *'mousef'* *'nomousefocus'* *'nomousef'*
4687 'mousefocus' 'mousef' boolean (default off)
4688 global
4689 {not in Vi}
4690 {only works in the GUI}
4691 The window that the mouse pointer is on is automatically activated.
4692 When changing the window layout or window focus in another way, the
4693 mouse pointer is moved to the window with keyboard focus. Off is the
4694 default because it makes using the pull down menus a little goofy, as
4695 a pointer transit may activate a window unintentionally.
4697 *'mousehide'* *'mh'* *'nomousehide'* *'nomh'*
4698 'mousehide' 'mh' boolean (default on)
4699 global
4700 {not in Vi}
4701 {only works in the GUI}
4702 When on, the mouse pointer is hidden when characters are typed.
4703 The mouse pointer is restored when the mouse is moved.
4705 *'mousemodel'* *'mousem'*
4706 'mousemodel' 'mousem' string (default "extend", "popup" for MS-DOS and Win32)
4707 global
4708 {not in Vi}
4709 Sets the model to use for the mouse. The name mostly specifies what
4710 the right mouse button is used for:
4711 extend Right mouse button extends a selection. This works
4712 like in an xterm.
4713 popup Right mouse button pops up a menu. The shifted left
4714 mouse button extends a selection. This works like
4715 with Microsoft Windows.
4716 popup_setpos Like "popup", but the cursor will be moved to the
4717 position where the mouse was clicked, and thus the
4718 selected operation will act upon the clicked object.
4719 If clicking inside a selection, that selection will
4720 be acted upon, i.e. no cursor move. This implies of
4721 course, that right clicking outside a selection will
4722 end Visual mode.
4723 Overview of what button does what for each model:
4724 mouse extend popup(_setpos) ~
4725 left click place cursor place cursor
4726 left drag start selection start selection
4727 shift-left search word extend selection
4728 right click extend selection popup menu (place cursor)
4729 right drag extend selection -
4730 middle click paste paste
4732 In the "popup" model the right mouse button produces a pop-up menu.
4733 You need to define this first, see |popup-menu|.
4735 Note that you can further refine the meaning of buttons with mappings.
4736 See |gui-mouse-mapping|. But mappings are NOT used for modeless
4737 selection (because that's handled in the GUI code directly).
4739 The 'mousemodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4741 *'mouseshape'* *'mouses'* *E547*
4742 'mouseshape' 'mouses' string (default "i:beam,r:beam,s:updown,sd:cross,
4743 m:no,ml:up-arrow,v:rightup-arrow")
4744 global
4745 {not in Vi}
4746 {only available when compiled with the |+mouseshape|
4747 feature}
4748 This option tells Vim what the mouse pointer should look like in
4749 different modes. The option is a comma separated list of parts, much
4750 like used for 'guicursor'. Each part consist of a mode/location-list
4751 and an argument-list:
4752 mode-list:shape,mode-list:shape,..
4753 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes/locations:
4754 In a normal window: ~
4755 n Normal mode
4756 v Visual mode
4757 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
4758 if not specified)
4759 o Operator-pending mode
4760 i Insert mode
4761 r Replace mode
4763 Others: ~
4764 c appending to the command-line
4765 ci inserting in the command-line
4766 cr replacing in the command-line
4767 m at the 'Hit ENTER' or 'More' prompts
4768 ml idem, but cursor in the last line
4769 e any mode, pointer below last window
4770 s any mode, pointer on a status line
4771 sd any mode, while dragging a status line
4772 vs any mode, pointer on a vertical separator line
4773 vd any mode, while dragging a vertical separator line
4774 a everywhere
4776 The shape is one of the following:
4777 avail name looks like ~
4778 w x arrow Normal mouse pointer
4779 w x blank no pointer at all (use with care!)
4780 w x beam I-beam
4781 w x updown up-down sizing arrows
4782 w x leftright left-right sizing arrows
4783 w x busy The system's usual busy pointer
4784 w x no The system's usual 'no input' pointer
4785 x udsizing indicates up-down resizing
4786 x lrsizing indicates left-right resizing
4787 x crosshair like a big thin +
4788 x hand1 black hand
4789 x hand2 white hand
4790 x pencil what you write with
4791 x question big ?
4792 x rightup-arrow arrow pointing right-up
4793 w x up-arrow arrow pointing up
4794 x <number> any X11 pointer number (see X11/cursorfont.h)
4796 The "avail" column contains a 'w' if the shape is available for Win32,
4797 x for X11.
4798 Any modes not specified or shapes not available use the normal mouse
4799 pointer.
4801 Example: >
4802 :set mouseshape=s:udsizing,m:no
4803 < will make the mouse turn to a sizing arrow over the status lines and
4804 indicate no input when the hit-enter prompt is displayed (since
4805 clicking the mouse has no effect in this state.)
4807 *'mousetime'* *'mouset'*
4808 'mousetime' 'mouset' number (default 500)
4809 global
4810 {not in Vi}
4811 Only for GUI, MS-DOS, Win32 and Unix with xterm. Defines the maximum
4812 time in msec between two mouse clicks for the second click to be
4813 recognized as a multi click.
4815 *'mzquantum'* *'mzq'*
4816 'mzquantum' 'mzq' number (default 100)
4817 global
4818 {not in Vi}
4819 {not available when compiled without the |+mzscheme|
4820 feature}
4821 The number of milliseconds between polls for MzScheme threads.
4822 Negative or zero value means no thread scheduling.
4824 *'nrformats'* *'nf'*
4825 'nrformats' 'nf' string (default "octal,hex")
4826 local to buffer
4827 {not in Vi}
4828 This defines what bases Vim will consider for numbers when using the
4829 CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands for adding to and subtracting from a number
4830 respectively; see |CTRL-A| for more info on these commands.
4831 alpha If included, single alphabetical characters will be
4832 incremented or decremented. This is useful for a list with a
4833 letter index a), b), etc.
4834 octal If included, numbers that start with a zero will be considered
4835 to be octal. Example: Using CTRL-A on "007" results in "010".
4836 hex If included, numbers starting with "0x" or "0X" will be
4837 considered to be hexadecimal. Example: Using CTRL-X on
4838 "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
4839 Numbers which simply begin with a digit in the range 1-9 are always
4840 considered decimal. This also happens for numbers that are not
4841 recognized as octal or hex.
4843 *'number'* *'nu'* *'nonumber'* *'nonu'*
4844 'number' 'nu' boolean (default off)
4845 local to window
4846 Print the line number in front of each line. When the 'n' option is
4847 excluded from 'cpoptions' a wrapped line will not use the column of
4848 line numbers (this is the default when 'compatible' isn't set).
4849 The 'numberwidth' option can be used to set the room used for the line
4850 number.
4851 When a long, wrapped line doesn't start with the first character, '-'
4852 characters are put before the number.
4853 See |hl-LineNr| for the highlighting used for the number.
4855 *'numberwidth'* *'nuw'*
4856 'numberwidth' 'nuw' number (Vim default: 4 Vi default: 8)
4857 local to window
4858 {not in Vi}
4859 {only available when compiled with the |+linebreak|
4860 feature}
4861 Minimal number of columns to use for the line number. Only relevant
4862 when the 'number' option is set or printing lines with a line number.
4863 Since one space is always between the number and the text, there is
4864 one less character for the number itself.
4865 The value is the minimum width. A bigger width is used when needed to
4866 fit the highest line number in the buffer. Thus with the Vim default
4867 of 4 there is room for a line number up to 999. When the buffer has
4868 1000 lines five columns will be used.
4869 The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 10.
4870 NOTE: 'numberwidth' is reset to 8 when 'compatible' is set.
4872 *'omnifunc'* *'ofu'*
4873 'omnifunc' 'ofu' string (default: empty)
4874 local to buffer
4875 {not in Vi}
4876 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4877 or +insert_expand feature}
4878 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode omni
4879 completion with CTRL-X CTRL-O. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
4880 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
4881 invoked and what it should return.
4882 This option is usually set by a filetype plugin:
4883 |:filetype-plugin-on|
4886 *'opendevice'* *'odev'* *'noopendevice'* *'noodev'*
4887 'opendevice' 'odev' boolean (default off)
4888 global
4889 {not in Vi}
4890 {only for MS-DOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
4891 Enable reading and writing from devices. This may get Vim stuck on a
4892 device that can be opened but doesn't actually do the I/O. Therefore
4893 it is off by default.
4894 Note that on MS-Windows editing "aux.h", "lpt1.txt" and the like also
4895 result in editing a device.
4898 *'operatorfunc'* *'opfunc'*
4899 'operatorfunc' 'opfunc' string (default: empty)
4900 global
4901 {not in Vi}
4902 This option specifies a function to be called by the |g@| operator.
4903 See |:map-operator| for more info and an example.
4905 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4906 security reasons.
4909 *'osfiletype'* *'oft'* *E366*
4910 'osfiletype' 'oft' string (RISC-OS default: "Text",
4911 others default: "")
4912 local to buffer
4913 {not in Vi}
4914 {only available when compiled with the |+osfiletype|
4915 feature}
4916 Some operating systems store extra information about files besides
4917 name, datestamp and permissions. This option contains the extra
4918 information, the nature of which will vary between systems.
4919 The value of this option is usually set when the file is loaded, and
4920 is used to set the operating system file type when file is written.
4921 It can affect the pattern matching of the automatic commands.
4922 |autocmd-osfiletypes|
4924 *'paragraphs'* *'para'*
4925 'paragraphs' 'para' string (default "IPLPPPQPP TPHPLIPpLpItpplpipbp")
4926 global
4927 Specifies the nroff macros that separate paragraphs. These are pairs
4928 of two letters (see |object-motions|).
4930 *'paste'* *'nopaste'*
4931 'paste' boolean (default off)
4932 global
4933 {not in Vi}
4934 Put Vim in Paste mode. This is useful if you want to cut or copy
4935 some text from one window and paste it in Vim. This will avoid
4936 unexpected effects.
4937 Setting this option is useful when using Vim in a terminal, where Vim
4938 cannot distinguish between typed text and pasted text. In the GUI, Vim
4939 knows about pasting and will mostly do the right thing without 'paste'
4940 being set. The same is true for a terminal where Vim handles the
4941 mouse clicks itself.
4942 This option is reset when starting the GUI. Thus if you set it in
4943 your .vimrc it will work in a terminal, but not in the GUI. Setting
4944 'paste' in the GUI has side effects: e.g., the Paste toolbar button
4945 will no longer work in Insert mode, because it uses a mapping.
4946 When the 'paste' option is switched on (also when it was already on):
4947 - mapping in Insert mode and Command-line mode is disabled
4948 - abbreviations are disabled
4949 - 'textwidth' is set to 0
4950 - 'wrapmargin' is set to 0
4951 - 'autoindent' is reset
4952 - 'smartindent' is reset
4953 - 'softtabstop' is set to 0
4954 - 'revins' is reset
4955 - 'ruler' is reset
4956 - 'showmatch' is reset
4957 - 'formatoptions' is used like it is empty
4958 These options keep their value, but their effect is disabled:
4959 - 'lisp'
4960 - 'indentexpr'
4961 - 'cindent'
4962 NOTE: When you start editing another file while the 'paste' option is
4963 on, settings from the modelines or autocommands may change the
4964 settings again, causing trouble when pasting text. You might want to
4965 set the 'paste' option again.
4966 When the 'paste' option is reset the mentioned options are restored to
4967 the value before the moment 'paste' was switched from off to on.
4968 Resetting 'paste' before ever setting it does not have any effect.
4969 Since mapping doesn't work while 'paste' is active, you need to use
4970 the 'pastetoggle' option to toggle the 'paste' option with some key.
4972 *'pastetoggle'* *'pt'*
4973 'pastetoggle' 'pt' string (default "")
4974 global
4975 {not in Vi}
4976 When non-empty, specifies the key sequence that toggles the 'paste'
4977 option. This is like specifying a mapping: >
4978 :map {keys} :set invpaste<CR>
4979 < Where {keys} is the value of 'pastetoggle'.
4980 The difference is that it will work even when 'paste' is set.
4981 'pastetoggle' works in Insert mode and Normal mode, but not in
4982 Command-line mode.
4983 Mappings are checked first, thus overrule 'pastetoggle'. However,
4984 when 'paste' is on mappings are ignored in Insert mode, thus you can do
4985 this: >
4986 :map <F10> :set paste<CR>
4987 :map <F11> :set nopaste<CR>
4988 :imap <F10> <C-O>:set paste<CR>
4989 :imap <F11> <nop>
4990 :set pastetoggle=<F11>
4991 < This will make <F10> start paste mode and <F11> stop paste mode.
4992 Note that typing <F10> in paste mode inserts "<F10>", since in paste
4993 mode everything is inserted literally, except the 'pastetoggle' key
4994 sequence.
4995 When the value has several bytes 'ttimeoutlen' applies.
4997 *'pex'* *'patchexpr'*
4998 'patchexpr' 'pex' string (default "")
4999 global
5000 {not in Vi}
5001 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
5002 feature}
5003 Expression which is evaluated to apply a patch to a file and generate
5004 the resulting new version of the file. See |diff-patchexpr|.
5006 *'patchmode'* *'pm'* *E206*
5007 'patchmode' 'pm' string (default "")
5008 global
5009 {not in Vi}
5010 When non-empty the oldest version of a file is kept. This can be used
5011 to keep the original version of a file if you are changing files in a
5012 source distribution. Only the first time that a file is written a
5013 copy of the original file will be kept. The name of the copy is the
5014 name of the original file with the string in the 'patchmode' option
5015 appended. This option should start with a dot. Use a string like
5016 ".org". 'backupdir' must not be empty for this to work (Detail: The
5017 backup file is renamed to the patchmode file after the new file has
5018 been successfully written, that's why it must be possible to write a
5019 backup file). If there was no file to be backed up, an empty file is
5020 created.
5021 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a patchmode file is not made.
5022 Using 'patchmode' for compressed files appends the extension at the
5023 end (e.g., "file.gz.orig"), thus the resulting name isn't always
5024 recognized as a compressed file.
5025 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
5027 *'path'* *'pa'* *E343* *E345* *E347*
5028 'path' 'pa' string (default on Unix: ".,/usr/include,,"
5029 on OS/2: ".,/emx/include,,"
5030 other systems: ".,,")
5031 global or local to buffer |global-local|
5032 {not in Vi}
5033 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
5034 |gf|, [f, ]f, ^Wf, |:find|, |:sfind|, |:tabfind| and other commands,
5035 provided that the file being searched for has a relative path (not
5036 starting with "/", "./" or "../"). The directories in the 'path'
5037 option may be relative or absolute.
5038 - Use commas to separate directory names: >
5039 :set path=.,/usr/local/include,/usr/include
5040 < - Spaces can also be used to separate directory names (for backwards
5041 compatibility with version 3.0). To have a space in a directory
5042 name, precede it with an extra backslash, and escape the space: >
5043 :set path=.,/dir/with\\\ space
5044 < - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with an extra
5045 backslash: >
5046 :set path=.,/dir/with\\,comma
5047 < - To search relative to the directory of the current file, use: >
5048 :set path=.
5049 < - To search in the current directory use an empty string between two
5050 commas: >
5051 :set path=,,
5052 < - A directory name may end in a ':' or '/'.
5053 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5054 - When using |netrw.vim| URLs can be used. For example, adding
5055 "http://www.vim.org" will make ":find index.html" work.
5056 - Search upwards and downwards in a directory tree using "*", "**" and
5057 ";". See |file-searching| for info and syntax.
5058 {not available when compiled without the |+path_extra| feature}
5059 - Careful with '\' characters, type two to get one in the option: >
5060 :set path=.,c:\\include
5061 < Or just use '/' instead: >
5062 :set path=.,c:/include
5063 < Don't forget "." or files won't even be found in the same directory as
5064 the file!
5065 The maximum length is limited. How much depends on the system, mostly
5066 it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
5067 You can check if all the include files are found, using the value of
5068 'path', see |:checkpath|.
5069 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
5070 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
5071 uses another default. To remove the current directory use: >
5072 :set path-=
5073 < To add the current directory use: >
5074 :set path+=
5075 < To use an environment variable, you probably need to replace the
5076 separator. Here is an example to append $INCL, in which directory
5077 names are separated with a semi-colon: >
5078 :let &path = &path . "," . substitute($INCL, ';', ',', 'g')
5079 < Replace the ';' with a ':' or whatever separator is used. Note that
5080 this doesn't work when $INCL contains a comma or white space.
5082 *'preserveindent'* *'pi'* *'nopreserveindent'* *'nopi'*
5083 'preserveindent' 'pi' boolean (default off)
5084 local to buffer
5085 {not in Vi}
5086 When changing the indent of the current line, preserve as much of the
5087 indent structure as possible. Normally the indent is replaced by a
5088 series of tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is
5089 enabled, in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option
5090 means the indent will preserve as many existing characters as possible
5091 for indenting, and only add additional tabs or spaces as required.
5092 'expandtab' does not apply to the preserved white space, a Tab remains
5093 a Tab.
5094 NOTE: When using ">>" multiple times the resulting indent is a mix of
5095 tabs and spaces. You might not like this.
5096 NOTE: 'preserveindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5097 Also see 'copyindent'.
5098 Use |:retab| to clean up white space.
5100 *'previewheight'* *'pvh'*
5101 'previewheight' 'pvh' number (default 12)
5102 global
5103 {not in Vi}
5104 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5105 |+quickfix| feature}
5106 Default height for a preview window. Used for |:ptag| and associated
5107 commands. Used for |CTRL-W_}| when no count is given.
5109 *'previewwindow'* *'nopreviewwindow'*
5110 *'pvw'* *'nopvw'* *E590*
5111 'previewwindow' 'pvw' boolean (default off)
5112 local to window
5113 {not in Vi}
5114 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5115 |+quickfix| feature}
5116 Identifies the preview window. Only one window can have this option
5117 set. It's normally not set directly, but by using one of the commands
5118 |:ptag|, |:pedit|, etc.
5120 *'printdevice'* *'pdev'*
5121 'printdevice' 'pdev' string (default empty)
5122 global
5123 {not in Vi}
5124 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5125 feature}
5126 The name of the printer to be used for |:hardcopy|.
5127 See |pdev-option|.
5128 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5129 security reasons.
5131 *'printencoding'* *'penc'*
5132 'printencoding' 'penc' String (default empty, except for some systems)
5133 global
5134 {not in Vi}
5135 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5136 and |+postscript| features}
5137 Sets the character encoding used when printing.
5138 See |penc-option|.
5140 *'printexpr'* *'pexpr'*
5141 'printexpr' 'pexpr' String (default: see below)
5142 global
5143 {not in Vi}
5144 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5145 and |+postscript| features}
5146 Expression used to print the PostScript produced with |:hardcopy|.
5147 See |pexpr-option|.
5149 *'printfont'* *'pfn'*
5150 'printfont' 'pfn' string (default "courier")
5151 global
5152 {not in Vi}
5153 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5154 feature}
5155 The name of the font that will be used for |:hardcopy|.
5156 See |pfn-option|.
5158 *'printheader'* *'pheader'*
5159 'printheader' 'pheader' string (default "%<%f%h%m%=Page %N")
5160 global
5161 {not in Vi}
5162 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5163 feature}
5164 The format of the header produced in |:hardcopy| output.
5165 See |pheader-option|.
5167 *'printmbcharset'* *'pmbcs'*
5168 'printmbcharset' 'pmbcs' string (default "")
5169 global
5170 {not in Vi}
5171 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5172 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5173 The CJK character set to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5174 See |pmbcs-option|.
5176 *'printmbfont'* *'pmbfn'*
5177 'printmbfont' 'pmbfn' string (default "")
5178 global
5179 {not in Vi}
5180 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5181 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5182 List of font names to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5183 See |pmbfn-option|.
5185 *'printoptions'* *'popt'*
5186 'printoptions' 'popt' string (default "")
5187 global
5188 {not in Vi}
5189 {only available when compiled with |+printer| feature}
5190 List of items that control the format of the output of |:hardcopy|.
5191 See |popt-option|.
5193 *'prompt'* *'noprompt'*
5194 'prompt' boolean (default on)
5195 global
5196 When on a ":" prompt is used in Ex mode.
5198 *'pumheight'* *'ph'*
5199 'pumheight' 'ph' number (default 0)
5200 global
5201 {not available when compiled without the
5202 |+insert_expand| feature}
5203 {not in Vi}
5204 Determines the maximum number of items to show in the popup menu for
5205 Insert mode completion. When zero as much space as available is used.
5206 |ins-completion-menu|.
5209 *'quoteescape'* *'qe'*
5210 'quoteescape' 'qe' string (default "\")
5211 local to buffer
5212 {not in Vi}
5213 The characters that are used to escape quotes in a string. Used for
5214 objects like a', a" and a` |a'|.
5215 When one of the characters in this option is found inside a string,
5216 the following character will be skipped. The default value makes the
5217 text "foo\"bar\\" considered to be one string.
5219 *'readonly'* *'ro'* *'noreadonly'* *'noro'*
5220 'readonly' 'ro' boolean (default off)
5221 local to buffer
5222 If on, writes fail unless you use a '!'. Protects you from
5223 accidentally overwriting a file. Default on when Vim is started
5224 in read-only mode ("vim -R") or when the executable is called "view".
5225 When using ":w!" the 'readonly' option is reset for the current
5226 buffer, unless the 'Z' flag is in 'cpoptions'.
5227 {not in Vi:} When using the ":view" command the 'readonly' option is
5228 set for the newly edited buffer.
5230 *'redrawtime'* *'rdt'*
5231 'redrawtime' 'rdt' number (default 2000)
5232 global
5233 {not in Vi}
5234 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime|
5235 feature}
5236 The time in milliseconds for redrawing the display. This applies to
5237 searching for patterns for 'hlsearch' and |:match| highlighting.
5238 When redrawing takes more than this many milliseconds no further
5239 matches will be highlighted. This is used to avoid that Vim hangs
5240 when using a very complicated pattern.
5242 *'remap'* *'noremap'*
5243 'remap' boolean (default on)
5244 global
5245 Allows for mappings to work recursively. If you do not want this for
5246 a single entry, use the :noremap[!] command.
5247 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with Vim scripts, always keep
5248 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
5249 old Vi scripts.
5251 *'report'*
5252 'report' number (default 2)
5253 global
5254 Threshold for reporting number of lines changed. When the number of
5255 changed lines is more than 'report' a message will be given for most
5256 ":" commands. If you want it always, set 'report' to 0.
5257 For the ":substitute" command the number of substitutions is used
5258 instead of the number of lines.
5260 *'restorescreen'* *'rs'* *'norestorescreen'* *'nors'*
5261 'restorescreen' 'rs' boolean (default on)
5262 global
5263 {not in Vi} {only in Windows 95/NT console version}
5264 When set, the screen contents is restored when exiting Vim. This also
5265 happens when executing external commands.
5267 For non-Windows Vim: You can set or reset the 't_ti' and 't_te'
5268 options in your .vimrc. To disable restoring:
5269 set t_ti= t_te=
5270 To enable restoring (for an xterm):
5271 set t_ti=^[7^[[r^[[?47h t_te=^[[?47l^[8
5272 (Where ^[ is an <Esc>, type CTRL-V <Esc> to insert it)
5274 *'revins'* *'ri'* *'norevins'* *'nori'*
5275 'revins' 'ri' boolean (default off)
5276 global
5277 {not in Vi}
5278 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5279 feature}
5280 Inserting characters in Insert mode will work backwards. See "typing
5281 backwards" |ins-reverse|. This option can be toggled with the CTRL-_
5282 command in Insert mode, when 'allowrevins' is set.
5283 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' or 'paste' is set.
5285 *'rightleft'* *'rl'* *'norightleft'* *'norl'*
5286 'rightleft' 'rl' boolean (default off)
5287 local to window
5288 {not in Vi}
5289 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5290 feature}
5291 When on, display orientation becomes right-to-left, i.e., characters
5292 that are stored in the file appear from the right to the left.
5293 Using this option, it is possible to edit files for languages that
5294 are written from the right to the left such as Hebrew and Arabic.
5295 This option is per window, so it is possible to edit mixed files
5296 simultaneously, or to view the same file in both ways (this is
5297 useful whenever you have a mixed text file with both right-to-left
5298 and left-to-right strings so that both sets are displayed properly
5299 in different windows). Also see |rileft.txt|.
5301 *'rightleftcmd'* *'rlc'* *'norightleftcmd'* *'norlc'*
5302 'rightleftcmd' 'rlc' string (default "search")
5303 local to window
5304 {not in Vi}
5305 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5306 feature}
5307 Each word in this option enables the command line editing to work in
5308 right-to-left mode for a group of commands:
5310 search "/" and "?" commands
5312 This is useful for languages such as Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi.
5313 The 'rightleft' option must be set for 'rightleftcmd' to take effect.
5315 *'ruler'* *'ru'* *'noruler'* *'noru'*
5316 'ruler' 'ru' boolean (default off)
5317 global
5318 {not in Vi}
5319 {not available when compiled without the
5320 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5321 Show the line and column number of the cursor position, separated by a
5322 comma. When there is room, the relative position of the displayed
5323 text in the file is shown on the far right:
5324 Top first line is visible
5325 Bot last line is visible
5326 All first and last line are visible
5327 45% relative position in the file
5328 If 'rulerformat' is set, it will determine the contents of the ruler.
5329 Each window has its own ruler. If a window has a status line, the
5330 ruler is shown there. Otherwise it is shown in the last line of the
5331 screen. If the statusline is given by 'statusline' (i.e. not empty),
5332 this option takes precedence over 'ruler' and 'rulerformat'
5333 If the number of characters displayed is different from the number of
5334 bytes in the text (e.g., for a TAB or a multi-byte character), both
5335 the text column (byte number) and the screen column are shown,
5336 separated with a dash.
5337 For an empty line "0-1" is shown.
5338 For an empty buffer the line number will also be zero: "0,0-1".
5339 This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5340 If you don't want to see the ruler all the time but want to know where
5341 you are, use "g CTRL-G" |g_CTRL-G|.
5342 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5344 *'rulerformat'* *'ruf'*
5345 'rulerformat' 'ruf' string (default empty)
5346 global
5347 {not in Vi}
5348 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
5349 feature}
5350 When this option is not empty, it determines the content of the ruler
5351 string, as displayed for the 'ruler' option.
5352 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
5353 The default ruler width is 17 characters. To make the ruler 15
5354 characters wide, put "%15(" at the start and "%)" at the end.
5355 Example: >
5356 :set rulerformat=%15(%c%V\ %p%%%)
5357 <
5358 *'runtimepath'* *'rtp'* *vimfiles*
5359 'runtimepath' 'rtp' string (default:
5360 Unix: "$HOME/.vim,
5361 $VIM/vimfiles,
5362 $VIMRUNTIME,
5363 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5364 $HOME/.vim/after"
5365 Amiga: "home:vimfiles,
5366 $VIM/vimfiles,
5367 $VIMRUNTIME,
5368 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5369 home:vimfiles/after"
5370 PC, OS/2: "$HOME/vimfiles,
5371 $VIM/vimfiles,
5372 $VIMRUNTIME,
5373 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5374 $HOME/vimfiles/after"
5375 Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles,
5376 $VIMRUNTIME,
5377 $VIM:vimfiles:after"
5378 RISC-OS: "Choices:vimfiles,
5379 $VIMRUNTIME,
5380 Choices:vimfiles/after"
5381 VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles,
5382 $VIM/vimfiles,
5383 $VIMRUNTIME,
5384 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5385 sys$login:vimfiles/after")
5386 global
5387 {not in Vi}
5388 This is a list of directories which will be searched for runtime
5389 files:
5390 filetype.vim filetypes by file name |new-filetype|
5391 scripts.vim filetypes by file contents |new-filetype-scripts|
5392 autoload/ automatically loaded scripts |autoload-functions|
5393 colors/ color scheme files |:colorscheme|
5394 compiler/ compiler files |:compiler|
5395 doc/ documentation |write-local-help|
5396 ftplugin/ filetype plugins |write-filetype-plugin|
5397 indent/ indent scripts |indent-expression|
5398 keymap/ key mapping files |mbyte-keymap|
5399 lang/ menu translations |:menutrans|
5400 menu.vim GUI menus |menu.vim|
5401 plugin/ plugin scripts |write-plugin|
5402 print/ files for printing |postscript-print-encoding|
5403 spell/ spell checking files |spell|
5404 syntax/ syntax files |mysyntaxfile|
5405 tutor/ files for vimtutor |tutor|
5407 And any other file searched for with the |:runtime| command.
5409 The defaults for most systems are setup to search five locations:
5410 1. In your home directory, for your personal preferences.
5411 2. In a system-wide Vim directory, for preferences from the system
5412 administrator.
5413 3. In $VIMRUNTIME, for files distributed with Vim.
5414 *after-directory*
5415 4. In the "after" directory in the system-wide Vim directory. This is
5416 for the system administrator to overrule or add to the distributed
5417 defaults (rarely needed)
5418 5. In the "after" directory in your home directory. This is for
5419 personal preferences to overrule or add to the distributed defaults
5420 or system-wide settings (rarely needed).
5422 Note that, unlike 'path', no wildcards like "**" are allowed. Normal
5423 wildcards are allowed, but can significantly slow down searching for
5424 runtime files. For speed, use as few items as possible and avoid
5425 wildcards.
5426 See |:runtime|.
5427 Example: >
5428 :set runtimepath=~/vimruntime,/mygroup/vim,$VIMRUNTIME
5429 < This will use the directory "~/vimruntime" first (containing your
5430 personal Vim runtime files), then "/mygroup/vim" (shared between a
5431 group of people) and finally "$VIMRUNTIME" (the distributed runtime
5432 files).
5433 You probably should always include $VIMRUNTIME somewhere, to use the
5434 distributed runtime files. You can put a directory before $VIMRUNTIME
5435 to find files which replace a distributed runtime files. You can put
5436 a directory after $VIMRUNTIME to find files which add to distributed
5437 runtime files.
5438 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5439 security reasons.
5441 *'scroll'* *'scr'*
5442 'scroll' 'scr' number (default: half the window height)
5443 local to window
5444 Number of lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D commands. Will be
5445 set to half the number of lines in the window when the window size
5446 changes. If you give a count to the CTRL-U or CTRL-D command it will
5447 be used as the new value for 'scroll'. Reset to half the window
5448 height with ":set scroll=0". {Vi is a bit different: 'scroll' gives
5449 the number of screen lines instead of file lines, makes a difference
5450 when lines wrap}
5452 *'scrollbind'* *'scb'* *'noscrollbind'* *'noscb'*
5453 'scrollbind' 'scb' boolean (default off)
5454 local to window
5455 {not in Vi}
5456 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5457 feature}
5458 See also |scroll-binding|. When this option is set, the current
5459 window scrolls as other scrollbind windows (windows that also have
5460 this option set) scroll. This option is useful for viewing the
5461 differences between two versions of a file, see 'diff'.
5462 See |'scrollopt'| for options that determine how this option should be
5463 interpreted.
5464 This option is mostly reset when splitting a window to edit another
5465 file. This means that ":split | edit file" results in two windows
5466 with scroll-binding, but ":split file" does not.
5468 *'scrolljump'* *'sj'*
5469 'scrolljump' 'sj' number (default 1)
5470 global
5471 {not in Vi}
5472 Minimal number of lines to scroll when the cursor gets off the
5473 screen (e.g., with "j"). Not used for scroll commands (e.g., CTRL-E,
5474 CTRL-D). Useful if your terminal scrolls very slowly.
5475 When set to a negative number from -1 to -100 this is used as the
5476 percentage of the window height. Thus -50 scrolls half the window
5477 height.
5478 NOTE: This option is set to 1 when 'compatible' is set.
5480 *'scrolloff'* *'so'*
5481 'scrolloff' 'so' number (default 0)
5482 global
5483 {not in Vi}
5484 Minimal number of screen lines to keep above and below the cursor.
5485 This will make some context visible around where you are working. If
5486 you set it to a very large value (999) the cursor line will always be
5487 in the middle of the window (except at the start or end of the file or
5488 when long lines wrap).
5489 For scrolling horizontally see 'sidescrolloff'.
5490 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5492 *'scrollopt'* *'sbo'*
5493 'scrollopt' 'sbo' string (default "ver,jump")
5494 global
5495 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5496 feature}
5497 {not in Vi}
5498 This is a comma-separated list of words that specifies how
5499 'scrollbind' windows should behave. 'sbo' stands for ScrollBind
5500 Options.
5501 The following words are available:
5502 ver Bind vertical scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5503 hor Bind horizontal scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5504 jump Applies to the offset between two windows for vertical
5505 scrolling. This offset is the difference in the first
5506 displayed line of the bound windows. When moving
5507 around in a window, another 'scrollbind' window may
5508 reach a position before the start or after the end of
5509 the buffer. The offset is not changed though, when
5510 moving back the 'scrollbind' window will try to scroll
5511 to the desired position when possible.
5512 When now making that window the current one, two
5513 things can be done with the relative offset:
5514 1. When "jump" is not included, the relative offset is
5515 adjusted for the scroll position in the new current
5516 window. When going back to the other window, the
5517 new relative offset will be used.
5518 2. When "jump" is included, the other windows are
5519 scrolled to keep the same relative offset. When
5520 going back to the other window, it still uses the
5521 same relative offset.
5522 Also see |scroll-binding|.
5523 When 'diff' mode is active there always is vertical scroll binding,
5524 even when "ver" isn't there.
5526 *'sections'* *'sect'*
5527 'sections' 'sect' string (default "SHNHH HUnhsh")
5528 global
5529 Specifies the nroff macros that separate sections. These are pairs of
5530 two letters (See |object-motions|). The default makes a section start
5531 at the nroff macros ".SH", ".NH", ".H", ".HU", ".nh" and ".sh".
5533 *'secure'* *'nosecure'* *E523*
5534 'secure' boolean (default off)
5535 global
5536 {not in Vi}
5537 When on, ":autocmd", shell and write commands are not allowed in
5538 ".vimrc" and ".exrc" in the current directory and map commands are
5539 displayed. Switch it off only if you know that you will not run into
5540 problems, or when the 'exrc' option is off. On Unix this option is
5541 only used if the ".vimrc" or ".exrc" is not owned by you. This can be
5542 dangerous if the systems allows users to do a "chown". You better set
5543 'secure' at the end of your ~/.vimrc then.
5544 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5545 security reasons.
5547 *'selection'* *'sel'*
5548 'selection' 'sel' string (default "inclusive")
5549 global
5550 {not in Vi}
5551 This option defines the behavior of the selection. It is only used
5552 in Visual and Select mode.
5553 Possible values:
5554 value past line inclusive ~
5555 old no yes
5556 inclusive yes yes
5557 exclusive yes no
5558 "past line" means that the cursor is allowed to be positioned one
5559 character past the line.
5560 "inclusive" means that the last character of the selection is included
5561 in an operation. For example, when "x" is used to delete the
5562 selection.
5563 Note that when "exclusive" is used and selecting from the end
5564 backwards, you cannot include the last character of a line, when
5565 starting in Normal mode and 'virtualedit' empty.
5567 The 'selection' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5569 *'selectmode'* *'slm'*
5570 'selectmode' 'slm' string (default "")
5571 global
5572 {not in Vi}
5573 This is a comma separated list of words, which specifies when to start
5574 Select mode instead of Visual mode, when a selection is started.
5575 Possible values:
5576 mouse when using the mouse
5577 key when using shifted special keys
5578 cmd when using "v", "V" or CTRL-V
5579 See |Select-mode|.
5580 The 'selectmode' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5582 *'sessionoptions'* *'ssop'*
5583 'sessionoptions' 'ssop' string (default: "blank,buffers,curdir,folds,
5584 help,options,tabpages,winsize")
5585 global
5586 {not in Vi}
5587 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
5588 feature}
5589 Changes the effect of the |:mksession| command. It is a comma
5590 separated list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring
5591 something:
5592 word save and restore ~
5593 blank empty windows
5594 buffers hidden and unloaded buffers, not just those in windows
5595 curdir the current directory
5596 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
5597 fold options
5598 globals global variables that start with an uppercase letter
5599 and contain at least one lowercase letter. Only
5600 String and Number types are stored.
5601 help the help window
5602 localoptions options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
5603 global values for local options)
5604 options all options and mappings (also global values for local
5605 options)
5606 resize size of the Vim window: 'lines' and 'columns'
5607 sesdir the directory in which the session file is located
5608 will become the current directory (useful with
5609 projects accessed over a network from different
5610 systems)
5611 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
5612 slashes
5613 tabpages all tab pages; without this only the current tab page
5614 is restored, so that you can make a session for each
5615 tab page separately
5616 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
5617 on Windows or DOS
5618 winpos position of the whole Vim window
5619 winsize window sizes
5621 Don't include both "curdir" and "sesdir".
5622 When neither "curdir" nor "sesdir" is included, file names are stored
5623 with absolute paths.
5624 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing session files
5625 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
5626 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
5628 *'shell'* *'sh'* *E91*
5629 'shell' 'sh' string (default $SHELL or "sh",
5630 MS-DOS and Win32: "command.com" or
5631 "cmd.exe", OS/2: "cmd")
5632 global
5633 Name of the shell to use for ! and :! commands. When changing the
5634 value also check these options: 'shelltype', 'shellpipe', 'shellslash'
5635 'shellredir', 'shellquote', 'shellxquote' and 'shellcmdflag'.
5636 It is allowed to give an argument to the command, e.g. "csh -f".
5637 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
5638 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5639 If the name of the shell contains a space, you might need to enclose
5640 it in quotes. Example: >
5641 :set shell=\"c:\program\ files\unix\sh.exe\"\ -f
5642 < Note the backslash before each quote (to avoid starting a comment) and
5643 each space (to avoid ending the option value). Also note that the
5644 "-f" is not inside the quotes, because it is not part of the command
5645 name. And Vim automagically recognizes the backslashes that are path
5646 separators.
5647 For Dos 32 bits (DJGPP), you can set the $DJSYSFLAGS environment
5648 variable to change the way external commands are executed. See the
5649 libc.inf file of DJGPP.
5650 Under MS-Windows, when the executable ends in ".com" it must be
5651 included. Thus setting the shell to "command.com" or "4dos.com"
5652 works, but "command" and "4dos" do not work for all commands (e.g.,
5653 filtering).
5654 For unknown reasons, when using "4dos.com" the current directory is
5655 changed to "C:\". To avoid this set 'shell' like this: >
5656 :set shell=command.com\ /c\ 4dos
5657 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5658 security reasons.
5660 *'shellcmdflag'* *'shcf'*
5661 'shellcmdflag' 'shcf' string (default: "-c", MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5662 does not contain "sh" somewhere: "/c")
5663 global
5664 {not in Vi}
5665 Flag passed to the shell to execute "!" and ":!" commands; e.g.,
5666 "bash.exe -c ls" or "command.com /c dir". For the MS-DOS-like
5667 systems, the default is set according to the value of 'shell', to
5668 reduce the need to set this option by the user. It's not used for
5669 OS/2 (EMX figures this out itself). See |option-backslash| about
5670 including spaces and backslashes. See |dos-shell|.
5671 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5672 security reasons.
5674 *'shellpipe'* *'sp'*
5675 'shellpipe' 'sp' string (default ">", "| tee", "|& tee" or "2>&1| tee")
5676 global
5677 {not in Vi}
5678 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
5679 feature}
5680 String to be used to put the output of the ":make" command in the
5681 error file. See also |:make_makeprg|. See |option-backslash| about
5682 including spaces and backslashes.
5683 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5684 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5685 of this option).
5686 For the Amiga and MS-DOS the default is ">". The output is directly
5687 saved in a file and not echoed to the screen.
5688 For Unix the default it "| tee". The stdout of the compiler is saved
5689 in a file and echoed to the screen. If the 'shell' option is "csh" or
5690 "tcsh" after initializations, the default becomes "|& tee". If the
5691 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh", "zsh" or "bash" the default becomes
5692 "2>&1| tee". This means that stderr is also included.
5693 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5694 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5695 there, the 'shellpipe' option changes automatically, unless it was
5696 explicitly set before.
5697 When 'shellpipe' is set to an empty string, no redirection of the
5698 ":make" output will be done. This is useful if you use a 'makeprg'
5699 that writes to 'makeef' by itself. If you want no piping, but do
5700 want to include the 'makeef', set 'shellpipe' to a single space.
5701 Don't forget to precede the space with a backslash: ":set sp=\ ".
5702 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5703 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5704 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5705 security reasons.
5707 *'shellquote'* *'shq'*
5708 'shellquote' 'shq' string (default: ""; MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5709 contains "sh" somewhere: "\"")
5710 global
5711 {not in Vi}
5712 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5713 the "!" and ":!" commands. The redirection is kept outside of the
5714 quoting. See 'shellxquote' to include the redirection. It's
5715 probably not useful to set both options.
5716 This is an empty string by default. Only known to be useful for
5717 third-party shells on MS-DOS-like systems, such as the MKS Korn Shell
5718 or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted according
5719 the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option by the
5720 user. See |dos-shell|.
5721 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5722 security reasons.
5724 *'shellredir'* *'srr'*
5725 'shellredir' 'srr' string (default ">", ">&" or ">%s 2>&1")
5726 global
5727 {not in Vi}
5728 String to be used to put the output of a filter command in a temporary
5729 file. See also |:!|. See |option-backslash| about including spaces
5730 and backslashes.
5731 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5732 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5733 of this option).
5734 The default is ">". For Unix, if the 'shell' option is "csh", "tcsh"
5735 or "zsh" during initializations, the default becomes ">&". If the
5736 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh" or "bash" the default becomes
5737 ">%s 2>&1". This means that stderr is also included.
5738 For Win32, the Unix checks are done and additionally "cmd" is checked
5739 for, which makes the default ">%s 2>&1". Also, the same names with
5740 ".exe" appended are checked for.
5741 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5742 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5743 there, the 'shellredir' option changes automatically unless it was
5744 explicitly set before.
5745 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5746 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5747 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5748 security reasons.
5750 *'shellslash'* *'ssl'* *'noshellslash'* *'nossl'*
5751 'shellslash' 'ssl' boolean (default off)
5752 global
5753 {not in Vi} {only for MSDOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
5754 When set, a forward slash is used when expanding file names. This is
5755 useful when a Unix-like shell is used instead of command.com or
5756 cmd.exe. Backward slashes can still be typed, but they are changed to
5757 forward slashes by Vim.
5758 Note that setting or resetting this option has no effect for some
5759 existing file names, thus this option needs to be set before opening
5760 any file for best results. This might change in the future.
5761 'shellslash' only works when a backslash can be used as a path
5762 separator. To test if this is so use: >
5763 if exists('+shellslash')
5764 <
5765 *'shelltemp'* *'stmp'* *'noshelltemp'* *'nostmp'*
5766 'shelltemp' 'stmp' boolean (Vi default off, Vim default on)
5767 global
5768 {not in Vi}
5769 When on, use temp files for shell commands. When off use a pipe.
5770 When using a pipe is not possible temp files are used anyway.
5771 Currently a pipe is only supported on Unix. You can check it with: >
5772 :if has("filterpipe")
5773 < The advantage of using a pipe is that nobody can read the temp file
5774 and the 'shell' command does not need to support redirection.
5775 The advantage of using a temp file is that the file type and encoding
5776 can be detected.
5777 The |FilterReadPre|, |FilterReadPost| and |FilterWritePre|,
5778 |FilterWritePost| autocommands event are not triggered when
5779 'shelltemp' is off.
5781 *'shelltype'* *'st'*
5782 'shelltype' 'st' number (default 0)
5783 global
5784 {not in Vi} {only for the Amiga}
5785 On the Amiga this option influences the way how the commands work
5786 which use a shell.
5787 0 and 1: always use the shell
5788 2 and 3: use the shell only to filter lines
5789 4 and 5: use shell only for ':sh' command
5790 When not using the shell, the command is executed directly.
5792 0 and 2: use "shell 'shellcmdflag' cmd" to start external commands
5793 1 and 3: use "shell cmd" to start external commands
5795 *'shellxquote'* *'sxq'*
5796 'shellxquote' 'sxq' string (default: "";
5797 for Win32, when 'shell' contains "sh"
5798 somewhere: "\""
5799 for Unix, when using system(): "\"")
5800 global
5801 {not in Vi}
5802 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5803 the "!" and ":!" commands. Includes the redirection. See
5804 'shellquote' to exclude the redirection. It's probably not useful
5805 to set both options.
5806 This is an empty string by default. Known to be useful for
5807 third-party shells when using the Win32 version, such as the MKS Korn
5808 Shell or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted
5809 according the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option
5810 by the user. See |dos-shell|.
5811 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5812 security reasons.
5814 *'shiftround'* *'sr'* *'noshiftround'* *'nosr'*
5815 'shiftround' 'sr' boolean (default off)
5816 global
5817 {not in Vi}
5818 Round indent to multiple of 'shiftwidth'. Applies to > and <
5819 commands. CTRL-T and CTRL-D in Insert mode always round the indent to
5820 a multiple of 'shiftwidth' (this is Vi compatible).
5821 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5823 *'shiftwidth'* *'sw'*
5824 'shiftwidth' 'sw' number (default 8)
5825 local to buffer
5826 Number of spaces to use for each step of (auto)indent. Used for
5827 |'cindent'|, |>>|, |<<|, etc.
5829 *'shortmess'* *'shm'*
5830 'shortmess' 'shm' string (Vim default "filnxtToO", Vi default: "",
5831 POSIX default: "A")
5832 global
5833 {not in Vi}
5834 This option helps to avoid all the |hit-enter| prompts caused by file
5835 messages, for example with CTRL-G, and to avoid some other messages.
5836 It is a list of flags:
5837 flag meaning when present ~
5838 f use "(3 of 5)" instead of "(file 3 of 5)"
5839 i use "[noeol]" instead of "[Incomplete last line]"
5840 l use "999L, 888C" instead of "999 lines, 888 characters"
5841 m use "[+]" instead of "[Modified]"
5842 n use "[New]" instead of "[New File]"
5843 r use "[RO]" instead of "[readonly]"
5844 w use "[w]" instead of "written" for file write message
5845 and "[a]" instead of "appended" for ':w >> file' command
5846 x use "[dos]" instead of "[dos format]", "[unix]" instead of
5847 "[unix format]" and "[mac]" instead of "[mac format]".
5848 a all of the above abbreviations
5850 o overwrite message for writing a file with subsequent message
5851 for reading a file (useful for ":wn" or when 'autowrite' on)
5852 O message for reading a file overwrites any previous message.
5853 Also for quickfix message (e.g., ":cn").
5854 s don't give "search hit BOTTOM, continuing at TOP" or "search
5855 hit TOP, continuing at BOTTOM" messages
5856 t truncate file message at the start if it is too long to fit
5857 on the command-line, "<" will appear in the left most column.
5858 Ignored in Ex mode.
5859 T truncate other messages in the middle if they are too long to
5860 fit on the command line. "..." will appear in the middle.
5861 Ignored in Ex mode.
5862 W don't give "written" or "[w]" when writing a file
5863 A don't give the "ATTENTION" message when an existing swap file
5864 is found.
5865 I don't give the intro message when starting Vim |:intro|.
5867 This gives you the opportunity to avoid that a change between buffers
5868 requires you to hit <Enter>, but still gives as useful a message as
5869 possible for the space available. To get the whole message that you
5870 would have got with 'shm' empty, use ":file!"
5871 Useful values:
5872 shm= No abbreviation of message.
5873 shm=a Abbreviation, but no loss of information.
5874 shm=at Abbreviation, and truncate message when necessary.
5876 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5877 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5879 *'shortname'* *'sn'* *'noshortname'* *'nosn'*
5880 'shortname' 'sn' boolean (default off)
5881 local to buffer
5882 {not in Vi, not in MS-DOS versions}
5883 Filenames are assumed to be 8 characters plus one extension of 3
5884 characters. Multiple dots in file names are not allowed. When this
5885 option is on, dots in file names are replaced with underscores when
5886 adding an extension (".~" or ".swp"). This option is not available
5887 for MS-DOS, because then it would always be on. This option is useful
5888 when editing files on an MS-DOS compatible filesystem, e.g., messydos
5889 or crossdos. When running the Win32 GUI version under Win32s, this
5890 option is always on by default.
5892 *'showbreak'* *'sbr'* *E595*
5893 'showbreak' 'sbr' string (default "")
5894 global
5895 {not in Vi}
5896 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
5897 feature}
5898 String to put at the start of lines that have been wrapped. Useful
5899 values are "> " or "+++ ".
5900 Only printable single-cell characters are allowed, excluding <Tab> and
5901 comma (in a future version the comma might be used to separate the
5902 part that is shown at the end and at the start of a line).
5903 The characters are highlighted according to the '@' flag in
5904 'highlight'.
5905 Note that tabs after the showbreak will be displayed differently.
5906 If you want the 'showbreak' to appear in between line numbers, add the
5907 "n" flag to 'cpoptions'.
5909 *'showcmd'* *'sc'* *'noshowcmd'* *'nosc'*
5910 'showcmd' 'sc' boolean (Vim default: on, off for Unix, Vi default:
5911 off)
5912 global
5913 {not in Vi}
5914 {not available when compiled without the
5915 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5916 Show (partial) command in the last line of the screen. Set this
5917 option off if your terminal is slow.
5918 In Visual mode the size of the selected area is shown:
5919 - When selecting characters within a line, the number of characters.
5920 - When selecting more than one line, the number of lines.
5921 - When selecting a block, the size in screen characters:
5922 {lines}x{columns}.
5923 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5924 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5926 *'showfulltag'* *'sft'* *'noshowfulltag'* *'nosft'*
5927 'showfulltag' 'sft' boolean (default off)
5928 global
5929 {not in Vi}
5930 When completing a word in insert mode (see |ins-completion|) from the
5931 tags file, show both the tag name and a tidied-up form of the search
5932 pattern (if there is one) as possible matches. Thus, if you have
5933 matched a C function, you can see a template for what arguments are
5934 required (coding style permitting).
5935 Note that this doesn't work well together with having "longest" in
5936 'completeopt', because the completion from the search pattern may not
5937 match the typed text.
5939 *'showmatch'* *'sm'* *'noshowmatch'* *'nosm'*
5940 'showmatch' 'sm' boolean (default off)
5941 global
5942 When a bracket is inserted, briefly jump to the matching one. The
5943 jump is only done if the match can be seen on the screen. The time to
5944 show the match can be set with 'matchtime'.
5945 A Beep is given if there is no match (no matter if the match can be
5946 seen or not). This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5947 When the 'm' flag is not included in 'cpoptions', typing a character
5948 will immediately move the cursor back to where it belongs.
5949 See the "sm" field in 'guicursor' for setting the cursor shape and
5950 blinking when showing the match.
5951 The 'matchpairs' option can be used to specify the characters to show
5952 matches for. 'rightleft' and 'revins' are used to look for opposite
5953 matches.
5954 Also see the matchparen plugin for highlighting the match when moving
5955 around |pi_paren.txt|.
5956 Note: Use of the short form is rated PG.
5958 *'showmode'* *'smd'* *'noshowmode'* *'nosmd'*
5959 'showmode' 'smd' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
5960 global
5961 If in Insert, Replace or Visual mode put a message on the last line.
5962 Use the 'M' flag in 'highlight' to set the type of highlighting for
5963 this message.
5964 When |XIM| may be used the message will include "XIM". But this
5965 doesn't mean XIM is really active, especially when 'imactivatekey' is
5966 not set.
5967 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5968 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5970 *'showtabline'* *'stal'*
5971 'showtabline' 'stal' number (default 1)
5972 global
5973 {not in Vi}
5974 {not available when compiled without the +windows
5975 feature}
5976 The value of this option specifies when the line with tab page labels
5977 will be displayed:
5978 0: never
5979 1: only if there are at least two tab pages
5980 2: always
5981 This is both for the GUI and non-GUI implementation of the tab pages
5982 line.
5983 See |tab-page| for more information about tab pages.
5985 *'sidescroll'* *'ss'*
5986 'sidescroll' 'ss' number (default 0)
5987 global
5988 {not in Vi}
5989 The minimal number of columns to scroll horizontally. Used only when
5990 the 'wrap' option is off and the cursor is moved off of the screen.
5991 When it is zero the cursor will be put in the middle of the screen.
5992 When using a slow terminal set it to a large number or 0. When using
5993 a fast terminal use a small number or 1. Not used for "zh" and "zl"
5994 commands.
5996 *'sidescrolloff'* *'siso'*
5997 'sidescrolloff' 'siso' number (default 0)
5998 global
5999 {not in Vi}
6000 The minimal number of screen columns to keep to the left and to the
6001 right of the cursor if 'nowrap' is set. Setting this option to a
6002 value greater than 0 while having |'sidescroll'| also at a non-zero
6003 value makes some context visible in the line you are scrolling in
6004 horizontally (except at beginning of the line). Setting this option
6005 to a large value (like 999) has the effect of keeping the cursor
6006 horizontally centered in the window, as long as one does not come too
6007 close to the beginning of the line.
6008 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6010 Example: Try this together with 'sidescroll' and 'listchars' as
6011 in the following example to never allow the cursor to move
6012 onto the "extends" character:
6014 :set nowrap sidescroll=1 listchars=extends:>,precedes:<
6015 :set sidescrolloff=1
6018 *'smartcase'* *'scs'* *'nosmartcase'* *'noscs'*
6019 'smartcase' 'scs' boolean (default off)
6020 global
6021 {not in Vi}
6022 Override the 'ignorecase' option if the search pattern contains upper
6023 case characters. Only used when the search pattern is typed and
6024 'ignorecase' option is on. Used for the commands "/", "?", "n", "N",
6025 ":g" and ":s". Not used for "*", "#", "gd", tag search, etc.. After
6026 "*" and "#" you can make 'smartcase' used by doing a "/" command,
6027 recalling the search pattern from history and hitting <Enter>.
6028 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6030 *'smartindent'* *'si'* *'nosmartindent'* *'nosi'*
6031 'smartindent' 'si' boolean (default off)
6032 local to buffer
6033 {not in Vi}
6034 {not available when compiled without the
6035 |+smartindent| feature}
6036 Do smart autoindenting when starting a new line. Works for C-like
6037 programs, but can also be used for other languages. 'cindent' does
6038 something like this, works better in most cases, but is more strict,
6039 see |C-indenting|. When 'cindent' is on, setting 'si' has no effect.
6040 'indentexpr' is a more advanced alternative.
6041 Normally 'autoindent' should also be on when using 'smartindent'.
6042 An indent is automatically inserted:
6043 - After a line ending in '{'.
6044 - After a line starting with a keyword from 'cinwords'.
6045 - Before a line starting with '}' (only with the "O" command).
6046 When typing '}' as the first character in a new line, that line is
6047 given the same indent as the matching '{'.
6048 When typing '#' as the first character in a new line, the indent for
6049 that line is removed, the '#' is put in the first column. The indent
6050 is restored for the next line. If you don't want this, use this
6051 mapping: ":inoremap # X^H#", where ^H is entered with CTRL-V CTRL-H.
6052 When using the ">>" command, lines starting with '#' are not shifted
6053 right.
6054 NOTE: 'smartindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set. When 'paste'
6055 is set smart indenting is disabled.
6057 *'smarttab'* *'sta'* *'nosmarttab'* *'nosta'*
6058 'smarttab' 'sta' boolean (default off)
6059 global
6060 {not in Vi}
6061 When on, a <Tab> in front of a line inserts blanks according to
6062 'shiftwidth'. 'tabstop' or 'softtabstop' is used in other places. A
6063 <BS> will delete a 'shiftwidth' worth of space at the start of the
6064 line.
6065 When off, a <Tab> always inserts blanks according to 'tabstop' or
6066 'softtabstop'. 'shiftwidth' is only used for shifting text left or
6067 right |shift-left-right|.
6068 What gets inserted (a <Tab> or spaces) depends on the 'expandtab'
6069 option. Also see |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the
6070 number of spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6071 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6073 *'softtabstop'* *'sts'*
6074 'softtabstop' 'sts' number (default 0)
6075 local to buffer
6076 {not in Vi}
6077 Number of spaces that a <Tab> counts for while performing editing
6078 operations, like inserting a <Tab> or using <BS>. It "feels" like
6079 <Tab>s are being inserted, while in fact a mix of spaces and <Tab>s is
6080 used. This is useful to keep the 'ts' setting at its standard value
6081 of 8, while being able to edit like it is set to 'sts'. However,
6082 commands like "x" still work on the actual characters.
6083 When 'sts' is zero, this feature is off.
6084 'softtabstop' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set.
6085 See also |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the number of
6086 spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6087 The 'L' flag in 'cpoptions' changes how tabs are used when 'list' is
6088 set.
6089 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6091 *'spell'* *'nospell'*
6092 'spell' boolean (default off)
6093 local to window
6094 {not in Vi}
6095 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6096 feature}
6097 When on spell checking will be done. See |spell|.
6098 The languages are specified with 'spelllang'.
6100 *'spellcapcheck'* *'spc'*
6101 'spellcapcheck' 'spc' string (default "[.?!]\_[\])'" \t]\+")
6102 local to buffer
6103 {not in Vi}
6104 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6105 feature}
6106 Pattern to locate the end of a sentence. The following word will be
6107 checked to start with a capital letter. If not then it is highlighted
6108 with SpellCap |hl-SpellCap| (unless the word is also badly spelled).
6109 When this check is not wanted make this option empty.
6110 Only used when 'spell' is set.
6111 Be careful with special characters, see |option-backslash| about
6112 including spaces and backslashes.
6113 To set this option automatically depending on the language, see
6114 |set-spc-auto|.
6116 *'spellfile'* *'spf'*
6117 'spellfile' 'spf' string (default empty)
6118 local to buffer
6119 {not in Vi}
6120 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6121 feature}
6122 Name of the word list file where words are added for the |zg| and |zw|
6123 commands. It must end in ".{encoding}.add". You need to include the
6124 path, otherwise the file is placed in the current directory.
6125 *E765*
6126 It may also be a comma separated list of names. A count before the
6127 |zg| and |zw| commands can be used to access each. This allows using
6128 a personal word list file and a project word list file.
6129 When a word is added while this option is empty Vim will set it for
6130 you: Using the first directory in 'runtimepath' that is writable. If
6131 there is no "spell" directory yet it will be created. For the file
6132 name the first language name that appears in 'spelllang' is used,
6133 ignoring the region.
6134 The resulting ".spl" file will be used for spell checking, it does not
6135 have to appear in 'spelllang'.
6136 Normally one file is used for all regions, but you can add the region
6137 name if you want to. However, it will then only be used when
6138 'spellfile' is set to it, for entries in 'spelllang' only files
6139 without region name will be found.
6140 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6141 security reasons.
6143 *'spelllang'* *'spl'*
6144 'spelllang' 'spl' string (default "en")
6145 local to buffer
6146 {not in Vi}
6147 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6148 feature}
6149 A comma separated list of word list names. When the 'spell' option is
6150 on spellchecking will be done for these languages. Example: >
6151 set spelllang=en_us,nl,medical
6152 < This means US English, Dutch and medical words are recognized. Words
6153 that are not recognized will be highlighted.
6154 The word list name must not include a comma or dot. Using a dash is
6155 recommended to separate the two letter language name from a
6156 specification. Thus "en-rare" is used for rare English words.
6157 A region name must come last and have the form "_xx", where "xx" is
6158 the two-letter, lower case region name. You can use more than one
6159 region by listing them: "en_us,en_ca" supports both US and Canadian
6160 English, but not words specific for Australia, New Zealand or Great
6161 Britain.
6162 *E757*
6163 As a special case the name of a .spl file can be given as-is. The
6164 first "_xx" in the name is removed and used as the region name
6165 (_xx is an underscore, two letters and followed by a non-letter).
6166 This is mainly for testing purposes. You must make sure the correct
6167 encoding is used, Vim doesn't check it.
6168 When 'encoding' is set the word lists are reloaded. Thus it's a good
6169 idea to set 'spelllang' after setting 'encoding' to avoid loading the
6170 files twice.
6171 How the related spell files are found is explained here: |spell-load|.
6173 If the |spellfile.vim| plugin is active and you use a language name
6174 for which Vim cannot find the .spl file in 'runtimepath' the plugin
6175 will ask you if you want to download the file.
6177 After this option has been set successfully, Vim will source the files
6178 "spell/LANG.vim" in 'runtimepath'. "LANG" is the value of 'spelllang'
6179 up to the first comma, dot or underscore.
6180 Also see |set-spc-auto|.
6183 *'spellsuggest'* *'sps'*
6184 'spellsuggest' 'sps' string (default "best")
6185 global
6186 {not in Vi}
6187 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6188 feature}
6189 Methods used for spelling suggestions. Both for the |z=| command and
6190 the |spellsuggest()| function. This is a comma-separated list of
6191 items:
6193 best Internal method that works best for English. Finds
6194 changes like "fast" and uses a bit of sound-a-like
6195 scoring to improve the ordering.
6197 double Internal method that uses two methods and mixes the
6198 results. The first method is "fast", the other method
6199 computes how much the suggestion sounds like the bad
6200 word. That only works when the language specifies
6201 sound folding. Can be slow and doesn't always give
6202 better results.
6204 fast Internal method that only checks for simple changes:
6205 character inserts/deletes/swaps. Works well for
6206 simple typing mistakes.
6208 {number} The maximum number of suggestions listed for |z=|.
6209 Not used for |spellsuggest()|. The number of
6210 suggestions is never more than the value of 'lines'
6211 minus two.
6213 file:{filename} Read file {filename}, which must have two columns,
6214 separated by a slash. The first column contains the
6215 bad word, the second column the suggested good word.
6216 Example:
6217 theribal/terrible ~
6218 Use this for common mistakes that do not appear at the
6219 top of the suggestion list with the internal methods.
6220 Lines without a slash are ignored, use this for
6221 comments.
6222 The file is used for all languages.
6224 expr:{expr} Evaluate expression {expr}. Use a function to avoid
6225 trouble with spaces. |v:val| holds the badly spelled
6226 word. The expression must evaluate to a List of
6227 Lists, each with a suggestion and a score.
6228 Example:
6229 [['the', 33], ['that', 44]]
6230 Set 'verbose' and use |z=| to see the scores that the
6231 internal methods use. A lower score is better.
6232 This may invoke |spellsuggest()| if you temporarily
6233 set 'spellsuggest' to exclude the "expr:" part.
6234 Errors are silently ignored, unless you set the
6235 'verbose' option to a non-zero value.
6237 Only one of "best", "double" or "fast" may be used. The others may
6238 appear several times in any order. Example: >
6239 :set sps=file:~/.vim/sugg,best,expr:MySuggest()
6240 <
6241 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6242 security reasons.
6245 *'splitbelow'* *'sb'* *'nosplitbelow'* *'nosb'*
6246 'splitbelow' 'sb' boolean (default off)
6247 global
6248 {not in Vi}
6249 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6250 feature}
6251 When on, splitting a window will put the new window below the current
6252 one. |:split|
6254 *'splitright'* *'spr'* *'nosplitright'* *'nospr'*
6255 'splitright' 'spr' boolean (default off)
6256 global
6257 {not in Vi}
6258 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
6259 feature}
6260 When on, splitting a window will put the new window right of the
6261 current one. |:vsplit|
6263 *'startofline'* *'sol'* *'nostartofline'* *'nosol'*
6264 'startofline' 'sol' boolean (default on)
6265 global
6266 {not in Vi}
6267 When "on" the commands listed below move the cursor to the first
6268 non-blank of the line. When off the cursor is kept in the same column
6269 (if possible). This applies to the commands: CTRL-D, CTRL-U, CTRL-B,
6270 CTRL-F, "G", "H", "M", "L", gg, and to the commands "d", "<<" and ">>"
6271 with a linewise operator, with "%" with a count and to buffer changing
6272 commands (CTRL-^, :bnext, :bNext, etc.). Also for an Ex command that
6273 only has a line number, e.g., ":25" or ":+".
6274 In case of buffer changing commands the cursor is placed at the column
6275 where it was the last time the buffer was edited.
6276 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
6278 *'statusline'* *'stl'* *E540* *E541* *E542*
6279 'statusline' 'stl' string (default empty)
6280 global or local to window |global-local|
6281 {not in Vi}
6282 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
6283 feature}
6284 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the status line.
6285 Also see |status-line|.
6287 The option consists of printf style '%' items interspersed with
6288 normal text. Each status line item is of the form:
6289 %-0{minwid}.{maxwid}{item}
6290 All fields except the {item} is optional. A single percent sign can
6291 be given as "%%". Up to 80 items can be specified.
6293 When the option starts with "%!" then it is used as an expression,
6294 evaluated and the result is used as the option value. Example: >
6295 :set statusline=%!MyStatusLine()
6296 < The result can contain %{} items that will be evaluated too.
6298 When there is error while evaluating the option then it will be made
6299 empty to avoid further errors. Otherwise screen updating would loop.
6301 Note that the only effect of 'ruler' when this option is set (and
6302 'laststatus' is 2) is controlling the output of |CTRL-G|.
6304 field meaning ~
6305 - Left justify the item. The default is right justified
6306 when minwid is larger than the length of the item.
6307 0 Leading zeroes in numeric items. Overridden by '-'.
6308 minwid Minimum width of the item, padding as set by '-' & '0'.
6309 Value must be 50 or less.
6310 maxwid Maximum width of the item. Truncation occurs with a '<'
6311 on the left for text items. Numeric items will be
6312 shifted down to maxwid-2 digits followed by '>'number
6313 where number is the amount of missing digits, much like
6314 an exponential notation.
6315 item A one letter code as described below.
6317 Following is a description of the possible statusline items. The
6318 second character in "item" is the type:
6319 N for number
6320 S for string
6321 F for flags as described below
6322 - not applicable
6324 item meaning ~
6325 f S Path to the file in the buffer, as typed or relative to current
6326 directory.
6327 F S Full path to the file in the buffer.
6328 t S File name (tail) of file in the buffer.
6329 m F Modified flag, text is "[+]"; "[-]" if 'modifiable' is off.
6330 M F Modified flag, text is ",+" or ",-".
6331 r F Readonly flag, text is "[RO]".
6332 R F Readonly flag, text is ",RO".
6333 h F Help buffer flag, text is "[help]".
6334 H F Help buffer flag, text is ",HLP".
6335 w F Preview window flag, text is "[Preview]".
6336 W F Preview window flag, text is ",PRV".
6337 y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., "[vim]". See 'filetype'.
6338 Y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., ",VIM". See 'filetype'.
6339 {not available when compiled without |+autocmd| feature}
6340 k S Value of "b:keymap_name" or 'keymap' when |:lmap| mappings are
6341 being used: "<keymap>"
6342 n N Buffer number.
6343 b N Value of byte under cursor.
6344 B N As above, in hexadecimal.
6345 o N Byte number in file of byte under cursor, first byte is 1.
6346 Mnemonic: Offset from start of file (with one added)
6347 {not available when compiled without |+byte_offset| feature}
6348 O N As above, in hexadecimal.
6349 N N Printer page number. (Only works in the 'printheader' option.)
6350 l N Line number.
6351 L N Number of lines in buffer.
6352 c N Column number.
6353 v N Virtual column number.
6354 V N Virtual column number as -{num}. Not displayed if equal to 'c'.
6355 p N Percentage through file in lines as in |CTRL-G|.
6356 P S Percentage through file of displayed window. This is like the
6357 percentage described for 'ruler'. Always 3 in length.
6358 a S Argument list status as in default title. ({current} of {max})
6359 Empty if the argument file count is zero or one.
6360 { NF Evaluate expression between '%{' and '}' and substitute result.
6361 Note that there is no '%' before the closing '}'.
6362 ( - Start of item group. Can be used for setting the width and
6363 alignment of a section. Must be followed by %) somewhere.
6364 ) - End of item group. No width fields allowed.
6365 T N For 'tabline': start of tab page N label. Use %T after the last
6366 label. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6367 X N For 'tabline': start of close tab N label. Use %X after the
6368 label, e.g.: %3Xclose%X. Use %999X for a "close current tab"
6369 mark. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6370 < - Where to truncate line if too long. Default is at the start.
6371 No width fields allowed.
6372 = - Separation point between left and right aligned items.
6373 No width fields allowed.
6374 # - Set highlight group. The name must follow and then a # again.
6375 Thus use %#HLname# for highlight group HLname. The same
6376 highlighting is used, also for the statusline of non-current
6377 windows.
6378 * - Set highlight group to User{N}, where {N} is taken from the
6379 minwid field, e.g. %1*. Restore normal highlight with %* or %0*.
6380 The difference between User{N} and StatusLine will be applied
6381 to StatusLineNC for the statusline of non-current windows.
6382 The number N must be between 1 and 9. See |hl-User1..9|
6384 When displaying a flag, Vim removes the leading comma, if any, when
6385 that flag comes right after plaintext. This will make a nice display
6386 when flags are used like in the examples below.
6388 When all items in a group becomes an empty string (i.e. flags that are
6389 not set) and a minwid is not set for the group, the whole group will
6390 become empty. This will make a group like the following disappear
6391 completely from the statusline when none of the flags are set. >
6392 :set statusline=...%(\ [%M%R%H]%)...
6393 <
6394 Beware that an expression is evaluated each and every time the status
6395 line is displayed. The current buffer and current window will be set
6396 temporarily to that of the window (and buffer) whose statusline is
6397 currently being drawn. The expression will evaluate in this context.
6398 The variable "actual_curbuf" is set to the 'bufnr()' number of the
6399 real current buffer.
6401 The 'statusline' option may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
6402 |sandbox-option|.
6404 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
6405 evaluating 'statusline' |textlock|.
6407 If the statusline is not updated when you want it (e.g., after setting
6408 a variable that's used in an expression), you can force an update by
6409 setting an option without changing its value. Example: >
6410 :let &ro = &ro
6412 < A result of all digits is regarded a number for display purposes.
6413 Otherwise the result is taken as flag text and applied to the rules
6414 described above.
6416 Watch out for errors in expressions. They may render Vim unusable!
6417 If you are stuck, hold down ':' or 'Q' to get a prompt, then quit and
6418 edit your .vimrc or whatever with "vim -u NONE" to get it right.
6420 Examples:
6421 Emulate standard status line with 'ruler' set >
6422 :set statusline=%<%f\ %h%m%r%=%-14.(%l,%c%V%)\ %P
6423 < Similar, but add ASCII value of char under the cursor (like "ga") >
6424 :set statusline=%<%f%h%m%r%=%b\ 0x%B\ \ %l,%c%V\ %P
6425 < Display byte count and byte value, modified flag in red. >
6426 :set statusline=%<%f%=\ [%1*%M%*%n%R%H]\ %-19(%3l,%02c%03V%)%O'%02b'
6427 :hi User1 term=inverse,bold cterm=inverse,bold ctermfg=red
6428 < Display a ,GZ flag if a compressed file is loaded >
6429 :set statusline=...%r%{VarExists('b:gzflag','\ [GZ]')}%h...
6430 < In the |:autocmd|'s: >
6431 :let b:gzflag = 1
6432 < And: >
6433 :unlet b:gzflag
6434 < And define this function: >
6435 :function VarExists(var, val)
6436 : if exists(a:var) | return a:val | else | return '' | endif
6437 :endfunction
6438 <
6439 *'suffixes'* *'su'*
6440 'suffixes' 'su' string (default ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj")
6441 global
6442 {not in Vi}
6443 Files with these suffixes get a lower priority when multiple files
6444 match a wildcard. See |suffixes|. Commas can be used to separate the
6445 suffixes. Spaces after the comma are ignored. A dot is also seen as
6446 the start of a suffix. To avoid a dot or comma being recognized as a
6447 separator, precede it with a backslash (see |option-backslash| about
6448 including spaces and backslashes).
6449 See 'wildignore' for completely ignoring files.
6450 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6451 suffixes from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6452 uses another default.
6454 *'suffixesadd'* *'sua'*
6455 'suffixesadd' 'sua' string (default "")
6456 local to buffer
6457 {not in Vi}
6458 {not available when compiled without the
6459 |+file_in_path| feature}
6460 Comma separated list of suffixes, which are used when searching for a
6461 file for the "gf", "[I", etc. commands. Example: >
6462 :set suffixesadd=.java
6463 <
6464 *'swapfile'* *'swf'* *'noswapfile'* *'noswf'*
6465 'swapfile' 'swf' boolean (default on)
6466 local to buffer
6467 {not in Vi}
6468 Use a swapfile for the buffer. This option can be reset when a
6469 swapfile is not wanted for a specific buffer. For example, with
6470 confidential information that even root must not be able to access.
6471 Careful: All text will be in memory:
6472 - Don't use this for big files.
6473 - Recovery will be impossible!
6474 A swapfile will only be present when |'updatecount'| is non-zero and
6475 'swapfile' is set.
6476 When 'swapfile' is reset, the swap file for the current buffer is
6477 immediately deleted. When 'swapfile' is set, and 'updatecount' is
6478 non-zero, a swap file is immediately created.
6479 Also see |swap-file| and |'swapsync'|.
6481 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'buftype' to
6482 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
6484 *'swapsync'* *'sws'*
6485 'swapsync' 'sws' string (default "fsync")
6486 global
6487 {not in Vi}
6488 When this option is not empty a swap file is synced to disk after
6489 writing to it. This takes some time, especially on busy unix systems.
6490 When this option is empty parts of the swap file may be in memory and
6491 not written to disk. When the system crashes you may lose more work.
6492 On Unix the system does a sync now and then without Vim asking for it,
6493 so the disadvantage of setting this option off is small. On some
6494 systems the swap file will not be written at all. For a unix system
6495 setting it to "sync" will use the sync() call instead of the default
6496 fsync(), which may work better on some systems.
6497 The 'fsync' option is used for the actual file.
6499 *'switchbuf'* *'swb'*
6500 'switchbuf' 'swb' string (default "")
6501 global
6502 {not in Vi}
6503 This option controls the behavior when switching between buffers.
6504 Possible values (comma separated list):
6505 useopen If included, jump to the first open window that
6506 contains the specified buffer (if there is one).
6507 Otherwise: Do not examine other windows.
6508 This setting is checked with |quickfix| commands, when
6509 jumping to errors (":cc", ":cn", "cp", etc.). It is
6510 also used in all buffer related split commands, for
6511 example ":sbuffer", ":sbnext", or ":sbrewind".
6512 usetab Like "useopen", but also consider windows in other tab
6513 pages.
6514 split If included, split the current window before loading
6515 a buffer. Otherwise: do not split, use current window.
6516 Supported in |quickfix| commands that display errors.
6517 newtab Like "split", but open a new tab page. Overrules
6518 "split" when both are present.
6520 *'synmaxcol'* *'smc'*
6521 'synmaxcol' 'smc' number (default 3000)
6522 local to buffer
6523 {not in Vi}
6524 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6525 feature}
6526 Maximum column in which to search for syntax items. In long lines the
6527 text after this column is not highlighted and following lines may not
6528 be highlighted correctly, because the syntax state is cleared.
6529 This helps to avoid very slow redrawing for an XML file that is one
6530 long line.
6531 Set to zero to remove the limit.
6533 *'syntax'* *'syn'*
6534 'syntax' 'syn' string (default empty)
6535 local to buffer
6536 {not in Vi}
6537 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6538 feature}
6539 When this option is set, the syntax with this name is loaded, unless
6540 syntax highlighting has been switched off with ":syntax off".
6541 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current syntax (the
6542 b:current_syntax variable does).
6543 This option is most useful in a modeline, for a file which syntax is
6544 not automatically recognized. Example, in an IDL file:
6545 /* vim: set syntax=idl : */ ~
6546 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
6547 names. Example:
6548 /* vim: set syntax=c.doxygen : */ ~
6549 This will use the "c" syntax first, then the "doxygen" syntax.
6550 Note that the second one must be prepared to be loaded as an addition,
6551 otherwise it will be skipped. More than one dot may appear.
6552 To switch off syntax highlighting for the current file, use: >
6553 :set syntax=OFF
6554 < To switch syntax highlighting on according to the current value of the
6555 'filetype' option: >
6556 :set syntax=ON
6557 < What actually happens when setting the 'syntax' option is that the
6558 Syntax autocommand event is triggered with the value as argument.
6559 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
6560 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
6561 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
6563 *'tabline'* *'tal'*
6564 'tabline' 'tal' string (default empty)
6565 global
6566 {not in Vi}
6567 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6568 feature}
6569 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the tab pages
6570 line at the top of the Vim window. When empty Vim will use a default
6571 tab pages line. See |setting-tabline| for more info.
6573 The tab pages line only appears as specified with the 'showtabline'
6574 option and only when there is no GUI tab line. When 'e' is in
6575 'guioptions' and the GUI supports a tab line 'guitablabel' is used
6576 instead.
6578 The value is evaluated like with 'statusline'. You can use
6579 |tabpagenr()|, |tabpagewinnr()| and |tabpagebuflist()| to figure out
6580 the text to be displayed. Use "%1T" for the first label, "%2T" for
6581 the second one, etc. Use "%X" items for closing labels.
6583 Keep in mind that only one of the tab pages is the current one, others
6584 are invisible and you can't jump to their windows.
6587 *'tabpagemax'* *'tpm'*
6588 'tabpagemax' 'tpm' number (default 10)
6589 global
6590 {not in Vi}
6591 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6592 feature}
6593 Maximum number of tab pages to be opened by the |-p| command line
6594 argument or the ":tab all" command. |tabpage|
6597 *'tabstop'* *'ts'*
6598 'tabstop' 'ts' number (default 8)
6599 local to buffer
6600 Number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for. Also see
6601 |:retab| command, and 'softtabstop' option.
6603 Note: Setting 'tabstop' to any other value than 8 can make your file
6604 appear wrong in many places (e.g., when printing it).
6606 There are four main ways to use tabs in Vim:
6607 1. Always keep 'tabstop' at 8, set 'softtabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to 4
6608 (or 3 or whatever you prefer) and use 'noexpandtab'. Then Vim
6609 will use a mix of tabs and spaces, but typing <Tab> and <BS> will
6610 behave like a tab appears every 4 (or 3) characters.
6611 2. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use
6612 'expandtab'. This way you will always insert spaces. The
6613 formatting will never be messed up when 'tabstop' is changed.
6614 3. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use a
6615 |modeline| to set these values when editing the file again. Only
6616 works when using Vim to edit the file.
6617 4. Always set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to the same value, and
6618 'noexpandtab'. This should then work (for initial indents only)
6619 for any tabstop setting that people use. It might be nice to have
6620 tabs after the first non-blank inserted as spaces if you do this
6621 though. Otherwise aligned comments will be wrong when 'tabstop' is
6622 changed.
6624 *'tagbsearch'* *'tbs'* *'notagbsearch'* *'notbs'*
6625 'tagbsearch' 'tbs' boolean (default on)
6626 global
6627 {not in Vi}
6628 When searching for a tag (e.g., for the |:ta| command), Vim can either
6629 use a binary search or a linear search in a tags file. Binary
6630 searching makes searching for a tag a LOT faster, but a linear search
6631 will find more tags if the tags file wasn't properly sorted.
6632 Vim normally assumes that your tags files are sorted, or indicate that
6633 they are not sorted. Only when this is not the case does the
6634 'tagbsearch' option need to be switched off.
6636 When 'tagbsearch' is on, binary searching is first used in the tags
6637 files. In certain situations, Vim will do a linear search instead for
6638 certain files, or retry all files with a linear search. When
6639 'tagbsearch' is off, only a linear search is done.
6641 Linear searching is done anyway, for one file, when Vim finds a line
6642 at the start of the file indicating that it's not sorted: >
6643 !_TAG_FILE_SORTED 0 /some comment/
6644 < [The whitespace before and after the '0' must be a single <Tab>]
6646 When a binary search was done and no match was found in any of the
6647 files listed in 'tags', and 'ignorecase' is set or a pattern is used
6648 instead of a normal tag name, a retry is done with a linear search.
6649 Tags in unsorted tags files, and matches with different case will only
6650 be found in the retry.
6652 If a tag file indicates that it is case-fold sorted, the second,
6653 linear search can be avoided for the 'ignorecase' case. Use a value
6654 of '2' in the "!_TAG_FILE_SORTED" line for this. A tag file can be
6655 case-fold sorted with the -f switch to "sort" in most unices, as in
6656 the command: "sort -f -o tags tags". For "Exuberant ctags" version
6657 5.3 or higher the -f or --fold-case-sort switch can be used for this
6658 as well. Note that case must be folded to uppercase for this to work.
6660 When 'tagbsearch' is off, tags searching is slower when a full match
6661 exists, but faster when no full match exists. Tags in unsorted tags
6662 files may only be found with 'tagbsearch' off.
6663 When the tags file is not sorted, or sorted in a wrong way (not on
6664 ASCII byte value), 'tagbsearch' should be off, or the line given above
6665 must be included in the tags file.
6666 This option doesn't affect commands that find all matching tags (e.g.,
6667 command-line completion and ":help").
6668 {Vi: always uses binary search in some versions}
6670 *'taglength'* *'tl'*
6671 'taglength' 'tl' number (default 0)
6672 global
6673 If non-zero, tags are significant up to this number of characters.
6675 *'tagrelative'* *'tr'* *'notagrelative'* *'notr'*
6676 'tagrelative' 'tr' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6677 global
6678 {not in Vi}
6679 If on and using a tags file in another directory, file names in that
6680 tags file are relative to the directory where the tags file is.
6681 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6682 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6684 *'tags'* *'tag'* *E433*
6685 'tags' 'tag' string (default "./tags,tags", when compiled with
6686 |+emacs_tags|: "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS")
6687 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6688 Filenames for the tag command, separated by spaces or commas. To
6689 include a space or comma in a file name, precede it with a backslash
6690 (see |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes).
6691 When a file name starts with "./", the '.' is replaced with the path
6692 of the current file. But only when the 'd' flag is not included in
6693 'cpoptions'. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. Also see
6694 |tags-option|.
6695 "*", "**" and other wildcards can be used to search for tags files in
6696 a directory tree. See |file-searching|. {not available when compiled
6697 without the |+path_extra| feature}
6698 The |tagfiles()| function can be used to get a list of the file names
6699 actually used.
6700 If Vim was compiled with the |+emacs_tags| feature, Emacs-style tag
6701 files are also supported. They are automatically recognized. The
6702 default value becomes "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS", unless case
6703 differences are ignored (MS-Windows). |emacs-tags|
6704 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6705 file names from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6706 uses another default.
6707 {Vi: default is "tags /usr/lib/tags"}
6709 *'tagstack'* *'tgst'* *'notagstack'* *'notgst'*
6710 'tagstack' 'tgst' boolean (default on)
6711 global
6712 {not in all versions of Vi}
6713 When on, the |tagstack| is used normally. When off, a ":tag" or
6714 ":tselect" command with an argument will not push the tag onto the
6715 tagstack. A following ":tag" without an argument, a ":pop" command or
6716 any other command that uses the tagstack will use the unmodified
6717 tagstack, but does change the pointer to the active entry.
6718 Resetting this option is useful when using a ":tag" command in a
6719 mapping which should not change the tagstack.
6721 *'term'* *E529* *E530* *E531*
6722 'term' string (default is $TERM, if that fails:
6723 in the GUI: "builtin_gui"
6724 on Amiga: "amiga"
6725 on BeOS: "beos-ansi"
6726 on Mac: "mac-ansi"
6727 on MiNT: "vt52"
6728 on MS-DOS: "pcterm"
6729 on OS/2: "os2ansi"
6730 on Unix: "ansi"
6731 on VMS: "ansi"
6732 on Win 32: "win32")
6733 global
6734 Name of the terminal. Used for choosing the terminal control
6735 characters. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
6736 For example: >
6737 :set term=$TERM
6738 < See |termcap|.
6740 *'termbidi'* *'tbidi'*
6741 *'notermbidi'* *'notbidi'*
6742 'termbidi' 'tbidi' boolean (default off, on for "mlterm")
6743 global
6744 {not in Vi}
6745 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
6746 feature}
6747 The terminal is in charge of Bi-directionality of text (as specified
6748 by Unicode). The terminal is also expected to do the required shaping
6749 that some languages (such as Arabic) require.
6750 Setting this option implies that 'rightleft' will not be set when
6751 'arabic' is set and the value of 'arabicshape' will be ignored.
6752 Note that setting 'termbidi' has the immediate effect that
6753 'arabicshape' is ignored, but 'rightleft' isn't changed automatically.
6754 This option is reset when the GUI is started.
6755 For further details see |arabic.txt|.
6757 *'termencoding'* *'tenc'*
6758 'termencoding' 'tenc' string (default ""; with GTK+ 2 GUI: "utf-8"; with
6759 Macintosh GUI: "macroman")
6760 global
6761 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
6762 feature}
6763 {not in Vi}
6764 Encoding used for the terminal. This specifies what character
6765 encoding the keyboard produces and the display will understand. For
6766 the GUI it only applies to the keyboard ('encoding' is used for the
6767 display). Except for the Mac when 'macatsui' is off, then
6768 'termencoding' should be "macroman".
6769 In the Win32 console version the default value is the console codepage
6770 when it differs from the ANSI codepage.
6771 *E617*
6772 Note: This does not apply to the GTK+ 2 GUI. After the GUI has been
6773 successfully initialized, 'termencoding' is forcibly set to "utf-8".
6774 Any attempts to set a different value will be rejected, and an error
6775 message is shown.
6776 For the Win32 GUI 'termencoding' is not used for typed characters,
6777 because the Win32 system always passes Unicode characters.
6778 When empty, the same encoding is used as for the 'encoding' option.
6779 This is the normal value.
6780 Not all combinations for 'termencoding' and 'encoding' are valid. See
6781 |encoding-table|.
6782 The value for this option must be supported by internal conversions or
6783 iconv(). When this is not possible no conversion will be done and you
6784 will probably experience problems with non-ASCII characters.
6785 Example: You are working with the locale set to euc-jp (Japanese) and
6786 want to edit a UTF-8 file: >
6787 :let &termencoding = &encoding
6788 :set encoding=utf-8
6789 < You need to do this when your system has no locale support for UTF-8.
6791 *'terse'* *'noterse'*
6792 'terse' boolean (default off)
6793 global
6794 When set: Add 's' flag to 'shortmess' option (this makes the message
6795 for a search that hits the start or end of the file not being
6796 displayed). When reset: Remove 's' flag from 'shortmess' option. {Vi
6797 shortens a lot of messages}
6799 *'textauto'* *'ta'* *'notextauto'* *'nota'*
6800 'textauto' 'ta' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6801 global
6802 {not in Vi}
6803 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformats'.
6804 For backwards compatibility, when 'textauto' is set, 'fileformats' is
6805 set to the default value for the current system. When 'textauto' is
6806 reset, 'fileformats' is made empty.
6807 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6808 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6810 *'textmode'* *'tx'* *'notextmode'* *'notx'*
6811 'textmode' 'tx' boolean (MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: default on,
6812 others: default off)
6813 local to buffer
6814 {not in Vi}
6815 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformat'.
6816 For backwards compatibility, when 'textmode' is set, 'fileformat' is
6817 set to "dos". When 'textmode' is reset, 'fileformat' is set to
6818 "unix".
6820 *'textwidth'* *'tw'*
6821 'textwidth' 'tw' number (default 0)
6822 local to buffer
6823 {not in Vi}
6824 Maximum width of text that is being inserted. A longer line will be
6825 broken after white space to get this width. A zero value disables
6826 this. 'textwidth' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set. When
6827 'textwidth' is zero, 'wrapmargin' may be used. See also
6828 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|.
6829 When 'formatexpr' is set it will be used to break the line.
6830 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6832 *'thesaurus'* *'tsr'*
6833 'thesaurus' 'tsr' string (default "")
6834 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6835 {not in Vi}
6836 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
6837 for thesaurus completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|. Each line in
6838 the file should contain words with similar meaning, separated by
6839 non-keyword characters (white space is preferred). Maximum line
6840 length is 510 bytes.
6841 To obtain a file to be used here, check out the wordlist FAQ at
6842 http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk .
6843 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
6844 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
6845 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
6846 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6847 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6848 uses another default.
6849 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
6851 *'tildeop'* *'top'* *'notildeop'* *'notop'*
6852 'tildeop' 'top' boolean (default off)
6853 global
6854 {not in Vi}
6855 When on: The tilde command "~" behaves like an operator.
6856 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6858 *'timeout'* *'to'* *'notimeout'* *'noto'*
6859 'timeout' 'to' boolean (default on)
6860 global
6861 *'ttimeout'* *'nottimeout'*
6862 'ttimeout' boolean (default off)
6863 global
6864 {not in Vi}
6865 These two options together determine the behavior when part of a
6866 mapped key sequence or keyboard code has been received:
6868 'timeout' 'ttimeout' action ~
6869 off off do not time out
6870 on on or off time out on :mappings and key codes
6871 off on time out on key codes
6873 If both options are off, Vim will wait until either the complete
6874 mapping or key sequence has been received, or it is clear that there
6875 is no mapping or key sequence for the received characters. For
6876 example: if you have mapped "vl" and Vim has received 'v', the next
6877 character is needed to see if the 'v' is followed by an 'l'.
6878 When one of the options is on, Vim will wait for about 1 second for
6879 the next character to arrive. After that the already received
6880 characters are interpreted as single characters. The waiting time can
6881 be changed with the 'timeoutlen' option.
6882 On slow terminals or very busy systems timing out may cause
6883 malfunctioning cursor keys. If both options are off, Vim waits
6884 forever after an entered <Esc> if there are key codes that start
6885 with <Esc>. You will have to type <Esc> twice. If you do not have
6886 problems with key codes, but would like to have :mapped key
6887 sequences not timing out in 1 second, set the 'ttimeout' option and
6888 reset the 'timeout' option.
6890 NOTE: 'ttimeout' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6892 *'timeoutlen'* *'tm'*
6893 'timeoutlen' 'tm' number (default 1000)
6894 global
6895 {not in all versions of Vi}
6896 *'ttimeoutlen'* *'ttm'*
6897 'ttimeoutlen' 'ttm' number (default -1)
6898 global
6899 {not in Vi}
6900 The time in milliseconds that is waited for a key code or mapped key
6901 sequence to complete. Also used for CTRL-\ CTRL-N and CTRL-\ CTRL-G
6902 when part of a command has been typed.
6903 Normally only 'timeoutlen' is used and 'ttimeoutlen' is -1. When a
6904 different timeout value for key codes is desired set 'ttimeoutlen' to
6905 a non-negative number.
6907 ttimeoutlen mapping delay key code delay ~
6908 < 0 'timeoutlen' 'timeoutlen'
6909 >= 0 'timeoutlen' 'ttimeoutlen'
6911 The timeout only happens when the 'timeout' and 'ttimeout' options
6912 tell so. A useful setting would be >
6913 :set timeout timeoutlen=3000 ttimeoutlen=100
6914 < (time out on mapping after three seconds, time out on key codes after
6915 a tenth of a second).
6917 *'title'* *'notitle'*
6918 'title' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
6919 global
6920 {not in Vi}
6921 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6922 feature}
6923 When on, the title of the window will be set to the value of
6924 'titlestring' (if it is not empty), or to:
6925 filename [+=-] (path) - VIM
6926 Where:
6927 filename the name of the file being edited
6928 - indicates the file cannot be modified, 'ma' off
6929 + indicates the file was modified
6930 = indicates the file is read-only
6931 =+ indicates the file is read-only and modified
6932 (path) is the path of the file being edited
6933 - VIM the server name |v:servername| or "VIM"
6934 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles
6935 (currently Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and
6936 terminals with a non- empty 't_ts' option - these are Unix xterm and
6937 iris-ansi by default, where 't_ts' is taken from the builtin termcap).
6938 *X11*
6939 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
6940 be restored if possible. The output of ":version" will include "+X11"
6941 when HAVE_X11 was defined, otherwise it will be "-X11". This also
6942 works for the icon name |'icon'|.
6943 But: When Vim was started with the |-X| argument, restoring the title
6944 will not work (except in the GUI).
6945 If the title cannot be restored, it is set to the value of 'titleold'.
6946 You might want to restore the title outside of Vim then.
6947 When using an xterm from a remote machine you can use this command:
6948 rsh machine_name xterm -display $DISPLAY &
6949 then the WINDOWID environment variable should be inherited and the
6950 title of the window should change back to what it should be after
6951 exiting Vim.
6953 *'titlelen'*
6954 'titlelen' number (default 85)
6955 global
6956 {not in Vi}
6957 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6958 feature}
6959 Gives the percentage of 'columns' to use for the length of the window
6960 title. When the title is longer, only the end of the path name is
6961 shown. A '<' character before the path name is used to indicate this.
6962 Using a percentage makes this adapt to the width of the window. But
6963 it won't work perfectly, because the actual number of characters
6964 available also depends on the font used and other things in the title
6965 bar. When 'titlelen' is zero the full path is used. Otherwise,
6966 values from 1 to 30000 percent can be used.
6967 'titlelen' is also used for the 'titlestring' option.
6969 *'titleold'*
6970 'titleold' string (default "Thanks for flying Vim")
6971 global
6972 {not in Vi}
6973 {only available when compiled with the |+title|
6974 feature}
6975 This option will be used for the window title when exiting Vim if the
6976 original title cannot be restored. Only happens if 'title' is on or
6977 'titlestring' is not empty.
6978 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6979 security reasons.
6980 *'titlestring'*
6981 'titlestring' string (default "")
6982 global
6983 {not in Vi}
6984 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6985 feature}
6986 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the title of the
6987 window. This happens only when the 'title' option is on.
6988 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles (currently
6989 Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and terminals with a
6990 non-empty 't_ts' option).
6991 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
6992 be restored if possible |X11|.
6993 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
6994 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'.
6995 Example: >
6996 :auto BufEnter * let &titlestring = hostname() . "/" . expand("%:p")
6997 :set title titlestring=%<%F%=%l/%L-%P titlelen=70
6998 < The value of 'titlelen' is used to align items in the middle or right
6999 of the available space.
7000 Some people prefer to have the file name first: >
7001 :set titlestring=%t%(\ %M%)%(\ (%{expand(\"%:~:.:h\")})%)%(\ %a%)
7002 < Note the use of "%{ }" and an expression to get the path of the file,
7003 without the file name. The "%( %)" constructs are used to add a
7004 separating space only when needed.
7005 NOTE: Use of special characters in 'titlestring' may cause the display
7006 to be garbled (e.g., when it contains a CR or NL character).
7007 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
7009 *'toolbar'* *'tb'*
7010 'toolbar' 'tb' string (default "icons,tooltips")
7011 global
7012 {only for |+GUI_GTK|, |+GUI_Athena|, |+GUI_Motif| and
7013 |+GUI_Photon|}
7014 The contents of this option controls various toolbar settings. The
7015 possible values are:
7016 icons Toolbar buttons are shown with icons.
7017 text Toolbar buttons shown with text.
7018 horiz Icon and text of a toolbar button are
7019 horizontally arranged. {only in GTK+ 2 GUI}
7020 tooltips Tooltips are active for toolbar buttons.
7021 Tooltips refer to the popup help text which appears after the mouse
7022 cursor is placed over a toolbar button for a brief moment.
7024 If you want the toolbar to be shown with icons as well as text, do the
7025 following: >
7026 :set tb=icons,text
7027 < Motif and Athena cannot display icons and text at the same time. They
7028 will show icons if both are requested.
7030 If none of the strings specified in 'toolbar' are valid or if
7031 'toolbar' is empty, this option is ignored. If you want to disable
7032 the toolbar, you need to set the 'guioptions' option. For example: >
7033 :set guioptions-=T
7034 < Also see |gui-toolbar|.
7036 *'toolbariconsize'* *'tbis'*
7037 'toolbariconsize' 'tbis' string (default "small")
7038 global
7039 {not in Vi}
7040 {only in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
7041 Controls the size of toolbar icons. The possible values are:
7042 tiny Use tiny toolbar icons.
7043 small Use small toolbar icons (default).
7044 medium Use medium-sized toolbar icons.
7045 large Use large toolbar icons.
7046 The exact dimensions in pixels of the various icon sizes depend on
7047 the current theme. Common dimensions are large=32x32, medium=24x24,
7048 small=20x20 and tiny=16x16.
7050 If 'toolbariconsize' is empty, the global default size as determined
7051 by user preferences or the current theme is used.
7053 *'ttybuiltin'* *'tbi'* *'nottybuiltin'* *'notbi'*
7054 'ttybuiltin' 'tbi' boolean (default on)
7055 global
7056 {not in Vi}
7057 When on, the builtin termcaps are searched before the external ones.
7058 When off the builtin termcaps are searched after the external ones.
7059 When this option is changed, you should set the 'term' option next for
7060 the change to take effect, for example: >
7061 :set notbi term=$TERM
7062 < See also |termcap|.
7063 Rationale: The default for this option is "on", because the builtin
7064 termcap entries are generally better (many systems contain faulty
7065 xterm entries...).
7067 *'ttyfast'* *'tf'* *'nottyfast'* *'notf'*
7068 'ttyfast' 'tf' boolean (default off, on when 'term' is xterm, hpterm,
7069 sun-cmd, screen, rxvt, dtterm or
7070 iris-ansi; also on when running Vim in
7071 a DOS console)
7072 global
7073 {not in Vi}
7074 Indicates a fast terminal connection. More characters will be sent to
7075 the screen for redrawing, instead of using insert/delete line
7076 commands. Improves smoothness of redrawing when there are multiple
7077 windows and the terminal does not support a scrolling region.
7078 Also enables the extra writing of characters at the end of each screen
7079 line for lines that wrap. This helps when using copy/paste with the
7080 mouse in an xterm and other terminals.
7082 *'ttymouse'* *'ttym'*
7083 'ttymouse' 'ttym' string (default depends on 'term')
7084 global
7085 {not in Vi}
7086 {only in Unix and VMS, doesn't work in the GUI; not
7087 available when compiled without |+mouse|}
7088 Name of the terminal type for which mouse codes are to be recognized.
7089 Currently these strings are valid:
7090 *xterm-mouse*
7091 xterm xterm-like mouse handling. The mouse generates
7092 "<Esc>[Mscr", where "scr" is three bytes:
7093 "s" = button state
7094 "c" = column plus 33
7095 "r" = row plus 33
7096 This only works up to 223 columns! See "dec" for a
7097 solution.
7098 xterm2 Works like "xterm", but with the xterm reporting the
7099 mouse position while the mouse is dragged. This works
7100 much faster and more precise. Your xterm must at
7101 least at patchlevel 88 / XFree 3.3.3 for this to
7102 work. See below for how Vim detects this
7103 automatically.
7104 *netterm-mouse*
7105 netterm NetTerm mouse handling. The mouse generates
7106 "<Esc>}r,c<CR>", where "r,c" are two decimal numbers
7107 for the row and column.
7108 *dec-mouse*
7109 dec DEC terminal mouse handling. The mouse generates a
7110 rather complex sequence, starting with "<Esc>[".
7111 This is also available for an Xterm, if it was
7112 configured with "--enable-dec-locator".
7113 *jsbterm-mouse*
7114 jsbterm JSB term mouse handling.
7115 *pterm-mouse*
7116 pterm QNX pterm mouse handling.
7118 The mouse handling must be enabled at compile time |+mouse_xterm|
7119 |+mouse_dec| |+mouse_netterm|.
7120 Only "xterm"(2) is really recognized. NetTerm mouse codes are always
7121 recognized, if enabled at compile time. DEC terminal mouse codes
7122 are recognized if enabled at compile time, and 'ttymouse' is not
7123 "xterm" (because the xterm and dec mouse codes conflict).
7124 This option is automatically set to "xterm", when the 'term' option is
7125 set to a name that starts with "xterm", and 'ttymouse' is not "xterm"
7126 or "xterm2" already. The main use of this option is to set it to
7127 "xterm", when the terminal name doesn't start with "xterm", but it can
7128 handle xterm mouse codes.
7129 The "xterm2" value will be set if the xterm version is reported to be
7130 95 or higher. This only works when compiled with the |+termresponse|
7131 feature and if |t_RV| is set to the escape sequence to request the
7132 xterm version number. Otherwise "xterm2" must be set explicitly.
7133 If you do not want 'ttymouse' to be set to "xterm2" automatically, set
7134 t_RV to an empty string: >
7135 :set t_RV=
7136 <
7137 *'ttyscroll'* *'tsl'*
7138 'ttyscroll' 'tsl' number (default 999)
7139 global
7140 Maximum number of lines to scroll the screen. If there are more lines
7141 to scroll the window is redrawn. For terminals where scrolling is
7142 very slow and redrawing is not slow this can be set to a small number,
7143 e.g., 3, to speed up displaying.
7145 *'ttytype'* *'tty'*
7146 'ttytype' 'tty' string (default from $TERM)
7147 global
7148 Alias for 'term', see above.
7150 *'undolevels'* *'ul'*
7151 'undolevels' 'ul' number (default 100, 1000 for Unix, VMS,
7152 Win32 and OS/2)
7153 global
7154 {not in Vi}
7155 Maximum number of changes that can be undone. Since undo information
7156 is kept in memory, higher numbers will cause more memory to be used
7157 (nevertheless, a single change can use an unlimited amount of memory).
7158 Set to 0 for Vi compatibility: One level of undo and "u" undoes
7159 itself: >
7160 set ul=0
7161 < But you can also get Vi compatibility by including the 'u' flag in
7162 'cpoptions', and still be able to use CTRL-R to repeat undo.
7163 Set to a negative number for no undo at all: >
7164 set ul=-1
7165 < This helps when you run out of memory for a single change.
7166 Also see |undo-two-ways|.
7168 *'updatecount'* *'uc'*
7169 'updatecount' 'uc' number (default: 200)
7170 global
7171 {not in Vi}
7172 After typing this many characters the swap file will be written to
7173 disk. When zero, no swap file will be created at all (see chapter on
7174 recovery |crash-recovery|). 'updatecount' is set to zero by starting
7175 Vim with the "-n" option, see |startup|. When editing in readonly
7176 mode this option will be initialized to 10000.
7177 The swapfile can be disabled per buffer with |'swapfile'|.
7178 When 'updatecount' is set from zero to non-zero, swap files are
7179 created for all buffers that have 'swapfile' set. When 'updatecount'
7180 is set to zero, existing swap files are not deleted.
7181 Also see |'swapsync'|.
7182 This option has no meaning in buffers where |'buftype'| is "nofile"
7183 or "nowrite".
7185 *'updatetime'* *'ut'*
7186 'updatetime' 'ut' number (default 4000)
7187 global
7188 {not in Vi}
7189 If this many milliseconds nothing is typed the swap file will be
7190 written to disk (see |crash-recovery|). Also used for the
7191 |CursorHold| autocommand event.
7193 *'verbose'* *'vbs'*
7194 'verbose' 'vbs' number (default 0)
7195 global
7196 {not in Vi, although some versions have a boolean
7197 verbose option}
7198 When bigger than zero, Vim will give messages about what it is doing.
7199 Currently, these messages are given:
7200 >= 1 When the viminfo file is read or written.
7201 >= 2 When a file is ":source"'ed.
7202 >= 5 Every searched tags file and include file.
7203 >= 8 Files for which a group of autocommands is executed.
7204 >= 9 Every executed autocommand.
7205 >= 12 Every executed function.
7206 >= 13 When an exception is thrown, caught, finished, or discarded.
7207 >= 14 Anything pending in a ":finally" clause.
7208 >= 15 Every executed Ex command (truncated at 200 characters).
7210 This option can also be set with the "-V" argument. See |-V|.
7211 This option is also set by the |:verbose| command.
7213 When the 'verbosefile' option is set then the verbose messages are not
7214 displayed.
7216 *'verbosefile'* *'vfile'*
7217 'verbosefile' 'vfile' string (default empty)
7218 global
7219 {not in Vi}
7220 When not empty all messages are written in a file with this name.
7221 When the file exists messages are appended.
7222 Writing to the file ends when Vim exits or when 'verbosefile' is made
7223 empty.
7224 Setting 'verbosefile' to a new value is like making it empty first.
7225 The difference with |:redir| is that verbose messages are not
7226 displayed when 'verbosefile' is set.
7228 *'viewdir'* *'vdir'*
7229 'viewdir' 'vdir' string (default for Amiga, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Win32:
7230 "$VIM/vimfiles/view",
7231 for Unix: "~/.vim/view",
7232 for Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles:view"
7233 for VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles/view"
7234 for RiscOS: "Choices:vimfiles/view")
7235 global
7236 {not in Vi}
7237 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7238 feature}
7239 Name of the directory where to store files for |:mkview|.
7240 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7241 security reasons.
7243 *'viewoptions'* *'vop'*
7244 'viewoptions' 'vop' string (default: "folds,options,cursor")
7245 global
7246 {not in Vi}
7247 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7248 feature}
7249 Changes the effect of the |:mkview| command. It is a comma separated
7250 list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring something:
7251 word save and restore ~
7252 cursor cursor position in file and in window
7253 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
7254 fold options
7255 options options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
7256 global values for local options)
7257 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
7258 slashes
7259 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
7260 on Windows or DOS
7262 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing view files
7263 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
7264 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
7266 *'viminfo'* *'vi'* *E526* *E527* *E528*
7267 'viminfo' 'vi' string (Vi default: "", Vim default for MS-DOS,
7268 Windows and OS/2: '100,<50,s10,h,rA:,rB:,
7269 for Amiga: '100,<50,s10,h,rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:
7270 for others: '100,<50,s10,h)
7271 global
7272 {not in Vi}
7273 {not available when compiled without the |+viminfo|
7274 feature}
7275 When non-empty, the viminfo file is read upon startup and written
7276 when exiting Vim (see |viminfo-file|). The string should be a comma
7277 separated list of parameters, each consisting of a single character
7278 identifying the particular parameter, followed by a number or string
7279 which specifies the value of that parameter. If a particular
7280 character is left out, then the default value is used for that
7281 parameter. The following is a list of the identifying characters and
7282 the effect of their value.
7283 CHAR VALUE ~
7284 ! When included, save and restore global variables that start
7285 with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase
7286 letter. Thus "KEEPTHIS and "K_L_M" are stored, but "KeepThis"
7287 and "_K_L_M" are not. Only String and Number types are
7288 stored.
7289 " Maximum number of lines saved for each register. Old name of
7290 the '<' item, with the disadvantage that you need to put a
7291 backslash before the ", otherwise it will be recognized as the
7292 start of a comment!
7293 % When included, save and restore the buffer list. If Vim is
7294 started with a file name argument, the buffer list is not
7295 restored. If Vim is started without a file name argument, the
7296 buffer list is restored from the viminfo file. Buffers
7297 without a file name and buffers for help files are not written
7298 to the viminfo file.
7299 When followed by a number, the number specifies the maximum
7300 number of buffers that are stored. Without a number all
7301 buffers are stored.
7302 ' Maximum number of previously edited files for which the marks
7303 are remembered. This parameter must always be included when
7304 'viminfo' is non-empty.
7305 Including this item also means that the |jumplist| and the
7306 |changelist| are stored in the viminfo file.
7307 / Maximum number of items in the search pattern history to be
7308 saved. If non-zero, then the previous search and substitute
7309 patterns are also saved. When not included, the value of
7310 'history' is used.
7311 : Maximum number of items in the command-line history to be
7312 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7313 < Maximum number of lines saved for each register. If zero then
7314 registers are not saved. When not included, all lines are
7315 saved. '"' is the old name for this item.
7316 Also see the 's' item below: limit specified in Kbyte.
7317 @ Maximum number of items in the input-line history to be
7318 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7319 c When included, convert the text in the viminfo file from the
7320 'encoding' used when writing the file to the current
7321 'encoding'. See |viminfo-encoding|.
7322 f Whether file marks need to be stored. If zero, file marks ('0
7323 to '9, 'A to 'Z) are not stored. When not present or when
7324 non-zero, they are all stored. '0 is used for the current
7325 cursor position (when exiting or when doing ":wviminfo").
7326 h Disable the effect of 'hlsearch' when loading the viminfo
7327 file. When not included, it depends on whether ":nohlsearch"
7328 has been used since the last search command.
7329 n Name of the viminfo file. The name must immediately follow
7330 the 'n'. Must be the last one! If the "-i" argument was
7331 given when starting Vim, that file name overrides the one
7332 given here with 'viminfo'. Environment variables are expanded
7333 when opening the file, not when setting the option.
7334 r Removable media. The argument is a string (up to the next
7335 ','). This parameter can be given several times. Each
7336 specifies the start of a path for which no marks will be
7337 stored. This is to avoid removable media. For MS-DOS you
7338 could use "ra:,rb:", for Amiga "rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:". You can
7339 also use it for temp files, e.g., for Unix: "r/tmp". Case is
7340 ignored. Maximum length of each 'r' argument is 50
7341 characters.
7342 s Maximum size of an item in Kbyte. If zero then registers are
7343 not saved. Currently only applies to registers. The default
7344 "s10" will exclude registers with more than 10 Kbyte of text.
7345 Also see the '<' item above: line count limit.
7347 Example: >
7348 :set viminfo='50,<1000,s100,:0,n~/vim/viminfo
7349 <
7350 '50 Marks will be remembered for the last 50 files you
7351 edited.
7352 <1000 Contents of registers (up to 1000 lines each) will be
7353 remembered.
7354 s100 Registers with more than 100 Kbyte text are skipped.
7355 :0 Command-line history will not be saved.
7356 n~/vim/viminfo The name of the file to use is "~/vim/viminfo".
7357 no / Since '/' is not specified, the default will be used,
7358 that is, save all of the search history, and also the
7359 previous search and substitute patterns.
7360 no % The buffer list will not be saved nor read back.
7361 no h 'hlsearch' highlighting will be restored.
7363 When setting 'viminfo' from an empty value you can use |:rviminfo| to
7364 load the contents of the file, this is not done automatically.
7366 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7367 security reasons.
7369 *'virtualedit'* *'ve'*
7370 'virtualedit' 've' string (default "")
7371 global
7372 {not in Vi}
7373 {not available when compiled without the
7374 |+virtualedit| feature}
7375 A comma separated list of these words:
7376 block Allow virtual editing in Visual block mode.
7377 insert Allow virtual editing in Insert mode.
7378 all Allow virtual editing in all modes.
7379 onemore Allow the cursor to move just past the end of the line
7381 Virtual editing means that the cursor can be positioned where there is
7382 no actual character. This can be halfway into a tab or beyond the end
7383 of the line. Useful for selecting a rectangle in Visual mode and
7384 editing a table.
7385 "onemore" is not the same, it will only allow moving the cursor just
7386 after the last character of the line. This makes some commands more
7387 consistent. Previously the cursor was always past the end of the line
7388 if the line was empty. But it is far from Vi compatible. It may also
7389 break some plugins or Vim scripts. For example because |l| can move
7390 the cursor after the last character. Use with care!
7391 Using the |$| command will move to the last character in the line, not
7392 past it. This may actually move the cursor to the left!
7393 It doesn't make sense to combine "all" with "onemore", but you will
7394 not get a warning for it.
7396 *'visualbell'* *'vb'* *'novisualbell'* *'novb'* *beep*
7397 'visualbell' 'vb' boolean (default off)
7398 global
7399 {not in Vi}
7400 Use visual bell instead of beeping. The terminal code to display the
7401 visual bell is given with 't_vb'. When no beep or flash is wanted,
7402 use ":set vb t_vb=".
7403 Note: When the GUI starts, 't_vb' is reset to its default value. You
7404 might want to set it again in your |gvimrc|.
7405 In the GUI, 't_vb' defaults to "<Esc>|f", which inverts the display
7406 for 20 msec. If you want to use a different time, use "<Esc>|40f",
7407 where 40 is the time in msec.
7408 Does not work on the Amiga, you always get a screen flash.
7409 Also see 'errorbells'.
7411 *'warn'* *'nowarn'*
7412 'warn' boolean (default on)
7413 global
7414 Give a warning message when a shell command is used while the buffer
7415 has been changed.
7417 *'weirdinvert'* *'wiv'* *'noweirdinvert'* *'nowiv'*
7418 'weirdinvert' 'wiv' boolean (default off)
7419 global
7420 {not in Vi}
7421 This option has the same effect as the 't_xs' terminal option.
7422 It is provided for backwards compatibility with version 4.x.
7423 Setting 'weirdinvert' has the effect of making 't_xs' non-empty, and
7424 vice versa. Has no effect when the GUI is running.
7426 *'whichwrap'* *'ww'*
7427 'whichwrap' 'ww' string (Vim default: "b,s", Vi default: "")
7428 global
7429 {not in Vi}
7430 Allow specified keys that move the cursor left/right to move to the
7431 previous/next line when the cursor is on the first/last character in
7432 the line. Concatenate characters to allow this for these keys:
7433 char key mode ~
7434 b <BS> Normal and Visual
7435 s <Space> Normal and Visual
7436 h "h" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7437 l "l" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7438 < <Left> Normal and Visual
7439 > <Right> Normal and Visual
7440 ~ "~" Normal
7441 [ <Left> Insert and Replace
7442 ] <Right> Insert and Replace
7443 For example: >
7444 :set ww=<,>,[,]
7445 < allows wrap only when cursor keys are used.
7446 When the movement keys are used in combination with a delete or change
7447 operator, the <EOL> also counts for a character. This makes "3h"
7448 different from "3dh" when the cursor crosses the end of a line. This
7449 is also true for "x" and "X", because they do the same as "dl" and
7450 "dh". If you use this, you may also want to use the mapping
7451 ":map <BS> X" to make backspace delete the character in front of the
7452 cursor.
7453 When 'l' is included and it is used after an operator at the end of a
7454 line then it will not move to the next line. This makes "dl", "cl",
7455 "yl" etc. work normally.
7456 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7457 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7459 *'wildchar'* *'wc'*
7460 'wildchar' 'wc' number (Vim default: <Tab>, Vi default: CTRL-E)
7461 global
7462 {not in Vi}
7463 Character you have to type to start wildcard expansion in the
7464 command-line, as specified with 'wildmode'.
7465 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7466 The character is not recognized when used inside a macro. See
7467 'wildcharm' for that.
7468 Although 'wc' is a number option, you can set it to a special key: >
7469 :set wc=<Esc>
7470 < NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7471 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7473 *'wildcharm'* *'wcm'*
7474 'wildcharm' 'wcm' number (default: none (0))
7475 global
7476 {not in Vi}
7477 'wildcharm' works exactly like 'wildchar', except that it is
7478 recognized when used inside a macro. You can find "spare" command-line
7479 keys suitable for this option by looking at |ex-edit-index|. Normally
7480 you'll never actually type 'wildcharm', just use it in mappings that
7481 automatically invoke completion mode, e.g.: >
7482 :set wcm=<C-Z>
7483 :cnoremap ss so $vim/sessions/*.vim<C-Z>
7484 < Then after typing :ss you can use CTRL-P & CTRL-N.
7486 *'wildignore'* *'wig'*
7487 'wildignore' 'wig' string (default "")
7488 global
7489 {not in Vi}
7490 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7491 feature}
7492 A list of file patterns. A file that matches with one of these
7493 patterns is ignored when completing file or directory names, and
7494 influences the result of |expand()|, |glob()| and |globpath()| unless
7495 a flag is passed to disable this.
7496 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
7497 Also see 'suffixes'.
7498 Example: >
7499 :set wildignore=*.o,*.obj
7500 < The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
7501 a pattern from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
7502 uses another default.
7504 *'wildmenu'* *'wmnu'* *'nowildmenu'* *'nowmnu'*
7505 'wildmenu' 'wmnu' boolean (default off)
7506 global
7507 {not in Vi}
7508 {not available if compiled without the |+wildmenu|
7509 feature}
7510 When 'wildmenu' is on, command-line completion operates in an enhanced
7511 mode. On pressing 'wildchar' (usually <Tab>) to invoke completion,
7512 the possible matches are shown just above the command line, with the
7513 first match highlighted (overwriting the status line, if there is
7514 one). Keys that show the previous/next match, such as <Tab> or
7515 CTRL-P/CTRL-N, cause the highlight to move to the appropriate match.
7516 When 'wildmode' is used, "wildmenu" mode is used where "full" is
7517 specified. "longest" and "list" do not start "wildmenu" mode.
7518 If there are more matches than can fit in the line, a ">" is shown on
7519 the right and/or a "<" is shown on the left. The status line scrolls
7520 as needed.
7521 The "wildmenu" mode is abandoned when a key is hit that is not used
7522 for selecting a completion.
7523 While the "wildmenu" is active the following keys have special
7524 meanings:
7526 <Left> <Right> - select previous/next match (like CTRL-P/CTRL-N)
7527 <Down> - in filename/menu name completion: move into a
7528 subdirectory or submenu.
7529 <CR> - in menu completion, when the cursor is just after a
7530 dot: move into a submenu.
7531 <Up> - in filename/menu name completion: move up into
7532 parent directory or parent menu.
7534 This makes the menus accessible from the console |console-menus|.
7536 If you prefer the <Left> and <Right> keys to move the cursor instead
7537 of selecting a different match, use this: >
7538 :cnoremap <Left> <Space><BS><Left>
7539 :cnoremap <Right> <Space><BS><Right>
7540 <
7541 The "WildMenu" highlighting is used for displaying the current match
7542 |hl-WildMenu|.
7544 *'wildmode'* *'wim'*
7545 'wildmode' 'wim' string (Vim default: "full")
7546 global
7547 {not in Vi}
7548 Completion mode that is used for the character specified with
7549 'wildchar'. It is a comma separated list of up to four parts. Each
7550 part specifies what to do for each consecutive use of 'wildchar'. The
7551 first part specifies the behavior for the first use of 'wildchar',
7552 The second part for the second use, etc.
7553 These are the possible values for each part:
7554 "" Complete only the first match.
7555 "full" Complete the next full match. After the last match,
7556 the original string is used and then the first match
7557 again.
7558 "longest" Complete till longest common string. If this doesn't
7559 result in a longer string, use the next part.
7560 "longest:full" Like "longest", but also start 'wildmenu' if it is
7561 enabled.
7562 "list" When more than one match, list all matches.
7563 "list:full" When more than one match, list all matches and
7564 complete first match.
7565 "list:longest" When more than one match, list all matches and
7566 complete till longest common string.
7567 When there is only a single match, it is fully completed in all cases.
7569 Examples: >
7570 :set wildmode=full
7571 < Complete first full match, next match, etc. (the default) >
7572 :set wildmode=longest,full
7573 < Complete longest common string, then each full match >
7574 :set wildmode=list:full
7575 < List all matches and complete each full match >
7576 :set wildmode=list,full
7577 < List all matches without completing, then each full match >
7578 :set wildmode=longest,list
7579 < Complete longest common string, then list alternatives.
7580 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7582 *'wildoptions'* *'wop'*
7583 'wildoptions' 'wop' string (default "")
7584 global
7585 {not in Vi}
7586 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7587 feature}
7588 A list of words that change how command line completion is done.
7589 Currently only one word is allowed:
7590 tagfile When using CTRL-D to list matching tags, the kind of
7591 tag and the file of the tag is listed. Only one match
7592 is displayed per line. Often used tag kinds are:
7593 d #define
7594 f function
7595 Also see |cmdline-completion|.
7597 *'winaltkeys'* *'wak'*
7598 'winaltkeys' 'wak' string (default "menu")
7599 global
7600 {not in Vi}
7601 {only used in Win32, Motif, GTK and Photon GUI}
7602 Some GUI versions allow the access to menu entries by using the ALT
7603 key in combination with a character that appears underlined in the
7604 menu. This conflicts with the use of the ALT key for mappings and
7605 entering special characters. This option tells what to do:
7606 no Don't use ALT keys for menus. ALT key combinations can be
7607 mapped, but there is no automatic handling. This can then be
7608 done with the |:simalt| command.
7609 yes ALT key handling is done by the windowing system. ALT key
7610 combinations cannot be mapped.
7611 menu Using ALT in combination with a character that is a menu
7612 shortcut key, will be handled by the windowing system. Other
7613 keys can be mapped.
7614 If the menu is disabled by excluding 'm' from 'guioptions', the ALT
7615 key is never used for the menu.
7616 This option is not used for <F10>; on Win32 and with GTK <F10> will
7617 select the menu, unless it has been mapped.
7619 *'window'* *'wi'*
7620 'window' 'wi' number (default screen height - 1)
7621 global
7622 Window height. Do not confuse this with the height of the Vim window,
7623 use 'lines' for that.
7624 Used for |CTRL-F| and |CTRL-B| when there is only one window and the
7625 value is smaller than 'lines' minus one. The screen will scroll
7626 'window' minus two lines, with a minimum of one.
7627 When 'window' is equal to 'lines' minus one CTRL-F and CTRL-B scroll
7628 in a much smarter way, taking care of wrapping lines.
7629 When resizing the Vim window, the value is smaller than 1 or more than
7630 or equal to 'lines' it will be set to 'lines' minus 1.
7631 {Vi also uses the option to specify the number of displayed lines}
7633 *'winheight'* *'wh'* *E591*
7634 'winheight' 'wh' number (default 1)
7635 global
7636 {not in Vi}
7637 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7638 feature}
7639 Minimal number of lines for the current window. This is not a hard
7640 minimum, Vim will use fewer lines if there is not enough room. If the
7641 focus goes to a window that is smaller, its size is increased, at the
7642 cost of the height of other windows.
7643 Set 'winheight' to a small number for normal editing.
7644 Set it to 999 to make the current window fill most of the screen.
7645 Other windows will be only 'winminheight' high. This has the drawback
7646 that ":all" will create only two windows. To avoid "vim -o 1 2 3 4"
7647 to create only two windows, set the option after startup is done,
7648 using the |VimEnter| event: >
7649 au VimEnter * set winheight=999
7650 < Minimum value is 1.
7651 The height is not adjusted after one of the commands that change the
7652 height of the current window.
7653 'winheight' applies to the current window. Use 'winminheight' to set
7654 the minimal height for other windows.
7656 *'winfixheight'* *'wfh'* *'nowinfixheight'* *'nowfh'*
7657 'winfixheight' 'wfh' boolean (default off)
7658 local to window
7659 {not in Vi}
7660 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7661 feature}
7662 Keep the window height when windows are opened or closed and
7663 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|. Set by default for the
7664 |preview-window| and |quickfix-window|.
7665 The height may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7667 *'winfixwidth'* *'wfw'* *'nowinfixwidth'* *'nowfw'*
7668 'winfixwidth' 'wfw' boolean (default off)
7669 local to window
7670 {not in Vi}
7671 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7672 feature}
7673 Keep the window width when windows are opened or closed and
7674 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|.
7675 The width may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7677 *'winminheight'* *'wmh'*
7678 'winminheight' 'wmh' number (default 1)
7679 global
7680 {not in Vi}
7681 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7682 feature}
7683 The minimal height of a window, when it's not the current window.
7684 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7685 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero lines (i.e. just a
7686 status bar) if necessary. They will return to at least one line when
7687 they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere to go.)
7688 Use 'winheight' to set the minimal height of the current window.
7689 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7690 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7691 windows. A value of 0 to 3 is reasonable.
7693 *'winminwidth'* *'wmw'*
7694 'winminwidth' 'wmw' number (default 1)
7695 global
7696 {not in Vi}
7697 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7698 feature}
7699 The minimal width of a window, when it's not the current window.
7700 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7701 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero columns (i.e. just
7702 a vertical separator) if necessary. They will return to at least one
7703 line when they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere
7704 to go.)
7705 Use 'winwidth' to set the minimal width of the current window.
7706 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7707 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7708 windows. A value of 0 to 12 is reasonable.
7710 *'winwidth'* *'wiw'* *E592*
7711 'winwidth' 'wiw' number (default 20)
7712 global
7713 {not in Vi}
7714 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7715 feature}
7716 Minimal number of columns for the current window. This is not a hard
7717 minimum, Vim will use fewer columns if there is not enough room. If
7718 the current window is smaller, its size is increased, at the cost of
7719 the width of other windows. Set it to 999 to make the current window
7720 always fill the screen. Set it to a small number for normal editing.
7721 The width is not adjusted after one of the commands to change the
7722 width of the current window.
7723 'winwidth' applies to the current window. Use 'winminwidth' to set
7724 the minimal width for other windows.
7726 *'wrap'* *'nowrap'*
7727 'wrap' boolean (default on)
7728 local to window
7729 {not in Vi}
7730 This option changes how text is displayed. It doesn't change the text
7731 in the buffer, see 'textwidth' for that.
7732 When on, lines longer than the width of the window will wrap and
7733 displaying continues on the next line. When off lines will not wrap
7734 and only part of long lines will be displayed. When the cursor is
7735 moved to a part that is not shown, the screen will scroll
7736 horizontally.
7737 The line will be broken in the middle of a word if necessary. See
7738 'linebreak' to get the break at a word boundary.
7739 To make scrolling horizontally a bit more useful, try this: >
7740 :set sidescroll=5
7741 :set listchars+=precedes:<,extends:>
7742 < See 'sidescroll', 'listchars' and |wrap-off|.
7743 This option can't be set from a |modeline| when the 'diff' option is
7744 on.
7746 *'wrapmargin'* *'wm'*
7747 'wrapmargin' 'wm' number (default 0)
7748 local to buffer
7749 Number of characters from the right window border where wrapping
7750 starts. When typing text beyond this limit, an <EOL> will be inserted
7751 and inserting continues on the next line.
7752 Options that add a margin, such as 'number' and 'foldcolumn', cause
7753 the text width to be further reduced. This is Vi compatible.
7754 When 'textwidth' is non-zero, this option is not used.
7755 See also 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|. {Vi: works differently
7756 and less usefully}
7758 *'wrapscan'* *'ws'* *'nowrapscan'* *'nows'*
7759 'wrapscan' 'ws' boolean (default on) *E384* *E385*
7760 global
7761 Searches wrap around the end of the file. Also applies to |]s| and
7762 |[s|, searching for spelling mistakes.
7764 *'write'* *'nowrite'*
7765 'write' boolean (default on)
7766 global
7767 {not in Vi}
7768 Allows writing files. When not set, writing a file is not allowed.
7769 Can be used for a view-only mode, where modifications to the text are
7770 still allowed. Can be reset with the |-m| or |-M| command line
7771 argument. Filtering text is still possible, even though this requires
7772 writing a temporary file.
7774 *'writeany'* *'wa'* *'nowriteany'* *'nowa'*
7775 'writeany' 'wa' boolean (default off)
7776 global
7777 Allows writing to any file with no need for "!" override.
7779 *'writebackup'* *'wb'* *'nowritebackup'* *'nowb'*
7780 'writebackup' 'wb' boolean (default on with |+writebackup| feature, off
7781 otherwise)
7782 global
7783 {not in Vi}
7784 Make a backup before overwriting a file. The backup is removed after
7785 the file was successfully written, unless the 'backup' option is
7786 also on. Reset this option if your file system is almost full. See
7787 |backup-table| for another explanation.
7788 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
7789 NOTE: This option is set to the default value when 'compatible' is
7790 set.
7792 *'writedelay'* *'wd'*
7793 'writedelay' 'wd' number (default 0)
7794 global
7795 {not in Vi}
7796 The number of microseconds to wait for each character sent to the
7797 screen. When non-zero, characters are sent to the terminal one by
7798 one. For MS-DOS pcterm this does not work. For debugging purposes.
7800 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: