| blob | 4d7e078ced2190e68ba60897b91987a250170f0a |
1 *options.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2010 Jan 06
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.
667 "auto": Use obtained width from system.
668 {only for Win NT/2K systems, currently}
670 There are a number of CJK fonts for which the width of glyphs for
671 those characters are solely based on how many octets they take in
672 legacy/traditional CJK encodings. In those encodings, Euro,
673 Registered sign, Greek/Cyrillic letters are represented by two octets,
674 therefore those fonts have "wide" glyphs for them. This is also
675 true of some line drawing characters used to make tables in text
676 file. Therefore, when a CJK font is used for GUI Vim or
677 Vim is running inside a terminal (emulators) that uses a CJK font
678 (or Vim is run inside an xterm invoked with "-cjkwidth" option.),
679 this option should be set to "double" to match the width perceived
680 by Vim with the width of glyphs in the font. Perhaps it also has
681 to be set to "double" under CJK Windows 9x/ME or Windows 2k/XP
682 when the system locale is set to one of CJK locales. See Unicode
683 Standard Annex #11 (http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr11).
685 On some systems, we can use width for a character which defined by
686 font design. If you use such a system try "auto" for this option.
687 It will give you more nice result for a font which you select.
689 *'antialias'* *'anti'* *'noantialias'* *'noanti'*
690 'antialias' 'anti' boolean (default off, on for MacVim)
691 global
692 {not in Vi}
693 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled on
694 Mac OS X}
695 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim on Mac OS X
696 v10.2 or later. When on, Vim will use smooth ("antialiased") fonts,
697 which can be easier to read at certain sizes on certain displays.
699 Setting this option in the Carbon version can sometimes cause problems
700 if 'guifont' is set to its default (empty string).
702 Support for this option is not flawless in MacVim. In particular,
703 Monaco always seems to render not antialiased for point sizes up
704 to 10. The ATSUI renderer has better antialias support.
706 *'autochdir'* *'acd'* *'noautochdir'* *'noacd'*
707 'autochdir' 'acd' boolean (default off)
708 global
709 {not in Vi}
710 {only available when compiled with the
711 |+netbeans_intg| or |+sun_workshop| feature}
712 When on, Vim will change the current working directory whenever you
713 open a file, switch buffers, delete a buffer or open/close a window.
714 It will change to the directory containing the file which was opened
715 or selected.
716 This option is provided for backward compatibility with the Vim
717 released with Sun ONE Studio 4 Enterprise Edition.
718 Note: When this option is on some plugins may not work.
720 *'arabic'* *'arab'* *'noarabic'* *'noarab'*
721 'arabic' 'arab' boolean (default off)
722 local to window
723 {not in Vi}
724 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
725 feature}
726 This option can be set to start editing Arabic text.
727 Setting this option will:
728 - Set the 'rightleft' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
729 - Set the 'arabicshape' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
730 - Set the 'keymap' option to "arabic"; in Insert mode CTRL-^ toggles
731 between typing English and Arabic key mapping.
732 - Set the 'delcombine' option
733 Note that 'encoding' must be "utf-8" for working with Arabic text.
735 Resetting this option will:
736 - Reset the 'rightleft' option.
737 - Disable the use of 'keymap' (without changing its value).
738 Note that 'arabicshape' and 'delcombine' are not reset (it is a global
739 option.
740 Also see |arabic.txt|.
742 *'arabicshape'* *'arshape'*
743 *'noarabicshape'* *'noarshape'*
744 'arabicshape' 'arshape' boolean (default on)
745 global
746 {not in Vi}
747 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
748 feature}
749 When on and 'termbidi' is off, the required visual character
750 corrections that need to take place for displaying the Arabic language
751 take affect. Shaping, in essence, gets enabled; the term is a broad
752 one which encompasses:
753 a) the changing/morphing of characters based on their location
754 within a word (initial, medial, final and stand-alone).
755 b) the enabling of the ability to compose characters
756 c) the enabling of the required combining of some characters
757 When disabled the display shows each character's true stand-alone
758 form.
759 Arabic is a complex language which requires other settings, for
760 further details see |arabic.txt|.
762 *'autoindent'* *'ai'* *'noautoindent'* *'noai'*
763 'autoindent' 'ai' boolean (default off)
764 local to buffer
765 Copy indent from current line when starting a new line (typing <CR>
766 in Insert mode or when using the "o" or "O" command). If you do not
767 type anything on the new line except <BS> or CTRL-D and then type
768 <Esc>, CTRL-O or <CR>, the indent is deleted again. Moving the cursor
769 to another line has the same effect, unless the 'I' flag is included
770 in 'cpoptions'.
771 When autoindent is on, formatting (with the "gq" command or when you
772 reach 'textwidth' in Insert mode) uses the indentation of the first
773 line.
774 When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on the indent is changed in
775 a different way.
776 The 'autoindent' option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
777 {small difference from Vi: After the indent is deleted when typing
778 <Esc> or <CR>, the cursor position when moving up or down is after the
779 deleted indent; Vi puts the cursor somewhere in the deleted indent}.
781 *'autoread'* *'ar'* *'noautoread'* *'noar'*
782 'autoread' 'ar' boolean (default off)
783 global or local to buffer |global-local|
784 {not in Vi}
785 When a file has been detected to have been changed outside of Vim and
786 it has not been changed inside of Vim, automatically read it again.
787 When the file has been deleted this is not done. |timestamp|
788 If this option has a local value, use this command to switch back to
789 using the global value: >
790 :set autoread<
791 <
792 *'autowrite'* *'aw'* *'noautowrite'* *'noaw'*
793 'autowrite' 'aw' boolean (default off)
794 global
795 Write the contents of the file, if it has been modified, on each
796 :next, :rewind, :last, :first, :previous, :stop, :suspend, :tag, :!,
797 :make, CTRL-] and CTRL-^ command; and when a :buffer, CTRL-O, CTRL-I,
798 '{A-Z0-9}, or `{A-Z0-9} command takes one to another file.
799 Note that for some commands the 'autowrite' option is not used, see
800 'autowriteall' for that.
802 *'autowriteall'* *'awa'* *'noautowriteall'* *'noawa'*
803 'autowriteall' 'awa' boolean (default off)
804 global
805 {not in Vi}
806 Like 'autowrite', but also used for commands ":edit", ":enew", ":quit",
807 ":qall", ":exit", ":xit", ":recover" and closing the Vim window.
808 Setting this option also implies that Vim behaves like 'autowrite' has
809 been set.
811 *'background'* *'bg'*
812 'background' 'bg' string (default "dark" or "light")
813 global
814 {not in Vi}
815 When set to "dark", Vim will try to use colors that look good on a
816 dark background. When set to "light", Vim will try to use colors that
817 look good on a light background. Any other value is illegal.
818 Vim tries to set the default value according to the terminal used.
819 This will not always be correct.
820 Setting this option does not change the background color, it tells Vim
821 what the background color looks like. For changing the background
822 color, see |:hi-normal|.
824 When 'background' is set Vim will adjust the default color groups for
825 the new value. But the colors used for syntax highlighting will not
826 change. *g:colors_name*
827 When a color scheme is loaded (the "g:colors_name" variable is set)
828 setting 'background' will cause the color scheme to be reloaded. If
829 the color scheme adjusts to the value of 'background' this will work.
830 However, if the color scheme sets 'background' itself the effect may
831 be undone. First delete the "g:colors_name" variable when needed.
833 When setting 'background' to the default value with: >
834 :set background&
835 < Vim will guess the value. In the GUI this should work correctly,
836 in other cases Vim might not be able to guess the right value.
838 When starting the GUI, the default value for 'background' will be
839 "light". When the value is not set in the .gvimrc, and Vim detects
840 that the background is actually quite dark, 'background' is set to
841 "dark". But this happens only AFTER the .gvimrc file has been read
842 (because the window needs to be opened to find the actual background
843 color). To get around this, force the GUI window to be opened by
844 putting a ":gui" command in the .gvimrc file, before where the value
845 of 'background' is used (e.g., before ":syntax on").
846 Normally this option would be set in the .vimrc file. Possibly
847 depending on the terminal name. Example: >
848 :if &term == "pcterm"
849 : set background=dark
850 :endif
851 < When this option is set, the default settings for the highlight groups
852 will change. To use other settings, place ":highlight" commands AFTER
853 the setting of the 'background' option.
854 This option is also used in the "$VIMRUNTIME/syntax/syntax.vim" file
855 to select the colors for syntax highlighting. After changing this
856 option, you must load syntax.vim again to see the result. This can be
857 done with ":syntax on".
859 *'backspace'* *'bs'*
860 'backspace' 'bs' string (default "")
861 global
862 {not in Vi}
863 Influences the working of <BS>, <Del>, CTRL-W and CTRL-U in Insert
864 mode. This is a list of items, separated by commas. Each item allows
865 a way to backspace over something:
866 value effect ~
867 indent allow backspacing over autoindent
868 eol allow backspacing over line breaks (join lines)
869 start allow backspacing over the start of insert; CTRL-W and CTRL-U
870 stop once at the start of insert.
872 When the value is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used.
874 For backwards compatibility with version 5.4 and earlier:
875 value effect ~
876 0 same as ":set backspace=" (Vi compatible)
877 1 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol"
878 2 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol,start"
880 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> or <Del> key does not do what you want.
881 NOTE: This option is set to "" when 'compatible' is set.
883 *'backup'* *'bk'* *'nobackup'* *'nobk'*
884 'backup' 'bk' boolean (default off)
885 global
886 {not in Vi}
887 Make a backup before overwriting a file. Leave it around after the
888 file has been successfully written. If you do not want to keep the
889 backup file, but you do want a backup while the file is being
890 written, reset this option and set the 'writebackup' option (this is
891 the default). If you do not want a backup file at all reset both
892 options (use this if your file system is almost full). See the
893 |backup-table| for more explanations.
894 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
895 When 'patchmode' is set, the backup may be renamed to become the
896 oldest version of a file.
897 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
899 *'backupcopy'* *'bkc'*
900 'backupcopy' 'bkc' string (Vi default for Unix: "yes", otherwise: "auto")
901 global
902 {not in Vi}
903 When writing a file and a backup is made, this option tells how it's
904 done. This is a comma separated list of words.
906 The main values are:
907 "yes" make a copy of the file and overwrite the original one
908 "no" rename the file and write a new one
909 "auto" one of the previous, what works best
911 Extra values that can be combined with the ones above are:
912 "breaksymlink" always break symlinks when writing
913 "breakhardlink" always break hardlinks when writing
915 Making a copy and overwriting the original file:
916 - Takes extra time to copy the file.
917 + When the file has special attributes, is a (hard/symbolic) link or
918 has a resource fork, all this is preserved.
919 - When the file is a link the backup will have the name of the link,
920 not of the real file.
922 Renaming the file and writing a new one:
923 + It's fast.
924 - Sometimes not all attributes of the file can be copied to the new
925 file.
926 - When the file is a link the new file will not be a link.
928 The "auto" value is the middle way: When Vim sees that renaming file
929 is possible without side effects (the attributes can be passed on and
930 the file is not a link) that is used. When problems are expected, a
931 copy will be made.
933 The "breaksymlink" and "breakhardlink" values can be used in
934 combination with any of "yes", "no" and "auto". When included, they
935 force Vim to always break either symbolic or hard links by doing
936 exactly what the "no" option does, renaming the original file to
937 become the backup and writing a new file in its place. This can be
938 useful for example in source trees where all the files are symbolic or
939 hard links and any changes should stay in the local source tree, not
940 be propagated back to the original source.
941 *crontab*
942 One situation where "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
943 that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
944 the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
945 backup file instead of the newly created file. "crontab -e" is an
946 example.
948 When a copy is made, the original file is truncated and then filled
949 with the new text. This means that protection bits, owner and
950 symbolic links of the original file are unmodified. The backup file
951 however, is a new file, owned by the user who edited the file. The
952 group of the backup is set to the group of the original file. If this
953 fails, the protection bits for the group are made the same as for
954 others.
956 When the file is renamed this is the other way around: The backup has
957 the same attributes of the original file, and the newly written file
958 is owned by the current user. When the file was a (hard/symbolic)
959 link, the new file will not! That's why the "auto" value doesn't
960 rename when the file is a link. The owner and group of the newly
961 written file will be set to the same ones as the original file, but
962 the system may refuse to do this. In that case the "auto" value will
963 again not rename the file.
965 *'backupdir'* *'bdir'*
966 'backupdir' 'bdir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
967 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:/tmp,c:/temp"
968 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,~/")
969 global
970 {not in Vi}
971 List of directories for the backup file, separated with commas.
972 - The backup file will be created in the first directory in the list
973 where this is possible. The directory must exist, Vim will not
974 create it for you.
975 - Empty means that no backup file will be created ('patchmode' is
976 impossible!). Writing may fail because of this.
977 - A directory "." means to put the backup file in the same directory
978 as the edited file.
979 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
980 put the backup file relative to where the edited file is. The
981 leading "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
982 ("." inside a directory name has no special meaning).
983 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
984 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
985 name, precede it with a backslash.
986 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
987 - A directory name may end in an '/'.
988 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
989 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
990 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
991 :set bdir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
992 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
993 of the option is removed.
994 See also 'backup' and 'writebackup' options.
995 If you want to hide your backup files on Unix, consider this value: >
996 :set backupdir=./.backup,~/.backup,.,/tmp
997 < You must create a ".backup" directory in each directory and in your
998 home directory for this to work properly.
999 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
1000 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
1001 uses another default.
1002 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1003 security reasons.
1005 *'backupext'* *'bex'* *E589*
1006 'backupext' 'bex' string (default "~", for VMS: "_")
1007 global
1008 {not in Vi}
1009 String which is appended to a file name to make the name of the
1010 backup file. The default is quite unusual, because this avoids
1011 accidentally overwriting existing files with a backup file. You might
1012 prefer using ".bak", but make sure that you don't have files with
1013 ".bak" that you want to keep.
1014 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
1016 If you like to keep a lot of backups, you could use a BufWritePre
1017 autocommand to change 'backupext' just before writing the file to
1018 include a timestamp. >
1019 :au BufWritePre * let &bex = '-' . strftime("%Y%b%d%X") . '~'
1020 < Use 'backupdir' to put the backup in a different directory.
1022 *'backupskip'* *'bsk'*
1023 'backupskip' 'bsk' string (default: "/tmp/*,$TMPDIR/*,$TMP/*,$TEMP/*")
1024 global
1025 {not in Vi}
1026 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
1027 feature}
1028 A list of file patterns. When one of the patterns matches with the
1029 name of the file which is written, no backup file is created. Both
1030 the specified file name and the full path name of the file are used.
1031 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
1032 Watch out for special characters, see |option-backslash|.
1033 When $TMPDIR, $TMP or $TEMP is not defined, it is not used for the
1034 default value. "/tmp/*" is only used for Unix.
1036 Note that environment variables are not expanded. If you want to use
1037 $HOME you must expand it explicitly, e.g.: >
1038 :let backupskip = escape(expand('$HOME'), '\') . '/tmp/*'
1040 < Note that the default also makes sure that "crontab -e" works (when a
1041 backup would be made by renaming the original file crontab won't see
1042 the newly created file). Also see 'backupcopy' and |crontab|.
1044 *'balloondelay'* *'bdlay'*
1045 'balloondelay' 'bdlay' number (default: 600)
1046 global
1047 {not in Vi}
1048 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1049 feature}
1050 Delay in milliseconds before a balloon may pop up. See |balloon-eval|.
1052 *'ballooneval'* *'beval'* *'noballooneval'* *'nobeval'*
1053 'ballooneval' 'beval' boolean (default off)
1054 global
1055 {not in Vi}
1056 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1057 feature}
1058 Switch on the |balloon-eval| functionality.
1060 *'balloonexpr'* *'bexpr'*
1061 'balloonexpr' 'bexpr' string (default "")
1062 global or local to buffer |global-local|
1063 {not in Vi}
1064 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1065 feature}
1066 Expression for text to show in evaluation balloon. It is only used
1067 when 'ballooneval' is on. These variables can be used:
1069 v:beval_bufnr number of the buffer in which balloon is going to show
1070 v:beval_winnr number of the window
1071 v:beval_lnum line number
1072 v:beval_col column number (byte index)
1073 v:beval_text word under or after the mouse pointer
1075 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects!
1076 Example: >
1077 function! MyBalloonExpr()
1078 return 'Cursor is at line ' . v:beval_lnum .
1079 \', column ' . v:beval_col .
1080 \ ' of file ' . bufname(v:beval_bufnr) .
1081 \ ' on word "' . v:beval_text . '"'
1082 endfunction
1083 set bexpr=MyBalloonExpr()
1084 set ballooneval
1085 <
1086 NOTE: The balloon is displayed only if the cursor is on a text
1087 character. If the result of evaluating 'balloonexpr' is not empty,
1088 Vim does not try to send a message to an external debugger (Netbeans
1089 or Sun Workshop).
1091 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
1092 |sandbox-option|.
1094 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
1095 evaluating 'balloonexpr' |textlock|.
1097 To check whether line breaks in the balloon text work use this check: >
1098 if has("balloon_multiline")
1099 < When they are supported "\n" characters will start a new line. If the
1100 expression evaluates to a |List| this is equal to using each List item
1101 as a string and putting "\n" in between them.
1103 *'binary'* *'bin'* *'nobinary'* *'nobin'*
1104 'binary' 'bin' boolean (default off)
1105 local to buffer
1106 {not in Vi}
1107 This option should be set before editing a binary file. You can also
1108 use the |-b| Vim argument. When this option is switched on a few
1109 options will be changed (also when it already was on):
1110 'textwidth' will be set to 0
1111 'wrapmargin' will be set to 0
1112 'modeline' will be off
1113 'expandtab' will be off
1114 Also, 'fileformat' and 'fileformats' options will not be used, the
1115 file is read and written like 'fileformat' was "unix" (a single <NL>
1116 separates lines).
1117 The 'fileencoding' and 'fileencodings' options will not be used, the
1118 file is read without conversion.
1119 NOTE: When you start editing a(nother) file while the 'bin' option is
1120 on, settings from autocommands may change the settings again (e.g.,
1121 'textwidth'), causing trouble when editing. You might want to set
1122 'bin' again when the file has been loaded.
1123 The previous values of these options are remembered and restored when
1124 'bin' is switched from on to off. Each buffer has its own set of
1125 saved option values.
1126 To edit a file with 'binary' set you can use the |++bin| argument.
1127 This avoids you have to do ":set bin", which would have effect for all
1128 files you edit.
1129 When writing a file the <EOL> for the last line is only written if
1130 there was one in the original file (normally Vim appends an <EOL> to
1131 the last line if there is none; this would make the file longer). See
1132 the 'endofline' option.
1134 *'bioskey'* *'biosk'* *'nobioskey'* *'nobiosk'*
1135 'bioskey' 'biosk' boolean (default on)
1136 global
1137 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1138 When on the BIOS is called to obtain a keyboard character. This works
1139 better to detect CTRL-C, but only works for the console. When using a
1140 terminal over a serial port reset this option.
1141 Also see |'conskey'|.
1143 *'bomb'* *'nobomb'*
1144 'bomb' boolean (default off)
1145 local to buffer
1146 {not in Vi}
1147 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1148 feature}
1149 When writing a file and the following conditions are met, a BOM (Byte
1150 Order Mark) is prepended to the file:
1151 - this option is on
1152 - the 'binary' option is off
1153 - 'fileencoding' is "utf-8", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" or one of the little/big
1154 endian variants.
1155 Some applications use the BOM to recognize the encoding of the file.
1156 Often used for UCS-2 files on MS-Windows. For other applications it
1157 causes trouble, for example: "cat file1 file2" makes the BOM of file2
1158 appear halfway the resulting file. Gcc doesn't accept a BOM.
1159 When Vim reads a file and 'fileencodings' starts with "ucs-bom", a
1160 check for the presence of the BOM is done and 'bomb' set accordingly.
1161 Unless 'binary' is set, it is removed from the first line, so that you
1162 don't see it when editing. When you don't change the options, the BOM
1163 will be restored when writing the file.
1165 *'breakat'* *'brk'*
1166 'breakat' 'brk' string (default " ^I!@*-+;:,./?")
1167 global
1168 {not in Vi}
1169 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
1170 feature}
1171 This option lets you choose which characters might cause a line
1172 break if 'linebreak' is on. Only works for ASCII and also for 8-bit
1173 characters when 'encoding' is an 8-bit encoding.
1175 *'browsedir'* *'bsdir'*
1176 'browsedir' 'bsdir' string (default: "last")
1177 global
1178 {not in Vi} {only for Motif, Athena, GTK, Mac and
1179 Win32 GUI}
1180 Which directory to use for the file browser:
1181 last Use same directory as with last file browser, where a
1182 file was opened or saved.
1183 buffer Use the directory of the related buffer.
1184 current Use the current directory.
1185 {path} Use the specified directory
1187 *'bufhidden'* *'bh'*
1188 'bufhidden' 'bh' string (default: "")
1189 local to buffer
1190 {not in Vi}
1191 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1192 feature}
1193 This option specifies what happens when a buffer is no longer
1194 displayed in a window:
1195 <empty> follow the global 'hidden' option
1196 hide hide the buffer (don't unload it), also when 'hidden'
1197 is not set
1198 unload unload the buffer, also when 'hidden' is set or using
1199 |:hide|
1200 delete delete the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1201 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1202 |:bdelete|
1203 wipe wipe out the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1204 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1205 |:bwipeout|
1207 CAREFUL: when "unload", "delete" or "wipe" is used changes in a buffer
1208 are lost without a warning.
1209 This option is used together with 'buftype' and 'swapfile' to specify
1210 special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1212 *'buflisted'* *'bl'* *'nobuflisted'* *'nobl'* *E85*
1213 'buflisted' 'bl' boolean (default: on)
1214 local to buffer
1215 {not in Vi}
1216 When this option is set, the buffer shows up in the buffer list. If
1217 it is reset it is not used for ":bnext", "ls", the Buffers menu, etc.
1218 This option is reset by Vim for buffers that are only used to remember
1219 a file name or marks. Vim sets it when starting to edit a buffer.
1220 But not when moving to a buffer with ":buffer".
1222 *'buftype'* *'bt'* *E382*
1223 'buftype' 'bt' string (default: "")
1224 local to buffer
1225 {not in Vi}
1226 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1227 feature}
1228 The value of this option specifies the type of a buffer:
1229 <empty> normal buffer
1230 nofile buffer which is not related to a file and will not be
1231 written
1232 nowrite buffer which will not be written
1233 acwrite buffer which will always be written with BufWriteCmd
1234 autocommands. {not available when compiled without the
1235 |+autocmd| feature}
1236 quickfix quickfix buffer, contains list of errors |:cwindow|
1237 or list of locations |:lwindow|
1238 help help buffer (you are not supposed to set this
1239 manually)
1241 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'swapfile' to
1242 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1244 Be careful with changing this option, it can have many side effects!
1246 A "quickfix" buffer is only used for the error list and the location
1247 list. This value is set by the |:cwindow| and |:lwindow| commands and
1248 you are not supposed to change it.
1250 "nofile" and "nowrite" buffers are similar:
1251 both: The buffer is not to be written to disk, ":w" doesn't
1252 work (":w filename" does work though).
1253 both: The buffer is never considered to be |'modified'|.
1254 There is no warning when the changes will be lost, for
1255 example when you quit Vim.
1256 both: A swap file is only created when using too much memory
1257 (when 'swapfile' has been reset there is never a swap
1258 file).
1259 nofile only: The buffer name is fixed, it is not handled like a
1260 file name. It is not modified in response to a |:cd|
1261 command.
1262 *E676*
1263 "acwrite" implies that the buffer name is not related to a file, like
1264 "nofile", but it will be written. Thus, in contrast to "nofile" and
1265 "nowrite", ":w" does work and a modified buffer can't be abandoned
1266 without saving. For writing there must be matching |BufWriteCmd|,
1267 |FileWriteCmd| or |FileAppendCmd| autocommands.
1269 *'casemap'* *'cmp'*
1270 'casemap' 'cmp' string (default: "internal,keepascii")
1271 global
1272 {not in Vi}
1273 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1274 feature}
1275 Specifies details about changing the case of letters. It may contain
1276 these words, separated by a comma:
1277 internal Use internal case mapping functions, the current
1278 locale does not change the case mapping. This only
1279 matters when 'encoding' is a Unicode encoding,
1280 "latin1" or "iso-8859-15". When "internal" is
1281 omitted, the towupper() and towlower() system library
1282 functions are used when available.
1283 keepascii For the ASCII characters (0x00 to 0x7f) use the US
1284 case mapping, the current locale is not effective.
1285 This probably only matters for Turkish.
1287 *'cdpath'* *'cd'* *E344* *E346*
1288 'cdpath' 'cd' string (default: equivalent to $CDPATH or ",,")
1289 global
1290 {not in Vi}
1291 {not available when compiled without the
1292 |+file_in_path| feature}
1293 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
1294 |:cd| and |:lcd| commands, provided that the directory being searched
1295 for has a relative path, not an absolute part starting with "/", "./"
1296 or "../", the 'cdpath' option is not used then.
1297 The 'cdpath' option's value has the same form and semantics as
1298 |'path'|. Also see |file-searching|.
1299 The default value is taken from $CDPATH, with a "," prepended to look
1300 in the current directory first.
1301 If the default value taken from $CDPATH is not what you want, include
1302 a modified version of the following command in your vimrc file to
1303 override it: >
1304 :let &cdpath = ',' . substitute(substitute($CDPATH, '[, ]', '\\\0', 'g'), ':', ',', 'g')
1305 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1306 security reasons.
1307 (parts of 'cdpath' can be passed to the shell to expand file names).
1309 *'cedit'*
1310 'cedit' string (Vi default: "", Vim default: CTRL-F)
1311 global
1312 {not in Vi}
1313 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1314 feature}
1315 The key used in Command-line Mode to open the command-line window.
1316 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is off.
1317 Only non-printable keys are allowed.
1318 The key can be specified as a single character, but it is difficult to
1319 type. The preferred way is to use the <> notation. Examples: >
1320 :set cedit=<C-Y>
1321 :set cedit=<Esc>
1322 < |Nvi| also has this option, but it only uses the first character.
1323 See |cmdwin|.
1325 *'charconvert'* *'ccv'* *E202* *E214* *E513*
1326 'charconvert' 'ccv' string (default "")
1327 global
1328 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1329 feature and the |+eval| feature}
1330 {not in Vi}
1331 An expression that is used for character encoding conversion. It is
1332 evaluated when a file that is to be read or has been written has a
1333 different encoding from what is desired.
1334 'charconvert' is not used when the internal iconv() function is
1335 supported and is able to do the conversion. Using iconv() is
1336 preferred, because it is much faster.
1337 'charconvert' is not used when reading stdin |--|, because there is no
1338 file to convert from. You will have to save the text in a file first.
1339 The expression must return zero or an empty string for success,
1340 non-zero for failure.
1341 The possible encoding names encountered are in 'encoding'.
1342 Additionally, names given in 'fileencodings' and 'fileencoding' are
1343 used.
1344 Conversion between "latin1", "unicode", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" and "utf-8"
1345 is done internally by Vim, 'charconvert' is not used for this.
1346 'charconvert' is also used to convert the viminfo file, if the 'c'
1347 flag is present in 'viminfo'. Also used for Unicode conversion.
1348 Example: >
1349 set charconvert=CharConvert()
1350 fun CharConvert()
1351 system("recode "
1352 \ . v:charconvert_from . ".." . v:charconvert_to
1353 \ . " <" . v:fname_in . " >" v:fname_out)
1354 return v:shell_error
1355 endfun
1356 < The related Vim variables are:
1357 v:charconvert_from name of the current encoding
1358 v:charconvert_to name of the desired encoding
1359 v:fname_in name of the input file
1360 v:fname_out name of the output file
1361 Note that v:fname_in and v:fname_out will never be the same.
1362 Note that v:charconvert_from and v:charconvert_to may be different
1363 from 'encoding'. Vim internally uses UTF-8 instead of UCS-2 or UCS-4.
1364 Encryption is not done by Vim when using 'charconvert'. If you want
1365 to encrypt the file after conversion, 'charconvert' should take care
1366 of this.
1367 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1368 security reasons.
1370 *'cindent'* *'cin'* *'nocindent'* *'nocin'*
1371 'cindent' 'cin' boolean (default off)
1372 local to buffer
1373 {not in Vi}
1374 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1375 feature}
1376 Enables automatic C program indenting. See 'cinkeys' to set the keys
1377 that trigger reindenting in insert mode and 'cinoptions' to set your
1378 preferred indent style.
1379 If 'indentexpr' is not empty, it overrules 'cindent'.
1380 If 'lisp' is not on and both 'indentexpr' and 'equalprg' are empty,
1381 the "=" operator indents using this algorithm rather than calling an
1382 external program.
1383 See |C-indenting|.
1384 When you don't like the way 'cindent' works, try the 'smartindent'
1385 option or 'indentexpr'.
1386 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
1387 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1389 *'cinkeys'* *'cink'*
1390 'cinkeys' 'cink' string (default "0{,0},0),:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
1391 local to buffer
1392 {not in Vi}
1393 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1394 feature}
1395 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
1396 the current line. Only used if 'cindent' is on and 'indentexpr' is
1397 empty.
1398 For the format of this option see |cinkeys-format|.
1399 See |C-indenting|.
1401 *'cinoptions'* *'cino'*
1402 'cinoptions' 'cino' string (default "")
1403 local to buffer
1404 {not in Vi}
1405 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1406 feature}
1407 The 'cinoptions' affect the way 'cindent' reindents lines in a C
1408 program. See |cinoptions-values| for the values of this option, and
1409 |C-indenting| for info on C indenting in general.
1412 *'cinwords'* *'cinw'*
1413 'cinwords' 'cinw' string (default "if,else,while,do,for,switch")
1414 local to buffer
1415 {not in Vi}
1416 {not available when compiled without both the
1417 |+cindent| and the |+smartindent| features}
1418 These keywords start an extra indent in the next line when
1419 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is set. For 'cindent' this is only done at
1420 an appropriate place (inside {}).
1421 Note that 'ignorecase' isn't used for 'cinwords'. If case doesn't
1422 matter, include the keyword both the uppercase and lowercase:
1423 "if,If,IF".
1425 *'clipboard'* *'cb'*
1426 'clipboard' 'cb' string (default "autoselect,exclude:cons\|linux"
1427 for X-windows, "" otherwise)
1428 global
1429 {not in Vi}
1430 {only in GUI versions or when the |+xterm_clipboard|
1431 feature is included}
1432 This option is a list of comma separated names.
1433 These names are recognized:
1435 unnamed When included, Vim will use the clipboard register '*'
1436 for all yank, delete, change and put operations which
1437 would normally go to the unnamed register. When a
1438 register is explicitly specified, it will always be
1439 used regardless of whether "unnamed" is in 'clipboard'
1440 or not. The clipboard register can always be
1441 explicitly accessed using the "* notation. Also see
1442 |gui-clipboard|.
1444 autoselect Works like the 'a' flag in 'guioptions': If present,
1445 then whenever Visual mode is started, or the Visual
1446 area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of the
1447 windowing system's global selection or put the
1448 selected text on the clipboard used by the selection
1449 register "*. See |guioptions_a| and |quotestar| for
1450 details. When the GUI is active, the 'a' flag in
1451 'guioptions' is used, when the GUI is not active, this
1452 "autoselect" flag is used.
1453 Also applies to the modeless selection.
1455 autoselectml Like "autoselect", but for the modeless selection
1456 only. Compare to the 'A' flag in 'guioptions'.
1458 html When the clipboard contains HTML, use this when
1459 pasting. When putting text on the clipboard, mark it
1460 as HTML. This works to copy rendered HTML from
1461 Firefox, paste it as raw HTML in Vim, select the HTML
1462 in Vim and paste it in a rich edit box in Firefox.
1463 Only supported for GTK version 2 and later.
1464 Only available with the |+multi_byte| feature.
1466 exclude:{pattern}
1467 Defines a pattern that is matched against the name of
1468 the terminal 'term'. If there is a match, no
1469 connection will be made to the X server. This is
1470 useful in this situation:
1471 - Running Vim in a console.
1472 - $DISPLAY is set to start applications on another
1473 display.
1474 - You do not want to connect to the X server in the
1475 console, but do want this in a terminal emulator.
1476 To never connect to the X server use: >
1477 exclude:.*
1478 < This has the same effect as using the |-X| argument.
1479 Note that when there is no connection to the X server
1480 the window title won't be restored and the clipboard
1481 cannot be accessed.
1482 The value of 'magic' is ignored, {pattern} is
1483 interpreted as if 'magic' was on.
1484 The rest of the option value will be used for
1485 {pattern}, this must be the last entry.
1487 *'cmdheight'* *'ch'*
1488 'cmdheight' 'ch' number (default 1)
1489 global
1490 {not in Vi}
1491 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line. Helps avoiding
1492 |hit-enter| prompts.
1493 The value of this option is stored with the tab page, so that each tab
1494 page can have a different value.
1496 *'cmdwinheight'* *'cwh'*
1497 'cmdwinheight' 'cwh' number (default 7)
1498 global
1499 {not in Vi}
1500 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1501 feature}
1502 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line window. |cmdwin|
1504 *'columns'* *'co'* *E594*
1505 'columns' 'co' number (default 80 or terminal width)
1506 global
1507 {not in Vi}
1508 Number of columns of the screen. Normally this is set by the terminal
1509 initialization and does not have to be set by hand. Also see
1510 |posix-screen-size|.
1511 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
1512 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
1513 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
1514 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
1515 number of columns of the display, the display may be messed up. For
1516 the GUI it is always possible and Vim limits the number of columns to
1517 what fits on the screen. You can use this command to get the widest
1518 window possible: >
1519 :set columns=9999
1520 < Minimum value is 12, maximum value is 10000.
1522 *'comments'* *'com'* *E524* *E525*
1523 'comments' 'com' string (default
1524 "s1:/*,mb:*,ex:*/,://,b:#,:%,:XCOMM,n:>,fb:-")
1525 local to buffer
1526 {not in Vi}
1527 {not available when compiled without the |+comments|
1528 feature}
1529 A comma separated list of strings that can start a comment line. See
1530 |format-comments|. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes to
1531 insert a space.
1533 *'commentstring'* *'cms'* *E537*
1534 'commentstring' 'cms' string (default "/*%s*/")
1535 local to buffer
1536 {not in Vi}
1537 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
1538 feature}
1539 A template for a comment. The "%s" in the value is replaced with the
1540 comment text. Currently only used to add markers for folding, see
1541 |fold-marker|.
1543 *'compatible'* *'cp'* *'nocompatible'* *'nocp'*
1544 'compatible' 'cp' boolean (default on, off when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc|
1545 file is found)
1546 global
1547 {not in Vi}
1548 This option has the effect of making Vim either more Vi-compatible, or
1549 make Vim behave in a more useful way.
1550 This is a special kind of option, because when it's set or reset,
1551 other options are also changed as a side effect. CAREFUL: Setting or
1552 resetting this option can have a lot of unexpected effects: Mappings
1553 are interpreted in another way, undo behaves differently, etc. If you
1554 set this option in your vimrc file, you should probably put it at the
1555 very start.
1556 By default this option is on and the Vi defaults are used for the
1557 options. This default was chosen for those people who want to use Vim
1558 just like Vi, and don't even (want to) know about the 'compatible'
1559 option.
1560 When a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file is found while Vim is starting up,
1561 this option is switched off, and all options that have not been
1562 modified will be set to the Vim defaults. Effectively, this means
1563 that when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file exists, Vim will use the Vim
1564 defaults, otherwise it will use the Vi defaults. (Note: This doesn't
1565 happen for the system-wide vimrc or gvimrc file, nor for a file given
1566 with the |-u| argument). Also see |compatible-default| and
1567 |posix-compliance|.
1568 You can also set this option with the "-C" argument, and reset it with
1569 "-N". See |-C| and |-N|.
1570 Switching this option off makes the Vim defaults be used for options
1571 that have a different Vi and Vim default value. See the options
1572 marked with a '+' below. Other options are not modified.
1573 At the moment this option is set, several other options will be set
1574 or reset to make Vim as Vi-compatible as possible. See the table
1575 below. This can be used if you want to revert to Vi compatible
1576 editing.
1577 See also 'cpoptions'.
1579 option + set value effect ~
1581 'allowrevins' off no CTRL-_ command
1582 'backupcopy' Unix: "yes" backup file is a copy
1583 others: "auto" copy or rename backup file
1584 'backspace' "" normal backspace
1585 'backup' off no backup file
1586 'cindent' off no C code indentation
1587 'cedit' + "" no key to open the |cmdwin|
1588 'cpoptions' + (all flags) Vi-compatible flags
1589 'cscopetag' off don't use cscope for ":tag"
1590 'cscopetagorder' 0 see |cscopetagorder|
1591 'cscopeverbose' off see |cscopeverbose|
1592 'digraph' off no digraphs
1593 'esckeys' + off no <Esc>-keys in Insert mode
1594 'expandtab' off tabs not expanded to spaces
1595 'fileformats' + "" no automatic file format detection,
1596 "dos,unix" except for DOS, Windows and OS/2
1597 'formatoptions' + "vt" Vi compatible formatting
1598 'gdefault' off no default 'g' flag for ":s"
1599 'history' + 0 no commandline history
1600 'hkmap' off no Hebrew keyboard mapping
1601 'hkmapp' off no phonetic Hebrew keyboard mapping
1602 'hlsearch' off no highlighting of search matches
1603 'incsearch' off no incremental searching
1604 'indentexpr' "" no indenting by expression
1605 'insertmode' off do not start in Insert mode
1606 'iskeyword' + "@,48-57,_" keywords contain alphanumeric
1607 characters and '_'
1608 'joinspaces' on insert 2 spaces after period
1609 'modeline' + off no modelines
1610 'more' + off no pauses in listings
1611 'revins' off no reverse insert
1612 'ruler' off no ruler
1613 'scrolljump' 1 no jump scroll
1614 'scrolloff' 0 no scroll offset
1615 'shiftround' off indent not rounded to shiftwidth
1616 'shortmess' + "" no shortening of messages
1617 'showcmd' + off command characters not shown
1618 'showmode' + off current mode not shown
1619 'smartcase' off no automatic ignore case switch
1620 'smartindent' off no smart indentation
1621 'smarttab' off no smart tab size
1622 'softtabstop' 0 tabs are always 'tabstop' positions
1623 'startofline' on goto startofline with some commands
1624 'tagrelative' + off tag file names are not relative
1625 'textauto' + off no automatic textmode detection
1626 'textwidth' 0 no automatic line wrap
1627 'tildeop' off tilde is not an operator
1628 'ttimeout' off no terminal timeout
1629 'whichwrap' + "" left-right movements don't wrap
1630 'wildchar' + CTRL-E only when the current value is <Tab>
1631 use CTRL-E for cmdline completion
1632 'writebackup' on or off depends on +writebackup feature
1634 *'complete'* *'cpt'* *E535*
1635 'complete' 'cpt' string (default: ".,w,b,u,t,i")
1636 local to buffer
1637 {not in Vi}
1638 This option specifies how keyword completion |ins-completion| works
1639 when CTRL-P or CTRL-N are used. It is also used for whole-line
1640 completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|. It indicates the type of completion
1641 and the places to scan. It is a comma separated list of flags:
1642 . scan the current buffer ('wrapscan' is ignored)
1643 w scan buffers from other windows
1644 b scan other loaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1645 u scan the unloaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1646 U scan the buffers that are not in the buffer list
1647 k scan the files given with the 'dictionary' option
1648 kspell use the currently active spell checking |spell|
1649 k{dict} scan the file {dict}. Several "k" flags can be given,
1650 patterns are valid too. For example: >
1651 :set cpt=k/usr/dict/*,k~/spanish
1652 < s scan the files given with the 'thesaurus' option
1653 s{tsr} scan the file {tsr}. Several "s" flags can be given, patterns
1654 are valid too.
1655 i scan current and included files
1656 d scan current and included files for defined name or macro
1657 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
1658 ] tag completion
1659 t same as "]"
1661 Unloaded buffers are not loaded, thus their autocmds |:autocmd| are
1662 not executed, this may lead to unexpected completions from some files
1663 (gzipped files for example). Unloaded buffers are not scanned for
1664 whole-line completion.
1666 The default is ".,w,b,u,t,i", which means to scan:
1667 1. the current buffer
1668 2. buffers in other windows
1669 3. other loaded buffers
1670 4. unloaded buffers
1671 5. tags
1672 6. included files
1674 As you can see, CTRL-N and CTRL-P can be used to do any 'iskeyword'-
1675 based expansion (e.g., dictionary |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|, included patterns
1676 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|, tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]| and normal expansions).
1678 *'completefunc'* *'cfu'*
1679 'completefunc' 'cfu' string (default: empty)
1680 local to buffer
1681 {not in Vi}
1682 {not available when compiled without the +eval
1683 or +insert_expand feature}
1684 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode completion
1685 with CTRL-X CTRL-U. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
1686 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
1687 invoked and what it should return.
1690 *'completeopt'* *'cot'*
1691 'completeopt' 'cot' string (default: "menu,preview")
1692 global
1693 {not available when compiled without the
1694 |+insert_expand| feature}
1695 {not in Vi}
1696 A comma separated list of options for Insert mode completion
1697 |ins-completion|. The supported values are:
1699 menu Use a popup menu to show the possible completions. The
1700 menu is only shown when there is more than one match and
1701 sufficient colors are available. |ins-completion-menu|
1703 menuone Use the popup menu also when there is only one match.
1704 Useful when there is additional information about the
1705 match, e.g., what file it comes from.
1707 longest Only insert the longest common text of the matches. If
1708 the menu is displayed you can use CTRL-L to add more
1709 characters. Whether case is ignored depends on the kind
1710 of completion. For buffer text the 'ignorecase' option is
1711 used.
1713 preview Show extra information about the currently selected
1714 completion in the preview window. Only works in
1715 combination with "menu" or "menuone".
1718 *'confirm'* *'cf'* *'noconfirm'* *'nocf'*
1719 'confirm' 'cf' boolean (default off)
1720 global
1721 {not in Vi}
1722 When 'confirm' is on, certain operations that would normally
1723 fail because of unsaved changes to a buffer, e.g. ":q" and ":e",
1724 instead raise a |dialog| asking if you wish to save the current
1725 file(s). You can still use a ! to unconditionally |abandon| a buffer.
1726 If 'confirm' is off you can still activate confirmation for one
1727 command only (this is most useful in mappings) with the |:confirm|
1728 command.
1729 Also see the |confirm()| function and the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'.
1731 *'conskey'* *'consk'* *'noconskey'* *'noconsk'*
1732 'conskey' 'consk' boolean (default off)
1733 global
1734 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1735 When on direct console I/O is used to obtain a keyboard character.
1736 This should work in most cases. Also see |'bioskey'|. Together,
1737 three methods of console input are available:
1738 'conskey' 'bioskey' action ~
1739 on on or off direct console input
1740 off on BIOS
1741 off off STDIN
1743 *'copyindent'* *'ci'* *'nocopyindent'* *'noci'*
1744 'copyindent' 'ci' boolean (default off)
1745 local to buffer
1746 {not in Vi}
1747 Copy the structure of the existing lines indent when autoindenting a
1748 new line. Normally the new indent is reconstructed by a series of
1749 tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is enabled,
1750 in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option makes the
1751 new line copy whatever characters were used for indenting on the
1752 existing line. 'expandtab' has no effect on these characters, a Tab
1753 remains a Tab. If the new indent is greater than on the existing
1754 line, the remaining space is filled in the normal manner.
1755 NOTE: 'copyindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1756 Also see 'preserveindent'.
1758 *'cpoptions'* *'cpo'*
1759 'cpoptions' 'cpo' string (Vim default: "aABceFs",
1760 Vi default: all flags)
1761 global
1762 {not in Vi}
1763 A sequence of single character flags. When a character is present
1764 this indicates vi-compatible behavior. This is used for things where
1765 not being vi-compatible is mostly or sometimes preferred.
1766 'cpoptions' stands for "compatible-options".
1767 Commas can be added for readability.
1768 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
1769 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
1770 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
1771 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
1772 NOTE: This option is set to the POSIX default value at startup when
1773 the Vi default value would be used and the $VIM_POSIX environment
1774 variable exists |posix|. This means Vim tries to behave like the
1775 POSIX specification.
1777 contains behavior ~
1778 *cpo-a*
1779 a When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1780 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1781 current window.
1782 *cpo-A*
1783 A When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1784 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1785 current window.
1786 *cpo-b*
1787 b "\|" in a ":map" command is recognized as the end of
1788 the map command. The '\' is included in the mapping,
1789 the text after the '|' is interpreted as the next
1790 command. Use a CTRL-V instead of a backslash to
1791 include the '|' in the mapping. Applies to all
1792 mapping, abbreviation, menu and autocmd commands.
1793 See also |map_bar|.
1794 *cpo-B*
1795 B A backslash has no special meaning in mappings,
1796 abbreviations and the "to" part of the menu commands.
1797 Remove this flag to be able to use a backslash like a
1798 CTRL-V. For example, the command ":map X \<Esc>"
1799 results in X being mapped to:
1800 'B' included: "\^[" (^[ is a real <Esc>)
1801 'B' excluded: "<Esc>" (5 characters)
1802 ('<' excluded in both cases)
1803 *cpo-c*
1804 c Searching continues at the end of any match at the
1805 cursor position, but not further than the start of the
1806 next line. When not present searching continues
1807 one character from the cursor position. With 'c'
1808 "abababababab" only gets three matches when repeating
1809 "/abab", without 'c' there are five matches.
1810 *cpo-C*
1811 C Do not concatenate sourced lines that start with a
1812 backslash. See |line-continuation|.
1813 *cpo-d*
1814 d Using "./" in the 'tags' option doesn't mean to use
1815 the tags file relative to the current file, but the
1816 tags file in the current directory.
1817 *cpo-D*
1818 D Can't use CTRL-K to enter a digraph after Normal mode
1819 commands with a character argument, like |r|, |f| and
1820 |t|.
1821 *cpo-e*
1822 e When executing a register with ":@r", always add a
1823 <CR> to the last line, also when the register is not
1824 linewise. If this flag is not present, the register
1825 is not linewise and the last line does not end in a
1826 <CR>, then the last line is put on the command-line
1827 and can be edited before hitting <CR>.
1828 *cpo-E*
1829 E It is an error when using "y", "d", "c", "g~", "gu" or
1830 "gU" on an Empty region. The operators only work when
1831 at least one character is to be operate on. Example:
1832 This makes "y0" fail in the first column.
1833 *cpo-f*
1834 f When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1835 argument will set the file name for the current buffer,
1836 if the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet.
1837 *cpo-F*
1838 F When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1839 argument will set the file name for the current
1840 buffer, if the current buffer doesn't have a file name
1841 yet. Also see |cpo-P|.
1842 *cpo-g*
1843 g Goto line 1 when using ":edit" without argument.
1844 *cpo-H*
1845 H When using "I" on a line with only blanks, insert
1846 before the last blank. Without this flag insert after
1847 the last blank.
1848 *cpo-i*
1849 i When included, interrupting the reading of a file will
1850 leave it modified.
1851 *cpo-I*
1852 I When moving the cursor up or down just after inserting
1853 indent for 'autoindent', do not delete the indent.
1854 *cpo-j*
1855 j When joining lines, only add two spaces after a '.',
1856 not after '!' or '?'. Also see 'joinspaces'.
1857 *cpo-J*
1858 J A |sentence| has to be followed by two spaces after
1859 the '.', '!' or '?'. A <Tab> is not recognized as
1860 white space.
1861 *cpo-k*
1862 k Disable the recognition of raw key codes in
1863 mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of menu
1864 commands. For example, if <Key> sends ^[OA (where ^[
1865 is <Esc>), the command ":map X ^[OA" results in X
1866 being mapped to:
1867 'k' included: "^[OA" (3 characters)
1868 'k' excluded: "<Key>" (one key code)
1869 Also see the '<' flag below.
1870 *cpo-K*
1871 K Don't wait for a key code to complete when it is
1872 halfway a mapping. This breaks mapping <F1><F1> when
1873 only part of the second <F1> has been read. It
1874 enables cancelling the mapping by typing <F1><Esc>.
1875 *cpo-l*
1876 l Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
1877 literally, only "\]", "\^", "\-" and "\\" are special.
1878 See |/[]|
1879 'l' included: "/[ \t]" finds <Space>, '\' and 't'
1880 'l' excluded: "/[ \t]" finds <Space> and <Tab>
1881 Also see |cpo-\|.
1882 *cpo-L*
1883 L When the 'list' option is set, 'wrapmargin',
1884 'textwidth', 'softtabstop' and Virtual Replace mode
1885 (see |gR|) count a <Tab> as two characters, instead of
1886 the normal behavior of a <Tab>.
1887 *cpo-m*
1888 m When included, a showmatch will always wait half a
1889 second. When not included, a showmatch will wait half
1890 a second or until a character is typed. |'showmatch'|
1891 *cpo-M*
1892 M When excluded, "%" matching will take backslashes into
1893 account. Thus in "( \( )" and "\( ( \)" the outer
1894 parenthesis match. When included "%" ignores
1895 backslashes, which is Vi compatible.
1896 *cpo-n*
1897 n When included, the column used for 'number' will also
1898 be used for text of wrapped lines.
1899 *cpo-o*
1900 o Line offset to search command is not remembered for
1901 next search.
1902 *cpo-O*
1903 O Don't complain if a file is being overwritten, even
1904 when it didn't exist when editing it. This is a
1905 protection against a file unexpectedly created by
1906 someone else. Vi didn't complain about this.
1907 *cpo-p*
1908 p Vi compatible Lisp indenting. When not present, a
1909 slightly better algorithm is used.
1910 *cpo-P*
1911 P When included, a ":write" command that appends to a
1912 file will set the file name for the current buffer, if
1913 the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet and
1914 the 'F' flag is also included |cpo-F|.
1915 *cpo-q*
1916 q When joining multiple lines leave the cursor at the
1917 position where it would be when joining two lines.
1918 *cpo-r*
1919 r Redo ("." command) uses "/" to repeat a search
1920 command, instead of the actually used search string.
1921 *cpo-R*
1922 R Remove marks from filtered lines. Without this flag
1923 marks are kept like |:keepmarks| was used.
1924 *cpo-s*
1925 s Set buffer options when entering the buffer for the
1926 first time. This is like it is in Vim version 3.0.
1927 And it is the default. If not present the options are
1928 set when the buffer is created.
1929 *cpo-S*
1930 S Set buffer options always when entering a buffer
1931 (except 'readonly', 'fileformat', 'filetype' and
1932 'syntax'). This is the (most) Vi compatible setting.
1933 The options are set to the values in the current
1934 buffer. When you change an option and go to another
1935 buffer, the value is copied. Effectively makes the
1936 buffer options global to all buffers.
1938 's' 'S' copy buffer options
1939 no no when buffer created
1940 yes no when buffer first entered (default)
1941 X yes each time when buffer entered (vi comp.)
1942 *cpo-t*
1943 t Search pattern for the tag command is remembered for
1944 "n" command. Otherwise Vim only puts the pattern in
1945 the history for search pattern, but doesn't change the
1946 last used search pattern.
1947 *cpo-u*
1948 u Undo is Vi compatible. See |undo-two-ways|.
1949 *cpo-v*
1950 v Backspaced characters remain visible on the screen in
1951 Insert mode. Without this flag the characters are
1952 erased from the screen right away. With this flag the
1953 screen newly typed text overwrites backspaced
1954 characters.
1955 *cpo-w*
1956 w When using "cw" on a blank character, only change one
1957 character and not all blanks until the start of the
1958 next word.
1959 *cpo-W*
1960 W Don't overwrite a readonly file. When omitted, ":w!"
1961 overwrites a readonly file, if possible.
1962 *cpo-x*
1963 x <Esc> on the command-line executes the command-line.
1964 The default in Vim is to abandon the command-line,
1965 because <Esc> normally aborts a command. |c_<Esc>|
1966 *cpo-X*
1967 X When using a count with "R" the replaced text is
1968 deleted only once. Also when repeating "R" with "."
1969 and a count.
1970 *cpo-y*
1971 y A yank command can be redone with ".".
1972 *cpo-Z*
1973 Z When using "w!" while the 'readonly' option is set,
1974 don't reset 'readonly'.
1975 *cpo-!*
1976 ! When redoing a filter command, use the last used
1977 external command, whatever it was. Otherwise the last
1978 used -filter- command is used.
1979 *cpo-$*
1980 $ When making a change to one line, don't redisplay the
1981 line, but put a '$' at the end of the changed text.
1982 The changed text will be overwritten when you type the
1983 new text. The line is redisplayed if you type any
1984 command that moves the cursor from the insertion
1985 point.
1986 *cpo-%*
1987 % Vi-compatible matching is done for the "%" command.
1988 Does not recognize "#if", "#endif", etc.
1989 Does not recognize "/*" and "*/".
1990 Parens inside single and double quotes are also
1991 counted, causing a string that contains a paren to
1992 disturb the matching. For example, in a line like
1993 "if (strcmp("foo(", s))" the first paren does not
1994 match the last one. When this flag is not included,
1995 parens inside single and double quotes are treated
1996 specially. When matching a paren outside of quotes,
1997 everything inside quotes is ignored. When matching a
1998 paren inside quotes, it will find the matching one (if
1999 there is one). This works very well for C programs.
2000 This flag is also used for other features, such as
2001 C-indenting.
2002 *cpo--*
2003 - When included, a vertical movement command fails when
2004 it would go above the first line or below the last
2005 line. Without it the cursor moves to the first or
2006 last line, unless it already was in that line.
2007 Applies to the commands "-", "k", CTRL-P, "+", "j",
2008 CTRL-N, CTRL-J and ":1234".
2009 *cpo-+*
2010 + When included, a ":write file" command will reset the
2011 'modified' flag of the buffer, even though the buffer
2012 itself may still be different from its file.
2013 *cpo-star*
2014 * Use ":*" in the same way as ":@". When not included,
2015 ":*" is an alias for ":'<,'>", select the Visual area.
2016 *cpo-<*
2017 < Disable the recognition of special key codes in |<>|
2018 form in mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of
2019 menu commands. For example, the command
2020 ":map X <Tab>" results in X being mapped to:
2021 '<' included: "<Tab>" (5 characters)
2022 '<' excluded: "^I" (^I is a real <Tab>)
2023 Also see the 'k' flag above.
2024 *cpo->*
2025 > When appending to a register, put a line break before
2026 the appended text.
2028 POSIX flags. These are not included in the Vi default value, except
2029 when $VIM_POSIX was set on startup. |posix|
2031 contains behavior ~
2032 *cpo-#*
2033 # A count before "D", "o" and "O" has no effect.
2034 *cpo-&*
2035 & When ":preserve" was used keep the swap file when
2036 exiting normally while this buffer is still loaded.
2037 This flag is tested when exiting.
2038 *cpo-\*
2039 \ Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
2040 literally, only "\]" is special See |/[]|
2041 '\' included: "/[ \-]" finds <Space>, '\' and '-'
2042 '\' excluded: "/[ \-]" finds <Space> and '-'
2043 Also see |cpo-l|.
2044 *cpo-/*
2045 / When "%" is used as the replacement string in a |:s|
2046 command, use the previous replacement string. |:s%|
2047 *cpo-{*
2048 { The |{| and |}| commands also stop at a "{" character
2049 at the start of a line.
2050 *cpo-.*
2051 . The ":chdir" and ":cd" commands fail if the current
2052 buffer is modified, unless ! is used. Vim doesn't
2053 need this, since it remembers the full path of an
2054 opened file.
2055 *cpo-bar*
2056 | The value of the $LINES and $COLUMNS environment
2057 variables overrule the terminal size values obtained
2058 with system specific functions.
2061 *'cscopepathcomp'* *'cspc'*
2062 'cscopepathcomp' 'cspc' number (default 0)
2063 global
2064 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2065 feature}
2066 {not in Vi}
2067 Determines how many components of the path to show in a list of tags.
2068 See |cscopepathcomp|.
2070 *'cscopeprg'* *'csprg'*
2071 'cscopeprg' 'csprg' string (default "cscope")
2072 global
2073 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2074 feature}
2075 {not in Vi}
2076 Specifies the command to execute cscope. See |cscopeprg|.
2077 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2078 security reasons.
2080 *'cscopequickfix'* *'csqf'*
2081 'cscopequickfix' 'csqf' string (default "")
2082 global
2083 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2084 or |+quickfix| features}
2085 {not in Vi}
2086 Specifies whether to use quickfix window to show cscope results.
2087 See |cscopequickfix|.
2089 *'cscopetag'* *'cst'* *'nocscopetag'* *'nocst'*
2090 'cscopetag' 'cst' boolean (default off)
2091 global
2092 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2093 feature}
2094 {not in Vi}
2095 Use cscope for tag commands. See |cscope-options|.
2096 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2098 *'cscopetagorder'* *'csto'*
2099 'cscopetagorder' 'csto' number (default 0)
2100 global
2101 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2102 feature}
2103 {not in Vi}
2104 Determines the order in which ":cstag" performs a search. See
2105 |cscopetagorder|.
2106 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
2108 *'cscopeverbose'* *'csverb'*
2109 *'nocscopeverbose'* *'nocsverb'*
2110 'cscopeverbose' 'csverb' boolean (default off)
2111 global
2112 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2113 feature}
2114 {not in Vi}
2115 Give messages when adding a cscope database. See |cscopeverbose|.
2116 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2119 *'cursorcolumn'* *'cuc'* *'nocursorcolumn'* *'nocuc'*
2120 'cursorcolumn' 'cuc' boolean (default off)
2121 local to window
2122 {not in Vi}
2123 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2124 feature}
2125 Highlight the screen column of the cursor with CursorColumn
2126 |hl-CursorColumn|. Useful to align text. Will make screen redrawing
2127 slower.
2128 If you only want the highlighting in the current window you can use
2129 these autocommands: >
2130 au WinLeave * set nocursorline nocursorcolumn
2131 au WinEnter * set cursorline cursorcolumn
2132 <
2134 *'cursorline'* *'cul'* *'nocursorline'* *'nocul'*
2135 'cursorline' 'cul' boolean (default off)
2136 local to window
2137 {not in Vi}
2138 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2139 feature}
2140 Highlight the screen line of the cursor with CursorLine
2141 |hl-CursorLine|. Useful to easily spot the cursor. Will make screen
2142 redrawing slower.
2143 When Visual mode is active the highlighting isn't used to make it
2144 easier to see the selected text.
2147 *'debug'*
2148 'debug' string (default "")
2149 global
2150 {not in Vi}
2151 These values can be used:
2152 msg Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2153 anyway.
2154 throw Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2155 anyway and also throw an exception and set |v:errmsg|.
2156 beep A message will be given when otherwise only a beep would be
2157 produced.
2158 The values can be combined, separated by a comma.
2159 "msg" and "throw" are useful for debugging 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr' or
2160 'indentexpr'.
2162 *'define'* *'def'*
2163 'define' 'def' string (default "^\s*#\s*define")
2164 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2165 {not in Vi}
2166 Pattern to be used to find a macro definition. It is a search
2167 pattern, just like for the "/" command. This option is used for the
2168 commands like "[i" and "[d" |include-search|. The 'isident' option is
2169 used to recognize the defined name after the match:
2170 {match with 'define'}{non-ID chars}{defined name}{non-ID char}
2171 See |option-backslash| about inserting backslashes to include a space
2172 or backslash.
2173 The default value is for C programs. For C++ this value would be
2174 useful, to include const type declarations: >
2175 ^\(#\s*define\|[a-z]*\s*const\s*[a-z]*\)
2176 < When using the ":set" command, you need to double the backslashes!
2178 *'delcombine'* *'deco'* *'nodelcombine'* *'nodeco'*
2179 'delcombine' 'deco' boolean (default off)
2180 global
2181 {not in Vi}
2182 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2183 feature}
2184 If editing Unicode and this option is set, backspace and Normal mode
2185 "x" delete each combining character on its own. When it is off (the
2186 default) the character along with its combining characters are
2187 deleted.
2188 Note: When 'delcombine' is set "xx" may work different from "2x"!
2190 This is useful for Arabic, Hebrew and many other languages where one
2191 may have combining characters overtop of base characters, and want
2192 to remove only the combining ones.
2194 *'dictionary'* *'dict'*
2195 'dictionary' 'dict' string (default "")
2196 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2197 {not in Vi}
2198 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
2199 for keyword completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|. Each file should
2200 contain a list of words. This can be one word per line, or several
2201 words per line, separated by non-keyword characters (white space is
2202 preferred). Maximum line length is 510 bytes.
2203 When this option is empty, or an entry "spell" is present, spell
2204 checking is enabled the currently active spelling is used. |spell|
2205 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
2206 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
2207 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
2208 This has nothing to do with the |Dictionary| variable type.
2209 Where to find a list of words?
2210 - On FreeBSD, there is the file "/usr/share/dict/words".
2211 - In the Simtel archive, look in the "msdos/linguist" directory.
2212 - In "miscfiles" of the GNU collection.
2213 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2214 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2215 uses another default.
2216 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
2218 *'diff'* *'nodiff'*
2219 'diff' boolean (default off)
2220 local to window
2221 {not in Vi}
2222 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2223 feature}
2224 Join the current window in the group of windows that shows differences
2225 between files. See |vimdiff|.
2227 *'dex'* *'diffexpr'*
2228 'diffexpr' 'dex' string (default "")
2229 global
2230 {not in Vi}
2231 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2232 feature}
2233 Expression which is evaluated to obtain an ed-style diff file from two
2234 versions of a file. See |diff-diffexpr|.
2235 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2236 security reasons.
2238 *'dip'* *'diffopt'*
2239 'diffopt' 'dip' string (default "filler")
2240 global
2241 {not in Vi}
2242 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2243 feature}
2244 Option settings for diff mode. It can consist of the following items.
2245 All are optional. Items must be separated by a comma.
2247 filler Show filler lines, to keep the text
2248 synchronized with a window that has inserted
2249 lines at the same position. Mostly useful
2250 when windows are side-by-side and 'scrollbind'
2251 is set.
2253 context:{n} Use a context of {n} lines between a change
2254 and a fold that contains unchanged lines.
2255 When omitted a context of six lines is used.
2256 See |fold-diff|.
2258 icase Ignore changes in case of text. "a" and "A"
2259 are considered the same. Adds the "-i" flag
2260 to the "diff" command if 'diffexpr' is empty.
2262 iwhite Ignore changes in amount of white space. Adds
2263 the "-b" flag to the "diff" command if
2264 'diffexpr' is empty. Check the documentation
2265 of the "diff" command for what this does
2266 exactly. It should ignore adding trailing
2267 white space, but not leading white space.
2269 horizontal Start diff mode with horizontal splits (unless
2270 explicitly specified otherwise).
2272 vertical Start diff mode with vertical splits (unless
2273 explicitly specified otherwise).
2275 foldcolumn:{n} Set the 'foldcolumn' option to {n} when
2276 starting diff mode. Without this 2 is used.
2278 Examples: >
2280 :set diffopt=filler,context:4
2281 :set diffopt=
2282 :set diffopt=filler,foldcolumn:3
2283 <
2284 *'digraph'* *'dg'* *'nodigraph'* *'nodg'*
2285 'digraph' 'dg' boolean (default off)
2286 global
2287 {not in Vi}
2288 {not available when compiled without the |+digraphs|
2289 feature}
2290 Enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode with {char1} <BS>
2291 {char2}. See |digraphs|.
2292 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2294 *'directory'* *'dir'*
2295 'directory' 'dir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
2296 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:\tmp,c:\temp"
2297 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,/var/tmp,/tmp")
2298 global
2299 List of directory names for the swap file, separated with commas.
2300 - The swap file will be created in the first directory where this is
2301 possible.
2302 - Empty means that no swap file will be used (recovery is
2303 impossible!).
2304 - A directory "." means to put the swap file in the same directory as
2305 the edited file. On Unix, a dot is prepended to the file name, so
2306 it doesn't show in a directory listing. On MS-Windows the "hidden"
2307 attribute is set and a dot prepended if possible.
2308 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
2309 put the swap file relative to where the edited file is. The leading
2310 "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
2311 - For Unix and Win32, if a directory ends in two path separators "//"
2312 or "\\", the swap file name will be built from the complete path to
2313 the file with all path separators substituted to percent '%' signs.
2314 This will ensure file name uniqueness in the preserve directory.
2315 On Win32, when a separating comma is following, you must use "//",
2316 since "\\" will include the comma in the file name.
2317 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
2318 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
2319 name, precede it with a backslash.
2320 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
2321 - A directory name may end in an ':' or '/'.
2322 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2323 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
2324 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
2325 :set dir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
2326 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
2327 of the option is removed.
2328 Using "." first in the list is recommended. This means that editing
2329 the same file twice will result in a warning. Using "/tmp" on Unix is
2330 discouraged: When the system crashes you lose the swap file.
2331 "/var/tmp" is often not cleared when rebooting, thus is a better
2332 choice than "/tmp". But it can contain a lot of files, your swap
2333 files get lost in the crowd. That is why a "tmp" directory in your
2334 home directory is tried first.
2335 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2336 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2337 uses another default.
2338 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2339 security reasons.
2340 {Vi: directory to put temp file in, defaults to "/tmp"}
2342 *'display'* *'dy'*
2343 'display' 'dy' string (default "")
2344 global
2345 {not in Vi}
2346 Change the way text is displayed. This is comma separated list of
2347 flags:
2348 lastline When included, as much as possible of the last line
2349 in a window will be displayed. When not included, a
2350 last line that doesn't fit is replaced with "@" lines.
2351 uhex Show unprintable characters hexadecimal as <xx>
2352 instead of using ^C and ~C.
2354 *'eadirection'* *'ead'*
2355 'eadirection' 'ead' string (default "both")
2356 global
2357 {not in Vi}
2358 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
2359 feature}
2360 Tells when the 'equalalways' option applies:
2361 ver vertically, width of windows is not affected
2362 hor horizontally, height of windows is not affected
2363 both width and height of windows is affected
2365 *'ed'* *'edcompatible'* *'noed'* *'noedcompatible'*
2366 'edcompatible' 'ed' boolean (default off)
2367 global
2368 Makes the 'g' and 'c' flags of the ":substitute" command to be
2369 toggled each time the flag is given. See |complex-change|. See
2370 also 'gdefault' option.
2371 Switching this option on is discouraged!
2373 *'encoding'* *'enc'* *E543*
2374 'encoding' 'enc' string (default: "latin1" or value from $LANG)
2375 global
2376 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2377 feature}
2378 {not in Vi}
2379 Sets the character encoding used inside Vim. It applies to text in
2380 the buffers, registers, Strings in expressions, text stored in the
2381 viminfo file, etc. It sets the kind of characters which Vim can work
2382 with. See |encoding-names| for the possible values.
2384 NOTE: Changing this option will not change the encoding of the
2385 existing text in Vim. It may cause non-ASCII text to become invalid.
2386 It should normally be kept at its default value, or set when Vim
2387 starts up. See |multibyte|. To reload the menus see |:menutrans|.
2389 NOTE: For MacVim and GTK+ 2 it is highly recommended to set 'encoding'
2390 to "utf-8". Although care has been taken to allow different values of
2391 'encoding', "utf-8" is the natural choice for the environment and
2392 avoids unnecessary conversion overhead. "utf-8" has not been made
2393 the default to prevent different behavior of the GUI and terminal
2394 versions, and to avoid changing the encoding of newly created files
2395 without your knowledge (in case 'fileencodings' is empty).
2397 The character encoding of files can be different from 'encoding'.
2398 This is specified with 'fileencoding'. The conversion is done with
2399 iconv() or as specified with 'charconvert'.
2401 If you need to know whether 'encoding' is a multi-byte encoding, you
2402 can use: >
2403 if has("multi_byte_encoding")
2404 <
2405 Normally 'encoding' will be equal to your current locale. This will
2406 be the default if Vim recognizes your environment settings. If
2407 'encoding' is not set to the current locale, 'termencoding' must be
2408 set to convert typed and displayed text. See |encoding-table|.
2410 When you set this option, it fires the |EncodingChanged| autocommand
2411 event so that you can set up fonts if necessary.
2413 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2414 you can set it with uppercase values too. Underscores are translated
2415 to '-' signs.
2416 When the encoding is recognized, it is changed to the standard name.
2417 For example "Latin-1" becomes "latin1", "ISO_88592" becomes
2418 "iso-8859-2" and "utf8" becomes "utf-8".
2420 Note: "latin1" is also used when the encoding could not be detected.
2421 This only works when editing files in the same encoding! When the
2422 actual character set is not latin1, make sure 'fileencoding' and
2423 'fileencodings' are empty. When conversion is needed, switch to using
2424 utf-8.
2426 When "unicode", "ucs-2" or "ucs-4" is used, Vim internally uses utf-8.
2427 You don't notice this while editing, but it does matter for the
2428 |viminfo-file|. And Vim expects the terminal to use utf-8 too. Thus
2429 setting 'encoding' to one of these values instead of utf-8 only has
2430 effect for encoding used for files when 'fileencoding' is empty.
2432 When 'encoding' is set to a Unicode encoding, and 'fileencodings' was
2433 not set yet, the default for 'fileencodings' is changed.
2435 *'endofline'* *'eol'* *'noendofline'* *'noeol'*
2436 'endofline' 'eol' boolean (default on)
2437 local to buffer
2438 {not in Vi}
2439 When writing a file and this option is off and the 'binary' option
2440 is on, no <EOL> will be written for the last line in the file. This
2441 option is automatically set when starting to edit a new file, unless
2442 the file does not have an <EOL> for the last line in the file, in
2443 which case it is reset. Normally you don't have to set or reset this
2444 option. When 'binary' is off the value is not used when writing the
2445 file. When 'binary' is on it is used to remember the presence of a
2446 <EOL> for the last line in the file, so that when you write the file
2447 the situation from the original file can be kept. But you can change
2448 it if you want to.
2450 *'equalalways'* *'ea'* *'noequalalways'* *'noea'*
2451 'equalalways' 'ea' boolean (default on)
2452 global
2453 {not in Vi}
2454 When on, all the windows are automatically made the same size after
2455 splitting or closing a window. This also happens the moment the
2456 option is switched on. When off, splitting a window will reduce the
2457 size of the current window and leave the other windows the same. When
2458 closing a window the extra lines are given to the window next to it
2459 (depending on 'splitbelow' and 'splitright').
2460 When mixing vertically and horizontally split windows, a minimal size
2461 is computed and some windows may be larger if there is room. The
2462 'eadirection' option tells in which direction the size is affected.
2463 Changing the height and width of a window can be avoided by setting
2464 'winfixheight' and 'winfixwidth', respectively.
2465 If a window size is specified when creating a new window sizes are
2466 currently not equalized (it's complicated, but may be implemented in
2467 the future).
2469 *'equalprg'* *'ep'*
2470 'equalprg' 'ep' string (default "")
2471 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2472 {not in Vi}
2473 External program to use for "=" command. When this option is empty
2474 the internal formatting functions are used; either 'lisp', 'cindent'
2475 or 'indentexpr'. When Vim was compiled without internal formatting,
2476 the "indent" program is used.
2477 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
2478 about including spaces and backslashes.
2479 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2480 security reasons.
2482 *'errorbells'* *'eb'* *'noerrorbells'* *'noeb'*
2483 'errorbells' 'eb' boolean (default off)
2484 global
2485 Ring the bell (beep or screen flash) for error messages. This only
2486 makes a difference for error messages, the bell will be used always
2487 for a lot of errors without a message (e.g., hitting <Esc> in Normal
2488 mode). See 'visualbell' on how to make the bell behave like a beep,
2489 screen flash or do nothing.
2491 *'errorfile'* *'ef'*
2492 'errorfile' 'ef' string (Amiga default: "AztecC.Err",
2493 others: "errors.err")
2494 global
2495 {not in Vi}
2496 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2497 feature}
2498 Name of the errorfile for the QuickFix mode (see |:cf|).
2499 When the "-q" command-line argument is used, 'errorfile' is set to the
2500 following argument. See |-q|.
2501 NOT used for the ":make" command. See 'makeef' for that.
2502 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2503 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
2504 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2505 security reasons.
2507 *'errorformat'* *'efm'*
2508 'errorformat' 'efm' string (default is very long)
2509 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2510 {not in Vi}
2511 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2512 feature}
2513 Scanf-like description of the format for the lines in the error file
2514 (see |errorformat|).
2516 *'esckeys'* *'ek'* *'noesckeys'* *'noek'*
2517 'esckeys' 'ek' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
2518 global
2519 {not in Vi}
2520 Function keys that start with an <Esc> are recognized in Insert
2521 mode. When this option is off, the cursor and function keys cannot be
2522 used in Insert mode if they start with an <Esc>. The advantage of
2523 this is that the single <Esc> is recognized immediately, instead of
2524 after one second. Instead of resetting this option, you might want to
2525 try changing the values for 'timeoutlen' and 'ttimeoutlen'. Note that
2526 when 'esckeys' is off, you can still map anything, but the cursor keys
2527 won't work by default.
2528 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2529 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2531 *'eventignore'* *'ei'*
2532 'eventignore' 'ei' string (default "")
2533 global
2534 {not in Vi}
2535 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2536 feature}
2537 A list of autocommand event names, which are to be ignored.
2538 When set to "all" or when "all" is one of the items, all autocommand
2539 events are ignored, autocommands will not be executed.
2540 Otherwise this is a comma separated list of event names. Example: >
2541 :set ei=WinEnter,WinLeave
2542 <
2543 *'expandtab'* *'et'* *'noexpandtab'* *'noet'*
2544 'expandtab' 'et' boolean (default off)
2545 local to buffer
2546 {not in Vi}
2547 In Insert mode: Use the appropriate number of spaces to insert a
2548 <Tab>. Spaces are used in indents with the '>' and '<' commands and
2549 when 'autoindent' is on. To insert a real tab when 'expandtab' is
2550 on, use CTRL-V<Tab>. See also |:retab| and |ins-expandtab|.
2551 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2553 *'exrc'* *'ex'* *'noexrc'* *'noex'*
2554 'exrc' 'ex' boolean (default off)
2555 global
2556 {not in Vi}
2557 Enables the reading of .vimrc, .exrc and .gvimrc in the current
2558 directory. If you switch this option on you should also consider
2559 setting the 'secure' option (see |initialization|). Using a local
2560 .exrc, .vimrc or .gvimrc is a potential security leak, use with care!
2561 also see |.vimrc| and |gui-init|.
2562 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2563 security reasons.
2565 *'fileencoding'* *'fenc'* *E213*
2566 'fileencoding' 'fenc' string (default: "")
2567 local to buffer
2568 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2569 feature}
2570 {not in Vi}
2571 Sets the character encoding for the file of this buffer.
2572 When 'fileencoding' is different from 'encoding', conversion will be
2573 done when writing the file. For reading see below.
2574 When 'fileencoding' is empty, the same value as 'encoding' will be
2575 used (no conversion when reading or writing a file).
2576 Conversion will also be done when 'encoding' and 'fileencoding' are
2577 both a Unicode encoding and 'fileencoding' is not utf-8. That's
2578 because internally Unicode is always stored as utf-8.
2579 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2580 'encoding' is "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding, conversion
2581 is most likely done in a way that the reverse conversion
2582 results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not "utf-8" some
2583 characters may be lost!
2584 See 'encoding' for the possible values. Additionally, values may be
2585 specified that can be handled by the converter, see
2586 |mbyte-conversion|.
2587 When reading a file 'fileencoding' will be set from 'fileencodings'.
2588 To read a file in a certain encoding it won't work by setting
2589 'fileencoding', use the |++enc| argument. One exception: when
2590 'fileencodings' is empty the value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2591 For a new file the global value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2592 Prepending "8bit-" and "2byte-" has no meaning here, they are ignored.
2593 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2594 you can set it with uppercase values too. '_' characters are
2595 replaced with '-'. If a name is recognized from the list for
2596 'encoding', it is replaced by the standard name. For example
2597 "ISO8859-2" becomes "iso-8859-2".
2598 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2599 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2600 If you do this in a modeline, you might want to set 'nomodified' to
2601 avoid this.
2602 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2604 *'fe'*
2605 NOTE: Before version 6.0 this option specified the encoding for the
2606 whole of Vim, this was a mistake. Now use 'encoding' instead. The
2607 old short name was 'fe', which is no longer used.
2609 *'fileencodings'* *'fencs'*
2610 'fileencodings' 'fencs' string (default: "ucs-bom",
2611 "ucs-bom,utf-8,default,latin1" when
2612 'encoding' is set to a Unicode value)
2613 global
2614 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2615 feature}
2616 {not in Vi}
2617 This is a list of character encodings considered when starting to edit
2618 an existing file. When a file is read, Vim tries to use the first
2619 mentioned character encoding. If an error is detected, the next one
2620 in the list is tried. When an encoding is found that works,
2621 'fileencoding' is set to it. If all fail, 'fileencoding' is set to
2622 an empty string, which means the value of 'encoding' is used.
2623 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2624 'encoding' is "utf-8" (or one of the other Unicode variants)
2625 conversion is most likely done in a way that the reverse
2626 conversion results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not
2627 "utf-8" some non-ASCII characters may be lost! You can use
2628 the |++bad| argument to specify what is done with characters
2629 that can't be converted.
2630 For an empty file or a file with only ASCII characters most encodings
2631 will work and the first entry of 'fileencodings' will be used (except
2632 "ucs-bom", which requires the BOM to be present). If you prefer
2633 another encoding use an BufReadPost autocommand event to test if your
2634 preferred encoding is to be used. Example: >
2635 au BufReadPost * if search('\S', 'w') == 0 |
2636 \ set fenc=iso-2022-jp | endif
2637 < This sets 'fileencoding' to "iso-2022-jp" if the file does not contain
2638 non-blank characters.
2639 When the |++enc| argument is used then the value of 'fileencodings' is
2640 not used.
2641 Note that 'fileencodings' is not used for a new file, the global value
2642 of 'fileencoding' is used instead. You can set it with: >
2643 :setglobal fenc=iso-8859-2
2644 < This means that a non-existing file may get a different encoding than
2645 an empty file.
2646 The special value "ucs-bom" can be used to check for a Unicode BOM
2647 (Byte Order Mark) at the start of the file. It must not be preceded
2648 by "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding for this to work properly.
2649 An entry for an 8-bit encoding (e.g., "latin1") should be the last,
2650 because Vim cannot detect an error, thus the encoding is always
2651 accepted.
2652 The special value "default" can be used for the encoding from the
2653 environment. This is the default value for 'encoding'. It is useful
2654 when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and your environment uses a
2655 non-latin1 encoding, such as Russian.
2656 When 'encoding' is "utf-8" and a file contains an illegal byte
2657 sequence it won't be recognized as UTF-8. You can use the |8g8|
2658 command to find the illegal byte sequence.
2659 WRONG VALUES: WHAT'S WRONG:
2660 latin1,utf-8 "latin1" will always be used
2661 utf-8,ucs-bom,latin1 BOM won't be recognized in an utf-8
2662 file
2663 cp1250,latin1 "cp1250" will always be used
2664 If 'fileencodings' is empty, 'fileencoding' is not modified.
2665 See 'fileencoding' for the possible values.
2666 Setting this option does not have an effect until the next time a file
2667 is read.
2669 *'fileformat'* *'ff'*
2670 'fileformat' 'ff' string (MS-DOS, MS-Windows, OS/2 default: "dos",
2671 Unix default: "unix",
2672 Macintosh default: "mac")
2673 local to buffer
2674 {not in Vi}
2675 This gives the <EOL> of the current buffer, which is used for
2676 reading/writing the buffer from/to a file:
2677 dos <CR> <NL>
2678 unix <NL>
2679 mac <CR>
2680 When "dos" is used, CTRL-Z at the end of a file is ignored.
2681 See |file-formats| and |file-read|.
2682 For the character encoding of the file see 'fileencoding'.
2683 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformat' is ignored, file I/O
2684 works like it was set to "unix'.
2685 This option is set automatically when starting to edit a file and
2686 'fileformats' is not empty and 'binary' is off.
2687 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2688 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2689 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2690 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to "dos",
2691 'textmode' is set, otherwise 'textmode' is reset.
2693 *'fileformats'* *'ffs'*
2694 'fileformats' 'ffs' string (default:
2695 Vim+Vi MS-DOS, MS-Windows OS/2: "dos,unix",
2696 Vim Unix: "unix,dos",
2697 Vim Mac: "mac,unix,dos",
2698 Vi Cygwin: "unix,dos",
2699 Vi others: "")
2700 global
2701 {not in Vi}
2702 This gives the end-of-line (<EOL>) formats that will be tried when
2703 starting to edit a new buffer and when reading a file into an existing
2704 buffer:
2705 - When empty, the format defined with 'fileformat' will be used
2706 always. It is not set automatically.
2707 - When set to one name, that format will be used whenever a new buffer
2708 is opened. 'fileformat' is set accordingly for that buffer. The
2709 'fileformats' name will be used when a file is read into an existing
2710 buffer, no matter what 'fileformat' for that buffer is set to.
2711 - When more than one name is present, separated by commas, automatic
2712 <EOL> detection will be done when reading a file. When starting to
2713 edit a file, a check is done for the <EOL>:
2714 1. If all lines end in <CR><NL>, and 'fileformats' includes "dos",
2715 'fileformat' is set to "dos".
2716 2. If a <NL> is found and 'fileformats' includes "unix", 'fileformat'
2717 is set to "unix". Note that when a <NL> is found without a
2718 preceding <CR>, "unix" is preferred over "dos".
2719 3. If 'fileformats' includes "mac", 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2720 This means that "mac" is only chosen when "unix" is not present,
2721 or when no <NL> is found in the file, and when "dos" is not
2722 present, or no <CR><NL> is present in the file.
2723 Also if "unix" was first chosen, but the first <CR> is before
2724 the first <NL> and there appears to be more <CR>'s than <NL>'s in
2725 the file, then 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2726 4. If 'fileformat' is still not set, the first name from
2727 'fileformats' is used.
2728 When reading a file into an existing buffer, the same is done, but
2729 this happens like 'fileformat' has been set appropriately for that
2730 file only, the option is not changed.
2731 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformats' is not used.
2733 For systems with a Dos-like <EOL> (<CR><NL>), when reading files that
2734 are ":source"ed and for vimrc files, automatic <EOL> detection may be
2735 done:
2736 - When 'fileformats' is empty, there is no automatic detection. Dos
2737 format will be used.
2738 - When 'fileformats' is set to one or more names, automatic detection
2739 is done. This is based on the first <NL> in the file: If there is a
2740 <CR> in front of it, Dos format is used, otherwise Unix format is
2741 used.
2742 Also see |file-formats|.
2743 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to an empty
2744 string or one format (no comma is included), 'textauto' is reset,
2745 otherwise 'textauto' is set.
2746 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2747 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2749 *'filetype'* *'ft'*
2750 'filetype' 'ft' string (default: "")
2751 local to buffer
2752 {not in Vi}
2753 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2754 feature}
2755 When this option is set, the FileType autocommand event is triggered.
2756 All autocommands that match with the value of this option will be
2757 executed. Thus the value of 'filetype' is used in place of the file
2758 name.
2759 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current file type.
2760 This option is normally set when the file type is detected. To enable
2761 this use the ":filetype on" command. |:filetype|
2762 Setting this option to a different value is most useful in a modeline,
2763 for a file for which the file type is not automatically recognized.
2764 Example, for in an IDL file:
2765 /* vim: set filetype=idl : */ ~
2766 |FileType| |filetypes|
2767 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
2768 names. Example:
2769 /* vim: set filetype=c.doxygen : */ ~
2770 This will use the "c" filetype first, then the "doxygen" filetype.
2771 This works both for filetype plugins and for syntax files. More than
2772 one dot may appear.
2773 Do not confuse this option with 'osfiletype', which is for the file
2774 type that is actually stored with the file.
2775 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
2776 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
2777 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
2779 *'fillchars'* *'fcs'*
2780 'fillchars' 'fcs' string (default "vert:|,fold:-")
2781 global
2782 {not in Vi}
2783 {not available when compiled without the |+windows|
2784 and |+folding| features}
2785 Characters to fill the statuslines and vertical separators.
2786 It is a comma separated list of items:
2788 item default Used for ~
2789 stl:c ' ' or '^' statusline of the current window
2790 stlnc:c ' ' or '-' statusline of the non-current windows
2791 vert:c '|' vertical separators |:vsplit|
2792 fold:c '-' filling 'foldtext'
2793 diff:c '-' deleted lines of the 'diff' option
2795 Any one that is omitted will fall back to the default. For "stl" and
2796 "stlnc" the space will be used when there is highlighting, '^' or '-'
2797 otherwise.
2799 Example: >
2800 :set fillchars=stl:^,stlnc:-,vert:\|,fold:-,diff:-
2801 < This is similar to the default, except that these characters will also
2802 be used when there is highlighting.
2804 for "stl" and "stlnc" only single-byte values are supported.
2806 The highlighting used for these items:
2807 item highlight group ~
2808 stl:c StatusLine |hl-StatusLine|
2809 stlnc:c StatusLineNC |hl-StatusLineNC|
2810 vert:c VertSplit |hl-VertSplit|
2811 fold:c Folded |hl-Folded|
2812 diff:c DiffDelete |hl-DiffDelete|
2814 *'fkmap'* *'fk'* *'nofkmap'* *'nofk'*
2815 'fkmap' 'fk' boolean (default off) *E198*
2816 global
2817 {not in Vi}
2818 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
2819 feature}
2820 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Farsi character set.
2821 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
2822 toggle this option |i_CTRL-_|. See |farsi.txt|.
2824 *'foldclose'* *'fcl'*
2825 'foldclose' 'fcl' string (default "")
2826 global
2827 {not in Vi}
2828 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2829 feature}
2830 When set to "all", a fold is closed when the cursor isn't in it and
2831 its level is higher than 'foldlevel'. Useful if you want folds to
2832 automatically close when moving out of them.
2834 *'foldcolumn'* *'fdc'*
2835 'foldcolumn' 'fdc' number (default 0)
2836 local to window
2837 {not in Vi}
2838 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2839 feature}
2840 When non-zero, a column with the specified width is shown at the side
2841 of the window which indicates open and closed folds. The maximum
2842 value is 12.
2843 See |folding|.
2845 *'foldenable'* *'fen'* *'nofoldenable'* *'nofen'*
2846 'foldenable' 'fen' boolean (default on)
2847 local to window
2848 {not in Vi}
2849 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2850 feature}
2851 When off, all folds are open. This option can be used to quickly
2852 switch between showing all text unfolded and viewing the text with
2853 folds (including manually opened or closed folds). It can be toggled
2854 with the |zi| command. The 'foldcolumn' will remain blank when
2855 'foldenable' is off.
2856 This option is set by commands that create a new fold or close a fold.
2857 See |folding|.
2859 *'foldexpr'* *'fde'*
2860 'foldexpr' 'fde' string (default: "0")
2861 local to window
2862 {not in Vi}
2863 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2864 or |+eval| feature}
2865 The expression used for when 'foldmethod' is "expr". It is evaluated
2866 for each line to obtain its fold level. See |fold-expr|.
2868 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2869 |sandbox-option|.
2870 This option can't be set from a |modeline| when the 'diff' option is
2871 on.
2873 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2874 evaluating 'foldexpr' |textlock|.
2876 *'foldignore'* *'fdi'*
2877 'foldignore' 'fdi' string (default: "#")
2878 local to window
2879 {not in Vi}
2880 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2881 feature}
2882 Used only when 'foldmethod' is "indent". Lines starting with
2883 characters in 'foldignore' will get their fold level from surrounding
2884 lines. White space is skipped before checking for this character.
2885 The default "#" works well for C programs. See |fold-indent|.
2887 *'foldlevel'* *'fdl'*
2888 'foldlevel' 'fdl' number (default: 0)
2889 local to window
2890 {not in Vi}
2891 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2892 feature}
2893 Sets the fold level: Folds with a higher level will be closed.
2894 Setting this option to zero will close all folds. Higher numbers will
2895 close fewer folds.
2896 This option is set by commands like |zm|, |zM| and |zR|.
2897 See |fold-foldlevel|.
2899 *'foldlevelstart'* *'fdls'*
2900 'foldlevelstart' 'fdls' number (default: -1)
2901 global
2902 {not in Vi}
2903 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2904 feature}
2905 Sets 'foldlevel' when starting to edit another buffer in a window.
2906 Useful to always start editing with all folds closed (value zero),
2907 some folds closed (one) or no folds closed (99).
2908 This is done before reading any modeline, thus a setting in a modeline
2909 overrules this option. Starting to edit a file for |diff-mode| also
2910 ignores this option and closes all folds.
2911 It is also done before BufReadPre autocommands, to allow an autocmd to
2912 overrule the 'foldlevel' value for specific files.
2913 When the value is negative, it is not used.
2915 *'foldmarker'* *'fmr'* *E536*
2916 'foldmarker' 'fmr' string (default: "{{{,}}}")
2917 local to window
2918 {not in Vi}
2919 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2920 feature}
2921 The start and end marker used when 'foldmethod' is "marker". There
2922 must be one comma, which separates the start and end marker. The
2923 marker is a literal string (a regular expression would be too slow).
2924 See |fold-marker|.
2926 *'foldmethod'* *'fdm'*
2927 'foldmethod' 'fdm' string (default: "manual")
2928 local to window
2929 {not in Vi}
2930 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2931 feature}
2932 The kind of folding used for the current window. Possible values:
2933 |fold-manual| manual Folds are created manually.
2934 |fold-indent| indent Lines with equal indent form a fold.
2935 |fold-expr| expr 'foldexpr' gives the fold level of a line.
2936 |fold-marker| marker Markers are used to specify folds.
2937 |fold-syntax| syntax Syntax highlighting items specify folds.
2938 |fold-diff| diff Fold text that is not changed.
2940 *'foldminlines'* *'fml'*
2941 'foldminlines' 'fml' number (default: 1)
2942 local to window
2943 {not in Vi}
2944 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2945 feature}
2946 Sets the minimum number of screen lines for a fold to be displayed
2947 closed. Also for manually closed folds.
2948 Note that this only has an effect of what is displayed. After using
2949 "zc" to close a fold, which is displayed open because it's smaller
2950 than 'foldminlines', a following "zc" may close a containing fold.
2952 *'foldnestmax'* *'fdn'*
2953 'foldnestmax' 'fdn' number (default: 20)
2954 local to window
2955 {not in Vi}
2956 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2957 feature}
2958 Sets the maximum nesting of folds for the "indent" and "syntax"
2959 methods. This avoids that too many folds will be created. Using more
2960 than 20 doesn't work, because the internal limit is 20.
2962 *'foldopen'* *'fdo'*
2963 'foldopen' 'fdo' string (default: "block,hor,mark,percent,quickfix,
2964 search,tag,undo")
2965 global
2966 {not in Vi}
2967 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2968 feature}
2969 Specifies for which type of commands folds will be opened, if the
2970 command moves the cursor into a closed fold. It is a comma separated
2971 list of items.
2972 item commands ~
2973 all any
2974 block "(", "{", "[[", "[{", etc.
2975 hor horizontal movements: "l", "w", "fx", etc.
2976 insert any command in Insert mode
2977 jump far jumps: "G", "gg", etc.
2978 mark jumping to a mark: "'m", CTRL-O, etc.
2979 percent "%"
2980 quickfix ":cn", ":crew", ":make", etc.
2981 search search for a pattern: "/", "n", "*", "gd", etc.
2982 (not for a search pattern in a ":" command)
2983 Also for |[s| and |]s|.
2984 tag jumping to a tag: ":ta", CTRL-T, etc.
2985 undo undo or redo: "u" and CTRL-R
2986 When the command is part of a mapping this option is not used. Add
2987 the |zv| command to the mapping to get the same effect.
2988 When a movement command is used for an operator (e.g., "dl" or "y%")
2989 this option is not used. This means the operator will include the
2990 whole closed fold.
2991 Note that vertical movements are not here, because it would make it
2992 very difficult to move onto a closed fold.
2993 In insert mode the folds containing the cursor will always be open
2994 when text is inserted.
2995 To close folds you can re-apply 'foldlevel' with the |zx| command or
2996 set the 'foldclose' option to "all".
2998 *'foldtext'* *'fdt'*
2999 'foldtext' 'fdt' string (default: "foldtext()")
3000 local to window
3001 {not in Vi}
3002 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
3003 feature}
3004 An expression which is used to specify the text displayed for a closed
3005 fold. See |fold-foldtext|.
3007 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3008 |sandbox-option|.
3010 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3011 evaluating 'foldtext' |textlock|.
3013 *'formatoptions'* *'fo'*
3014 'formatoptions' 'fo' string (Vim default: "tcq", Vi default: "vt")
3015 local to buffer
3016 {not in Vi}
3017 This is a sequence of letters which describes how automatic
3018 formatting is to be done. See |fo-table|. When the 'paste' option is
3019 on, no formatting is done (like 'formatoptions' is empty). Commas can
3020 be inserted for readability.
3021 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3022 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3023 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3024 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3026 *'formatlistpat'* *'flp'*
3027 'formatlistpat' 'flp' string (default: "^\s*\d\+[\]:.)}\t ]\s*")
3028 local to buffer
3029 {not in Vi}
3030 A pattern that is used to recognize a list header. This is used for
3031 the "n" flag in 'formatoptions'.
3032 The pattern must match exactly the text that will be the indent for
3033 the line below it. You can use |/\ze| to mark the end of the match
3034 while still checking more characters. There must be a character
3035 following the pattern, when it matches the whole line it is handled
3036 like there is no match.
3037 The default recognizes a number, followed by an optional punctuation
3038 character and white space.
3040 *'formatprg'* *'fp'*
3041 'formatprg' 'fp' string (default "")
3042 global
3043 {not in Vi}
3044 The name of an external program that will be used to format the lines
3045 selected with the |gq| operator. The program must take the input on
3046 stdin and produce the output on stdout. The Unix program "fmt" is
3047 such a program.
3048 If the 'formatexpr' option is not empty it will be used instead.
3049 Otherwise, if 'formatprg' option is an empty string, the internal
3050 format function will be used |C-indenting|.
3051 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
3052 about including spaces and backslashes.
3053 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3054 |sandbox-option|.
3056 *'formatexpr'* *'fex'*
3057 'formatexpr' 'fex' string (default "")
3058 local to buffer
3059 {not in Vi}
3060 {not available when compiled without the |+eval|
3061 feature}
3062 Expression which is evaluated to format a range of lines for the |gq|
3063 operator. When this option is empty 'formatprg' is used.
3065 The |v:lnum| variable holds the first line to be formatted.
3066 The |v:count| variable holds the number of lines to be formatted.
3067 The |v:char| variable holds the character that is going to be
3068 inserted. This can be empty. Don't insert it yet!
3070 Example: >
3071 :set formatexpr=mylang#Format()
3072 < This will invoke the mylang#Format() function in the
3073 autoload/mylang.vim file in 'runtimepath'. |autoload|
3075 The expression is also evaluated when 'textwidth' is set and adding
3076 text beyond that limit. This happens under the same conditions as
3077 when internal formatting is used. Make sure the cursor is kept in the
3078 same spot relative to the text then! The |mode()| function will
3079 return "i" or "R" in this situation. When the function returns
3080 non-zero Vim will fall back to using the internal format mechanism.
3082 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3083 |sandbox-option|.
3085 *'fsync'* *'fs'* *'nofsync'* *'nofs'*
3086 'fsync' 'fs' boolean (default on)
3087 global
3088 {not in Vi}
3089 When on, the library function fsync() will be called after writing a
3090 file. This will flush a file to disk, ensuring that it is safely
3091 written even on filesystems which do metadata-only journaling. This
3092 will force the harddrive to spin up on Linux systems running in laptop
3093 mode, so it may be undesirable in some situations. Be warned that
3094 turning this off increases the chances of data loss after a crash. On
3095 systems without an fsync() implementation, this variable is always
3096 off.
3097 Also see 'swapsync' for controlling fsync() on swap files.
3099 *'fullscreen'* *'fu'* *'nofullscreen'* *'nofu'*
3100 'fullscreen' 'fu' boolean (default off)
3101 global
3102 {not in Vi}
3103 {only in MacVim GUI}
3104 When this option is set, the whole screen is covered by Vim. Screen
3105 decorations drawn by the operating system (such as the dock or the
3106 menu bar) are hidden. Most of Vim's window chrome is hidden as well
3107 (e.g. toolbar, title bar). The tab bar and scroll bars remain visible.
3108 Updates to the window position are ignored in fullscreen mode.
3110 See 'fuoptions' for how Vim resizes and colors the background when
3111 entering and leaving fullscreen mode.
3113 Note: Setting 'fullscreen' usually changes the size of the Vim
3114 control. However, for technical reasons, 'lines' and 'columns' will
3115 currently only be updated when Vim runs its event loop. As a
3116 consequence, if you set 'fullscreen' and 'lines' or 'columns' in a
3117 Vim script file, you should always set 'fullscreen' after setting
3118 'lines' and 'columns', else 'lines' and 'columns' will be overwritten
3119 with the values 'fullscreen' sets after the script has been executed
3120 and the event loop is ran again.
3122 XXX: Add fuenter/fuleave autocommands? You might want to display
3123 a NERDTree or a Tlist only in fullscreen for example. Then again, this
3124 could probably be in a sizechanged autocommand that triggers if the
3125 size is above a certain threshold.
3126 XXX: Think about how 'fullscreen' and 'transparency' should interact.
3128 *'fuoptions'* *'fuopt'*
3129 'fuoptions' 'fuopt' string (default "maxvert")
3130 global
3131 {not in Vi}
3132 {only in MacVim GUI}
3133 In fullscreen mode, most of the screen is black, only a part of the
3134 screen is covered by the actual Vim control. The control is centered.
3135 This option controls the size of the Vim control as well as the color
3136 of the unused screen area.
3137 value effect ~
3138 maxvert When entering fullscreen, 'lines' is set to the maximum number
3139 of lines fitting on the screen in fullscreen mode. When
3140 leaving fullscreen, if 'lines' is still equal to the maximized
3141 number of lines, it is restored to the value it had before
3142 entering fullscreen.
3143 maxhorz When entering fullscreen, 'columns' is set to the maximum number
3144 of columns fitting on the screen in fullscreen mode. When
3145 leaving fullscreen, if 'columns' is still equal to the maximized
3146 number of columns, it is restored to the value it had before
3147 entering fullscreen.
3148 background:color
3149 When entering fullscreen, 'color' defines the color of the part
3150 of the screen that is not occupied by the Vim control. If
3151 'color' is an 8-digit hexadecimal number preceded by '#',
3152 it is interpreted as an explicit color value '#aarrggbb', with
3153 one byte each for the alpha, red, green, and blue values.
3154 Otherwise, 'color' is interpreted as a highlight group name,
3155 and the fullscreen background is filled with that highlight
3156 group's background color, as defined by the current color
3157 scheme.
3159 Examples:
3160 Don't change size of Vim when entering fullscreen: >
3161 :set fuoptions=
3162 < Maximize Vim when entering fullscreen: >
3163 :set fuoptions=maxvert,maxhorz
3164 < Maximize Vim only vertically when entering fullscreen, and color the
3165 background dark blue: >
3166 :set fuoptions=maxvert,background:#FF003042
3167 < Don't change the size of Vim when entering fullscreen, and color the
3168 background like the current text background: >
3169 :set fuoptions=background:Normal
3170 <
3171 XXX: what if the font size is changed? you probably never want to
3172 restore the old 'lines' or 'columns' in that case.
3173 XXX: Each time the Vim window resizes (for example due to font size
3174 changes, re-maximize Vim to fullscreen?)
3175 XXX: The approach doesn't restore vertical Vim size if fu is entered
3176 without tabs and leaves with tabs (or the other way round).
3180 *'gdefault'* *'gd'* *'nogdefault'* *'nogd'*
3181 'gdefault' 'gd' boolean (default off)
3182 global
3183 {not in Vi}
3184 When on, the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on. This means that
3185 all matches in a line are substituted instead of one. When a 'g' flag
3186 is given to a ":substitute" command, this will toggle the substitution
3187 of all or one match. See |complex-change|.
3189 command 'gdefault' on 'gdefault' off ~
3190 :s/// subst. all subst. one
3191 :s///g subst. one subst. all
3192 :s///gg subst. all subst. one
3194 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3196 *'grepformat'* *'gfm'*
3197 'grepformat' 'gfm' string (default "%f:%l%m,%f %l%m")
3198 global
3199 {not in Vi}
3200 Format to recognize for the ":grep" command output.
3201 This is a scanf-like string that uses the same format as the
3202 'errorformat' option: see |errorformat|.
3204 *'grepprg'* *'gp'*
3205 'grepprg' 'gp' string (default "grep -n ",
3206 Unix: "grep -n $* /dev/null",
3207 Win32: "findstr /n" or "grep -n",
3208 VMS: "SEARCH/NUMBERS ")
3209 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3210 {not in Vi}
3211 Program to use for the |:grep| command. This option may contain '%'
3212 and '#' characters, which are expanded like when used in a command-
3213 line. The placeholder "$*" is allowed to specify where the arguments
3214 will be included. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See
3215 |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3216 When your "grep" accepts the "-H" argument, use this to make ":grep"
3217 also work well with a single file: >
3218 :set grepprg=grep\ -nH
3219 < Special value: When 'grepprg' is set to "internal" the |:grep| command
3220 works like |:vimgrep|, |:lgrep| like |:lvimgrep|, |:grepadd| like
3221 |:vimgrepadd| and |:lgrepadd| like |:lvimgrepadd|.
3222 See also the section |:make_makeprg|, since most of the comments there
3223 apply equally to 'grepprg'.
3224 For Win32, the default is "findstr /n" if "findstr.exe" can be found,
3225 otherwise it's "grep -n".
3226 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3227 security reasons.
3229 *'guicursor'* *'gcr'* *E545* *E546* *E548* *E549*
3230 'guicursor' 'gcr' string (default "n-v-c:block-Cursor/lCursor,
3231 ve:ver35-Cursor,
3232 o:hor50-Cursor,
3233 i-ci:ver25-Cursor/lCursor,
3234 r-cr:hor20-Cursor/lCursor,
3235 sm:block-Cursor
3236 -blinkwait175-blinkoff150-blinkon175",
3237 for MS-DOS and Win32 console:
3238 "n-v-c:block,o:hor50,i-ci:hor15,
3239 r-cr:hor30,sm:block")
3240 global
3241 {not in Vi}
3242 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled, and
3243 for MS-DOS and Win32 console}
3244 This option tells Vim what the cursor should look like in different
3245 modes. It fully works in the GUI. In an MSDOS or Win32 console, only
3246 the height of the cursor can be changed. This can be done by
3247 specifying a block cursor, or a percentage for a vertical or
3248 horizontal cursor.
3249 For a console the 't_SI' and 't_EI' escape sequences are used.
3251 The option is a comma separated list of parts. Each part consist of a
3252 mode-list and an argument-list:
3253 mode-list:argument-list,mode-list:argument-list,..
3254 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes:
3255 n Normal mode
3256 v Visual mode
3257 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
3258 if not specified)
3259 o Operator-pending mode
3260 i Insert mode
3261 r Replace mode
3262 c Command-line Normal (append) mode
3263 ci Command-line Insert mode
3264 cr Command-line Replace mode
3265 sm showmatch in Insert mode
3266 a all modes
3267 The argument-list is a dash separated list of these arguments:
3268 hor{N} horizontal bar, {N} percent of the character height
3269 ver{N} vertical bar, {N} percent of the character width
3270 block block cursor, fills the whole character
3271 [only one of the above three should be present]
3272 blinkwait{N} *cursor-blinking*
3273 blinkon{N}
3274 blinkoff{N}
3275 blink times for cursor: blinkwait is the delay before
3276 the cursor starts blinking, blinkon is the time that
3277 the cursor is shown and blinkoff is the time that the
3278 cursor is not shown. The times are in msec. When one
3279 of the numbers is zero, there is no blinking. The
3280 default is: "blinkwait700-blinkon400-blinkoff250".
3281 These numbers are used for a missing entry. This
3282 means that blinking is enabled by default. To switch
3283 blinking off you can use "blinkon0". The cursor only
3284 blinks when Vim is waiting for input, not while
3285 executing a command.
3286 To make the cursor blink in an xterm, see
3287 |xterm-blink|.
3288 {group-name}
3289 a highlight group name, that sets the color and font
3290 for the cursor
3291 {group-name}/{group-name}
3292 Two highlight group names, the first is used when
3293 no language mappings are used, the other when they
3294 are. |language-mapping|
3296 Examples of parts:
3297 n-c-v:block-nCursor in Normal, Command-line and Visual mode, use a
3298 block cursor with colors from the "nCursor"
3299 highlight group
3300 i-ci:ver30-iCursor-blinkwait300-blinkon200-blinkoff150
3301 In Insert and Command-line Insert mode, use a
3302 30% vertical bar cursor with colors from the
3303 "iCursor" highlight group. Blink a bit
3304 faster.
3306 The 'a' mode is different. It will set the given argument-list for
3307 all modes. It does not reset anything to defaults. This can be used
3308 to do a common setting for all modes. For example, to switch off
3309 blinking: "a:blinkon0"
3311 Examples of cursor highlighting: >
3312 :highlight Cursor gui=reverse guifg=NONE guibg=NONE
3313 :highlight Cursor gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=fg
3314 <
3315 *'guifont'* *'gfn'*
3316 *E235* *E596* *E610* *E611*
3317 'guifont' 'gfn' string (default "")
3318 global
3319 {not in Vi}
3320 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3321 This is a list of fonts which will be used for the GUI version of Vim.
3322 In its simplest form the value is just one font name. When
3323 the font cannot be found you will get an error message. To try other
3324 font names a list can be specified, font names separated with commas.
3325 The first valid font is used.
3327 On systems where 'guifontset' is supported (X11) and 'guifontset' is
3328 not empty, then 'guifont' is not used.
3330 Spaces after a comma are ignored. To include a comma in a font name
3331 precede it with a backslash. Setting an option requires an extra
3332 backslash before a space and a backslash. See also
3333 |option-backslash|. For example: >
3334 :set guifont=Screen15,\ 7x13,font\\,with\\,commas
3335 < will make Vim try to use the font "Screen15" first, and if it fails it
3336 will try to use "7x13" and then "font,with,commas" instead.
3338 If none of the fonts can be loaded, Vim will keep the current setting.
3339 If an empty font list is given, Vim will try using other resource
3340 settings (for X, it will use the Vim.font resource), and finally it
3341 will try some builtin default which should always be there ("7x13" in
3342 the case of X). The font names given should be "normal" fonts. Vim
3343 will try to find the related bold and italic fonts.
3345 For Win32, GTK, Motif, Mac OS and Photon: >
3346 :set guifont=*
3347 < will bring up a font requester, where you can pick the font you want.
3348 In MacVim ":set guifont=*" calls: >
3349 :macaction orderFrontFontPanel:
3350 < which is the same as choosing "Show Fonts..." from the main menu.
3352 The font name depends on the GUI used. See |setting-guifont| for a
3353 way to set 'guifont' for various systems.
3355 For the GTK+ 2 GUI the font name looks like this: >
3356 :set guifont=Andale\ Mono\ 11
3357 < That's all. XLFDs are not used. For Chinese this is reported to work
3358 well: >
3359 if has("gui_gtk2")
3360 set guifont=Bitstream\ Vera\ Sans\ Mono\ 12,Fixed\ 12
3361 set guifontwide=Microsoft\ Yahei\ 12,WenQuanYi\ Zen\ Hei\ 12
3362 endif
3363 <
3364 For Mac OSX you can use something like this: >
3365 :set guifont=Monaco:h10
3366 < Also see 'macatsui', it can help fix display problems {not in MacVim}.
3367 In MacVim, fonts with spaces are set like this: >
3368 :set guifont=DejaVu\ Sans\ Mono:h13
3369 <
3370 *E236*
3371 Note that the fonts must be mono-spaced (all characters have the same
3372 width). An exception is MacVim and GTK 2: all fonts are accepted, but
3373 mono-spaced fonts look best.
3375 To preview a font on X11, you might be able to use the "xfontsel"
3376 program. The "xlsfonts" program gives a list of all available fonts.
3378 For the Win32 GUI *E244* *E245*
3379 - takes these options in the font name:
3380 hXX - height is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3381 wXX - width is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3382 b - bold
3383 i - italic
3384 u - underline
3385 s - strikeout
3386 cXX - character set XX. Valid charsets are: ANSI, ARABIC,
3387 BALTIC, CHINESEBIG5, DEFAULT, EASTEUROPE, GB2312, GREEK,
3388 HANGEUL, HEBREW, JOHAB, MAC, OEM, RUSSIAN, SHIFTJIS,
3389 SYMBOL, THAI, TURKISH, VIETNAMESE ANSI and BALTIC.
3390 Normally you would use "cDEFAULT".
3392 Use a ':' to separate the options.
3393 - A '_' can be used in the place of a space, so you don't need to use
3394 backslashes to escape the spaces.
3395 - Examples: >
3396 :set guifont=courier_new:h12:w5:b:cRUSSIAN
3397 :set guifont=Andale_Mono:h7.5:w4.5
3398 < See also |font-sizes|.
3400 *'guifontset'* *'gfs'*
3401 *E250* *E252* *E234* *E597* *E598*
3402 'guifontset' 'gfs' string (default "")
3403 global
3404 {not in Vi}
3405 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3406 with the |+xfontset| feature}
3407 {not available in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
3408 When not empty, specifies two (or more) fonts to be used. The first
3409 one for normal English, the second one for your special language. See
3410 |xfontset|.
3411 Setting this option also means that all font names will be handled as
3412 a fontset name. Also the ones used for the "font" argument of the
3413 |:highlight| command.
3414 The fonts must match with the current locale. If fonts for the
3415 character sets that the current locale uses are not included, setting
3416 'guifontset' will fail.
3417 Note the difference between 'guifont' and 'guifontset': In 'guifont'
3418 the comma-separated names are alternative names, one of which will be
3419 used. In 'guifontset' the whole string is one fontset name,
3420 including the commas. It is not possible to specify alternative
3421 fontset names.
3422 This example works on many X11 systems: >
3423 :set guifontset=-*-*-medium-r-normal--16-*-*-*-c-*-*-*
3424 <
3425 *'guifontwide'* *'gfw'* *E231* *E533* *E534*
3426 'guifontwide' 'gfw' string (default "")
3427 global
3428 {not in Vi}
3429 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3430 When not empty, specifies a comma-separated list of fonts to be used
3431 for double-width characters. The first font that can be loaded is
3432 used.
3433 Note: The size of these fonts must be exactly twice as wide as the one
3434 specified with 'guifont' and the same height.
3436 All GUI versions but MacVim and GTK+ 2:
3438 'guifontwide' is only used when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and
3439 'guifontset' is empty or invalid.
3440 When 'guifont' is set and a valid font is found in it and
3441 'guifontwide' is empty Vim will attempt to find a matching
3442 double-width font and set 'guifontwide' to it.
3444 MacVim only: *guifontwide_macvim*
3446 MacVim performs automatic font substitution. If 'guifontwide' is set,
3447 that font will be used for all wide fonts. However, if a glyph is
3448 not available in the wide font, then font substitution is still used.
3450 GTK+ 2 GUI only: *guifontwide_gtk2*
3452 If set and valid, 'guifontwide' is always used for double width
3453 characters, even if 'encoding' is not set to "utf-8".
3454 Vim does not attempt to find an appropriate value for 'guifontwide'
3455 automatically. If 'guifontwide' is empty Pango/Xft will choose the
3456 font for characters not available in 'guifont'. Thus you do not need
3457 to set 'guifontwide' at all unless you want to override the choice
3458 made by Pango/Xft.
3460 *'guiheadroom'* *'ghr'*
3461 'guiheadroom' 'ghr' number (default 50)
3462 global
3463 {not in Vi} {only for GTK and X11 GUI}
3464 The number of pixels subtracted from the screen height when fitting
3465 the GUI window on the screen. Set this before the GUI is started,
3466 e.g., in your |gvimrc| file. When zero, the whole screen height will
3467 be used by the window. When positive, the specified number of pixel
3468 lines will be left for window decorations and other items on the
3469 screen. Set it to a negative value to allow windows taller than the
3470 screen.
3472 *'guioptions'* *'go'*
3473 'guioptions' 'go' string (default "gmrLtT" (MS-Windows),
3474 "agimrLtT" (GTK, Motif and Athena))
3475 global
3476 {not in Vi}
3477 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3478 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim. It is a
3479 sequence of letters which describes what components and options of the
3480 GUI should be used.
3481 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3482 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3484 Valid letters are as follows:
3485 *guioptions_a* *'go-a'*
3486 'a' Autoselect: If present, then whenever VISUAL mode is started,
3487 or the Visual area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of
3488 the windowing system's global selection. This means that the
3489 Visually highlighted text is available for pasting into other
3490 applications as well as into Vim itself. When the Visual mode
3491 ends, possibly due to an operation on the text, or when an
3492 application wants to paste the selection, the highlighted text
3493 is automatically yanked into the "* selection register.
3494 Thus the selection is still available for pasting into other
3495 applications after the VISUAL mode has ended.
3496 If not present, then Vim won't become the owner of the
3497 windowing system's global selection unless explicitly told to
3498 by a yank or delete operation for the "* register.
3499 The same applies to the modeless selection.
3500 *'go-A'*
3501 'A' Autoselect for the modeless selection. Like 'a', but only
3502 applies to the modeless selection.
3504 'guioptions' autoselect Visual autoselect modeless ~
3505 "" - -
3506 "a" yes yes
3507 "A" - yes
3508 "aA" yes yes
3510 *'go-c'*
3511 'c' Use console dialogs instead of popup dialogs for simple
3512 choices.
3513 *'go-e'*
3514 'e' Add tab pages when indicated with 'showtabline'.
3515 'guitablabel' can be used to change the text in the labels.
3516 When 'e' is missing a non-GUI tab pages line may be used.
3517 The GUI tabs are only supported on some systems, currently
3518 GTK, Motif, Mac OS/X and MS-Windows.
3519 *'go-f'*
3520 'f' Foreground: Don't use fork() to detach the GUI from the shell
3521 where it was started. Use this for programs that wait for the
3522 editor to finish (e.g., an e-mail program). Alternatively you
3523 can use "gvim -f" or ":gui -f" to start the GUI in the
3524 foreground. |gui-fork|
3525 Note: Set this option in the vimrc file. The forking may have
3526 happened already when the |gvimrc| file is read.
3527 MacVim does not support this flag due to limitations with
3528 forking on Mac OS X.
3529 *'go-i'*
3530 'i' Use a Vim icon. For GTK with KDE it is used in the left-upper
3531 corner of the window. It's black&white on non-GTK, because of
3532 limitations of X11. For a color icon, see |X11-icon|.
3533 *'go-m'*
3534 'm' Menu bar is present.
3535 *'go-M'*
3536 'M' The system menu "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim" is not sourced. Note
3537 that this flag must be added in the .vimrc file, before
3538 switching on syntax or filetype recognition (when the |gvimrc|
3539 file is sourced the system menu has already been loaded; the
3540 ":syntax on" and ":filetype on" commands load the menu too).
3541 *'go-g'*
3542 'g' Grey menu items: Make menu items that are not active grey. If
3543 'g' is not included inactive menu items are not shown at all.
3544 Exception: Athena will always use grey menu items.
3545 *'go-t'*
3546 't' Include tearoff menu items. Currently only works for Win32,
3547 GTK+, MacVim, and Motif 1.2 GUI.
3548 *'go-T'*
3549 'T' Include Toolbar. Currently only in Win32, GTK+, Motif, Photon
3550 and Athena GUIs.
3551 *'go-r'*
3552 'r' Right-hand scrollbar is always present.
3553 *'go-R'*
3554 'R' Right-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3555 split window.
3556 *'go-l'*
3557 'l' Left-hand scrollbar is always present.
3558 *'go-L'*
3559 'L' Left-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3560 split window.
3561 *'go-b'*
3562 'b' Bottom (horizontal) scrollbar is present. Its size depends on
3563 the longest visible line, or on the cursor line if the 'h'
3564 flag is included. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3565 *'go-h'*
3566 'h' Limit horizontal scrollbar size to the length of the cursor
3567 line. Reduces computations. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3569 And yes, you may even have scrollbars on the left AND the right if
3570 you really want to :-). See |gui-scrollbars| for more information.
3572 *'go-v'*
3573 'v' Use a vertical button layout for dialogs. When not included,
3574 a horizontal layout is preferred, but when it doesn't fit a
3575 vertical layout is used anyway.
3576 *'go-p'*
3577 'p' Use Pointer callbacks for X11 GUI. This is required for some
3578 window managers. If the cursor is not blinking or hollow at
3579 the right moment, try adding this flag. This must be done
3580 before starting the GUI. Set it in your |gvimrc|. Adding or
3581 removing it after the GUI has started has no effect.
3582 *'go-F'*
3583 'F' Add a footer. Only for Motif. See |gui-footer|.
3586 'C' Remove caption (title) bar. Support Win32 only.
3589 *'guipty'* *'noguipty'*
3590 'guipty' boolean (default on)
3591 global
3592 {not in Vi}
3593 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3594 Only in the GUI: If on, an attempt is made to open a pseudo-tty for
3595 I/O to/from shell commands. See |gui-pty|.
3597 *'guitablabel'* *'gtl'*
3598 'guitablabel' 'gtl' string (default empty)
3599 global
3600 {not in Vi}
3601 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3602 with the +windows feature}
3603 When nonempty describes the text to use in a label of the GUI tab
3604 pages line. When empty and when the result is empty Vim will use a
3605 default label. See |setting-guitablabel| for more info.
3607 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
3608 'guitabtooltip' is used for the tooltip, see below.
3610 Only used when the GUI tab pages line is displayed. 'e' must be
3611 present in 'guioptions'. For the non-GUI tab pages line 'tabline' is
3612 used.
3614 *'guitabtooltip'* *'gtt'*
3615 'guitabtooltip' 'gtt' string (default empty)
3616 global
3617 {not in Vi}
3618 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3619 with the +windows feature}
3620 When nonempty describes the text to use in a tooltip for the GUI tab
3621 pages line. When empty Vim will use a default tooltip.
3622 This option is otherwise just like 'guitablabel' above.
3623 You can include a line break. Simplest method is to use |:let|: >
3624 :let &guitabtooltip = "line one\nline two"
3625 <
3627 *'helpfile'* *'hf'*
3628 'helpfile' 'hf' string (default (MSDOS) "$VIMRUNTIME\doc\help.txt"
3629 (others) "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt")
3630 global
3631 {not in Vi}
3632 Name of the main help file. All distributed help files should be
3633 placed together in one directory. Additionally, all "doc" directories
3634 in 'runtimepath' will be used.
3635 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. For example:
3636 "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt". If $VIMRUNTIME is not set, $VIM is also
3637 tried. Also see |$VIMRUNTIME| and |option-backslash| about including
3638 spaces and backslashes.
3639 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3640 security reasons.
3642 *'helpheight'* *'hh'*
3643 'helpheight' 'hh' number (default 20)
3644 global
3645 {not in Vi}
3646 {not available when compiled without the +windows
3647 feature}
3648 Minimal initial height of the help window when it is opened with the
3649 ":help" command. The initial height of the help window is half of the
3650 current window, or (when the 'ea' option is on) the same as other
3651 windows. When the height is less than 'helpheight', the height is
3652 set to 'helpheight'. Set to zero to disable.
3654 *'helplang'* *'hlg'*
3655 'helplang' 'hlg' string (default: messages language or empty)
3656 global
3657 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_lang|
3658 feature}
3659 {not in Vi}
3660 Comma separated list of languages. Vim will use the first language
3661 for which the desired help can be found. The English help will always
3662 be used as a last resort. You can add "en" to prefer English over
3663 another language, but that will only find tags that exist in that
3664 language and not in the English help.
3665 Example: >
3666 :set helplang=de,it
3667 < This will first search German, then Italian and finally English help
3668 files.
3669 When using |CTRL-]| and ":help!" in a non-English help file Vim will
3670 try to find the tag in the current language before using this option.
3671 See |help-translated|.
3673 *'hidden'* *'hid'* *'nohidden'* *'nohid'*
3674 'hidden' 'hid' boolean (default off)
3675 global
3676 {not in Vi}
3677 When off a buffer is unloaded when it is |abandon|ed. When on a
3678 buffer becomes hidden when it is |abandon|ed. If the buffer is still
3679 displayed in another window, it does not become hidden, of course.
3680 The commands that move through the buffer list sometimes make a buffer
3681 hidden although the 'hidden' option is off: When the buffer is
3682 modified, 'autowrite' is off or writing is not possible, and the '!'
3683 flag was used. See also |windows.txt|.
3684 To only make one buffer hidden use the 'bufhidden' option.
3685 This option is set for one command with ":hide {command}" |:hide|.
3686 WARNING: It's easy to forget that you have changes in hidden buffers.
3687 Think twice when using ":q!" or ":qa!".
3689 *'highlight'* *'hl'*
3690 'highlight' 'hl' string (default (as a single string):
3691 "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,
3692 e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,
3693 M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,r:Question,
3694 s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,
3695 t:Title,v:Visual,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,
3696 f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,
3697 C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,
3698 >:SignColumn,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,
3699 R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,
3700 +:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,
3701 x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb")
3702 global
3703 {not in Vi}
3704 This option can be used to set highlighting mode for various
3705 occasions. It is a comma separated list of character pairs. The
3706 first character in a pair gives the occasion, the second the mode to
3707 use for that occasion. The occasions are:
3708 |hl-SpecialKey| 8 Meta and special keys listed with ":map"
3709 |hl-NonText| @ '~' and '@' at the end of the window and
3710 characters from 'showbreak'
3711 |hl-Directory| d directories in CTRL-D listing and other special
3712 things in listings
3713 |hl-ErrorMsg| e error messages
3714 h (obsolete, ignored)
3715 |hl-IncSearch| i 'incsearch' highlighting
3716 |hl-Search| l last search pattern highlighting (see 'hlsearch')
3717 |hl-MoreMsg| m |more-prompt|
3718 |hl-ModeMsg| M Mode (e.g., "-- INSERT --")
3719 |hl-LineNr| n line number for ":number" and ":#" commands
3720 |hl-Question| r |hit-enter| prompt and yes/no questions
3721 |hl-StatusLine| s status line of current window |status-line|
3722 |hl-StatusLineNC| S status lines of not-current windows
3723 |hl-Title| t Titles for output from ":set all", ":autocmd" etc.
3724 |hl-VertSplit| c column used to separate vertically split windows
3725 |hl-Visual| v Visual mode
3726 |hl-VisualNOS| V Visual mode when Vim does is "Not Owning the
3727 Selection" Only X11 Gui's |gui-x11| and
3728 |xterm-clipboard|.
3729 |hl-WarningMsg| w warning messages
3730 |hl-WildMenu| W wildcard matches displayed for 'wildmenu'
3731 |hl-Folded| f line used for closed folds
3732 |hl-FoldColumn| F 'foldcolumn'
3733 |hl-DiffAdd| A added line in diff mode
3734 |hl-DiffChange| C changed line in diff mode
3735 |hl-DiffDelete| D deleted line in diff mode
3736 |hl-DiffText| T inserted text in diff mode
3737 |hl-SignColumn| > column used for |signs|
3738 |hl-SpellBad| B misspelled word |spell|
3739 |hl-SpellCap| P word that should start with capital|spell|
3740 |hl-SpellRare| R rare word |spell|
3741 |hl-SpellLocal| L word from other region |spell|
3742 |hl-Pmenu| + popup menu normal line
3743 |hl-PmenuSel| = popup menu normal line
3744 |hl-PmenuSbar| x popup menu scrollbar
3745 |hl-PmenuThumb| X popup menu scrollbar thumb
3747 The display modes are:
3748 r reverse (termcap entry "mr" and "me")
3749 i italic (termcap entry "ZH" and "ZR")
3750 b bold (termcap entry "md" and "me")
3751 s standout (termcap entry "so" and "se")
3752 u underline (termcap entry "us" and "ue")
3753 c undercurl (termcap entry "Cs" and "Ce")
3754 n no highlighting
3755 - no highlighting
3756 : use a highlight group
3757 The default is used for occasions that are not included.
3758 If you want to change what the display modes do, see |dos-colors|
3759 for an example.
3760 When using the ':' display mode, this must be followed by the name of
3761 a highlight group. A highlight group can be used to define any type
3762 of highlighting, including using color. See |:highlight| on how to
3763 define one. The default uses a different group for each occasion.
3764 See |highlight-default| for the default highlight groups.
3766 *'hlsearch'* *'hls'* *'nohlsearch'* *'nohls'*
3767 'hlsearch' 'hls' boolean (default off)
3768 global
3769 {not in Vi}
3770 {not available when compiled without the
3771 |+extra_search| feature}
3772 When there is a previous search pattern, highlight all its matches.
3773 The type of highlighting used can be set with the 'l' occasion in the
3774 'highlight' option. This uses the "Search" highlight group by
3775 default. Note that only the matching text is highlighted, any offsets
3776 are not applied.
3777 See also: 'incsearch' and |:match|.
3778 When you get bored looking at the highlighted matches, you can turn it
3779 off with |:nohlsearch|. As soon as you use a search command, the
3780 highlighting comes back.
3781 'redrawtime' specifies the maximum time spent on finding matches.
3782 When the search pattern can match an end-of-line, Vim will try to
3783 highlight all of the matched text. However, this depends on where the
3784 search starts. This will be the first line in the window or the first
3785 line below a closed fold. A match in a previous line which is not
3786 drawn may not continue in a newly drawn line.
3787 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3789 *'history'* *'hi'*
3790 'history' 'hi' number (Vim default: 20, Vi default: 0)
3791 global
3792 {not in Vi}
3793 A history of ":" commands, and a history of previous search patterns
3794 are remembered. This option decides how many entries may be stored in
3795 each of these histories (see |cmdline-editing|).
3796 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3797 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3799 *'hkmap'* *'hk'* *'nohkmap'* *'nohk'*
3800 'hkmap' 'hk' boolean (default off)
3801 global
3802 {not in Vi}
3803 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3804 feature}
3805 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Hebrew character set.
3806 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
3807 toggle this option. See |rileft.txt|.
3808 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3810 *'hkmapp'* *'hkp'* *'nohkmapp'* *'nohkp'*
3811 'hkmapp' 'hkp' boolean (default off)
3812 global
3813 {not in Vi}
3814 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3815 feature}
3816 When on, phonetic keyboard mapping is used. 'hkmap' must also be on.
3817 This is useful if you have a non-Hebrew keyboard.
3818 See |rileft.txt|.
3819 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3821 *'icon'* *'noicon'*
3822 'icon' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
3823 global
3824 {not in Vi}
3825 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3826 feature}
3827 When on, the icon text of the window will be set to the value of
3828 'iconstring' (if it is not empty), or to the name of the file
3829 currently being edited. Only the last part of the name is used.
3830 Overridden by the 'iconstring' option.
3831 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icons (currently
3832 only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option - these are
3833 Unix xterm and iris-ansi by default, where 't_IS' is taken from the
3834 builtin termcap).
3835 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3836 restored if possible |X11|. See |X11-icon| for changing the icon on
3837 X11.
3839 *'iconstring'*
3840 'iconstring' string (default "")
3841 global
3842 {not in Vi}
3843 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3844 feature}
3845 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the icon text of
3846 the window. This happens only when the 'icon' option is on.
3847 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icon text
3848 (currently only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option).
3849 Does not work for MS Windows.
3850 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3851 restored if possible |X11|.
3852 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
3853 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'. See
3854 'titlestring' for example settings.
3855 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
3857 *'ignorecase'* *'ic'* *'noignorecase'* *'noic'*
3858 'ignorecase' 'ic' boolean (default off)
3859 global
3860 Ignore case in search patterns. Also used when searching in the tags
3861 file.
3862 Also see 'smartcase'.
3863 Can be overruled by using "\c" or "\C" in the pattern, see
3864 |/ignorecase|.
3866 *'imactivatekey'* *'imak'*
3867 'imactivatekey' 'imak' string (default "")
3868 global
3869 {not in Vi}
3870 {only available when compiled with |+xim| and
3871 |+GUI_GTK|}
3872 Specifies the key that your Input Method in X-Windows uses for
3873 activation. When this is specified correctly, vim can fully control
3874 IM with 'imcmdline', 'iminsert' and 'imsearch'.
3875 You can't use this option to change the activation key, the option
3876 tells Vim what the key is.
3877 Format:
3878 [MODIFIER_FLAG-]KEY_STRING
3880 These characters can be used for MODIFIER_FLAG (case is ignored):
3881 S Shift key
3882 L Lock key
3883 C Control key
3884 1 Mod1 key
3885 2 Mod2 key
3886 3 Mod3 key
3887 4 Mod4 key
3888 5 Mod5 key
3889 Combinations are allowed, for example "S-C-space" or "SC-space" are
3890 both shift+ctrl+space.
3891 See <X11/keysymdef.h> and XStringToKeysym for KEY_STRING.
3893 Example: >
3894 :set imactivatekey=S-space
3895 < "S-space" means shift+space. This is the activation key for kinput2 +
3896 canna (Japanese), and ami (Korean).
3898 *'imcmdline'* *'imc'* *'noimcmdline'* *'noimc'*
3899 'imcmdline' 'imc' boolean (default off)
3900 global
3901 {not in Vi}
3902 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3903 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3904 When set the Input Method is always on when starting to edit a command
3905 line, unless entering a search pattern (see 'imsearch' for that).
3906 Setting this option is useful when your input method allows entering
3907 English characters directly, e.g., when it's used to type accented
3908 characters with dead keys.
3910 *'imdisable'* *'imd'* *'nodisable'* *'noimd'*
3911 'imdisable' 'imd' boolean (default off, on for SGI and MacVim)
3912 global
3913 {not in Vi}
3914 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3915 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature, always
3916 available in MacVim}
3917 When set the Input Method is never used. This is useful to disable
3918 the IM when it doesn't work properly.
3919 Currently this option is on by default for SGI/IRIX. This may change
3920 in later releases.
3922 *'iminsert'* *'imi'*
3923 'iminsert' 'imi' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3924 local to buffer
3925 {not in Vi}
3926 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used in
3927 Insert mode. Valid values:
3928 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3929 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3930 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3931 2 is available only when compiled with the |+multi_byte_ime|, |+xim|
3932 or |global-ime|.
3933 To always reset the option to zero when leaving Insert mode with <Esc>
3934 this can be used: >
3935 :inoremap <ESC> <ESC>:set iminsert=0<CR>
3936 < This makes :lmap and IM turn off automatically when leaving Insert
3937 mode.
3938 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Insert mode
3939 |i_CTRL-^|.
3940 The value is set to 1 when setting 'keymap' to a valid keymap name.
3941 It is also used for the argument of commands like "r" and "f".
3942 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3943 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3945 *'imsearch'* *'ims'*
3946 'imsearch' 'ims' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3947 local to buffer
3948 {not in Vi}
3949 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used when
3950 entering a search pattern. Valid values:
3951 -1 the value of 'iminsert' is used, makes it look like
3952 'iminsert' is also used when typing a search pattern
3953 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3954 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3955 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3956 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Command-line mode
3957 |c_CTRL-^|.
3958 The value is set to 1 when it is not -1 and setting the 'keymap'
3959 option to a valid keymap name.
3960 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3961 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3963 *'include'* *'inc'*
3964 'include' 'inc' string (default "^\s*#\s*include")
3965 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3966 {not in Vi}
3967 {not available when compiled without the
3968 |+find_in_path| feature}
3969 Pattern to be used to find an include command. It is a search
3970 pattern, just like for the "/" command (See |pattern|). The default
3971 value is for C programs. This option is used for the commands "[i",
3972 "]I", "[d", etc.
3973 Normally the 'isfname' option is used to recognize the file name that
3974 comes after the matched pattern. But if "\zs" appears in the pattern
3975 then the text matched from "\zs" to the end, or until "\ze" if it
3976 appears, is used as the file name. Use this to include characters
3977 that are not in 'isfname', such as a space. You can then use
3978 'includeexpr' to process the matched text.
3979 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3981 *'includeexpr'* *'inex'*
3982 'includeexpr' 'inex' string (default "")
3983 local to buffer
3984 {not in Vi}
3985 {not available when compiled without the
3986 |+find_in_path| or |+eval| feature}
3987 Expression to be used to transform the string found with the 'include'
3988 option to a file name. Mostly useful to change "." to "/" for Java: >
3989 :set includeexpr=substitute(v:fname,'\\.','/','g')
3990 < The "v:fname" variable will be set to the file name that was detected.
3992 Also used for the |gf| command if an unmodified file name can't be
3993 found. Allows doing "gf" on the name after an 'include' statement.
3994 Also used for |<cfile>|.
3996 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3997 |sandbox-option|.
3999 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
4000 evaluating 'includeexpr' |textlock|.
4002 *'incsearch'* *'is'* *'noincsearch'* *'nois'*
4003 'incsearch' 'is' boolean (default off)
4004 global
4005 {not in Vi}
4006 {not available when compiled without the
4007 |+extra_search| feature}
4008 While typing a search command, show where the pattern, as it was typed
4009 so far, matches. The matched string is highlighted. If the pattern
4010 is invalid or not found, nothing is shown. The screen will be updated
4011 often, this is only useful on fast terminals.
4012 Note that the match will be shown, but the cursor will return to its
4013 original position when no match is found and when pressing <Esc>. You
4014 still need to finish the search command with <Enter> to move the
4015 cursor to the match.
4016 When compiled with the |+reltime| feature Vim only searches for about
4017 half a second. With a complicated pattern and/or a lot of text the
4018 match may not be found. This is to avoid that Vim hangs while you
4019 are typing the pattern.
4020 The highlighting can be set with the 'i' flag in 'highlight'.
4021 See also: 'hlsearch'.
4022 CTRL-L can be used to add one character from after the current match
4023 to the command line.
4024 CTRL-R CTRL-W can be used to add the word at the end of the current
4025 match, excluding the characters that were already typed.
4026 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
4028 *'indentexpr'* *'inde'*
4029 'indentexpr' 'inde' string (default "")
4030 local to buffer
4031 {not in Vi}
4032 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
4033 or |+eval| features}
4034 Expression which is evaluated to obtain the proper indent for a line.
4035 It is used when a new line is created, for the |=| operator and
4036 in Insert mode as specified with the 'indentkeys' option.
4037 When this option is not empty, it overrules the 'cindent' and
4038 'smartindent' indenting.
4039 When 'paste' is set this option is not used for indenting.
4040 The expression is evaluated with |v:lnum| set to the line number for
4041 which the indent is to be computed. The cursor is also in this line
4042 when the expression is evaluated (but it may be moved around).
4043 The expression must return the number of spaces worth of indent. It
4044 can return "-1" to keep the current indent (this means 'autoindent' is
4045 used for the indent).
4046 Functions useful for computing the indent are |indent()|, |cindent()|
4047 and |lispindent()|.
4048 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects! It must
4049 not change the text, jump to another window, etc. Afterwards the
4050 cursor position is always restored, thus the cursor may be moved.
4051 Normally this option would be set to call a function: >
4052 :set indentexpr=GetMyIndent()
4053 < Error messages will be suppressed, unless the 'debug' option contains
4054 "msg".
4055 See |indent-expression|.
4056 NOTE: This option is made empty when 'compatible' is set.
4058 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
4059 |sandbox-option|.
4061 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
4062 evaluating 'indentexpr' |textlock|.
4065 *'indentkeys'* *'indk'*
4066 'indentkeys' 'indk' string (default "0{,0},:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
4067 local to buffer
4068 {not in Vi}
4069 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
4070 feature}
4071 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
4072 the current line. Only happens if 'indentexpr' isn't empty.
4073 The format is identical to 'cinkeys', see |indentkeys-format|.
4074 See |C-indenting| and |indent-expression|.
4076 *'infercase'* *'inf'* *'noinfercase'* *'noinf'*
4077 'infercase' 'inf' boolean (default off)
4078 local to buffer
4079 {not in Vi}
4080 When doing keyword completion in insert mode |ins-completion|, and
4081 'ignorecase' is also on, the case of the match is adjusted depending
4082 on the typed text. If the typed text contains a lowercase letter
4083 where the match has an upper case letter, the completed part is made
4084 lowercase. If the typed text has no lowercase letters and the match
4085 has a lowercase letter where the typed text has an uppercase letter,
4086 and there is a letter before it, the completed part is made uppercase.
4087 With 'noinfercase' the match is used as-is.
4089 *'insertmode'* *'im'* *'noinsertmode'* *'noim'*
4090 'insertmode' 'im' boolean (default off)
4091 global
4092 {not in Vi}
4093 Makes Vim work in a way that Insert mode is the default mode. Useful
4094 if you want to use Vim as a modeless editor. Used for |evim|.
4095 These Insert mode commands will be useful:
4096 - Use the cursor keys to move around.
4097 - Use CTRL-O to execute one Normal mode command |i_CTRL-O|). When
4098 this is a mapping, it is executed as if 'insertmode' was off.
4099 Normal mode remains active until the mapping is finished.
4100 - Use CTRL-L to execute a number of Normal mode commands, then use
4101 <Esc> to get back to Insert mode. Note that CTRL-L moves the cursor
4102 left, like <Esc> does when 'insertmode' isn't set. |i_CTRL-L|
4104 These items change when 'insertmode' is set:
4105 - when starting to edit of a file, Vim goes to Insert mode.
4106 - <Esc> in Insert mode is a no-op and beeps.
4107 - <Esc> in Normal mode makes Vim go to Insert mode.
4108 - CTRL-L in Insert mode is a command, it is not inserted.
4109 - CTRL-Z in Insert mode suspends Vim, see |CTRL-Z|. *i_CTRL-Z*
4110 However, when <Esc> is used inside a mapping, it behaves like
4111 'insertmode' was not set. This was done to be able to use the same
4112 mappings with 'insertmode' set or not set.
4113 When executing commands with |:normal| 'insertmode' is not used.
4115 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
4117 *'isfname'* *'isf'*
4118 'isfname' 'isf' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4119 "@,48-57,/,\,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,{,},[,],:,@-@,!,~,="
4120 for AMIGA: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,$,:"
4121 for VMS: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,<,>,[,],:,;,~"
4122 for OS/390: "@,240-249,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,="
4123 otherwise: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,=")
4124 global
4125 {not in Vi}
4126 The characters specified by this option are included in file names and
4127 path names. Filenames are used for commands like "gf", "[i" and in
4128 the tags file. It is also used for "\f" in a |pattern|.
4129 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4130 characters up to 255 are specified with this option.
4131 For UTF-8 the characters 0xa0 to 0xff are included as well.
4132 Think twice before adding white space to this option. Although a
4133 space may appear inside a file name, the effect will be that Vim
4134 doesn't know where a file name starts or ends when doing completion.
4135 It most likely works better without a space in 'isfname'.
4137 Note that on systems using a backslash as path separator, Vim tries to
4138 do its best to make it work as you would expect. That is a bit
4139 tricky, since Vi originally used the backslash to escape special
4140 characters. Vim will not remove a backslash in front of a normal file
4141 name character on these systems, but it will on Unix and alikes. The
4142 '&' and '^' are not included by default, because these are special for
4143 cmd.exe.
4145 The format of this option is a list of parts, separated with commas.
4146 Each part can be a single character number or a range. A range is two
4147 character numbers with '-' in between. A character number can be a
4148 decimal number between 0 and 255 or the ASCII character itself (does
4149 not work for digits). Example:
4150 "_,-,128-140,#-43" (include '_' and '-' and the range
4151 128 to 140 and '#' to 43)
4152 If a part starts with '^', the following character number or range
4153 will be excluded from the option. The option is interpreted from left
4154 to right. Put the excluded character after the range where it is
4155 included. To include '^' itself use it as the last character of the
4156 option or the end of a range. Example:
4157 "^a-z,#,^" (exclude 'a' to 'z', include '#' and '^')
4158 If the character is '@', all characters where isalpha() returns TRUE
4159 are included. Normally these are the characters a to z and A to Z,
4160 plus accented characters. To include '@' itself use "@-@". Examples:
4161 "@,^a-z" All alphabetic characters, excluding lower
4162 case ASCII letters.
4163 "a-z,A-Z,@-@" All letters plus the '@' character.
4164 A comma can be included by using it where a character number is
4165 expected. Example:
4166 "48-57,,,_" Digits, comma and underscore.
4167 A comma can be excluded by prepending a '^'. Example:
4168 " -~,^,,9" All characters from space to '~', excluding
4169 comma, plus <Tab>.
4170 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4172 *'isident'* *'isi'*
4173 'isident' 'isi' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4174 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4175 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255")
4176 global
4177 {not in Vi}
4178 The characters given by this option are included in identifiers.
4179 Identifiers are used in recognizing environment variables and after a
4180 match of the 'define' option. It is also used for "\i" in a
4181 |pattern|. See 'isfname' for a description of the format of this
4182 option.
4183 Careful: If you change this option, it might break expanding
4184 environment variables. E.g., when '/' is included and Vim tries to
4185 expand "$HOME/.viminfo". Maybe you should change 'iskeyword' instead.
4187 *'iskeyword'* *'isk'*
4188 'iskeyword' 'isk' string (Vim default for MS-DOS and Win32:
4189 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4190 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255"
4191 Vi default: "@,48-57,_")
4192 local to buffer
4193 {not in Vi}
4194 Keywords are used in searching and recognizing with many commands:
4195 "w", "*", "[i", etc. It is also used for "\k" in a |pattern|. See
4196 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option. For C
4197 programs you could use "a-z,A-Z,48-57,_,.,-,>".
4198 For a help file it is set to all non-blank printable characters except
4199 '*', '"' and '|' (so that CTRL-] on a command finds the help for that
4200 command).
4201 When the 'lisp' option is on the '-' character is always included.
4202 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4203 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4205 *'isprint'* *'isp'*
4206 'isprint' 'isp' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32, OS/2 and Macintosh:
4207 "@,~-255"; otherwise: "@,161-255")
4208 global
4209 {not in Vi}
4210 The characters given by this option are displayed directly on the
4211 screen. It is also used for "\p" in a |pattern|. The characters from
4212 space (ASCII 32) to '~' (ASCII 126) are always displayed directly,
4213 even when they are not included in 'isprint' or excluded. See
4214 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option.
4216 Non-printable characters are displayed with two characters:
4217 0 - 31 "^@" - "^_"
4218 32 - 126 always single characters
4219 127 "^?"
4220 128 - 159 "~@" - "~_"
4221 160 - 254 "| " - "|~"
4222 255 "~?"
4223 When 'encoding' is a Unicode one, illegal bytes from 128 to 255 are
4224 displayed as <xx>, with the hexadecimal value of the byte.
4225 When 'display' contains "uhex" all unprintable characters are
4226 displayed as <xx>.
4227 The SpecialKey highlighting will be used for unprintable characters.
4228 |hl-SpecialKey|
4230 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4231 characters up to 255 are specified with this option. When a character
4232 is printable but it is not available in the current font, a
4233 replacement character will be shown.
4234 Unprintable and zero-width Unicode characters are displayed as <xxxx>.
4235 There is no option to specify these characters.
4237 *'joinspaces'* *'js'* *'nojoinspaces'* *'nojs'*
4238 'joinspaces' 'js' boolean (default on)
4239 global
4240 {not in Vi}
4241 Insert two spaces after a '.', '?' and '!' with a join command.
4242 When 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, only do this after a '.'.
4243 Otherwise only one space is inserted.
4244 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
4246 *'key'*
4247 'key' string (default "")
4248 local to buffer
4249 {not in Vi}
4250 The key that is used for encrypting and decrypting the current buffer.
4251 See |encryption|.
4252 Careful: Do not set the key value by hand, someone might see the typed
4253 key. Use the |:X| command. But you can make 'key' empty: >
4254 :set key=
4255 < It is not possible to get the value of this option with ":set key" or
4256 "echo &key". This is to avoid showing it to someone who shouldn't
4257 know. It also means you cannot see it yourself once you have set it,
4258 be careful not to make a typing error!
4260 *'keymap'* *'kmp'* *E544*
4261 'keymap' 'kmp' string (default "")
4262 local to buffer
4263 {not in Vi}
4264 {only available when compiled with the |+keymap|
4265 feature}
4266 Name of a keyboard mapping. See |mbyte-keymap|.
4267 Setting this option to a valid keymap name has the side effect of
4268 setting 'iminsert' to one, so that the keymap becomes effective.
4269 'imsearch' is also set to one, unless it was -1
4270 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4272 *'keymodel'* *'km'*
4273 'keymodel' 'km' string (default "")
4274 global
4275 {not in Vi}
4276 List of comma separated words, which enable special things that keys
4277 can do. These values can be used:
4278 startsel Using a shifted special key starts selection (either
4279 Select mode or Visual mode, depending on "key" being
4280 present in 'selectmode').
4281 stopsel Using a not-shifted special key stops selection.
4282 Special keys in this context are the cursor keys, <End>, <Home>,
4283 <PageUp> and <PageDown>.
4284 The 'keymodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4286 *'keywordprg'* *'kp'*
4287 'keywordprg' 'kp' string (default "man" or "man -s", DOS: ":help",
4288 OS/2: "view /", VMS: "help")
4289 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4290 {not in Vi}
4291 Program to use for the |K| command. Environment variables are
4292 expanded |:set_env|. ":help" may be used to access the Vim internal
4293 help. (Note that previously setting the global option to the empty
4294 value did this, which is now deprecated.)
4295 When "man" is used, Vim will automatically translate a count for the
4296 "K" command to a section number. Also for "man -s", in which case the
4297 "-s" is removed when there is no count.
4298 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4299 Example: >
4300 :set keywordprg=man\ -s
4301 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4302 security reasons.
4304 *'langmap'* *'lmap'* *E357* *E358*
4305 'langmap' 'lmap' string (default "")
4306 global
4307 {not in Vi}
4308 {only available when compiled with the |+langmap|
4309 feature}
4310 This option allows switching your keyboard into a special language
4311 mode. When you are typing text in Insert mode the characters are
4312 inserted directly. When in command mode the 'langmap' option takes
4313 care of translating these special characters to the original meaning
4314 of the key. This means you don't have to change the keyboard mode to
4315 be able to execute Normal mode commands.
4316 This is the opposite of the 'keymap' option, where characters are
4317 mapped in Insert mode.
4319 Example (for Greek, in UTF-8): *greek* >
4320 :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
4321 < Example (exchanges meaning of z and y for commands): >
4322 :set langmap=zy,yz,ZY,YZ
4323 <
4324 The 'langmap' option is a list of parts, separated with commas. Each
4325 part can be in one of two forms:
4326 1. A list of pairs. Each pair is a "from" character immediately
4327 followed by the "to" character. Examples: "aA", "aAbBcC".
4328 2. A list of "from" characters, a semi-colon and a list of "to"
4329 characters. Example: "abc;ABC"
4330 Example: "aA,fgh;FGH,cCdDeE"
4331 Special characters need to be preceded with a backslash. These are
4332 ";", ',' and backslash itself.
4334 This will allow you to activate vim actions without having to switch
4335 back and forth between the languages. Your language characters will
4336 be understood as normal vim English characters (according to the
4337 langmap mappings) in the following cases:
4338 o Normal/Visual mode (commands, buffer/register names, user mappings)
4339 o Insert/Replace Mode: Register names after CTRL-R
4340 o Insert/Replace Mode: Mappings
4341 Characters entered in Command-line mode will NOT be affected by
4342 this option. Note that this option can be changed at any time
4343 allowing to switch between mappings for different languages/encodings.
4344 Use a mapping to avoid having to type it each time!
4346 *'langmenu'* *'lm'*
4347 'langmenu' 'lm' string (default "")
4348 global
4349 {not in Vi}
4350 {only available when compiled with the |+menu| and
4351 |+multi_lang| features}
4352 Language to use for menu translation. Tells which file is loaded
4353 from the "lang" directory in 'runtimepath': >
4354 "lang/menu_" . &langmenu . ".vim"
4355 < (without the spaces). For example, to always use the Dutch menus, no
4356 matter what $LANG is set to: >
4357 :set langmenu=nl_NL.ISO_8859-1
4358 < When 'langmenu' is empty, |v:lang| is used.
4359 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4360 If your $LANG is set to a non-English language but you do want to use
4361 the English menus: >
4362 :set langmenu=none
4363 < This option must be set before loading menus, switching on filetype
4364 detection or syntax highlighting. Once the menus are defined setting
4365 this option has no effect. But you could do this: >
4366 :source $VIMRUNTIME/delmenu.vim
4367 :set langmenu=de_DE.ISO_8859-1
4368 :source $VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim
4369 < Warning: This deletes all menus that you defined yourself!
4371 *'laststatus'* *'ls'*
4372 'laststatus' 'ls' number (default 1)
4373 global
4374 {not in Vi}
4375 The value of this option influences when the last window will have a
4376 status line:
4377 0: never
4378 1: only if there are at least two windows
4379 2: always
4380 The screen looks nicer with a status line if you have several
4381 windows, but it takes another screen line. |status-line|
4383 *'lazyredraw'* *'lz'* *'nolazyredraw'* *'nolz'*
4384 'lazyredraw' 'lz' boolean (default off)
4385 global
4386 {not in Vi}
4387 When this option is set, the screen will not be redrawn while
4388 executing macros, registers and other commands that have not been
4389 typed. Also, updating the window title is postponed. To force an
4390 update use |:redraw|.
4392 *'linebreak'* *'lbr'* *'nolinebreak'* *'nolbr'*
4393 'linebreak' 'lbr' boolean (default off)
4394 local to window
4395 {not in Vi}
4396 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
4397 feature}
4398 If on Vim will wrap long lines at a character in 'breakat' rather
4399 than at the last character that fits on the screen. Unlike
4400 'wrapmargin' and 'textwidth', this does not insert <EOL>s in the file,
4401 it only affects the way the file is displayed, not its contents. The
4402 value of 'showbreak' is used to put in front of wrapped lines.
4403 This option is not used when the 'wrap' option is off or 'list' is on.
4404 Note that <Tab> characters after an <EOL> are mostly not displayed
4405 with the right amount of white space.
4407 *'lines'* *E593*
4408 'lines' number (default 24 or terminal height)
4409 global
4410 Number of lines of the Vim window.
4411 Normally you don't need to set this. It is done automatically by the
4412 terminal initialization code. Also see |posix-screen-size|.
4413 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
4414 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
4415 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
4416 Vim limits the number of lines to what fits on the screen. You can
4417 use this command to get the tallest window possible: >
4418 :set lines=999
4419 < Minimum value is 2, maximum value is 1000.
4420 If you get less lines than expected, check the 'guiheadroom' option.
4421 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
4422 number of lines of the display, the display may be messed up.
4424 *'linespace'* *'lsp'*
4425 'linespace' 'lsp' number (default 0, 1 for Win32 GUI)
4426 global
4427 {not in Vi}
4428 {only in the GUI}
4429 Number of pixel lines inserted between characters. Useful if the font
4430 uses the full character cell height, making lines touch each other.
4431 When non-zero there is room for underlining.
4432 With some fonts there can be too much room between lines (to have
4433 space for ascents and descents). Then it makes sense to set
4434 'linespace' to a negative value. This may cause display problems
4435 though!
4437 *'lisp'* *'nolisp'*
4438 'lisp' boolean (default off)
4439 local to buffer
4440 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4441 feature}
4442 Lisp mode: When <Enter> is typed in insert mode set the indent for
4443 the next line to Lisp standards (well, sort of). Also happens with
4444 "cc" or "S". 'autoindent' must also be on for this to work. The 'p'
4445 flag in 'cpoptions' changes the method of indenting: Vi compatible or
4446 better. Also see 'lispwords'.
4447 The '-' character is included in keyword characters. Redefines the
4448 "=" operator to use this same indentation algorithm rather than
4449 calling an external program if 'equalprg' is empty.
4450 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
4451 {Vi: Does it a little bit differently}
4453 *'lispwords'* *'lw'*
4454 'lispwords' 'lw' string (default is very long)
4455 global
4456 {not in Vi}
4457 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4458 feature}
4459 Comma separated list of words that influence the Lisp indenting.
4460 |'lisp'|
4462 *'list'* *'nolist'*
4463 'list' boolean (default off)
4464 local to window
4465 List mode: Show tabs as CTRL-I is displayed, display $ after end of
4466 line. Useful to see the difference between tabs and spaces and for
4467 trailing blanks. Further changed by the 'listchars' option.
4469 The cursor is displayed at the start of the space a Tab character
4470 occupies, not at the end as usual in Normal mode. To get this cursor
4471 position while displaying Tabs with spaces, use: >
4472 :set list lcs=tab\ \
4473 <
4474 Note that list mode will also affect formatting (set with 'textwidth'
4475 or 'wrapmargin') when 'cpoptions' includes 'L'. See 'listchars' for
4476 changing the way tabs are displayed.
4478 *'listchars'* *'lcs'*
4479 'listchars' 'lcs' string (default "eol:$")
4480 global
4481 {not in Vi}
4482 Strings to use in 'list' mode. It is a comma separated list of string
4483 settings.
4484 eol:c Character to show at the end of each line. When
4485 omitted, there is no extra character at the end of the
4486 line.
4487 tab:xy Two characters to be used to show a tab. The first
4488 char is used once. The second char is repeated to
4489 fill the space that the tab normally occupies.
4490 "tab:>-" will show a tab that takes four spaces as
4491 ">---". When omitted, a tab is show as ^I.
4492 trail:c Character to show for trailing spaces. When omitted,
4493 trailing spaces are blank.
4494 extends:c Character to show in the last column, when 'wrap' is
4495 off and the line continues beyond the right of the
4496 screen.
4497 precedes:c Character to show in the first column, when 'wrap'
4498 is off and there is text preceding the character
4499 visible in the first column.
4500 nbsp:c Character to show for a non-breakable space (character
4501 0xA0, 160). Left blank when omitted.
4503 The characters ':' and ',' should not be used. UTF-8 characters can
4504 be used when 'encoding' is "utf-8", otherwise only printable
4505 characters are allowed. All characters must be single width.
4507 Examples: >
4508 :set lcs=tab:>-,trail:-
4509 :set lcs=tab:>-,eol:<,nbsp:%
4510 :set lcs=extends:>,precedes:<
4511 < The "NonText" highlighting will be used for "eol", "extends" and
4512 "precedes". "SpecialKey" for "nbsp", "tab" and "trail".
4513 |hl-NonText| |hl-SpecialKey|
4515 *'lpl'* *'nolpl'* *'loadplugins'* *'noloadplugins'*
4516 'loadplugins' 'lpl' boolean (default on)
4517 global
4518 {not in Vi}
4519 When on the plugin scripts are loaded when starting up |load-plugins|.
4520 This option can be reset in your |vimrc| file to disable the loading
4521 of plugins.
4522 Note that using the "-u NONE" and "--noplugin" command line arguments
4523 reset this option. |-u| |--noplugin|
4525 *'macatsui'* *'nomacatsui'*
4526 'macatsui' boolean (default on)
4527 global
4528 {only available in Mac Carbon GUI version}
4529 This is a workaround for when drawing doesn't work properly. When set
4530 and compiled with multi-byte support ATSUI text drawing is used. When
4531 not set ATSUI text drawing is not used. Switch this option off when
4532 you experience drawing problems. In a future version the problems may
4533 be solved and this option becomes obsolete. Therefore use this method
4534 to unset it: >
4535 if exists('&macatsui')
4536 set nomacatsui
4537 endif
4538 < Another option to check if you have drawing problems is
4539 'termencoding'.
4540 Note: MacVim does not use this option.
4542 *'macmeta'* *'mmta'* *'nomacmeta'* *'nommta'*
4543 'macmeta' boolean (default off)
4544 local to buffer
4545 {only available in MacVim GUI}
4546 Use option (alt) as meta key. When on, option-key presses are not
4547 interpreted, thus enabling bindings to <M-..>. When off, option-key
4548 presses are interpreted by the selected input method and inserted as
4549 text.
4550 Note: Some keys (e.g. <M-F1>, <M-Tab>, <M-Return>, <M-Left>) can be
4551 bound with the Meta flag even when this option is disabled, but this
4552 is not the case for the majority of keys (e.g. <M-a>, <M-`>).
4554 *'magic'* *'nomagic'*
4555 'magic' boolean (default on)
4556 global
4557 Changes the special characters that can be used in search patterns.
4558 See |pattern|.
4559 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with using patterns, always keep
4560 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
4561 old Vi scripts. In any other situation write patterns that work when
4562 'magic' is on. Include "\M" when you want to |/\M|.
4564 *'makeef'* *'mef'*
4565 'makeef' 'mef' string (default: "")
4566 global
4567 {not in Vi}
4568 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
4569 feature}
4570 Name of the errorfile for the |:make| command (see |:make_makeprg|)
4571 and the |:grep| command.
4572 When it is empty, an internally generated temp file will be used.
4573 When "##" is included, it is replaced by a number to make the name
4574 unique. This makes sure that the ":make" command doesn't overwrite an
4575 existing file.
4576 NOT used for the ":cf" command. See 'errorfile' for that.
4577 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
4578 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4579 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4580 security reasons.
4582 *'makeprg'* *'mp'*
4583 'makeprg' 'mp' string (default "make", VMS: "MMS")
4584 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4585 {not in Vi}
4586 Program to use for the ":make" command. See |:make_makeprg|.
4587 This option may contain '%' and '#' characters, which are expanded to
4588 the current and alternate file name. |:_%| |:_#|
4589 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
4590 about including spaces and backslashes.
4591 Note that a '|' must be escaped twice: once for ":set" and once for
4592 the interpretation of a command. When you use a filter called
4593 "myfilter" do it like this: >
4594 :set makeprg=gmake\ \\\|\ myfilter
4595 < The placeholder "$*" can be given (even multiple times) to specify
4596 where the arguments will be included, for example: >
4597 :set makeprg=latex\ \\\\nonstopmode\ \\\\input\\{$*}
4598 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4599 security reasons.
4601 *'matchpairs'* *'mps'*
4602 'matchpairs' 'mps' string (default "(:),{:},[:]")
4603 local to buffer
4604 {not in Vi}
4605 Characters that form pairs. The |%| command jumps from one to the
4606 other. Currently only single byte character pairs are allowed, and
4607 they must be different. The characters must be separated by a colon.
4608 The pairs must be separated by a comma. Example for including '<' and
4609 '>' (HTML): >
4610 :set mps+=<:>
4612 < A more exotic example, to jump between the '=' and ';' in an
4613 assignment, useful for languages like C and Java: >
4614 :au FileType c,cpp,java set mps+==:;
4616 < For a more advanced way of using "%", see the matchit.vim plugin in
4617 the $VIMRUNTIME/macros directory. |add-local-help|
4619 *'matchtime'* *'mat'*
4620 'matchtime' 'mat' number (default 5)
4621 global
4622 {not in Vi}{in Nvi}
4623 Tenths of a second to show the matching paren, when 'showmatch' is
4624 set. Note that this is not in milliseconds, like other options that
4625 set a time. This is to be compatible with Nvi.
4627 *'maxcombine'* *'mco'*
4628 'maxcombine' 'mco' number (default 2)
4629 global
4630 {not in Vi}
4631 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
4632 feature}
4633 The maximum number of combining characters supported for displaying.
4634 Only used when 'encoding' is "utf-8".
4635 The default is OK for most languages. Hebrew may require 4.
4636 Maximum value is 6.
4637 Even when this option is set to 2 you can still edit text with more
4638 combining characters, you just can't see them. Use |g8| or |ga|.
4639 See |mbyte-combining|.
4641 *'maxfuncdepth'* *'mfd'*
4642 'maxfuncdepth' 'mfd' number (default 100)
4643 global
4644 {not in Vi}
4645 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4646 feature}
4647 Maximum depth of function calls for user functions. This normally
4648 catches endless recursion. When using a recursive function with
4649 more depth, set 'maxfuncdepth' to a bigger number. But this will use
4650 more memory, there is the danger of failing when memory is exhausted.
4651 See also |:function|.
4653 *'maxmapdepth'* *'mmd'* *E223*
4654 'maxmapdepth' 'mmd' number (default 1000)
4655 global
4656 {not in Vi}
4657 Maximum number of times a mapping is done without resulting in a
4658 character to be used. This normally catches endless mappings, like
4659 ":map x y" with ":map y x". It still does not catch ":map g wg",
4660 because the 'w' is used before the next mapping is done. See also
4661 |key-mapping|.
4663 *'maxmem'* *'mm'*
4664 'maxmem' 'mm' number (default between 256 to 5120 (system
4665 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4666 available)
4667 global
4668 {not in Vi}
4669 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for one buffer. When this
4670 limit is reached allocating extra memory for a buffer will cause
4671 other memory to be freed. The maximum usable value is about 2000000.
4672 Use this to work without a limit. Also see 'maxmemtot'.
4674 *'maxmempattern'* *'mmp'*
4675 'maxmempattern' 'mmp' number (default 1000)
4676 global
4677 {not in Vi}
4678 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for pattern matching.
4679 The maximum value is about 2000000. Use this to work without a limit.
4680 *E363*
4681 When Vim runs into the limit it gives an error message and mostly
4682 behaves like CTRL-C was typed.
4683 Running into the limit often means that the pattern is very
4684 inefficient or too complex. This may already happen with the pattern
4685 "\(.\)*" on a very long line. ".*" works much better.
4686 Vim may run out of memory before hitting the 'maxmempattern' limit.
4688 *'maxmemtot'* *'mmt'*
4689 'maxmemtot' 'mmt' number (default between 2048 and 10240 (system
4690 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4691 available)
4692 global
4693 {not in Vi}
4694 Maximum amount of memory in Kbyte to use for all buffers together.
4695 The maximum usable value is about 2000000 (2 Gbyte). Use this to work
4696 without a limit. On 64 bit machines higher values might work. But
4697 hey, do you really need more than 2 Gbyte for text editing?
4698 Also see 'maxmem'.
4700 *'menuitems'* *'mis'*
4701 'menuitems' 'mis' number (default 25)
4702 global
4703 {not in Vi}
4704 {not available when compiled without the |+menu|
4705 feature}
4706 Maximum number of items to use in a menu. Used for menus that are
4707 generated from a list of items, e.g., the Buffers menu. Changing this
4708 option has no direct effect, the menu must be refreshed first.
4710 *'mkspellmem'* *'msm'*
4711 'mkspellmem' 'msm' string (default "460000,2000,500")
4712 global
4713 {not in Vi}
4714 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
4715 feature}
4716 Parameters for |:mkspell|. This tunes when to start compressing the
4717 word tree. Compression can be slow when there are many words, but
4718 it's needed to avoid running out of memory. The amount of memory used
4719 per word depends very much on how similar the words are, that's why
4720 this tuning is complicated.
4722 There are three numbers, separated by commas:
4723 {start},{inc},{added}
4725 For most languages the uncompressed word tree fits in memory. {start}
4726 gives the amount of memory in Kbyte that can be used before any
4727 compression is done. It should be a bit smaller than the amount of
4728 memory that is available to Vim.
4730 When going over the {start} limit the {inc} number specifies the
4731 amount of memory in Kbyte that can be allocated before another
4732 compression is done. A low number means compression is done after
4733 less words are added, which is slow. A high number means more memory
4734 will be allocated.
4736 After doing compression, {added} times 1024 words can be added before
4737 the {inc} limit is ignored and compression is done when any extra
4738 amount of memory is needed. A low number means there is a smaller
4739 chance of hitting the {inc} limit, less memory is used but it's
4740 slower.
4742 The languages for which these numbers are important are Italian and
4743 Hungarian. The default works for when you have about 512 Mbyte. If
4744 you have 1 Gbyte you could use: >
4745 :set mkspellmem=900000,3000,800
4746 < If you have less than 512 Mbyte |:mkspell| may fail for some
4747 languages, no matter what you set 'mkspellmem' to.
4749 *'modeline'* *'ml'* *'nomodeline'* *'noml'*
4750 'modeline' 'ml' boolean (Vim default: on (off for root),
4751 Vi default: off)
4752 local to buffer
4753 *'modelines'* *'mls'*
4754 'modelines' 'mls' number (default 5)
4755 global
4756 {not in Vi}
4757 If 'modeline' is on 'modelines' gives the number of lines that is
4758 checked for set commands. If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is zero
4759 no lines are checked. See |modeline|.
4760 NOTE: 'modeline' is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4761 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4763 *'modifiable'* *'ma'* *'nomodifiable'* *'noma'*
4764 'modifiable' 'ma' boolean (default on)
4765 local to buffer
4766 {not in Vi} *E21*
4767 When off the buffer contents cannot be changed. The 'fileformat' and
4768 'fileencoding' options also can't be changed.
4769 Can be reset with the |-M| command line argument.
4771 *'modified'* *'mod'* *'nomodified'* *'nomod'*
4772 'modified' 'mod' boolean (default off)
4773 local to buffer
4774 {not in Vi}
4775 When on, the buffer is considered to be modified. This option is set
4776 when:
4777 1. A change was made to the text since it was last written. Using the
4778 |undo| command to go back to the original text will reset the
4779 option. But undoing changes that were made before writing the
4780 buffer will set the option again, since the text is different from
4781 when it was written.
4782 2. 'fileformat' or 'fileencoding' is different from its original
4783 value. The original value is set when the buffer is read or
4784 written. A ":set nomodified" command also resets the original
4785 values to the current values and the 'modified' option will be
4786 reset.
4787 When 'buftype' is "nowrite" or "nofile" this option may be set, but
4788 will be ignored.
4790 *'more'* *'nomore'*
4791 'more' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
4792 global
4793 {not in Vi}
4794 When on, listings pause when the whole screen is filled. You will get
4795 the |more-prompt|. When this option is off there are no pauses, the
4796 listing continues until finished.
4797 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4798 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4800 *'mouse'* *E538*
4801 'mouse' string (default "", "a" for GUI, MS-DOS and Win32)
4802 global
4803 {not in Vi}
4804 Enable the use of the mouse. Only works for certain terminals
4805 (xterm, MS-DOS, Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, *BSD console with
4806 sysmouse and Linux console with gpm). For using the mouse in the
4807 GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
4808 The mouse can be enabled for different modes:
4809 n Normal mode
4810 v Visual mode
4811 i Insert mode
4812 c Command-line mode
4813 h all previous modes when editing a help file
4814 a all previous modes
4815 r for |hit-enter| and |more-prompt| prompt
4816 Normally you would enable the mouse in all four modes with: >
4817 :set mouse=a
4818 < When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
4819 modeless selection. This doesn't move the text cursor.
4821 See |mouse-using|. Also see |'clipboard'|.
4823 Note: When enabling the mouse in a terminal, copy/paste will use the
4824 "* register if there is access to an X-server. The xterm handling of
4825 the mouse buttons can still be used by keeping the shift key pressed.
4826 Also see the 'clipboard' option.
4828 *'mousefocus'* *'mousef'* *'nomousefocus'* *'nomousef'*
4829 'mousefocus' 'mousef' boolean (default off)
4830 global
4831 {not in Vi}
4832 {only works in the GUI}
4833 The window that the mouse pointer is on is automatically activated.
4834 When changing the window layout or window focus in another way, the
4835 mouse pointer is moved to the window with keyboard focus. Off is the
4836 default because it makes using the pull down menus a little goofy, as
4837 a pointer transit may activate a window unintentionally.
4839 *'mousehide'* *'mh'* *'nomousehide'* *'nomh'*
4840 'mousehide' 'mh' boolean (default on)
4841 global
4842 {not in Vi}
4843 {only works in the GUI}
4844 When on, the mouse pointer is hidden when characters are typed.
4845 The mouse pointer is restored when the mouse is moved.
4847 *'mousemodel'* *'mousem'*
4848 'mousemodel' 'mousem' string (default "extend", "popup" for MS-DOS and Win32)
4849 global
4850 {not in Vi}
4851 Sets the model to use for the mouse. The name mostly specifies what
4852 the right mouse button is used for:
4853 extend Right mouse button extends a selection. This works
4854 like in an xterm.
4855 popup Right mouse button pops up a menu. The shifted left
4856 mouse button extends a selection. This works like
4857 with Microsoft Windows.
4858 popup_setpos Like "popup", but the cursor will be moved to the
4859 position where the mouse was clicked, and thus the
4860 selected operation will act upon the clicked object.
4861 If clicking inside a selection, that selection will
4862 be acted upon, i.e. no cursor move. This implies of
4863 course, that right clicking outside a selection will
4864 end Visual mode.
4865 Overview of what button does what for each model:
4866 mouse extend popup(_setpos) ~
4867 left click place cursor place cursor
4868 left drag start selection start selection
4869 shift-left search word extend selection
4870 right click extend selection popup menu (place cursor)
4871 right drag extend selection -
4872 middle click paste paste
4874 In the "popup" model the right mouse button produces a pop-up menu.
4875 You need to define this first, see |popup-menu|.
4877 Note that you can further refine the meaning of buttons with mappings.
4878 See |gui-mouse-mapping|. But mappings are NOT used for modeless
4879 selection (because that's handled in the GUI code directly).
4881 The 'mousemodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4883 *'mouseshape'* *'mouses'* *E547*
4884 'mouseshape' 'mouses' string (default "i:beam,r:beam,s:updown,sd:cross,
4885 m:no,ml:up-arrow,v:rightup-arrow")
4886 global
4887 {not in Vi}
4888 {only available when compiled with the |+mouseshape|
4889 feature}
4890 This option tells Vim what the mouse pointer should look like in
4891 different modes. The option is a comma separated list of parts, much
4892 like used for 'guicursor'. Each part consist of a mode/location-list
4893 and an argument-list:
4894 mode-list:shape,mode-list:shape,..
4895 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes/locations:
4896 In a normal window: ~
4897 n Normal mode
4898 v Visual mode
4899 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
4900 if not specified)
4901 o Operator-pending mode
4902 i Insert mode
4903 r Replace mode
4905 Others: ~
4906 c appending to the command-line
4907 ci inserting in the command-line
4908 cr replacing in the command-line
4909 m at the 'Hit ENTER' or 'More' prompts
4910 ml idem, but cursor in the last line
4911 e any mode, pointer below last window
4912 s any mode, pointer on a status line
4913 sd any mode, while dragging a status line
4914 vs any mode, pointer on a vertical separator line
4915 vd any mode, while dragging a vertical separator line
4916 a everywhere
4918 The shape is one of the following:
4919 avail name looks like ~
4920 w x arrow Normal mouse pointer
4921 w x blank no pointer at all (use with care!)
4922 w x beam I-beam
4923 w x updown up-down sizing arrows
4924 w x leftright left-right sizing arrows
4925 w x busy The system's usual busy pointer
4926 w x no The system's usual 'no input' pointer
4927 x udsizing indicates up-down resizing
4928 x lrsizing indicates left-right resizing
4929 x crosshair like a big thin +
4930 x hand1 black hand
4931 x hand2 white hand
4932 x pencil what you write with
4933 x question big ?
4934 x rightup-arrow arrow pointing right-up
4935 w x up-arrow arrow pointing up
4936 x <number> any X11 pointer number (see X11/cursorfont.h)
4938 The "avail" column contains a 'w' if the shape is available for Win32,
4939 x for X11.
4940 Any modes not specified or shapes not available use the normal mouse
4941 pointer.
4943 Example: >
4944 :set mouseshape=s:udsizing,m:no
4945 < will make the mouse turn to a sizing arrow over the status lines and
4946 indicate no input when the hit-enter prompt is displayed (since
4947 clicking the mouse has no effect in this state.)
4949 *'mousetime'* *'mouset'*
4950 'mousetime' 'mouset' number (default 500)
4951 global
4952 {not in Vi}
4953 Only for GUI, MS-DOS, Win32 and Unix with xterm. Defines the maximum
4954 time in msec between two mouse clicks for the second click to be
4955 recognized as a multi click.
4957 *'mzquantum'* *'mzq'*
4958 'mzquantum' 'mzq' number (default 100)
4959 global
4960 {not in Vi}
4961 {not available when compiled without the |+mzscheme|
4962 feature}
4963 The number of milliseconds between polls for MzScheme threads.
4964 Negative or zero value means no thread scheduling.
4966 *'nrformats'* *'nf'*
4967 'nrformats' 'nf' string (default "octal,hex")
4968 local to buffer
4969 {not in Vi}
4970 This defines what bases Vim will consider for numbers when using the
4971 CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands for adding to and subtracting from a number
4972 respectively; see |CTRL-A| for more info on these commands.
4973 alpha If included, single alphabetical characters will be
4974 incremented or decremented. This is useful for a list with a
4975 letter index a), b), etc.
4976 octal If included, numbers that start with a zero will be considered
4977 to be octal. Example: Using CTRL-A on "007" results in "010".
4978 hex If included, numbers starting with "0x" or "0X" will be
4979 considered to be hexadecimal. Example: Using CTRL-X on
4980 "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
4981 Numbers which simply begin with a digit in the range 1-9 are always
4982 considered decimal. This also happens for numbers that are not
4983 recognized as octal or hex.
4985 *'number'* *'nu'* *'nonumber'* *'nonu'*
4986 'number' 'nu' boolean (default off)
4987 local to window
4988 Print the line number in front of each line. When the 'n' option is
4989 excluded from 'cpoptions' a wrapped line will not use the column of
4990 line numbers (this is the default when 'compatible' isn't set).
4991 The 'numberwidth' option can be used to set the room used for the line
4992 number.
4993 When a long, wrapped line doesn't start with the first character, '-'
4994 characters are put before the number.
4995 See |hl-LineNr| for the highlighting used for the number.
4997 *'numberwidth'* *'nuw'*
4998 'numberwidth' 'nuw' number (Vim default: 4 Vi default: 8)
4999 local to window
5000 {not in Vi}
5001 {only available when compiled with the |+linebreak|
5002 feature}
5003 Minimal number of columns to use for the line number. Only relevant
5004 when the 'number' option is set or printing lines with a line number.
5005 Since one space is always between the number and the text, there is
5006 one less character for the number itself.
5007 The value is the minimum width. A bigger width is used when needed to
5008 fit the highest line number in the buffer. Thus with the Vim default
5009 of 4 there is room for a line number up to 999. When the buffer has
5010 1000 lines five columns will be used.
5011 The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 10.
5012 NOTE: 'numberwidth' is reset to 8 when 'compatible' is set.
5014 *'omnifunc'* *'ofu'*
5015 'omnifunc' 'ofu' string (default: empty)
5016 local to buffer
5017 {not in Vi}
5018 {not available when compiled without the +eval
5019 or +insert_expand feature}
5020 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode omni
5021 completion with CTRL-X CTRL-O. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
5022 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
5023 invoked and what it should return.
5024 This option is usually set by a filetype plugin:
5025 |:filetype-plugin-on|
5028 *'opendevice'* *'odev'* *'noopendevice'* *'noodev'*
5029 'opendevice' 'odev' boolean (default off)
5030 global
5031 {not in Vi}
5032 {only for MS-DOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
5033 Enable reading and writing from devices. This may get Vim stuck on a
5034 device that can be opened but doesn't actually do the I/O. Therefore
5035 it is off by default.
5036 Note that on MS-Windows editing "aux.h", "lpt1.txt" and the like also
5037 result in editing a device.
5040 *'operatorfunc'* *'opfunc'*
5041 'operatorfunc' 'opfunc' string (default: empty)
5042 global
5043 {not in Vi}
5044 This option specifies a function to be called by the |g@| operator.
5045 See |:map-operator| for more info and an example.
5047 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5048 security reasons.
5051 *'osfiletype'* *'oft'* *E366*
5052 'osfiletype' 'oft' string (RISC-OS default: "Text",
5053 others default: "")
5054 local to buffer
5055 {not in Vi}
5056 {only available when compiled with the |+osfiletype|
5057 feature}
5058 Some operating systems store extra information about files besides
5059 name, datestamp and permissions. This option contains the extra
5060 information, the nature of which will vary between systems.
5061 The value of this option is usually set when the file is loaded, and
5062 is used to set the operating system file type when file is written.
5063 It can affect the pattern matching of the automatic commands.
5064 |autocmd-osfiletypes|
5066 *'paragraphs'* *'para'*
5067 'paragraphs' 'para' string (default "IPLPPPQPP TPHPLIPpLpItpplpipbp")
5068 global
5069 Specifies the nroff macros that separate paragraphs. These are pairs
5070 of two letters (see |object-motions|).
5072 *'paste'* *'nopaste'*
5073 'paste' boolean (default off)
5074 global
5075 {not in Vi}
5076 Put Vim in Paste mode. This is useful if you want to cut or copy
5077 some text from one window and paste it in Vim. This will avoid
5078 unexpected effects.
5079 Setting this option is useful when using Vim in a terminal, where Vim
5080 cannot distinguish between typed text and pasted text. In the GUI, Vim
5081 knows about pasting and will mostly do the right thing without 'paste'
5082 being set. The same is true for a terminal where Vim handles the
5083 mouse clicks itself.
5084 This option is reset when starting the GUI. Thus if you set it in
5085 your .vimrc it will work in a terminal, but not in the GUI. Setting
5086 'paste' in the GUI has side effects: e.g., the Paste toolbar button
5087 will no longer work in Insert mode, because it uses a mapping.
5088 When the 'paste' option is switched on (also when it was already on):
5089 - mapping in Insert mode and Command-line mode is disabled
5090 - abbreviations are disabled
5091 - 'textwidth' is set to 0
5092 - 'wrapmargin' is set to 0
5093 - 'autoindent' is reset
5094 - 'smartindent' is reset
5095 - 'softtabstop' is set to 0
5096 - 'revins' is reset
5097 - 'ruler' is reset
5098 - 'showmatch' is reset
5099 - 'formatoptions' is used like it is empty
5100 These options keep their value, but their effect is disabled:
5101 - 'lisp'
5102 - 'indentexpr'
5103 - 'cindent'
5104 NOTE: When you start editing another file while the 'paste' option is
5105 on, settings from the modelines or autocommands may change the
5106 settings again, causing trouble when pasting text. You might want to
5107 set the 'paste' option again.
5108 When the 'paste' option is reset the mentioned options are restored to
5109 the value before the moment 'paste' was switched from off to on.
5110 Resetting 'paste' before ever setting it does not have any effect.
5111 Since mapping doesn't work while 'paste' is active, you need to use
5112 the 'pastetoggle' option to toggle the 'paste' option with some key.
5114 *'pastetoggle'* *'pt'*
5115 'pastetoggle' 'pt' string (default "")
5116 global
5117 {not in Vi}
5118 When non-empty, specifies the key sequence that toggles the 'paste'
5119 option. This is like specifying a mapping: >
5120 :map {keys} :set invpaste<CR>
5121 < Where {keys} is the value of 'pastetoggle'.
5122 The difference is that it will work even when 'paste' is set.
5123 'pastetoggle' works in Insert mode and Normal mode, but not in
5124 Command-line mode.
5125 Mappings are checked first, thus overrule 'pastetoggle'. However,
5126 when 'paste' is on mappings are ignored in Insert mode, thus you can do
5127 this: >
5128 :map <F10> :set paste<CR>
5129 :map <F11> :set nopaste<CR>
5130 :imap <F10> <C-O>:set paste<CR>
5131 :imap <F11> <nop>
5132 :set pastetoggle=<F11>
5133 < This will make <F10> start paste mode and <F11> stop paste mode.
5134 Note that typing <F10> in paste mode inserts "<F10>", since in paste
5135 mode everything is inserted literally, except the 'pastetoggle' key
5136 sequence.
5137 When the value has several bytes 'ttimeoutlen' applies.
5139 *'pex'* *'patchexpr'*
5140 'patchexpr' 'pex' string (default "")
5141 global
5142 {not in Vi}
5143 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
5144 feature}
5145 Expression which is evaluated to apply a patch to a file and generate
5146 the resulting new version of the file. See |diff-patchexpr|.
5148 *'patchmode'* *'pm'* *E206*
5149 'patchmode' 'pm' string (default "")
5150 global
5151 {not in Vi}
5152 When non-empty the oldest version of a file is kept. This can be used
5153 to keep the original version of a file if you are changing files in a
5154 source distribution. Only the first time that a file is written a
5155 copy of the original file will be kept. The name of the copy is the
5156 name of the original file with the string in the 'patchmode' option
5157 appended. This option should start with a dot. Use a string like
5158 ".org". 'backupdir' must not be empty for this to work (Detail: The
5159 backup file is renamed to the patchmode file after the new file has
5160 been successfully written, that's why it must be possible to write a
5161 backup file). If there was no file to be backed up, an empty file is
5162 created.
5163 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a patchmode file is not made.
5164 Using 'patchmode' for compressed files appends the extension at the
5165 end (e.g., "file.gz.orig"), thus the resulting name isn't always
5166 recognized as a compressed file.
5167 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
5169 *'path'* *'pa'* *E343* *E345* *E347*
5170 'path' 'pa' string (default on Unix: ".,/usr/include,,"
5171 on OS/2: ".,/emx/include,,"
5172 other systems: ".,,")
5173 global or local to buffer |global-local|
5174 {not in Vi}
5175 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
5176 |gf|, [f, ]f, ^Wf, |:find|, |:sfind|, |:tabfind| and other commands,
5177 provided that the file being searched for has a relative path (not
5178 starting with "/", "./" or "../"). The directories in the 'path'
5179 option may be relative or absolute.
5180 - Use commas to separate directory names: >
5181 :set path=.,/usr/local/include,/usr/include
5182 < - Spaces can also be used to separate directory names (for backwards
5183 compatibility with version 3.0). To have a space in a directory
5184 name, precede it with an extra backslash, and escape the space: >
5185 :set path=.,/dir/with\\\ space
5186 < - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with an extra
5187 backslash: >
5188 :set path=.,/dir/with\\,comma
5189 < - To search relative to the directory of the current file, use: >
5190 :set path=.
5191 < - To search in the current directory use an empty string between two
5192 commas: >
5193 :set path=,,
5194 < - A directory name may end in a ':' or '/'.
5195 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5196 - When using |netrw.vim| URLs can be used. For example, adding
5197 "http://www.vim.org" will make ":find index.html" work.
5198 - Search upwards and downwards in a directory tree using "*", "**" and
5199 ";". See |file-searching| for info and syntax.
5200 {not available when compiled without the |+path_extra| feature}
5201 - Careful with '\' characters, type two to get one in the option: >
5202 :set path=.,c:\\include
5203 < Or just use '/' instead: >
5204 :set path=.,c:/include
5205 < Don't forget "." or files won't even be found in the same directory as
5206 the file!
5207 The maximum length is limited. How much depends on the system, mostly
5208 it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
5209 You can check if all the include files are found, using the value of
5210 'path', see |:checkpath|.
5211 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
5212 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
5213 uses another default. To remove the current directory use: >
5214 :set path-=
5215 < To add the current directory use: >
5216 :set path+=
5217 < To use an environment variable, you probably need to replace the
5218 separator. Here is an example to append $INCL, in which directory
5219 names are separated with a semi-colon: >
5220 :let &path = &path . "," . substitute($INCL, ';', ',', 'g')
5221 < Replace the ';' with a ':' or whatever separator is used. Note that
5222 this doesn't work when $INCL contains a comma or white space.
5224 *'preserveindent'* *'pi'* *'nopreserveindent'* *'nopi'*
5225 'preserveindent' 'pi' boolean (default off)
5226 local to buffer
5227 {not in Vi}
5228 When changing the indent of the current line, preserve as much of the
5229 indent structure as possible. Normally the indent is replaced by a
5230 series of tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is
5231 enabled, in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option
5232 means the indent will preserve as many existing characters as possible
5233 for indenting, and only add additional tabs or spaces as required.
5234 'expandtab' does not apply to the preserved white space, a Tab remains
5235 a Tab.
5236 NOTE: When using ">>" multiple times the resulting indent is a mix of
5237 tabs and spaces. You might not like this.
5238 NOTE: 'preserveindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5239 Also see 'copyindent'.
5240 Use |:retab| to clean up white space.
5242 *'previewheight'* *'pvh'*
5243 'previewheight' 'pvh' number (default 12)
5244 global
5245 {not in Vi}
5246 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5247 |+quickfix| feature}
5248 Default height for a preview window. Used for |:ptag| and associated
5249 commands. Used for |CTRL-W_}| when no count is given.
5251 *'previewwindow'* *'nopreviewwindow'*
5252 *'pvw'* *'nopvw'* *E590*
5253 'previewwindow' 'pvw' boolean (default off)
5254 local to window
5255 {not in Vi}
5256 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5257 |+quickfix| feature}
5258 Identifies the preview window. Only one window can have this option
5259 set. It's normally not set directly, but by using one of the commands
5260 |:ptag|, |:pedit|, etc.
5262 *'printdevice'* *'pdev'*
5263 'printdevice' 'pdev' string (default empty)
5264 global
5265 {not in Vi}
5266 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5267 feature}
5268 The name of the printer to be used for |:hardcopy|.
5269 See |pdev-option|.
5270 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5271 security reasons.
5273 *'printencoding'* *'penc'*
5274 'printencoding' 'penc' String (default empty, except for some systems)
5275 global
5276 {not in Vi}
5277 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5278 and |+postscript| features}
5279 Sets the character encoding used when printing.
5280 See |penc-option|.
5282 *'printexpr'* *'pexpr'*
5283 'printexpr' 'pexpr' String (default: see below)
5284 global
5285 {not in Vi}
5286 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5287 and |+postscript| features}
5288 Expression used to print the PostScript produced with |:hardcopy|.
5289 See |pexpr-option|.
5291 *'printfont'* *'pfn'*
5292 'printfont' 'pfn' string (default "courier")
5293 global
5294 {not in Vi}
5295 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5296 feature}
5297 The name of the font that will be used for |:hardcopy|.
5298 See |pfn-option|.
5300 *'printheader'* *'pheader'*
5301 'printheader' 'pheader' string (default "%<%f%h%m%=Page %N")
5302 global
5303 {not in Vi}
5304 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5305 feature}
5306 The format of the header produced in |:hardcopy| output.
5307 See |pheader-option|.
5309 *'printmbcharset'* *'pmbcs'*
5310 'printmbcharset' 'pmbcs' string (default "")
5311 global
5312 {not in Vi}
5313 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5314 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5315 The CJK character set to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5316 See |pmbcs-option|.
5318 *'printmbfont'* *'pmbfn'*
5319 'printmbfont' 'pmbfn' string (default "")
5320 global
5321 {not in Vi}
5322 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5323 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5324 List of font names to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5325 See |pmbfn-option|.
5327 *'printoptions'* *'popt'*
5328 'printoptions' 'popt' string (default "")
5329 global
5330 {not in Vi}
5331 {only available when compiled with |+printer| feature}
5332 List of items that control the format of the output of |:hardcopy|.
5333 See |popt-option|.
5335 *'prompt'* *'noprompt'*
5336 'prompt' boolean (default on)
5337 global
5338 When on a ":" prompt is used in Ex mode.
5340 *'pumheight'* *'ph'*
5341 'pumheight' 'ph' number (default 0)
5342 global
5343 {not available when compiled without the
5344 |+insert_expand| feature}
5345 {not in Vi}
5346 Determines the maximum number of items to show in the popup menu for
5347 Insert mode completion. When zero as much space as available is used.
5348 |ins-completion-menu|.
5351 *'quoteescape'* *'qe'*
5352 'quoteescape' 'qe' string (default "\")
5353 local to buffer
5354 {not in Vi}
5355 The characters that are used to escape quotes in a string. Used for
5356 objects like a', a" and a` |a'|.
5357 When one of the characters in this option is found inside a string,
5358 the following character will be skipped. The default value makes the
5359 text "foo\"bar\\" considered to be one string.
5361 *'readonly'* *'ro'* *'noreadonly'* *'noro'*
5362 'readonly' 'ro' boolean (default off)
5363 local to buffer
5364 If on, writes fail unless you use a '!'. Protects you from
5365 accidentally overwriting a file. Default on when Vim is started
5366 in read-only mode ("vim -R") or when the executable is called "view".
5367 When using ":w!" the 'readonly' option is reset for the current
5368 buffer, unless the 'Z' flag is in 'cpoptions'.
5369 {not in Vi:} When using the ":view" command the 'readonly' option is
5370 set for the newly edited buffer.
5372 *'redrawtime'* *'rdt'*
5373 'redrawtime' 'rdt' number (default 2000)
5374 global
5375 {not in Vi}
5376 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime|
5377 feature}
5378 The time in milliseconds for redrawing the display. This applies to
5379 searching for patterns for 'hlsearch' and |:match| highlighting.
5380 When redrawing takes more than this many milliseconds no further
5381 matches will be highlighted. This is used to avoid that Vim hangs
5382 when using a very complicated pattern.
5384 *'remap'* *'noremap'*
5385 'remap' boolean (default on)
5386 global
5387 Allows for mappings to work recursively. If you do not want this for
5388 a single entry, use the :noremap[!] command.
5389 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with Vim scripts, always keep
5390 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
5391 old Vi scripts.
5393 *'report'*
5394 'report' number (default 2)
5395 global
5396 Threshold for reporting number of lines changed. When the number of
5397 changed lines is more than 'report' a message will be given for most
5398 ":" commands. If you want it always, set 'report' to 0.
5399 For the ":substitute" command the number of substitutions is used
5400 instead of the number of lines.
5402 *'restorescreen'* *'rs'* *'norestorescreen'* *'nors'*
5403 'restorescreen' 'rs' boolean (default on)
5404 global
5405 {not in Vi} {only in Windows 95/NT console version}
5406 When set, the screen contents is restored when exiting Vim. This also
5407 happens when executing external commands.
5409 For non-Windows Vim: You can set or reset the 't_ti' and 't_te'
5410 options in your .vimrc. To disable restoring:
5411 set t_ti= t_te=
5412 To enable restoring (for an xterm):
5413 set t_ti=^[7^[[r^[[?47h t_te=^[[?47l^[8
5414 (Where ^[ is an <Esc>, type CTRL-V <Esc> to insert it)
5416 *'revins'* *'ri'* *'norevins'* *'nori'*
5417 'revins' 'ri' boolean (default off)
5418 global
5419 {not in Vi}
5420 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5421 feature}
5422 Inserting characters in Insert mode will work backwards. See "typing
5423 backwards" |ins-reverse|. This option can be toggled with the CTRL-_
5424 command in Insert mode, when 'allowrevins' is set.
5425 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' or 'paste' is set.
5427 *'rightleft'* *'rl'* *'norightleft'* *'norl'*
5428 'rightleft' 'rl' boolean (default off)
5429 local to window
5430 {not in Vi}
5431 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5432 feature}
5433 When on, display orientation becomes right-to-left, i.e., characters
5434 that are stored in the file appear from the right to the left.
5435 Using this option, it is possible to edit files for languages that
5436 are written from the right to the left such as Hebrew and Arabic.
5437 This option is per window, so it is possible to edit mixed files
5438 simultaneously, or to view the same file in both ways (this is
5439 useful whenever you have a mixed text file with both right-to-left
5440 and left-to-right strings so that both sets are displayed properly
5441 in different windows). Also see |rileft.txt|.
5443 *'rightleftcmd'* *'rlc'* *'norightleftcmd'* *'norlc'*
5444 'rightleftcmd' 'rlc' string (default "search")
5445 local to window
5446 {not in Vi}
5447 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5448 feature}
5449 Each word in this option enables the command line editing to work in
5450 right-to-left mode for a group of commands:
5452 search "/" and "?" commands
5454 This is useful for languages such as Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi.
5455 The 'rightleft' option must be set for 'rightleftcmd' to take effect.
5457 *'ruler'* *'ru'* *'noruler'* *'noru'*
5458 'ruler' 'ru' boolean (default off)
5459 global
5460 {not in Vi}
5461 {not available when compiled without the
5462 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5463 Show the line and column number of the cursor position, separated by a
5464 comma. When there is room, the relative position of the displayed
5465 text in the file is shown on the far right:
5466 Top first line is visible
5467 Bot last line is visible
5468 All first and last line are visible
5469 45% relative position in the file
5470 If 'rulerformat' is set, it will determine the contents of the ruler.
5471 Each window has its own ruler. If a window has a status line, the
5472 ruler is shown there. Otherwise it is shown in the last line of the
5473 screen. If the statusline is given by 'statusline' (i.e. not empty),
5474 this option takes precedence over 'ruler' and 'rulerformat'
5475 If the number of characters displayed is different from the number of
5476 bytes in the text (e.g., for a TAB or a multi-byte character), both
5477 the text column (byte number) and the screen column are shown,
5478 separated with a dash.
5479 For an empty line "0-1" is shown.
5480 For an empty buffer the line number will also be zero: "0,0-1".
5481 This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5482 If you don't want to see the ruler all the time but want to know where
5483 you are, use "g CTRL-G" |g_CTRL-G|.
5484 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5486 *'rulerformat'* *'ruf'*
5487 'rulerformat' 'ruf' string (default empty)
5488 global
5489 {not in Vi}
5490 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
5491 feature}
5492 When this option is not empty, it determines the content of the ruler
5493 string, as displayed for the 'ruler' option.
5494 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
5495 The default ruler width is 17 characters. To make the ruler 15
5496 characters wide, put "%15(" at the start and "%)" at the end.
5497 Example: >
5498 :set rulerformat=%15(%c%V\ %p%%%)
5499 <
5500 *'runtimepath'* *'rtp'* *vimfiles*
5501 'runtimepath' 'rtp' string (default:
5502 Unix, Mac OS X: "$HOME/.vim,
5503 $VIM/vimfiles,
5504 $VIMRUNTIME,
5505 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5506 $HOME/.vim/after"
5507 Amiga: "home:vimfiles,
5508 $VIM/vimfiles,
5509 $VIMRUNTIME,
5510 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5511 home:vimfiles/after"
5512 PC, OS/2: "$HOME/vimfiles,
5513 $VIM/vimfiles,
5514 $VIMRUNTIME,
5515 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5516 $HOME/vimfiles/after"
5517 Macintosh (pre-OS X): "$VIM:vimfiles,
5518 $VIMRUNTIME,
5519 $VIM:vimfiles:after"
5520 RISC-OS: "Choices:vimfiles,
5521 $VIMRUNTIME,
5522 Choices:vimfiles/after"
5523 VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles,
5524 $VIM/vimfiles,
5525 $VIMRUNTIME,
5526 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5527 sys$login:vimfiles/after")
5528 global
5529 {not in Vi}
5530 This is a list of directories which will be searched for runtime
5531 files:
5532 filetype.vim filetypes by file name |new-filetype|
5533 scripts.vim filetypes by file contents |new-filetype-scripts|
5534 autoload/ automatically loaded scripts |autoload-functions|
5535 colors/ color scheme files |:colorscheme|
5536 compiler/ compiler files |:compiler|
5537 doc/ documentation |write-local-help|
5538 ftplugin/ filetype plugins |write-filetype-plugin|
5539 indent/ indent scripts |indent-expression|
5540 keymap/ key mapping files |mbyte-keymap|
5541 lang/ menu translations |:menutrans|
5542 menu.vim GUI menus |menu.vim|
5543 plugin/ plugin scripts |write-plugin|
5544 print/ files for printing |postscript-print-encoding|
5545 spell/ spell checking files |spell|
5546 syntax/ syntax files |mysyntaxfile|
5547 tutor/ files for vimtutor |tutor|
5549 And any other file searched for with the |:runtime| command.
5551 The defaults for most systems are setup to search five locations:
5552 1. In your home directory, for your personal preferences.
5553 2. In a system-wide Vim directory, for preferences from the system
5554 administrator.
5555 3. In $VIMRUNTIME, for files distributed with Vim.
5556 *after-directory*
5557 4. In the "after" directory in the system-wide Vim directory. This is
5558 for the system administrator to overrule or add to the distributed
5559 defaults (rarely needed)
5560 5. In the "after" directory in your home directory. This is for
5561 personal preferences to overrule or add to the distributed defaults
5562 or system-wide settings (rarely needed).
5564 Note that, unlike 'path', no wildcards like "**" are allowed. Normal
5565 wildcards are allowed, but can significantly slow down searching for
5566 runtime files. For speed, use as few items as possible and avoid
5567 wildcards.
5568 See |:runtime|.
5569 Example: >
5570 :set runtimepath=~/vimruntime,/mygroup/vim,$VIMRUNTIME
5571 < This will use the directory "~/vimruntime" first (containing your
5572 personal Vim runtime files), then "/mygroup/vim" (shared between a
5573 group of people) and finally "$VIMRUNTIME" (the distributed runtime
5574 files).
5575 You probably should always include $VIMRUNTIME somewhere, to use the
5576 distributed runtime files. You can put a directory before $VIMRUNTIME
5577 to find files which replace a distributed runtime files. You can put
5578 a directory after $VIMRUNTIME to find files which add to distributed
5579 runtime files.
5580 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5581 security reasons.
5583 *'scroll'* *'scr'*
5584 'scroll' 'scr' number (default: half the window height)
5585 local to window
5586 Number of lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D commands. Will be
5587 set to half the number of lines in the window when the window size
5588 changes. If you give a count to the CTRL-U or CTRL-D command it will
5589 be used as the new value for 'scroll'. Reset to half the window
5590 height with ":set scroll=0". {Vi is a bit different: 'scroll' gives
5591 the number of screen lines instead of file lines, makes a difference
5592 when lines wrap}
5594 *'scrollbind'* *'scb'* *'noscrollbind'* *'noscb'*
5595 'scrollbind' 'scb' boolean (default off)
5596 local to window
5597 {not in Vi}
5598 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5599 feature}
5600 See also |scroll-binding|. When this option is set, the current
5601 window scrolls as other scrollbind windows (windows that also have
5602 this option set) scroll. This option is useful for viewing the
5603 differences between two versions of a file, see 'diff'.
5604 See |'scrollopt'| for options that determine how this option should be
5605 interpreted.
5606 This option is mostly reset when splitting a window to edit another
5607 file. This means that ":split | edit file" results in two windows
5608 with scroll-binding, but ":split file" does not.
5610 *'scrolljump'* *'sj'*
5611 'scrolljump' 'sj' number (default 1)
5612 global
5613 {not in Vi}
5614 Minimal number of lines to scroll when the cursor gets off the
5615 screen (e.g., with "j"). Not used for scroll commands (e.g., CTRL-E,
5616 CTRL-D). Useful if your terminal scrolls very slowly.
5617 When set to a negative number from -1 to -100 this is used as the
5618 percentage of the window height. Thus -50 scrolls half the window
5619 height.
5620 NOTE: This option is set to 1 when 'compatible' is set.
5622 *'scrolloff'* *'so'*
5623 'scrolloff' 'so' number (default 0)
5624 global
5625 {not in Vi}
5626 Minimal number of screen lines to keep above and below the cursor.
5627 This will make some context visible around where you are working. If
5628 you set it to a very large value (999) the cursor line will always be
5629 in the middle of the window (except at the start or end of the file or
5630 when long lines wrap).
5631 For scrolling horizontally see 'sidescrolloff'.
5632 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5634 *'scrollopt'* *'sbo'*
5635 'scrollopt' 'sbo' string (default "ver,jump")
5636 global
5637 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5638 feature}
5639 {not in Vi}
5640 This is a comma-separated list of words that specifies how
5641 'scrollbind' windows should behave. 'sbo' stands for ScrollBind
5642 Options.
5643 The following words are available:
5644 ver Bind vertical scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5645 hor Bind horizontal scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5646 jump Applies to the offset between two windows for vertical
5647 scrolling. This offset is the difference in the first
5648 displayed line of the bound windows. When moving
5649 around in a window, another 'scrollbind' window may
5650 reach a position before the start or after the end of
5651 the buffer. The offset is not changed though, when
5652 moving back the 'scrollbind' window will try to scroll
5653 to the desired position when possible.
5654 When now making that window the current one, two
5655 things can be done with the relative offset:
5656 1. When "jump" is not included, the relative offset is
5657 adjusted for the scroll position in the new current
5658 window. When going back to the other window, the
5659 new relative offset will be used.
5660 2. When "jump" is included, the other windows are
5661 scrolled to keep the same relative offset. When
5662 going back to the other window, it still uses the
5663 same relative offset.
5664 Also see |scroll-binding|.
5665 When 'diff' mode is active there always is vertical scroll binding,
5666 even when "ver" isn't there.
5668 *'sections'* *'sect'*
5669 'sections' 'sect' string (default "SHNHH HUnhsh")
5670 global
5671 Specifies the nroff macros that separate sections. These are pairs of
5672 two letters (See |object-motions|). The default makes a section start
5673 at the nroff macros ".SH", ".NH", ".H", ".HU", ".nh" and ".sh".
5675 *'secure'* *'nosecure'* *E523*
5676 'secure' boolean (default off)
5677 global
5678 {not in Vi}
5679 When on, ":autocmd", shell and write commands are not allowed in
5680 ".vimrc" and ".exrc" in the current directory and map commands are
5681 displayed. Switch it off only if you know that you will not run into
5682 problems, or when the 'exrc' option is off. On Unix this option is
5683 only used if the ".vimrc" or ".exrc" is not owned by you. This can be
5684 dangerous if the systems allows users to do a "chown". You better set
5685 'secure' at the end of your ~/.vimrc then.
5686 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5687 security reasons.
5689 *'selection'* *'sel'*
5690 'selection' 'sel' string (default "inclusive")
5691 global
5692 {not in Vi}
5693 This option defines the behavior of the selection. It is only used
5694 in Visual and Select mode.
5695 Possible values:
5696 value past line inclusive ~
5697 old no yes
5698 inclusive yes yes
5699 exclusive yes no
5700 "past line" means that the cursor is allowed to be positioned one
5701 character past the line.
5702 "inclusive" means that the last character of the selection is included
5703 in an operation. For example, when "x" is used to delete the
5704 selection.
5705 Note that when "exclusive" is used and selecting from the end
5706 backwards, you cannot include the last character of a line, when
5707 starting in Normal mode and 'virtualedit' empty.
5709 The 'selection' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5711 *'selectmode'* *'slm'*
5712 'selectmode' 'slm' string (default "")
5713 global
5714 {not in Vi}
5715 This is a comma separated list of words, which specifies when to start
5716 Select mode instead of Visual mode, when a selection is started.
5717 Possible values:
5718 mouse when using the mouse
5719 key when using shifted special keys
5720 cmd when using "v", "V" or CTRL-V
5721 See |Select-mode|.
5722 The 'selectmode' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5724 *'sessionoptions'* *'ssop'*
5725 'sessionoptions' 'ssop' string (default: "blank,buffers,curdir,folds,
5726 help,options,tabpages,winsize")
5727 global
5728 {not in Vi}
5729 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
5730 feature}
5731 Changes the effect of the |:mksession| command. It is a comma
5732 separated list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring
5733 something:
5734 word save and restore ~
5735 blank empty windows
5736 buffers hidden and unloaded buffers, not just those in windows
5737 curdir the current directory
5738 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
5739 fold options
5740 globals global variables that start with an uppercase letter
5741 and contain at least one lowercase letter. Only
5742 String and Number types are stored.
5743 help the help window
5744 localoptions options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
5745 global values for local options)
5746 options all options and mappings (also global values for local
5747 options)
5748 resize size of the Vim window: 'lines' and 'columns'
5749 sesdir the directory in which the session file is located
5750 will become the current directory (useful with
5751 projects accessed over a network from different
5752 systems)
5753 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
5754 slashes
5755 tabpages all tab pages; without this only the current tab page
5756 is restored, so that you can make a session for each
5757 tab page separately
5758 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
5759 on Windows or DOS
5760 winpos position of the whole Vim window
5761 winsize window sizes
5763 Don't include both "curdir" and "sesdir".
5764 When neither "curdir" nor "sesdir" is included, file names are stored
5765 with absolute paths.
5766 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing session files
5767 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
5768 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
5770 *'shell'* *'sh'* *E91*
5771 'shell' 'sh' string (default $SHELL or "sh",
5772 MS-DOS and Win32: "command.com" or
5773 "cmd.exe", OS/2: "cmd")
5774 global
5775 Name of the shell to use for ! and :! commands. When changing the
5776 value also check these options: 'shelltype', 'shellpipe', 'shellslash'
5777 'shellredir', 'shellquote', 'shellxquote' and 'shellcmdflag'.
5778 It is allowed to give an argument to the command, e.g. "csh -f".
5779 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
5780 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5781 If the name of the shell contains a space, you might need to enclose
5782 it in quotes. Example: >
5783 :set shell=\"c:\program\ files\unix\sh.exe\"\ -f
5784 < Note the backslash before each quote (to avoid starting a comment) and
5785 each space (to avoid ending the option value). Also note that the
5786 "-f" is not inside the quotes, because it is not part of the command
5787 name. And Vim automagically recognizes the backslashes that are path
5788 separators.
5789 For Dos 32 bits (DJGPP), you can set the $DJSYSFLAGS environment
5790 variable to change the way external commands are executed. See the
5791 libc.inf file of DJGPP.
5792 Under MS-Windows, when the executable ends in ".com" it must be
5793 included. Thus setting the shell to "command.com" or "4dos.com"
5794 works, but "command" and "4dos" do not work for all commands (e.g.,
5795 filtering).
5796 For unknown reasons, when using "4dos.com" the current directory is
5797 changed to "C:\". To avoid this set 'shell' like this: >
5798 :set shell=command.com\ /c\ 4dos
5799 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5800 security reasons.
5802 *'shellcmdflag'* *'shcf'*
5803 'shellcmdflag' 'shcf' string (default: "-c", MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5804 does not contain "sh" somewhere: "/c")
5805 global
5806 {not in Vi}
5807 Flag passed to the shell to execute "!" and ":!" commands; e.g.,
5808 "bash.exe -c ls" or "command.com /c dir". For the MS-DOS-like
5809 systems, the default is set according to the value of 'shell', to
5810 reduce the need to set this option by the user. It's not used for
5811 OS/2 (EMX figures this out itself). See |option-backslash| about
5812 including spaces and backslashes. See |dos-shell|.
5813 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5814 security reasons.
5816 *'shellpipe'* *'sp'*
5817 'shellpipe' 'sp' string (default ">", "| tee", "|& tee" or "2>&1| tee")
5818 global
5819 {not in Vi}
5820 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
5821 feature}
5822 String to be used to put the output of the ":make" command in the
5823 error file. See also |:make_makeprg|. See |option-backslash| about
5824 including spaces and backslashes.
5825 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5826 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5827 of this option).
5828 For the Amiga and MS-DOS the default is ">". The output is directly
5829 saved in a file and not echoed to the screen.
5830 For Unix the default it "| tee". The stdout of the compiler is saved
5831 in a file and echoed to the screen. If the 'shell' option is "csh" or
5832 "tcsh" after initializations, the default becomes "|& tee". If the
5833 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh", "zsh" or "bash" the default becomes
5834 "2>&1| tee". This means that stderr is also included.
5835 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5836 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5837 there, the 'shellpipe' option changes automatically, unless it was
5838 explicitly set before.
5839 When 'shellpipe' is set to an empty string, no redirection of the
5840 ":make" output will be done. This is useful if you use a 'makeprg'
5841 that writes to 'makeef' by itself. If you want no piping, but do
5842 want to include the 'makeef', set 'shellpipe' to a single space.
5843 Don't forget to precede the space with a backslash: ":set sp=\ ".
5844 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5845 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5846 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5847 security reasons.
5849 *'shellquote'* *'shq'*
5850 'shellquote' 'shq' string (default: ""; MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5851 contains "sh" somewhere: "\"")
5852 global
5853 {not in Vi}
5854 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5855 the "!" and ":!" commands. The redirection is kept outside of the
5856 quoting. See 'shellxquote' to include the redirection. It's
5857 probably not useful to set both options.
5858 This is an empty string by default. Only known to be useful for
5859 third-party shells on MS-DOS-like systems, such as the MKS Korn Shell
5860 or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted according
5861 the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option by the
5862 user. See |dos-shell|.
5863 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5864 security reasons.
5866 *'shellredir'* *'srr'*
5867 'shellredir' 'srr' string (default ">", ">&" or ">%s 2>&1")
5868 global
5869 {not in Vi}
5870 String to be used to put the output of a filter command in a temporary
5871 file. See also |:!|. See |option-backslash| about including spaces
5872 and backslashes.
5873 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5874 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5875 of this option).
5876 The default is ">". For Unix, if the 'shell' option is "csh", "tcsh"
5877 or "zsh" during initializations, the default becomes ">&". If the
5878 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh" or "bash" the default becomes
5879 ">%s 2>&1". This means that stderr is also included.
5880 For Win32, the Unix checks are done and additionally "cmd" is checked
5881 for, which makes the default ">%s 2>&1". Also, the same names with
5882 ".exe" appended are checked for.
5883 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5884 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5885 there, the 'shellredir' option changes automatically unless it was
5886 explicitly set before.
5887 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5888 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5889 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5890 security reasons.
5892 *'shellslash'* *'ssl'* *'noshellslash'* *'nossl'*
5893 'shellslash' 'ssl' boolean (default off)
5894 global
5895 {not in Vi} {only for MSDOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
5896 When set, a forward slash is used when expanding file names. This is
5897 useful when a Unix-like shell is used instead of command.com or
5898 cmd.exe. Backward slashes can still be typed, but they are changed to
5899 forward slashes by Vim.
5900 Note that setting or resetting this option has no effect for some
5901 existing file names, thus this option needs to be set before opening
5902 any file for best results. This might change in the future.
5903 'shellslash' only works when a backslash can be used as a path
5904 separator. To test if this is so use: >
5905 if exists('+shellslash')
5906 <
5907 *'shelltemp'* *'stmp'* *'noshelltemp'* *'nostmp'*
5908 'shelltemp' 'stmp' boolean (Vi default off, Vim default on)
5909 global
5910 {not in Vi}
5911 When on, use temp files for shell commands. When off use a pipe.
5912 When using a pipe is not possible temp files are used anyway.
5913 Currently a pipe is only supported on Unix. You can check it with: >
5914 :if has("filterpipe")
5915 < The advantage of using a pipe is that nobody can read the temp file
5916 and the 'shell' command does not need to support redirection.
5917 The advantage of using a temp file is that the file type and encoding
5918 can be detected.
5919 The |FilterReadPre|, |FilterReadPost| and |FilterWritePre|,
5920 |FilterWritePost| autocommands event are not triggered when
5921 'shelltemp' is off.
5923 *'shelltype'* *'st'*
5924 'shelltype' 'st' number (default 0)
5925 global
5926 {not in Vi} {only for the Amiga}
5927 On the Amiga this option influences the way how the commands work
5928 which use a shell.
5929 0 and 1: always use the shell
5930 2 and 3: use the shell only to filter lines
5931 4 and 5: use shell only for ':sh' command
5932 When not using the shell, the command is executed directly.
5934 0 and 2: use "shell 'shellcmdflag' cmd" to start external commands
5935 1 and 3: use "shell cmd" to start external commands
5937 *'shellxquote'* *'sxq'*
5938 'shellxquote' 'sxq' string (default: "";
5939 for Win32, when 'shell' contains "sh"
5940 somewhere: "\""
5941 for Unix, when using system(): "\"")
5942 global
5943 {not in Vi}
5944 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5945 the "!" and ":!" commands. Includes the redirection. See
5946 'shellquote' to exclude the redirection. It's probably not useful
5947 to set both options.
5948 This is an empty string by default. Known to be useful for
5949 third-party shells when using the Win32 version, such as the MKS Korn
5950 Shell or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted
5951 according the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option
5952 by the user. See |dos-shell|.
5953 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5954 security reasons.
5956 *'shiftround'* *'sr'* *'noshiftround'* *'nosr'*
5957 'shiftround' 'sr' boolean (default off)
5958 global
5959 {not in Vi}
5960 Round indent to multiple of 'shiftwidth'. Applies to > and <
5961 commands. CTRL-T and CTRL-D in Insert mode always round the indent to
5962 a multiple of 'shiftwidth' (this is Vi compatible).
5963 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5965 *'shiftwidth'* *'sw'*
5966 'shiftwidth' 'sw' number (default 8)
5967 local to buffer
5968 Number of spaces to use for each step of (auto)indent. Used for
5969 |'cindent'|, |>>|, |<<|, etc.
5971 *'shortmess'* *'shm'*
5972 'shortmess' 'shm' string (Vim default "filnxtToO", Vi default: "",
5973 POSIX default: "A")
5974 global
5975 {not in Vi}
5976 This option helps to avoid all the |hit-enter| prompts caused by file
5977 messages, for example with CTRL-G, and to avoid some other messages.
5978 It is a list of flags:
5979 flag meaning when present ~
5980 f use "(3 of 5)" instead of "(file 3 of 5)"
5981 i use "[noeol]" instead of "[Incomplete last line]"
5982 l use "999L, 888C" instead of "999 lines, 888 characters"
5983 m use "[+]" instead of "[Modified]"
5984 n use "[New]" instead of "[New File]"
5985 r use "[RO]" instead of "[readonly]"
5986 w use "[w]" instead of "written" for file write message
5987 and "[a]" instead of "appended" for ':w >> file' command
5988 x use "[dos]" instead of "[dos format]", "[unix]" instead of
5989 "[unix format]" and "[mac]" instead of "[mac format]".
5990 a all of the above abbreviations
5992 o overwrite message for writing a file with subsequent message
5993 for reading a file (useful for ":wn" or when 'autowrite' on)
5994 O message for reading a file overwrites any previous message.
5995 Also for quickfix message (e.g., ":cn").
5996 s don't give "search hit BOTTOM, continuing at TOP" or "search
5997 hit TOP, continuing at BOTTOM" messages
5998 t truncate file message at the start if it is too long to fit
5999 on the command-line, "<" will appear in the left most column.
6000 Ignored in Ex mode.
6001 T truncate other messages in the middle if they are too long to
6002 fit on the command line. "..." will appear in the middle.
6003 Ignored in Ex mode.
6004 W don't give "written" or "[w]" when writing a file
6005 A don't give the "ATTENTION" message when an existing swap file
6006 is found.
6007 I don't give the intro message when starting Vim |:intro|.
6009 This gives you the opportunity to avoid that a change between buffers
6010 requires you to hit <Enter>, but still gives as useful a message as
6011 possible for the space available. To get the whole message that you
6012 would have got with 'shm' empty, use ":file!"
6013 Useful values:
6014 shm= No abbreviation of message.
6015 shm=a Abbreviation, but no loss of information.
6016 shm=at Abbreviation, and truncate message when necessary.
6018 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6019 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6021 *'shortname'* *'sn'* *'noshortname'* *'nosn'*
6022 'shortname' 'sn' boolean (default off)
6023 local to buffer
6024 {not in Vi, not in MS-DOS versions}
6025 Filenames are assumed to be 8 characters plus one extension of 3
6026 characters. Multiple dots in file names are not allowed. When this
6027 option is on, dots in file names are replaced with underscores when
6028 adding an extension (".~" or ".swp"). This option is not available
6029 for MS-DOS, because then it would always be on. This option is useful
6030 when editing files on an MS-DOS compatible filesystem, e.g., messydos
6031 or crossdos. When running the Win32 GUI version under Win32s, this
6032 option is always on by default.
6034 *'showbreak'* *'sbr'* *E595*
6035 'showbreak' 'sbr' string (default "")
6036 global
6037 {not in Vi}
6038 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
6039 feature}
6040 String to put at the start of lines that have been wrapped. Useful
6041 values are "> " or "+++ ": >
6042 :set showbreak=>\
6043 < Note the backslash to escape the trailing space. It's easier like
6044 this: >
6045 :let &showbreak = '+++ '
6046 < Only printable single-cell characters are allowed, excluding <Tab> and
6047 comma (in a future version the comma might be used to separate the
6048 part that is shown at the end and at the start of a line).
6049 The characters are highlighted according to the '@' flag in
6050 'highlight'.
6051 Note that tabs after the showbreak will be displayed differently.
6052 If you want the 'showbreak' to appear in between line numbers, add the
6053 "n" flag to 'cpoptions'.
6055 *'showcmd'* *'sc'* *'noshowcmd'* *'nosc'*
6056 'showcmd' 'sc' boolean (Vim default: on, off for Unix, Vi default:
6057 off)
6058 global
6059 {not in Vi}
6060 {not available when compiled without the
6061 |+cmdline_info| feature}
6062 Show (partial) command in the last line of the screen. Set this
6063 option off if your terminal is slow.
6064 In Visual mode the size of the selected area is shown:
6065 - When selecting characters within a line, the number of characters.
6066 - When selecting more than one line, the number of lines.
6067 - When selecting a block, the size in screen characters:
6068 {lines}x{columns}.
6069 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6070 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6072 *'showfulltag'* *'sft'* *'noshowfulltag'* *'nosft'*
6073 'showfulltag' 'sft' boolean (default off)
6074 global
6075 {not in Vi}
6076 When completing a word in insert mode (see |ins-completion|) from the
6077 tags file, show both the tag name and a tidied-up form of the search
6078 pattern (if there is one) as possible matches. Thus, if you have
6079 matched a C function, you can see a template for what arguments are
6080 required (coding style permitting).
6081 Note that this doesn't work well together with having "longest" in
6082 'completeopt', because the completion from the search pattern may not
6083 match the typed text.
6085 *'showmatch'* *'sm'* *'noshowmatch'* *'nosm'*
6086 'showmatch' 'sm' boolean (default off)
6087 global
6088 When a bracket is inserted, briefly jump to the matching one. The
6089 jump is only done if the match can be seen on the screen. The time to
6090 show the match can be set with 'matchtime'.
6091 A Beep is given if there is no match (no matter if the match can be
6092 seen or not). This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
6093 When the 'm' flag is not included in 'cpoptions', typing a character
6094 will immediately move the cursor back to where it belongs.
6095 See the "sm" field in 'guicursor' for setting the cursor shape and
6096 blinking when showing the match.
6097 The 'matchpairs' option can be used to specify the characters to show
6098 matches for. 'rightleft' and 'revins' are used to look for opposite
6099 matches.
6100 Also see the matchparen plugin for highlighting the match when moving
6101 around |pi_paren.txt|.
6102 Note: Use of the short form is rated PG.
6104 *'showmode'* *'smd'* *'noshowmode'* *'nosmd'*
6105 'showmode' 'smd' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6106 global
6107 If in Insert, Replace or Visual mode put a message on the last line.
6108 Use the 'M' flag in 'highlight' to set the type of highlighting for
6109 this message.
6110 When |XIM| may be used the message will include "XIM". But this
6111 doesn't mean XIM is really active, especially when 'imactivatekey' is
6112 not set.
6113 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6114 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6116 *'showtabline'* *'stal'*
6117 'showtabline' 'stal' number (default 1)
6118 global
6119 {not in Vi}
6120 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6121 feature}
6122 The value of this option specifies when the line with tab page labels
6123 will be displayed:
6124 0: never
6125 1: only if there are at least two tab pages
6126 2: always
6127 This is both for the GUI and non-GUI implementation of the tab pages
6128 line.
6129 See |tab-page| for more information about tab pages.
6131 *'sidescroll'* *'ss'*
6132 'sidescroll' 'ss' number (default 0)
6133 global
6134 {not in Vi}
6135 The minimal number of columns to scroll horizontally. Used only when
6136 the 'wrap' option is off and the cursor is moved off of the screen.
6137 When it is zero the cursor will be put in the middle of the screen.
6138 When using a slow terminal set it to a large number or 0. When using
6139 a fast terminal use a small number or 1. Not used for "zh" and "zl"
6140 commands.
6142 *'sidescrolloff'* *'siso'*
6143 'sidescrolloff' 'siso' number (default 0)
6144 global
6145 {not in Vi}
6146 The minimal number of screen columns to keep to the left and to the
6147 right of the cursor if 'nowrap' is set. Setting this option to a
6148 value greater than 0 while having |'sidescroll'| also at a non-zero
6149 value makes some context visible in the line you are scrolling in
6150 horizontally (except at beginning of the line). Setting this option
6151 to a large value (like 999) has the effect of keeping the cursor
6152 horizontally centered in the window, as long as one does not come too
6153 close to the beginning of the line.
6154 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6156 Example: Try this together with 'sidescroll' and 'listchars' as
6157 in the following example to never allow the cursor to move
6158 onto the "extends" character:
6160 :set nowrap sidescroll=1 listchars=extends:>,precedes:<
6161 :set sidescrolloff=1
6164 *'smartcase'* *'scs'* *'nosmartcase'* *'noscs'*
6165 'smartcase' 'scs' boolean (default off)
6166 global
6167 {not in Vi}
6168 Override the 'ignorecase' option if the search pattern contains upper
6169 case characters. Only used when the search pattern is typed and
6170 'ignorecase' option is on. Used for the commands "/", "?", "n", "N",
6171 ":g" and ":s". Not used for "*", "#", "gd", tag search, etc.. After
6172 "*" and "#" you can make 'smartcase' used by doing a "/" command,
6173 recalling the search pattern from history and hitting <Enter>.
6174 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6176 *'smartindent'* *'si'* *'nosmartindent'* *'nosi'*
6177 'smartindent' 'si' boolean (default off)
6178 local to buffer
6179 {not in Vi}
6180 {not available when compiled without the
6181 |+smartindent| feature}
6182 Do smart autoindenting when starting a new line. Works for C-like
6183 programs, but can also be used for other languages. 'cindent' does
6184 something like this, works better in most cases, but is more strict,
6185 see |C-indenting|. When 'cindent' is on, setting 'si' has no effect.
6186 'indentexpr' is a more advanced alternative.
6187 Normally 'autoindent' should also be on when using 'smartindent'.
6188 An indent is automatically inserted:
6189 - After a line ending in '{'.
6190 - After a line starting with a keyword from 'cinwords'.
6191 - Before a line starting with '}' (only with the "O" command).
6192 When typing '}' as the first character in a new line, that line is
6193 given the same indent as the matching '{'.
6194 When typing '#' as the first character in a new line, the indent for
6195 that line is removed, the '#' is put in the first column. The indent
6196 is restored for the next line. If you don't want this, use this
6197 mapping: ":inoremap # X^H#", where ^H is entered with CTRL-V CTRL-H.
6198 When using the ">>" command, lines starting with '#' are not shifted
6199 right.
6200 NOTE: 'smartindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set. When 'paste'
6201 is set smart indenting is disabled.
6203 *'smarttab'* *'sta'* *'nosmarttab'* *'nosta'*
6204 'smarttab' 'sta' boolean (default off)
6205 global
6206 {not in Vi}
6207 When on, a <Tab> in front of a line inserts blanks according to
6208 'shiftwidth'. 'tabstop' or 'softtabstop' is used in other places. A
6209 <BS> will delete a 'shiftwidth' worth of space at the start of the
6210 line.
6211 When off, a <Tab> always inserts blanks according to 'tabstop' or
6212 'softtabstop'. 'shiftwidth' is only used for shifting text left or
6213 right |shift-left-right|.
6214 What gets inserted (a <Tab> or spaces) depends on the 'expandtab'
6215 option. Also see |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the
6216 number of spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6217 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6219 *'softtabstop'* *'sts'*
6220 'softtabstop' 'sts' number (default 0)
6221 local to buffer
6222 {not in Vi}
6223 Number of spaces that a <Tab> counts for while performing editing
6224 operations, like inserting a <Tab> or using <BS>. It "feels" like
6225 <Tab>s are being inserted, while in fact a mix of spaces and <Tab>s is
6226 used. This is useful to keep the 'ts' setting at its standard value
6227 of 8, while being able to edit like it is set to 'sts'. However,
6228 commands like "x" still work on the actual characters.
6229 When 'sts' is zero, this feature is off.
6230 'softtabstop' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set.
6231 See also |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the number of
6232 spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6233 The 'L' flag in 'cpoptions' changes how tabs are used when 'list' is
6234 set.
6235 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6237 *'spell'* *'nospell'*
6238 'spell' boolean (default off)
6239 local to window
6240 {not in Vi}
6241 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6242 feature}
6243 When on spell checking will be done. See |spell|.
6244 The languages are specified with 'spelllang'.
6246 *'spellcapcheck'* *'spc'*
6247 'spellcapcheck' 'spc' string (default "[.?!]\_[\])'" \t]\+")
6248 local to buffer
6249 {not in Vi}
6250 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6251 feature}
6252 Pattern to locate the end of a sentence. The following word will be
6253 checked to start with a capital letter. If not then it is highlighted
6254 with SpellCap |hl-SpellCap| (unless the word is also badly spelled).
6255 When this check is not wanted make this option empty.
6256 Only used when 'spell' is set.
6257 Be careful with special characters, see |option-backslash| about
6258 including spaces and backslashes.
6259 To set this option automatically depending on the language, see
6260 |set-spc-auto|.
6262 *'spellfile'* *'spf'*
6263 'spellfile' 'spf' string (default empty)
6264 local to buffer
6265 {not in Vi}
6266 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6267 feature}
6268 Name of the word list file where words are added for the |zg| and |zw|
6269 commands. It must end in ".{encoding}.add". You need to include the
6270 path, otherwise the file is placed in the current directory.
6271 *E765*
6272 It may also be a comma separated list of names. A count before the
6273 |zg| and |zw| commands can be used to access each. This allows using
6274 a personal word list file and a project word list file.
6275 When a word is added while this option is empty Vim will set it for
6276 you: Using the first directory in 'runtimepath' that is writable. If
6277 there is no "spell" directory yet it will be created. For the file
6278 name the first language name that appears in 'spelllang' is used,
6279 ignoring the region.
6280 The resulting ".spl" file will be used for spell checking, it does not
6281 have to appear in 'spelllang'.
6282 Normally one file is used for all regions, but you can add the region
6283 name if you want to. However, it will then only be used when
6284 'spellfile' is set to it, for entries in 'spelllang' only files
6285 without region name will be found.
6286 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6287 security reasons.
6289 *'spelllang'* *'spl'*
6290 'spelllang' 'spl' string (default "en")
6291 local to buffer
6292 {not in Vi}
6293 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6294 feature}
6295 A comma separated list of word list names. When the 'spell' option is
6296 on spellchecking will be done for these languages. Example: >
6297 set spelllang=en_us,nl,medical
6298 < This means US English, Dutch and medical words are recognized. Words
6299 that are not recognized will be highlighted.
6300 The word list name must not include a comma or dot. Using a dash is
6301 recommended to separate the two letter language name from a
6302 specification. Thus "en-rare" is used for rare English words.
6303 A region name must come last and have the form "_xx", where "xx" is
6304 the two-letter, lower case region name. You can use more than one
6305 region by listing them: "en_us,en_ca" supports both US and Canadian
6306 English, but not words specific for Australia, New Zealand or Great
6307 Britain.
6308 *E757*
6309 As a special case the name of a .spl file can be given as-is. The
6310 first "_xx" in the name is removed and used as the region name
6311 (_xx is an underscore, two letters and followed by a non-letter).
6312 This is mainly for testing purposes. You must make sure the correct
6313 encoding is used, Vim doesn't check it.
6314 When 'encoding' is set the word lists are reloaded. Thus it's a good
6315 idea to set 'spelllang' after setting 'encoding' to avoid loading the
6316 files twice.
6317 How the related spell files are found is explained here: |spell-load|.
6319 If the |spellfile.vim| plugin is active and you use a language name
6320 for which Vim cannot find the .spl file in 'runtimepath' the plugin
6321 will ask you if you want to download the file.
6323 After this option has been set successfully, Vim will source the files
6324 "spell/LANG.vim" in 'runtimepath'. "LANG" is the value of 'spelllang'
6325 up to the first comma, dot or underscore.
6326 Also see |set-spc-auto|.
6329 *'spellsuggest'* *'sps'*
6330 'spellsuggest' 'sps' string (default "best")
6331 global
6332 {not in Vi}
6333 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6334 feature}
6335 Methods used for spelling suggestions. Both for the |z=| command and
6336 the |spellsuggest()| function. This is a comma-separated list of
6337 items:
6339 best Internal method that works best for English. Finds
6340 changes like "fast" and uses a bit of sound-a-like
6341 scoring to improve the ordering.
6343 double Internal method that uses two methods and mixes the
6344 results. The first method is "fast", the other method
6345 computes how much the suggestion sounds like the bad
6346 word. That only works when the language specifies
6347 sound folding. Can be slow and doesn't always give
6348 better results.
6350 fast Internal method that only checks for simple changes:
6351 character inserts/deletes/swaps. Works well for
6352 simple typing mistakes.
6354 {number} The maximum number of suggestions listed for |z=|.
6355 Not used for |spellsuggest()|. The number of
6356 suggestions is never more than the value of 'lines'
6357 minus two.
6359 file:{filename} Read file {filename}, which must have two columns,
6360 separated by a slash. The first column contains the
6361 bad word, the second column the suggested good word.
6362 Example:
6363 theribal/terrible ~
6364 Use this for common mistakes that do not appear at the
6365 top of the suggestion list with the internal methods.
6366 Lines without a slash are ignored, use this for
6367 comments.
6368 The file is used for all languages.
6370 expr:{expr} Evaluate expression {expr}. Use a function to avoid
6371 trouble with spaces. |v:val| holds the badly spelled
6372 word. The expression must evaluate to a List of
6373 Lists, each with a suggestion and a score.
6374 Example:
6375 [['the', 33], ['that', 44]]
6376 Set 'verbose' and use |z=| to see the scores that the
6377 internal methods use. A lower score is better.
6378 This may invoke |spellsuggest()| if you temporarily
6379 set 'spellsuggest' to exclude the "expr:" part.
6380 Errors are silently ignored, unless you set the
6381 'verbose' option to a non-zero value.
6383 Only one of "best", "double" or "fast" may be used. The others may
6384 appear several times in any order. Example: >
6385 :set sps=file:~/.vim/sugg,best,expr:MySuggest()
6386 <
6387 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6388 security reasons.
6391 *'splitbelow'* *'sb'* *'nosplitbelow'* *'nosb'*
6392 'splitbelow' 'sb' boolean (default off)
6393 global
6394 {not in Vi}
6395 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6396 feature}
6397 When on, splitting a window will put the new window below the current
6398 one. |:split|
6400 *'splitright'* *'spr'* *'nosplitright'* *'nospr'*
6401 'splitright' 'spr' boolean (default off)
6402 global
6403 {not in Vi}
6404 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
6405 feature}
6406 When on, splitting a window will put the new window right of the
6407 current one. |:vsplit|
6409 *'startofline'* *'sol'* *'nostartofline'* *'nosol'*
6410 'startofline' 'sol' boolean (default on)
6411 global
6412 {not in Vi}
6413 When "on" the commands listed below move the cursor to the first
6414 non-blank of the line. When off the cursor is kept in the same column
6415 (if possible). This applies to the commands: CTRL-D, CTRL-U, CTRL-B,
6416 CTRL-F, "G", "H", "M", "L", gg, and to the commands "d", "<<" and ">>"
6417 with a linewise operator, with "%" with a count and to buffer changing
6418 commands (CTRL-^, :bnext, :bNext, etc.). Also for an Ex command that
6419 only has a line number, e.g., ":25" or ":+".
6420 In case of buffer changing commands the cursor is placed at the column
6421 where it was the last time the buffer was edited.
6422 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
6424 *'statusline'* *'stl'* *E540* *E541* *E542*
6425 'statusline' 'stl' string (default empty)
6426 global or local to window |global-local|
6427 {not in Vi}
6428 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
6429 feature}
6430 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the status line.
6431 Also see |status-line|.
6433 The option consists of printf style '%' items interspersed with
6434 normal text. Each status line item is of the form:
6435 %-0{minwid}.{maxwid}{item}
6436 All fields except the {item} is optional. A single percent sign can
6437 be given as "%%". Up to 80 items can be specified.
6439 When the option starts with "%!" then it is used as an expression,
6440 evaluated and the result is used as the option value. Example: >
6441 :set statusline=%!MyStatusLine()
6442 < The result can contain %{} items that will be evaluated too.
6444 When there is error while evaluating the option then it will be made
6445 empty to avoid further errors. Otherwise screen updating would loop.
6447 Note that the only effect of 'ruler' when this option is set (and
6448 'laststatus' is 2) is controlling the output of |CTRL-G|.
6450 field meaning ~
6451 - Left justify the item. The default is right justified
6452 when minwid is larger than the length of the item.
6453 0 Leading zeroes in numeric items. Overridden by '-'.
6454 minwid Minimum width of the item, padding as set by '-' & '0'.
6455 Value must be 50 or less.
6456 maxwid Maximum width of the item. Truncation occurs with a '<'
6457 on the left for text items. Numeric items will be
6458 shifted down to maxwid-2 digits followed by '>'number
6459 where number is the amount of missing digits, much like
6460 an exponential notation.
6461 item A one letter code as described below.
6463 Following is a description of the possible statusline items. The
6464 second character in "item" is the type:
6465 N for number
6466 S for string
6467 F for flags as described below
6468 - not applicable
6470 item meaning ~
6471 f S Path to the file in the buffer, as typed or relative to current
6472 directory.
6473 F S Full path to the file in the buffer.
6474 t S File name (tail) of file in the buffer.
6475 m F Modified flag, text is "[+]"; "[-]" if 'modifiable' is off.
6476 M F Modified flag, text is ",+" or ",-".
6477 r F Readonly flag, text is "[RO]".
6478 R F Readonly flag, text is ",RO".
6479 h F Help buffer flag, text is "[help]".
6480 H F Help buffer flag, text is ",HLP".
6481 w F Preview window flag, text is "[Preview]".
6482 W F Preview window flag, text is ",PRV".
6483 y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., "[vim]". See 'filetype'.
6484 Y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., ",VIM". See 'filetype'.
6485 {not available when compiled without |+autocmd| feature}
6486 k S Value of "b:keymap_name" or 'keymap' when |:lmap| mappings are
6487 being used: "<keymap>"
6488 n N Buffer number.
6489 b N Value of byte under cursor.
6490 B N As above, in hexadecimal.
6491 o N Byte number in file of byte under cursor, first byte is 1.
6492 Mnemonic: Offset from start of file (with one added)
6493 {not available when compiled without |+byte_offset| feature}
6494 O N As above, in hexadecimal.
6495 N N Printer page number. (Only works in the 'printheader' option.)
6496 l N Line number.
6497 L N Number of lines in buffer.
6498 c N Column number.
6499 v N Virtual column number.
6500 V N Virtual column number as -{num}. Not displayed if equal to 'c'.
6501 p N Percentage through file in lines as in |CTRL-G|.
6502 P S Percentage through file of displayed window. This is like the
6503 percentage described for 'ruler'. Always 3 in length.
6504 a S Argument list status as in default title. ({current} of {max})
6505 Empty if the argument file count is zero or one.
6506 { NF Evaluate expression between '%{' and '}' and substitute result.
6507 Note that there is no '%' before the closing '}'.
6508 ( - Start of item group. Can be used for setting the width and
6509 alignment of a section. Must be followed by %) somewhere.
6510 ) - End of item group. No width fields allowed.
6511 T N For 'tabline': start of tab page N label. Use %T after the last
6512 label. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6513 X N For 'tabline': start of close tab N label. Use %X after the
6514 label, e.g.: %3Xclose%X. Use %999X for a "close current tab"
6515 mark. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6516 < - Where to truncate line if too long. Default is at the start.
6517 No width fields allowed.
6518 = - Separation point between left and right aligned items.
6519 No width fields allowed.
6520 # - Set highlight group. The name must follow and then a # again.
6521 Thus use %#HLname# for highlight group HLname. The same
6522 highlighting is used, also for the statusline of non-current
6523 windows.
6524 * - Set highlight group to User{N}, where {N} is taken from the
6525 minwid field, e.g. %1*. Restore normal highlight with %* or %0*.
6526 The difference between User{N} and StatusLine will be applied
6527 to StatusLineNC for the statusline of non-current windows.
6528 The number N must be between 1 and 9. See |hl-User1..9|
6530 When displaying a flag, Vim removes the leading comma, if any, when
6531 that flag comes right after plaintext. This will make a nice display
6532 when flags are used like in the examples below.
6534 When all items in a group becomes an empty string (i.e. flags that are
6535 not set) and a minwid is not set for the group, the whole group will
6536 become empty. This will make a group like the following disappear
6537 completely from the statusline when none of the flags are set. >
6538 :set statusline=...%(\ [%M%R%H]%)...
6539 <
6540 Beware that an expression is evaluated each and every time the status
6541 line is displayed. The current buffer and current window will be set
6542 temporarily to that of the window (and buffer) whose statusline is
6543 currently being drawn. The expression will evaluate in this context.
6544 The variable "actual_curbuf" is set to the 'bufnr()' number of the
6545 real current buffer.
6547 The 'statusline' option may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
6548 |sandbox-option|.
6550 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
6551 evaluating 'statusline' |textlock|.
6553 If the statusline is not updated when you want it (e.g., after setting
6554 a variable that's used in an expression), you can force an update by
6555 setting an option without changing its value. Example: >
6556 :let &ro = &ro
6558 < A result of all digits is regarded a number for display purposes.
6559 Otherwise the result is taken as flag text and applied to the rules
6560 described above.
6562 Watch out for errors in expressions. They may render Vim unusable!
6563 If you are stuck, hold down ':' or 'Q' to get a prompt, then quit and
6564 edit your .vimrc or whatever with "vim -u NONE" to get it right.
6566 Examples:
6567 Emulate standard status line with 'ruler' set >
6568 :set statusline=%<%f\ %h%m%r%=%-14.(%l,%c%V%)\ %P
6569 < Similar, but add ASCII value of char under the cursor (like "ga") >
6570 :set statusline=%<%f%h%m%r%=%b\ 0x%B\ \ %l,%c%V\ %P
6571 < Display byte count and byte value, modified flag in red. >
6572 :set statusline=%<%f%=\ [%1*%M%*%n%R%H]\ %-19(%3l,%02c%03V%)%O'%02b'
6573 :hi User1 term=inverse,bold cterm=inverse,bold ctermfg=red
6574 < Display a ,GZ flag if a compressed file is loaded >
6575 :set statusline=...%r%{VarExists('b:gzflag','\ [GZ]')}%h...
6576 < In the |:autocmd|'s: >
6577 :let b:gzflag = 1
6578 < And: >
6579 :unlet b:gzflag
6580 < And define this function: >
6581 :function VarExists(var, val)
6582 : if exists(a:var) | return a:val | else | return '' | endif
6583 :endfunction
6584 <
6585 *'suffixes'* *'su'*
6586 'suffixes' 'su' string (default ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj")
6587 global
6588 {not in Vi}
6589 Files with these suffixes get a lower priority when multiple files
6590 match a wildcard. See |suffixes|. Commas can be used to separate the
6591 suffixes. Spaces after the comma are ignored. A dot is also seen as
6592 the start of a suffix. To avoid a dot or comma being recognized as a
6593 separator, precede it with a backslash (see |option-backslash| about
6594 including spaces and backslashes).
6595 See 'wildignore' for completely ignoring files.
6596 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6597 suffixes from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6598 uses another default.
6600 *'suffixesadd'* *'sua'*
6601 'suffixesadd' 'sua' string (default "")
6602 local to buffer
6603 {not in Vi}
6604 {not available when compiled without the
6605 |+file_in_path| feature}
6606 Comma separated list of suffixes, which are used when searching for a
6607 file for the "gf", "[I", etc. commands. Example: >
6608 :set suffixesadd=.java
6609 <
6610 *'swapfile'* *'swf'* *'noswapfile'* *'noswf'*
6611 'swapfile' 'swf' boolean (default on)
6612 local to buffer
6613 {not in Vi}
6614 Use a swapfile for the buffer. This option can be reset when a
6615 swapfile is not wanted for a specific buffer. For example, with
6616 confidential information that even root must not be able to access.
6617 Careful: All text will be in memory:
6618 - Don't use this for big files.
6619 - Recovery will be impossible!
6620 A swapfile will only be present when |'updatecount'| is non-zero and
6621 'swapfile' is set.
6622 When 'swapfile' is reset, the swap file for the current buffer is
6623 immediately deleted. When 'swapfile' is set, and 'updatecount' is
6624 non-zero, a swap file is immediately created.
6625 Also see |swap-file| and |'swapsync'|.
6627 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'buftype' to
6628 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
6630 *'swapsync'* *'sws'*
6631 'swapsync' 'sws' string (default "fsync")
6632 global
6633 {not in Vi}
6634 When this option is not empty a swap file is synced to disk after
6635 writing to it. This takes some time, especially on busy unix systems.
6636 When this option is empty parts of the swap file may be in memory and
6637 not written to disk. When the system crashes you may lose more work.
6638 On Unix the system does a sync now and then without Vim asking for it,
6639 so the disadvantage of setting this option off is small. On some
6640 systems the swap file will not be written at all. For a unix system
6641 setting it to "sync" will use the sync() call instead of the default
6642 fsync(), which may work better on some systems.
6643 The 'fsync' option is used for the actual file.
6645 *'switchbuf'* *'swb'*
6646 'switchbuf' 'swb' string (default "")
6647 global
6648 {not in Vi}
6649 This option controls the behavior when switching between buffers.
6650 Possible values (comma separated list):
6651 useopen If included, jump to the first open window that
6652 contains the specified buffer (if there is one).
6653 Otherwise: Do not examine other windows.
6654 This setting is checked with |quickfix| commands, when
6655 jumping to errors (":cc", ":cn", "cp", etc.). It is
6656 also used in all buffer related split commands, for
6657 example ":sbuffer", ":sbnext", or ":sbrewind".
6658 usetab Like "useopen", but also consider windows in other tab
6659 pages.
6660 split If included, split the current window before loading
6661 a buffer. Otherwise: do not split, use current window.
6662 Supported in |quickfix| commands that display errors.
6663 newtab Like "split", but open a new tab page. Overrules
6664 "split" when both are present.
6666 *'synmaxcol'* *'smc'*
6667 'synmaxcol' 'smc' number (default 3000)
6668 local to buffer
6669 {not in Vi}
6670 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6671 feature}
6672 Maximum column in which to search for syntax items. In long lines the
6673 text after this column is not highlighted and following lines may not
6674 be highlighted correctly, because the syntax state is cleared.
6675 This helps to avoid very slow redrawing for an XML file that is one
6676 long line.
6677 Set to zero to remove the limit.
6679 *'syntax'* *'syn'*
6680 'syntax' 'syn' string (default empty)
6681 local to buffer
6682 {not in Vi}
6683 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6684 feature}
6685 When this option is set, the syntax with this name is loaded, unless
6686 syntax highlighting has been switched off with ":syntax off".
6687 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current syntax (the
6688 b:current_syntax variable does).
6689 This option is most useful in a modeline, for a file which syntax is
6690 not automatically recognized. Example, in an IDL file:
6691 /* vim: set syntax=idl : */ ~
6692 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
6693 names. Example:
6694 /* vim: set syntax=c.doxygen : */ ~
6695 This will use the "c" syntax first, then the "doxygen" syntax.
6696 Note that the second one must be prepared to be loaded as an addition,
6697 otherwise it will be skipped. More than one dot may appear.
6698 To switch off syntax highlighting for the current file, use: >
6699 :set syntax=OFF
6700 < To switch syntax highlighting on according to the current value of the
6701 'filetype' option: >
6702 :set syntax=ON
6703 < What actually happens when setting the 'syntax' option is that the
6704 Syntax autocommand event is triggered with the value as argument.
6705 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
6706 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
6707 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
6709 *'tabline'* *'tal'*
6710 'tabline' 'tal' string (default empty)
6711 global
6712 {not in Vi}
6713 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6714 feature}
6715 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the tab pages
6716 line at the top of the Vim window. When empty Vim will use a default
6717 tab pages line. See |setting-tabline| for more info.
6719 The tab pages line only appears as specified with the 'showtabline'
6720 option and only when there is no GUI tab line. When 'e' is in
6721 'guioptions' and the GUI supports a tab line 'guitablabel' is used
6722 instead.
6724 The value is evaluated like with 'statusline'. You can use
6725 |tabpagenr()|, |tabpagewinnr()| and |tabpagebuflist()| to figure out
6726 the text to be displayed. Use "%1T" for the first label, "%2T" for
6727 the second one, etc. Use "%X" items for closing labels.
6729 Keep in mind that only one of the tab pages is the current one, others
6730 are invisible and you can't jump to their windows.
6733 *'tabpagemax'* *'tpm'*
6734 'tabpagemax' 'tpm' number (default 10)
6735 global
6736 {not in Vi}
6737 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6738 feature}
6739 Maximum number of tab pages to be opened by the |-p| command line
6740 argument or the ":tab all" command. |tabpage|
6743 *'tabstop'* *'ts'*
6744 'tabstop' 'ts' number (default 8)
6745 local to buffer
6746 Number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for. Also see
6747 |:retab| command, and 'softtabstop' option.
6749 Note: Setting 'tabstop' to any other value than 8 can make your file
6750 appear wrong in many places (e.g., when printing it).
6752 There are four main ways to use tabs in Vim:
6753 1. Always keep 'tabstop' at 8, set 'softtabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to 4
6754 (or 3 or whatever you prefer) and use 'noexpandtab'. Then Vim
6755 will use a mix of tabs and spaces, but typing <Tab> and <BS> will
6756 behave like a tab appears every 4 (or 3) characters.
6757 2. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use
6758 'expandtab'. This way you will always insert spaces. The
6759 formatting will never be messed up when 'tabstop' is changed.
6760 3. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use a
6761 |modeline| to set these values when editing the file again. Only
6762 works when using Vim to edit the file.
6763 4. Always set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to the same value, and
6764 'noexpandtab'. This should then work (for initial indents only)
6765 for any tabstop setting that people use. It might be nice to have
6766 tabs after the first non-blank inserted as spaces if you do this
6767 though. Otherwise aligned comments will be wrong when 'tabstop' is
6768 changed.
6770 *'tagbsearch'* *'tbs'* *'notagbsearch'* *'notbs'*
6771 'tagbsearch' 'tbs' boolean (default on)
6772 global
6773 {not in Vi}
6774 When searching for a tag (e.g., for the |:ta| command), Vim can either
6775 use a binary search or a linear search in a tags file. Binary
6776 searching makes searching for a tag a LOT faster, but a linear search
6777 will find more tags if the tags file wasn't properly sorted.
6778 Vim normally assumes that your tags files are sorted, or indicate that
6779 they are not sorted. Only when this is not the case does the
6780 'tagbsearch' option need to be switched off.
6782 When 'tagbsearch' is on, binary searching is first used in the tags
6783 files. In certain situations, Vim will do a linear search instead for
6784 certain files, or retry all files with a linear search. When
6785 'tagbsearch' is off, only a linear search is done.
6787 Linear searching is done anyway, for one file, when Vim finds a line
6788 at the start of the file indicating that it's not sorted: >
6789 !_TAG_FILE_SORTED 0 /some comment/
6790 < [The whitespace before and after the '0' must be a single <Tab>]
6792 When a binary search was done and no match was found in any of the
6793 files listed in 'tags', and 'ignorecase' is set or a pattern is used
6794 instead of a normal tag name, a retry is done with a linear search.
6795 Tags in unsorted tags files, and matches with different case will only
6796 be found in the retry.
6798 If a tag file indicates that it is case-fold sorted, the second,
6799 linear search can be avoided for the 'ignorecase' case. Use a value
6800 of '2' in the "!_TAG_FILE_SORTED" line for this. A tag file can be
6801 case-fold sorted with the -f switch to "sort" in most unices, as in
6802 the command: "sort -f -o tags tags". For "Exuberant ctags" version
6803 5.x or higher (at least 5.5) the --sort=foldcase switch can be used
6804 for this as well. Note that case must be folded to uppercase for this
6805 to work.
6807 When 'tagbsearch' is off, tags searching is slower when a full match
6808 exists, but faster when no full match exists. Tags in unsorted tags
6809 files may only be found with 'tagbsearch' off.
6810 When the tags file is not sorted, or sorted in a wrong way (not on
6811 ASCII byte value), 'tagbsearch' should be off, or the line given above
6812 must be included in the tags file.
6813 This option doesn't affect commands that find all matching tags (e.g.,
6814 command-line completion and ":help").
6815 {Vi: always uses binary search in some versions}
6817 *'taglength'* *'tl'*
6818 'taglength' 'tl' number (default 0)
6819 global
6820 If non-zero, tags are significant up to this number of characters.
6822 *'tagrelative'* *'tr'* *'notagrelative'* *'notr'*
6823 'tagrelative' 'tr' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6824 global
6825 {not in Vi}
6826 If on and using a tags file in another directory, file names in that
6827 tags file are relative to the directory where the tags file is.
6828 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6829 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6831 *'tags'* *'tag'* *E433*
6832 'tags' 'tag' string (default "./tags,tags", when compiled with
6833 |+emacs_tags|: "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS")
6834 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6835 Filenames for the tag command, separated by spaces or commas. To
6836 include a space or comma in a file name, precede it with a backslash
6837 (see |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes).
6838 When a file name starts with "./", the '.' is replaced with the path
6839 of the current file. But only when the 'd' flag is not included in
6840 'cpoptions'. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. Also see
6841 |tags-option|.
6842 "*", "**" and other wildcards can be used to search for tags files in
6843 a directory tree. See |file-searching|. {not available when compiled
6844 without the |+path_extra| feature}
6845 The |tagfiles()| function can be used to get a list of the file names
6846 actually used.
6847 If Vim was compiled with the |+emacs_tags| feature, Emacs-style tag
6848 files are also supported. They are automatically recognized. The
6849 default value becomes "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS", unless case
6850 differences are ignored (MS-Windows). |emacs-tags|
6851 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6852 file names from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6853 uses another default.
6854 {Vi: default is "tags /usr/lib/tags"}
6856 *'tagstack'* *'tgst'* *'notagstack'* *'notgst'*
6857 'tagstack' 'tgst' boolean (default on)
6858 global
6859 {not in all versions of Vi}
6860 When on, the |tagstack| is used normally. When off, a ":tag" or
6861 ":tselect" command with an argument will not push the tag onto the
6862 tagstack. A following ":tag" without an argument, a ":pop" command or
6863 any other command that uses the tagstack will use the unmodified
6864 tagstack, but does change the pointer to the active entry.
6865 Resetting this option is useful when using a ":tag" command in a
6866 mapping which should not change the tagstack.
6868 *'term'* *E529* *E530* *E531*
6869 'term' string (default is $TERM, if that fails:
6870 in the GUI: "builtin_gui"
6871 on Amiga: "amiga"
6872 on BeOS: "beos-ansi"
6873 on Mac: "mac-ansi"
6874 on MiNT: "vt52"
6875 on MS-DOS: "pcterm"
6876 on OS/2: "os2ansi"
6877 on Unix: "ansi"
6878 on VMS: "ansi"
6879 on Win 32: "win32")
6880 global
6881 Name of the terminal. Used for choosing the terminal control
6882 characters. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
6883 For example: >
6884 :set term=$TERM
6885 < See |termcap|.
6887 *'termbidi'* *'tbidi'*
6888 *'notermbidi'* *'notbidi'*
6889 'termbidi' 'tbidi' boolean (default off, on for "mlterm")
6890 global
6891 {not in Vi}
6892 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
6893 feature}
6894 The terminal is in charge of Bi-directionality of text (as specified
6895 by Unicode). The terminal is also expected to do the required shaping
6896 that some languages (such as Arabic) require.
6897 Setting this option implies that 'rightleft' will not be set when
6898 'arabic' is set and the value of 'arabicshape' will be ignored.
6899 Note that setting 'termbidi' has the immediate effect that
6900 'arabicshape' is ignored, but 'rightleft' isn't changed automatically.
6901 This option is reset when the GUI is started.
6902 For further details see |arabic.txt|.
6904 *'termencoding'* *'tenc'*
6905 'termencoding' 'tenc' string (default ""
6906 with GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs: "utf-8"
6907 with Macintosh (Carbon) GUI: "macroman")
6908 global
6909 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
6910 feature}
6911 {not in Vi}
6912 Encoding used for the terminal. This specifies what character
6913 encoding the keyboard produces and the display will understand. For
6914 the GUI it only applies to the keyboard ('encoding' is used for the
6915 display). Except for the Mac when 'macatsui' is off, then
6916 'termencoding' should be "macroman" (for the Carbon GUI).
6917 In the Win32 console version the default value is the console codepage
6918 when it differs from the ANSI codepage.
6919 *E617*
6920 Note: This does not apply to the GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs. After the
6921 GUI has been successfully initialized, 'termencoding' is forcibly set
6922 to "utf-8". Any attempts to set a different value will be rejected,
6923 and an error message is shown.
6924 For the Win32 GUI 'termencoding' is not used for typed characters,
6925 because the Win32 system always passes Unicode characters.
6926 When empty, the same encoding is used as for the 'encoding' option.
6927 This is the normal value.
6928 Not all combinations for 'termencoding' and 'encoding' are valid. See
6929 |encoding-table|.
6930 The value for this option must be supported by internal conversions or
6931 iconv(). When this is not possible no conversion will be done and you
6932 will probably experience problems with non-ASCII characters.
6933 Example: You are working with the locale set to euc-jp (Japanese) and
6934 want to edit a UTF-8 file: >
6935 :let &termencoding = &encoding
6936 :set encoding=utf-8
6937 < You need to do this when your system has no locale support for UTF-8.
6939 *'terse'* *'noterse'*
6940 'terse' boolean (default off)
6941 global
6942 When set: Add 's' flag to 'shortmess' option (this makes the message
6943 for a search that hits the start or end of the file not being
6944 displayed). When reset: Remove 's' flag from 'shortmess' option. {Vi
6945 shortens a lot of messages}
6947 *'textauto'* *'ta'* *'notextauto'* *'nota'*
6948 'textauto' 'ta' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6949 global
6950 {not in Vi}
6951 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformats'.
6952 For backwards compatibility, when 'textauto' is set, 'fileformats' is
6953 set to the default value for the current system. When 'textauto' is
6954 reset, 'fileformats' is made empty.
6955 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6956 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6958 *'textmode'* *'tx'* *'notextmode'* *'notx'*
6959 'textmode' 'tx' boolean (MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: default on,
6960 others: default off)
6961 local to buffer
6962 {not in Vi}
6963 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformat'.
6964 For backwards compatibility, when 'textmode' is set, 'fileformat' is
6965 set to "dos". When 'textmode' is reset, 'fileformat' is set to
6966 "unix".
6968 *'textwidth'* *'tw'*
6969 'textwidth' 'tw' number (default 0)
6970 local to buffer
6971 {not in Vi}
6972 Maximum width of text that is being inserted. A longer line will be
6973 broken after white space to get this width. A zero value disables
6974 this. 'textwidth' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set. When
6975 'textwidth' is zero, 'wrapmargin' may be used. See also
6976 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|.
6977 When 'formatexpr' is set it will be used to break the line.
6978 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6980 *'thesaurus'* *'tsr'*
6981 'thesaurus' 'tsr' string (default "")
6982 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6983 {not in Vi}
6984 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
6985 for thesaurus completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|. Each line in
6986 the file should contain words with similar meaning, separated by
6987 non-keyword characters (white space is preferred). Maximum line
6988 length is 510 bytes.
6989 To obtain a file to be used here, check out the wordlist FAQ at
6990 http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk .
6991 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
6992 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
6993 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
6994 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6995 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6996 uses another default.
6997 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
6999 *'tildeop'* *'top'* *'notildeop'* *'notop'*
7000 'tildeop' 'top' boolean (default off)
7001 global
7002 {not in Vi}
7003 When on: The tilde command "~" behaves like an operator.
7004 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
7006 *'timeout'* *'to'* *'notimeout'* *'noto'*
7007 'timeout' 'to' boolean (default on)
7008 global
7009 *'ttimeout'* *'nottimeout'*
7010 'ttimeout' boolean (default off)
7011 global
7012 {not in Vi}
7013 These two options together determine the behavior when part of a
7014 mapped key sequence or keyboard code has been received:
7016 'timeout' 'ttimeout' action ~
7017 off off do not time out
7018 on on or off time out on :mappings and key codes
7019 off on time out on key codes
7021 If both options are off, Vim will wait until either the complete
7022 mapping or key sequence has been received, or it is clear that there
7023 is no mapping or key sequence for the received characters. For
7024 example: if you have mapped "vl" and Vim has received 'v', the next
7025 character is needed to see if the 'v' is followed by an 'l'.
7026 When one of the options is on, Vim will wait for about 1 second for
7027 the next character to arrive. After that the already received
7028 characters are interpreted as single characters. The waiting time can
7029 be changed with the 'timeoutlen' option.
7030 On slow terminals or very busy systems timing out may cause
7031 malfunctioning cursor keys. If both options are off, Vim waits
7032 forever after an entered <Esc> if there are key codes that start
7033 with <Esc>. You will have to type <Esc> twice. If you do not have
7034 problems with key codes, but would like to have :mapped key
7035 sequences not timing out in 1 second, set the 'ttimeout' option and
7036 reset the 'timeout' option.
7038 NOTE: 'ttimeout' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
7040 *'timeoutlen'* *'tm'*
7041 'timeoutlen' 'tm' number (default 1000)
7042 global
7043 {not in all versions of Vi}
7044 *'ttimeoutlen'* *'ttm'*
7045 'ttimeoutlen' 'ttm' number (default -1)
7046 global
7047 {not in Vi}
7048 The time in milliseconds that is waited for a key code or mapped key
7049 sequence to complete. Also used for CTRL-\ CTRL-N and CTRL-\ CTRL-G
7050 when part of a command has been typed.
7051 Normally only 'timeoutlen' is used and 'ttimeoutlen' is -1. When a
7052 different timeout value for key codes is desired set 'ttimeoutlen' to
7053 a non-negative number.
7055 ttimeoutlen mapping delay key code delay ~
7056 < 0 'timeoutlen' 'timeoutlen'
7057 >= 0 'timeoutlen' 'ttimeoutlen'
7059 The timeout only happens when the 'timeout' and 'ttimeout' options
7060 tell so. A useful setting would be >
7061 :set timeout timeoutlen=3000 ttimeoutlen=100
7062 < (time out on mapping after three seconds, time out on key codes after
7063 a tenth of a second).
7065 *'title'* *'notitle'*
7066 'title' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
7067 global
7068 {not in Vi}
7069 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
7070 feature}
7071 When on, the title of the window will be set to the value of
7072 'titlestring' (if it is not empty), or to:
7073 filename [+=-] (path) - VIM
7074 Where:
7075 filename the name of the file being edited
7076 - indicates the file cannot be modified, 'ma' off
7077 + indicates the file was modified
7078 = indicates the file is read-only
7079 =+ indicates the file is read-only and modified
7080 (path) is the path of the file being edited
7081 - VIM the server name |v:servername| or "VIM"
7082 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles
7083 (currently Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and
7084 terminals with a non- empty 't_ts' option - these are Unix xterm and
7085 iris-ansi by default, where 't_ts' is taken from the builtin termcap).
7086 *X11*
7087 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
7088 be restored if possible. The output of ":version" will include "+X11"
7089 when HAVE_X11 was defined, otherwise it will be "-X11". This also
7090 works for the icon name |'icon'|.
7091 But: When Vim was started with the |-X| argument, restoring the title
7092 will not work (except in the GUI).
7093 If the title cannot be restored, it is set to the value of 'titleold'.
7094 You might want to restore the title outside of Vim then.
7095 When using an xterm from a remote machine you can use this command:
7096 rsh machine_name xterm -display $DISPLAY &
7097 then the WINDOWID environment variable should be inherited and the
7098 title of the window should change back to what it should be after
7099 exiting Vim.
7101 *'titlelen'*
7102 'titlelen' number (default 85)
7103 global
7104 {not in Vi}
7105 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
7106 feature}
7107 Gives the percentage of 'columns' to use for the length of the window
7108 title. When the title is longer, only the end of the path name is
7109 shown. A '<' character before the path name is used to indicate this.
7110 Using a percentage makes this adapt to the width of the window. But
7111 it won't work perfectly, because the actual number of characters
7112 available also depends on the font used and other things in the title
7113 bar. When 'titlelen' is zero the full path is used. Otherwise,
7114 values from 1 to 30000 percent can be used.
7115 'titlelen' is also used for the 'titlestring' option.
7117 *'titleold'*
7118 'titleold' string (default "Thanks for flying Vim")
7119 global
7120 {not in Vi}
7121 {only available when compiled with the |+title|
7122 feature}
7123 This option will be used for the window title when exiting Vim if the
7124 original title cannot be restored. Only happens if 'title' is on or
7125 'titlestring' is not empty.
7126 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7127 security reasons.
7128 *'titlestring'*
7129 'titlestring' string (default "")
7130 global
7131 {not in Vi}
7132 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
7133 feature}
7134 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the title of the
7135 window. This happens only when the 'title' option is on.
7136 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles (currently
7137 Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and terminals with a
7138 non-empty 't_ts' option).
7139 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
7140 be restored if possible |X11|.
7141 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
7142 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'.
7143 Example: >
7144 :auto BufEnter * let &titlestring = hostname() . "/" . expand("%:p")
7145 :set title titlestring=%<%F%=%l/%L-%P titlelen=70
7146 < The value of 'titlelen' is used to align items in the middle or right
7147 of the available space.
7148 Some people prefer to have the file name first: >
7149 :set titlestring=%t%(\ %M%)%(\ (%{expand(\"%:~:.:h\")})%)%(\ %a%)
7150 < Note the use of "%{ }" and an expression to get the path of the file,
7151 without the file name. The "%( %)" constructs are used to add a
7152 separating space only when needed.
7153 NOTE: Use of special characters in 'titlestring' may cause the display
7154 to be garbled (e.g., when it contains a CR or NL character).
7155 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
7157 *'toolbar'* *'tb'*
7158 'toolbar' 'tb' string (default "icons,tooltips")
7159 global
7160 {only for |+GUI_GTK|, |+GUI_Athena|, |+GUI_Motif|,
7161 |+GUI_Photon| and |gui_macvim|}
7162 The contents of this option controls various toolbar settings. The
7163 possible values are:
7164 icons Toolbar buttons are shown with icons.
7165 text Toolbar buttons shown with text.
7166 horiz Icon and text of a toolbar button are
7167 horizontally arranged. {only in GTK+ 2 GUI}
7168 tooltips Tooltips are active for toolbar buttons.
7169 Tooltips refer to the popup help text which appears after the mouse
7170 cursor is placed over a toolbar button for a brief moment.
7171 Note: Tooltips are always enabled in MacVim.
7173 If you want the toolbar to be shown with icons as well as text, do the
7174 following: >
7175 :set tb=icons,text
7176 < Motif and Athena cannot display icons and text at the same time. They
7177 will show icons if both are requested.
7179 If none of the strings specified in 'toolbar' are valid or if
7180 'toolbar' is empty, this option is ignored. If you want to disable
7181 the toolbar, you need to set the 'guioptions' option. For example: >
7182 :set guioptions-=T
7183 < Also see |gui-toolbar|.
7185 *'toolbariconsize'* *'tbis'*
7186 'toolbariconsize' 'tbis' string (default "small")
7187 global
7188 {not in Vi}
7189 {only in the GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs}
7190 Controls the size of toolbar icons. The possible values are:
7191 tiny Use tiny toolbar icons.
7192 small Use small toolbar icons (default).
7193 medium Use medium-sized toolbar icons.
7194 large Use large toolbar icons.
7195 The exact dimensions in pixels of the various icon sizes depend on
7196 the current theme. Common dimensions are large=32x32, medium=24x24,
7197 small=20x20 and tiny=16x16. In MacVim, both tiny and small equal
7198 24x24, whereas medium and large equal 32x32.
7200 If 'toolbariconsize' is empty, the global default size as determined
7201 by user preferences or the current theme is used.
7203 *'transparency'* *'transp'*
7204 'transparency' 'transp' number (default 0)
7205 global
7206 {not in Vi}
7207 {only in MacVim GUI}
7208 Transparency of the window background as a percent, with 0 meaning
7209 opaque and 100 meaning completely transparent. Trying to set a value
7210 outside the range 0-100 results in an error.
7212 *'ttybuiltin'* *'tbi'* *'nottybuiltin'* *'notbi'*
7213 'ttybuiltin' 'tbi' boolean (default on)
7214 global
7215 {not in Vi}
7216 When on, the builtin termcaps are searched before the external ones.
7217 When off the builtin termcaps are searched after the external ones.
7218 When this option is changed, you should set the 'term' option next for
7219 the change to take effect, for example: >
7220 :set notbi term=$TERM
7221 < See also |termcap|.
7222 Rationale: The default for this option is "on", because the builtin
7223 termcap entries are generally better (many systems contain faulty
7224 xterm entries...).
7226 *'ttyfast'* *'tf'* *'nottyfast'* *'notf'*
7227 'ttyfast' 'tf' boolean (default off, on when 'term' is xterm, hpterm,
7228 sun-cmd, screen, rxvt, dtterm or
7229 iris-ansi; also on when running Vim in
7230 a DOS console)
7231 global
7232 {not in Vi}
7233 Indicates a fast terminal connection. More characters will be sent to
7234 the screen for redrawing, instead of using insert/delete line
7235 commands. Improves smoothness of redrawing when there are multiple
7236 windows and the terminal does not support a scrolling region.
7237 Also enables the extra writing of characters at the end of each screen
7238 line for lines that wrap. This helps when using copy/paste with the
7239 mouse in an xterm and other terminals.
7241 *'ttymouse'* *'ttym'*
7242 'ttymouse' 'ttym' string (default depends on 'term')
7243 global
7244 {not in Vi}
7245 {only in Unix and VMS, doesn't work in the GUI; not
7246 available when compiled without |+mouse|}
7247 Name of the terminal type for which mouse codes are to be recognized.
7248 Currently these strings are valid:
7249 *xterm-mouse*
7250 xterm xterm-like mouse handling. The mouse generates
7251 "<Esc>[Mscr", where "scr" is three bytes:
7252 "s" = button state
7253 "c" = column plus 33
7254 "r" = row plus 33
7255 This only works up to 223 columns! See "dec" for a
7256 solution.
7257 xterm2 Works like "xterm", but with the xterm reporting the
7258 mouse position while the mouse is dragged. This works
7259 much faster and more precise. Your xterm must at
7260 least at patchlevel 88 / XFree 3.3.3 for this to
7261 work. See below for how Vim detects this
7262 automatically.
7263 *netterm-mouse*
7264 netterm NetTerm mouse handling. The mouse generates
7265 "<Esc>}r,c<CR>", where "r,c" are two decimal numbers
7266 for the row and column.
7267 *dec-mouse*
7268 dec DEC terminal mouse handling. The mouse generates a
7269 rather complex sequence, starting with "<Esc>[".
7270 This is also available for an Xterm, if it was
7271 configured with "--enable-dec-locator".
7272 *jsbterm-mouse*
7273 jsbterm JSB term mouse handling.
7274 *pterm-mouse*
7275 pterm QNX pterm mouse handling.
7277 The mouse handling must be enabled at compile time |+mouse_xterm|
7278 |+mouse_dec| |+mouse_netterm|.
7279 Only "xterm"(2) is really recognized. NetTerm mouse codes are always
7280 recognized, if enabled at compile time. DEC terminal mouse codes
7281 are recognized if enabled at compile time, and 'ttymouse' is not
7282 "xterm" (because the xterm and dec mouse codes conflict).
7283 This option is automatically set to "xterm", when the 'term' option is
7284 set to a name that starts with "xterm", and 'ttymouse' is not "xterm"
7285 or "xterm2" already. The main use of this option is to set it to
7286 "xterm", when the terminal name doesn't start with "xterm", but it can
7287 handle xterm mouse codes.
7288 The "xterm2" value will be set if the xterm version is reported to be
7289 95 or higher. This only works when compiled with the |+termresponse|
7290 feature and if |t_RV| is set to the escape sequence to request the
7291 xterm version number. Otherwise "xterm2" must be set explicitly.
7292 If you do not want 'ttymouse' to be set to "xterm2" automatically, set
7293 t_RV to an empty string: >
7294 :set t_RV=
7295 <
7296 *'ttyscroll'* *'tsl'*
7297 'ttyscroll' 'tsl' number (default 999)
7298 global
7299 Maximum number of lines to scroll the screen. If there are more lines
7300 to scroll the window is redrawn. For terminals where scrolling is
7301 very slow and redrawing is not slow this can be set to a small number,
7302 e.g., 3, to speed up displaying.
7304 *'ttytype'* *'tty'*
7305 'ttytype' 'tty' string (default from $TERM)
7306 global
7307 Alias for 'term', see above.
7309 *'undolevels'* *'ul'*
7310 'undolevels' 'ul' number (default 100, 1000 for Unix, VMS,
7311 Win32 and OS/2)
7312 global
7313 {not in Vi}
7314 Maximum number of changes that can be undone. Since undo information
7315 is kept in memory, higher numbers will cause more memory to be used
7316 (nevertheless, a single change can use an unlimited amount of memory).
7317 Set to 0 for Vi compatibility: One level of undo and "u" undoes
7318 itself: >
7319 set ul=0
7320 < But you can also get Vi compatibility by including the 'u' flag in
7321 'cpoptions', and still be able to use CTRL-R to repeat undo.
7322 Set to a negative number for no undo at all: >
7323 set ul=-1
7324 < This helps when you run out of memory for a single change.
7325 Also see |undo-two-ways|.
7327 *'updatecount'* *'uc'*
7328 'updatecount' 'uc' number (default: 200)
7329 global
7330 {not in Vi}
7331 After typing this many characters the swap file will be written to
7332 disk. When zero, no swap file will be created at all (see chapter on
7333 recovery |crash-recovery|). 'updatecount' is set to zero by starting
7334 Vim with the "-n" option, see |startup|. When editing in readonly
7335 mode this option will be initialized to 10000.
7336 The swapfile can be disabled per buffer with |'swapfile'|.
7337 When 'updatecount' is set from zero to non-zero, swap files are
7338 created for all buffers that have 'swapfile' set. When 'updatecount'
7339 is set to zero, existing swap files are not deleted.
7340 Also see |'swapsync'|.
7341 This option has no meaning in buffers where |'buftype'| is "nofile"
7342 or "nowrite".
7344 *'updatetime'* *'ut'*
7345 'updatetime' 'ut' number (default 4000)
7346 global
7347 {not in Vi}
7348 If this many milliseconds nothing is typed the swap file will be
7349 written to disk (see |crash-recovery|). Also used for the
7350 |CursorHold| autocommand event.
7352 *'verbose'* *'vbs'*
7353 'verbose' 'vbs' number (default 0)
7354 global
7355 {not in Vi, although some versions have a boolean
7356 verbose option}
7357 When bigger than zero, Vim will give messages about what it is doing.
7358 Currently, these messages are given:
7359 >= 1 When the viminfo file is read or written.
7360 >= 2 When a file is ":source"'ed.
7361 >= 5 Every searched tags file and include file.
7362 >= 8 Files for which a group of autocommands is executed.
7363 >= 9 Every executed autocommand.
7364 >= 12 Every executed function.
7365 >= 13 When an exception is thrown, caught, finished, or discarded.
7366 >= 14 Anything pending in a ":finally" clause.
7367 >= 15 Every executed Ex command (truncated at 200 characters).
7369 This option can also be set with the "-V" argument. See |-V|.
7370 This option is also set by the |:verbose| command.
7372 When the 'verbosefile' option is set then the verbose messages are not
7373 displayed.
7375 *'verbosefile'* *'vfile'*
7376 'verbosefile' 'vfile' string (default empty)
7377 global
7378 {not in Vi}
7379 When not empty all messages are written in a file with this name.
7380 When the file exists messages are appended.
7381 Writing to the file ends when Vim exits or when 'verbosefile' is made
7382 empty.
7383 Setting 'verbosefile' to a new value is like making it empty first.
7384 The difference with |:redir| is that verbose messages are not
7385 displayed when 'verbosefile' is set.
7387 *'viewdir'* *'vdir'*
7388 'viewdir' 'vdir' string (default for Amiga, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Win32:
7389 "$VIM/vimfiles/view",
7390 for Unix: "~/.vim/view",
7391 for Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles:view"
7392 for VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles/view"
7393 for RiscOS: "Choices:vimfiles/view")
7394 global
7395 {not in Vi}
7396 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7397 feature}
7398 Name of the directory where to store files for |:mkview|.
7399 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7400 security reasons.
7402 *'viewoptions'* *'vop'*
7403 'viewoptions' 'vop' string (default: "folds,options,cursor")
7404 global
7405 {not in Vi}
7406 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7407 feature}
7408 Changes the effect of the |:mkview| command. It is a comma separated
7409 list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring something:
7410 word save and restore ~
7411 cursor cursor position in file and in window
7412 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
7413 fold options
7414 options options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
7415 global values for local options)
7416 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
7417 slashes
7418 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
7419 on Windows or DOS
7421 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing view files
7422 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
7423 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
7425 *'viminfo'* *'vi'* *E526* *E527* *E528*
7426 'viminfo' 'vi' string (Vi default: "", Vim default for MS-DOS,
7427 Windows and OS/2: '100,<50,s10,h,rA:,rB:,
7428 for Amiga: '100,<50,s10,h,rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:
7429 for others: '100,<50,s10,h)
7430 global
7431 {not in Vi}
7432 {not available when compiled without the |+viminfo|
7433 feature}
7434 When non-empty, the viminfo file is read upon startup and written
7435 when exiting Vim (see |viminfo-file|). The string should be a comma
7436 separated list of parameters, each consisting of a single character
7437 identifying the particular parameter, followed by a number or string
7438 which specifies the value of that parameter. If a particular
7439 character is left out, then the default value is used for that
7440 parameter. The following is a list of the identifying characters and
7441 the effect of their value.
7442 CHAR VALUE ~
7443 ! When included, save and restore global variables that start
7444 with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase
7445 letter. Thus "KEEPTHIS and "K_L_M" are stored, but "KeepThis"
7446 and "_K_L_M" are not. Only String and Number types are
7447 stored.
7448 " Maximum number of lines saved for each register. Old name of
7449 the '<' item, with the disadvantage that you need to put a
7450 backslash before the ", otherwise it will be recognized as the
7451 start of a comment!
7452 % When included, save and restore the buffer list. If Vim is
7453 started with a file name argument, the buffer list is not
7454 restored. If Vim is started without a file name argument, the
7455 buffer list is restored from the viminfo file. Buffers
7456 without a file name and buffers for help files are not written
7457 to the viminfo file.
7458 When followed by a number, the number specifies the maximum
7459 number of buffers that are stored. Without a number all
7460 buffers are stored.
7461 ' Maximum number of previously edited files for which the marks
7462 are remembered. This parameter must always be included when
7463 'viminfo' is non-empty.
7464 Including this item also means that the |jumplist| and the
7465 |changelist| are stored in the viminfo file.
7466 / Maximum number of items in the search pattern history to be
7467 saved. If non-zero, then the previous search and substitute
7468 patterns are also saved. When not included, the value of
7469 'history' is used.
7470 : Maximum number of items in the command-line history to be
7471 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7472 < Maximum number of lines saved for each register. If zero then
7473 registers are not saved. When not included, all lines are
7474 saved. '"' is the old name for this item.
7475 Also see the 's' item below: limit specified in Kbyte.
7476 @ Maximum number of items in the input-line history to be
7477 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7478 c When included, convert the text in the viminfo file from the
7479 'encoding' used when writing the file to the current
7480 'encoding'. See |viminfo-encoding|.
7481 f Whether file marks need to be stored. If zero, file marks ('0
7482 to '9, 'A to 'Z) are not stored. When not present or when
7483 non-zero, they are all stored. '0 is used for the current
7484 cursor position (when exiting or when doing ":wviminfo").
7485 h Disable the effect of 'hlsearch' when loading the viminfo
7486 file. When not included, it depends on whether ":nohlsearch"
7487 has been used since the last search command.
7488 n Name of the viminfo file. The name must immediately follow
7489 the 'n'. Must be the last one! If the "-i" argument was
7490 given when starting Vim, that file name overrides the one
7491 given here with 'viminfo'. Environment variables are expanded
7492 when opening the file, not when setting the option.
7493 r Removable media. The argument is a string (up to the next
7494 ','). This parameter can be given several times. Each
7495 specifies the start of a path for which no marks will be
7496 stored. This is to avoid removable media. For MS-DOS you
7497 could use "ra:,rb:", for Amiga "rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:". You can
7498 also use it for temp files, e.g., for Unix: "r/tmp". Case is
7499 ignored. Maximum length of each 'r' argument is 50
7500 characters.
7501 s Maximum size of an item in Kbyte. If zero then registers are
7502 not saved. Currently only applies to registers. The default
7503 "s10" will exclude registers with more than 10 Kbyte of text.
7504 Also see the '<' item above: line count limit.
7506 Example: >
7507 :set viminfo='50,<1000,s100,:0,n~/vim/viminfo
7508 <
7509 '50 Marks will be remembered for the last 50 files you
7510 edited.
7511 <1000 Contents of registers (up to 1000 lines each) will be
7512 remembered.
7513 s100 Registers with more than 100 Kbyte text are skipped.
7514 :0 Command-line history will not be saved.
7515 n~/vim/viminfo The name of the file to use is "~/vim/viminfo".
7516 no / Since '/' is not specified, the default will be used,
7517 that is, save all of the search history, and also the
7518 previous search and substitute patterns.
7519 no % The buffer list will not be saved nor read back.
7520 no h 'hlsearch' highlighting will be restored.
7522 When setting 'viminfo' from an empty value you can use |:rviminfo| to
7523 load the contents of the file, this is not done automatically.
7525 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7526 security reasons.
7528 *'virtualedit'* *'ve'*
7529 'virtualedit' 've' string (default "")
7530 global
7531 {not in Vi}
7532 {not available when compiled without the
7533 |+virtualedit| feature}
7534 A comma separated list of these words:
7535 block Allow virtual editing in Visual block mode.
7536 insert Allow virtual editing in Insert mode.
7537 all Allow virtual editing in all modes.
7538 onemore Allow the cursor to move just past the end of the line
7540 Virtual editing means that the cursor can be positioned where there is
7541 no actual character. This can be halfway into a tab or beyond the end
7542 of the line. Useful for selecting a rectangle in Visual mode and
7543 editing a table.
7544 "onemore" is not the same, it will only allow moving the cursor just
7545 after the last character of the line. This makes some commands more
7546 consistent. Previously the cursor was always past the end of the line
7547 if the line was empty. But it is far from Vi compatible. It may also
7548 break some plugins or Vim scripts. For example because |l| can move
7549 the cursor after the last character. Use with care!
7550 Using the |$| command will move to the last character in the line, not
7551 past it. This may actually move the cursor to the left!
7552 It doesn't make sense to combine "all" with "onemore", but you will
7553 not get a warning for it.
7555 *'visualbell'* *'vb'* *'novisualbell'* *'novb'* *beep*
7556 'visualbell' 'vb' boolean (default off)
7557 global
7558 {not in Vi}
7559 Use visual bell instead of beeping. The terminal code to display the
7560 visual bell is given with 't_vb'. When no beep or flash is wanted,
7561 use ":set vb t_vb=".
7562 Note: When the GUI starts, 't_vb' is reset to its default value. You
7563 might want to set it again in your |gvimrc|.
7564 In the GUI, 't_vb' defaults to "<Esc>|f", which inverts the display
7565 for 20 msec. If you want to use a different time, use "<Esc>|40f",
7566 where 40 is the time in msec.
7567 Does not work on the Amiga, you always get a screen flash.
7568 Also see 'errorbells'.
7570 *'warn'* *'nowarn'*
7571 'warn' boolean (default on)
7572 global
7573 Give a warning message when a shell command is used while the buffer
7574 has been changed.
7576 *'weirdinvert'* *'wiv'* *'noweirdinvert'* *'nowiv'*
7577 'weirdinvert' 'wiv' boolean (default off)
7578 global
7579 {not in Vi}
7580 This option has the same effect as the 't_xs' terminal option.
7581 It is provided for backwards compatibility with version 4.x.
7582 Setting 'weirdinvert' has the effect of making 't_xs' non-empty, and
7583 vice versa. Has no effect when the GUI is running.
7585 *'whichwrap'* *'ww'*
7586 'whichwrap' 'ww' string (Vim default: "b,s", Vi default: "")
7587 global
7588 {not in Vi}
7589 Allow specified keys that move the cursor left/right to move to the
7590 previous/next line when the cursor is on the first/last character in
7591 the line. Concatenate characters to allow this for these keys:
7592 char key mode ~
7593 b <BS> Normal and Visual
7594 s <Space> Normal and Visual
7595 h "h" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7596 l "l" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7597 < <Left> Normal and Visual
7598 > <Right> Normal and Visual
7599 ~ "~" Normal
7600 [ <Left> Insert and Replace
7601 ] <Right> Insert and Replace
7602 For example: >
7603 :set ww=<,>,[,]
7604 < allows wrap only when cursor keys are used.
7605 When the movement keys are used in combination with a delete or change
7606 operator, the <EOL> also counts for a character. This makes "3h"
7607 different from "3dh" when the cursor crosses the end of a line. This
7608 is also true for "x" and "X", because they do the same as "dl" and
7609 "dh". If you use this, you may also want to use the mapping
7610 ":map <BS> X" to make backspace delete the character in front of the
7611 cursor.
7612 When 'l' is included and it is used after an operator at the end of a
7613 line then it will not move to the next line. This makes "dl", "cl",
7614 "yl" etc. work normally.
7615 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7616 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7618 *'wildchar'* *'wc'*
7619 'wildchar' 'wc' number (Vim default: <Tab>, Vi default: CTRL-E)
7620 global
7621 {not in Vi}
7622 Character you have to type to start wildcard expansion in the
7623 command-line, as specified with 'wildmode'.
7624 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7625 The character is not recognized when used inside a macro. See
7626 'wildcharm' for that.
7627 Although 'wc' is a number option, you can set it to a special key: >
7628 :set wc=<Esc>
7629 < NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7630 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7632 *'wildcharm'* *'wcm'*
7633 'wildcharm' 'wcm' number (default: none (0))
7634 global
7635 {not in Vi}
7636 'wildcharm' works exactly like 'wildchar', except that it is
7637 recognized when used inside a macro. You can find "spare" command-line
7638 keys suitable for this option by looking at |ex-edit-index|. Normally
7639 you'll never actually type 'wildcharm', just use it in mappings that
7640 automatically invoke completion mode, e.g.: >
7641 :set wcm=<C-Z>
7642 :cnoremap ss so $vim/sessions/*.vim<C-Z>
7643 < Then after typing :ss you can use CTRL-P & CTRL-N.
7645 *'wildignore'* *'wig'*
7646 'wildignore' 'wig' string (default "")
7647 global
7648 {not in Vi}
7649 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7650 feature}
7651 A list of file patterns. A file that matches with one of these
7652 patterns is ignored when completing file or directory names, and
7653 influences the result of |expand()|, |glob()| and |globpath()| unless
7654 a flag is passed to disable this.
7655 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
7656 Also see 'suffixes'.
7657 Example: >
7658 :set wildignore=*.o,*.obj
7659 < The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
7660 a pattern from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
7661 uses another default.
7663 *'wildmenu'* *'wmnu'* *'nowildmenu'* *'nowmnu'*
7664 'wildmenu' 'wmnu' boolean (default off)
7665 global
7666 {not in Vi}
7667 {not available if compiled without the |+wildmenu|
7668 feature}
7669 When 'wildmenu' is on, command-line completion operates in an enhanced
7670 mode. On pressing 'wildchar' (usually <Tab>) to invoke completion,
7671 the possible matches are shown just above the command line, with the
7672 first match highlighted (overwriting the status line, if there is
7673 one). Keys that show the previous/next match, such as <Tab> or
7674 CTRL-P/CTRL-N, cause the highlight to move to the appropriate match.
7675 When 'wildmode' is used, "wildmenu" mode is used where "full" is
7676 specified. "longest" and "list" do not start "wildmenu" mode.
7677 If there are more matches than can fit in the line, a ">" is shown on
7678 the right and/or a "<" is shown on the left. The status line scrolls
7679 as needed.
7680 The "wildmenu" mode is abandoned when a key is hit that is not used
7681 for selecting a completion.
7682 While the "wildmenu" is active the following keys have special
7683 meanings:
7685 <Left> <Right> - select previous/next match (like CTRL-P/CTRL-N)
7686 <Down> - in filename/menu name completion: move into a
7687 subdirectory or submenu.
7688 <CR> - in menu completion, when the cursor is just after a
7689 dot: move into a submenu.
7690 <Up> - in filename/menu name completion: move up into
7691 parent directory or parent menu.
7693 This makes the menus accessible from the console |console-menus|.
7695 If you prefer the <Left> and <Right> keys to move the cursor instead
7696 of selecting a different match, use this: >
7697 :cnoremap <Left> <Space><BS><Left>
7698 :cnoremap <Right> <Space><BS><Right>
7699 <
7700 The "WildMenu" highlighting is used for displaying the current match
7701 |hl-WildMenu|.
7703 *'wildmode'* *'wim'*
7704 'wildmode' 'wim' string (Vim default: "full")
7705 global
7706 {not in Vi}
7707 Completion mode that is used for the character specified with
7708 'wildchar'. It is a comma separated list of up to four parts. Each
7709 part specifies what to do for each consecutive use of 'wildchar'. The
7710 first part specifies the behavior for the first use of 'wildchar',
7711 The second part for the second use, etc.
7712 These are the possible values for each part:
7713 "" Complete only the first match.
7714 "full" Complete the next full match. After the last match,
7715 the original string is used and then the first match
7716 again.
7717 "longest" Complete till longest common string. If this doesn't
7718 result in a longer string, use the next part.
7719 "longest:full" Like "longest", but also start 'wildmenu' if it is
7720 enabled.
7721 "list" When more than one match, list all matches.
7722 "list:full" When more than one match, list all matches and
7723 complete first match.
7724 "list:longest" When more than one match, list all matches and
7725 complete till longest common string.
7726 When there is only a single match, it is fully completed in all cases.
7728 Examples: >
7729 :set wildmode=full
7730 < Complete first full match, next match, etc. (the default) >
7731 :set wildmode=longest,full
7732 < Complete longest common string, then each full match >
7733 :set wildmode=list:full
7734 < List all matches and complete each full match >
7735 :set wildmode=list,full
7736 < List all matches without completing, then each full match >
7737 :set wildmode=longest,list
7738 < Complete longest common string, then list alternatives.
7739 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7741 *'wildoptions'* *'wop'*
7742 'wildoptions' 'wop' string (default "")
7743 global
7744 {not in Vi}
7745 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7746 feature}
7747 A list of words that change how command line completion is done.
7748 Currently only one word is allowed:
7749 tagfile When using CTRL-D to list matching tags, the kind of
7750 tag and the file of the tag is listed. Only one match
7751 is displayed per line. Often used tag kinds are:
7752 d #define
7753 f function
7754 Also see |cmdline-completion|.
7756 *'winaltkeys'* *'wak'*
7757 'winaltkeys' 'wak' string (default "menu")
7758 global
7759 {not in Vi}
7760 {only used in Win32, Motif, GTK and Photon GUI}
7761 Some GUI versions allow the access to menu entries by using the ALT
7762 key in combination with a character that appears underlined in the
7763 menu. This conflicts with the use of the ALT key for mappings and
7764 entering special characters. This option tells what to do:
7765 no Don't use ALT keys for menus. ALT key combinations can be
7766 mapped, but there is no automatic handling. This can then be
7767 done with the |:simalt| command.
7768 yes ALT key handling is done by the windowing system. ALT key
7769 combinations cannot be mapped.
7770 menu Using ALT in combination with a character that is a menu
7771 shortcut key, will be handled by the windowing system. Other
7772 keys can be mapped.
7773 If the menu is disabled by excluding 'm' from 'guioptions', the ALT
7774 key is never used for the menu.
7775 This option is not used for <F10>; on Win32 and with GTK <F10> will
7776 select the menu, unless it has been mapped.
7778 *'window'* *'wi'*
7779 'window' 'wi' number (default screen height - 1)
7780 global
7781 Window height. Do not confuse this with the height of the Vim window,
7782 use 'lines' for that.
7783 Used for |CTRL-F| and |CTRL-B| when there is only one window and the
7784 value is smaller than 'lines' minus one. The screen will scroll
7785 'window' minus two lines, with a minimum of one.
7786 When 'window' is equal to 'lines' minus one CTRL-F and CTRL-B scroll
7787 in a much smarter way, taking care of wrapping lines.
7788 When resizing the Vim window, the value is smaller than 1 or more than
7789 or equal to 'lines' it will be set to 'lines' minus 1.
7790 {Vi also uses the option to specify the number of displayed lines}
7792 *'winheight'* *'wh'* *E591*
7793 'winheight' 'wh' number (default 1)
7794 global
7795 {not in Vi}
7796 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7797 feature}
7798 Minimal number of lines for the current window. This is not a hard
7799 minimum, Vim will use fewer lines if there is not enough room. If the
7800 focus goes to a window that is smaller, its size is increased, at the
7801 cost of the height of other windows.
7802 Set 'winheight' to a small number for normal editing.
7803 Set it to 999 to make the current window fill most of the screen.
7804 Other windows will be only 'winminheight' high. This has the drawback
7805 that ":all" will create only two windows. To avoid "vim -o 1 2 3 4"
7806 to create only two windows, set the option after startup is done,
7807 using the |VimEnter| event: >
7808 au VimEnter * set winheight=999
7809 < Minimum value is 1.
7810 The height is not adjusted after one of the commands that change the
7811 height of the current window.
7812 'winheight' applies to the current window. Use 'winminheight' to set
7813 the minimal height for other windows.
7815 *'winfixheight'* *'wfh'* *'nowinfixheight'* *'nowfh'*
7816 'winfixheight' 'wfh' boolean (default off)
7817 local to window
7818 {not in Vi}
7819 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7820 feature}
7821 Keep the window height when windows are opened or closed and
7822 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|. Set by default for the
7823 |preview-window| and |quickfix-window|.
7824 The height may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7826 *'winfixwidth'* *'wfw'* *'nowinfixwidth'* *'nowfw'*
7827 'winfixwidth' 'wfw' boolean (default off)
7828 local to window
7829 {not in Vi}
7830 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7831 feature}
7832 Keep the window width when windows are opened or closed and
7833 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|.
7834 The width may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7836 *'winminheight'* *'wmh'*
7837 'winminheight' 'wmh' number (default 1)
7838 global
7839 {not in Vi}
7840 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7841 feature}
7842 The minimal height of a window, when it's not the current window.
7843 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7844 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero lines (i.e. just a
7845 status bar) if necessary. They will return to at least one line when
7846 they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere to go.)
7847 Use 'winheight' to set the minimal height of the current window.
7848 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7849 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7850 windows. A value of 0 to 3 is reasonable.
7852 *'winminwidth'* *'wmw'*
7853 'winminwidth' 'wmw' number (default 1)
7854 global
7855 {not in Vi}
7856 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7857 feature}
7858 The minimal width of a window, when it's not the current window.
7859 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7860 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero columns (i.e. just
7861 a vertical separator) if necessary. They will return to at least one
7862 line when they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere
7863 to go.)
7864 Use 'winwidth' to set the minimal width of the current window.
7865 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7866 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7867 windows. A value of 0 to 12 is reasonable.
7869 *'winwidth'* *'wiw'* *E592*
7870 'winwidth' 'wiw' number (default 20)
7871 global
7872 {not in Vi}
7873 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7874 feature}
7875 Minimal number of columns for the current window. This is not a hard
7876 minimum, Vim will use fewer columns if there is not enough room. If
7877 the current window is smaller, its size is increased, at the cost of
7878 the width of other windows. Set it to 999 to make the current window
7879 always fill the screen. Set it to a small number for normal editing.
7880 The width is not adjusted after one of the commands to change the
7881 width of the current window.
7882 'winwidth' applies to the current window. Use 'winminwidth' to set
7883 the minimal width for other windows.
7885 *'wrap'* *'nowrap'*
7886 'wrap' boolean (default on)
7887 local to window
7888 {not in Vi}
7889 This option changes how text is displayed. It doesn't change the text
7890 in the buffer, see 'textwidth' for that.
7891 When on, lines longer than the width of the window will wrap and
7892 displaying continues on the next line. When off lines will not wrap
7893 and only part of long lines will be displayed. When the cursor is
7894 moved to a part that is not shown, the screen will scroll
7895 horizontally.
7896 The line will be broken in the middle of a word if necessary. See
7897 'linebreak' to get the break at a word boundary.
7898 To make scrolling horizontally a bit more useful, try this: >
7899 :set sidescroll=5
7900 :set listchars+=precedes:<,extends:>
7901 < See 'sidescroll', 'listchars' and |wrap-off|.
7902 This option can't be set from a |modeline| when the 'diff' option is
7903 on.
7905 *'wrapmargin'* *'wm'*
7906 'wrapmargin' 'wm' number (default 0)
7907 local to buffer
7908 Number of characters from the right window border where wrapping
7909 starts. When typing text beyond this limit, an <EOL> will be inserted
7910 and inserting continues on the next line.
7911 Options that add a margin, such as 'number' and 'foldcolumn', cause
7912 the text width to be further reduced. This is Vi compatible.
7913 When 'textwidth' is non-zero, this option is not used.
7914 See also 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|. {Vi: works differently
7915 and less usefully}
7917 *'wrapscan'* *'ws'* *'nowrapscan'* *'nows'*
7918 'wrapscan' 'ws' boolean (default on) *E384* *E385*
7919 global
7920 Searches wrap around the end of the file. Also applies to |]s| and
7921 |[s|, searching for spelling mistakes.
7923 *'write'* *'nowrite'*
7924 'write' boolean (default on)
7925 global
7926 {not in Vi}
7927 Allows writing files. When not set, writing a file is not allowed.
7928 Can be used for a view-only mode, where modifications to the text are
7929 still allowed. Can be reset with the |-m| or |-M| command line
7930 argument. Filtering text is still possible, even though this requires
7931 writing a temporary file.
7933 *'writeany'* *'wa'* *'nowriteany'* *'nowa'*
7934 'writeany' 'wa' boolean (default off)
7935 global
7936 Allows writing to any file with no need for "!" override.
7938 *'writebackup'* *'wb'* *'nowritebackup'* *'nowb'*
7939 'writebackup' 'wb' boolean (default on with |+writebackup| feature, off
7940 otherwise)
7941 global
7942 {not in Vi}
7943 Make a backup before overwriting a file. The backup is removed after
7944 the file was successfully written, unless the 'backup' option is
7945 also on. Reset this option if your file system is almost full. See
7946 |backup-table| for another explanation.
7947 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
7948 NOTE: This option is set to the default value when 'compatible' is
7949 set.
7951 *'writedelay'* *'wd'*
7952 'writedelay' 'wd' number (default 0)
7953 global
7954 {not in Vi}
7955 The number of microseconds to wait for each character sent to the
7956 screen. When non-zero, characters are sent to the terminal one by
7957 one. For MS-DOS pcterm this does not work. For debugging purposes.
7959 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: