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1 *insert.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2008 Jun 21
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 *Insert* *Insert-mode*
8 Inserting and replacing text *mode-ins-repl*
10 Most of this file is about Insert and Replace mode. At the end are a few
11 commands for inserting text in other ways.
13 An overview of the most often used commands can be found in chapter 24 of the
14 user manual |usr_24.txt|.
16 1. Special keys |ins-special-keys|
17 2. Special special keys |ins-special-special|
18 3. 'textwidth' and 'wrapmargin' options |ins-textwidth|
19 4. 'expandtab', 'smarttab' and 'softtabstop' options |ins-expandtab|
20 5. Replace mode |Replace-mode|
21 6. Virtual Replace mode |Virtual-Replace-mode|
22 7. Insert mode completion |ins-completion|
23 8. Insert mode commands |inserting|
24 9. Ex insert commands |inserting-ex|
25 10. Inserting a file |inserting-file|
27 Also see 'virtualedit', for moving the cursor to positions where there is no
28 character. Useful for editing a table.
30 ==============================================================================
31 1. Special keys *ins-special-keys*
33 In Insert and Replace mode, the following characters have a special meaning;
34 other characters are inserted directly. To insert one of these special
35 characters into the buffer, precede it with CTRL-V. To insert a <Nul>
36 character use "CTRL-V CTRL-@" or "CTRL-V 000". On some systems, you have to
37 use "CTRL-V 003" to insert a CTRL-C. Note: When CTRL-V is mapped you can
38 often use CTRL-Q instead |i_CTRL-Q|.
40 If you are working in a special language mode when inserting text, see the
41 'langmap' option, |'langmap'|, on how to avoid switching this mode on and off
42 all the time.
44 If you have 'insertmode' set, <Esc> and a few other keys get another meaning.
45 See |'insertmode'|.
47 char action ~
48 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
49 *i_CTRL-[* *i_<Esc>*
50 <Esc> or CTRL-[ End insert or Replace mode, go back to Normal mode. Finish
51 abbreviation.
52 Note: If your <Esc> key is hard to hit on your keyboard, train
53 yourself to use CTRL-[.
54 *i_CTRL-C*
55 CTRL-C Quit insert mode, go back to Normal mode. Do not check for
56 abbreviations. Does not trigger the |InsertLeave| autocommand
57 event.
59 *i_CTRL-@*
60 CTRL-@ Insert previously inserted text and stop insert. {Vi: only
61 when typed as first char, only up to 128 chars}
62 *i_CTRL-A*
63 CTRL-A Insert previously inserted text. {not in Vi}
65 *i_CTRL-H* *i_<BS>* *i_BS*
66 <BS> or CTRL-H Delete the character before the cursor (see |i_backspacing|
67 about joining lines).
68 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> key does not do what you want.
69 {Vi: does not delete autoindents}
70 *i_<Del>* *i_DEL*
71 <Del> Delete the character under the cursor. If the cursor is at
72 the end of the line, and the 'backspace' option includes
73 "eol", delete the <EOL>; the next line is appended after the
74 current one.
75 See |:fixdel| if your <Del> key does not do what you want.
76 {not in Vi}
77 *i_CTRL-W*
78 CTRL-W Delete the word before the cursor (see |i_backspacing| about
79 joining lines). See the section "word motions",
80 |word-motions|, for the definition of a word.
81 *i_CTRL-U*
82 CTRL-U Delete all entered characters in the current line (see
83 |i_backspacing| about joining lines).
85 *i_CTRL-I* *i_<Tab>* *i_Tab*
86 <Tab> or CTRL-I Insert a tab. If the 'expandtab' option is on, the
87 equivalent number of spaces is inserted (use CTRL-V <Tab> to
88 avoid the expansion; use CTRL-Q <Tab> if CTRL-V is mapped
89 |i_CTRL-Q|). See also the 'smarttab' option and
90 |ins-expandtab|.
91 *i_CTRL-J* *i_<NL>*
92 <NL> or CTRL-J Begin new line.
93 *i_CTRL-M* *i_<CR>*
94 <CR> or CTRL-M Begin new line.
95 *i_CTRL-K*
96 CTRL-K {char1} [char2]
97 Enter digraph (see |digraphs|). When {char1} is a special
98 key, the code for that key is inserted in <> form. For
99 example, the string "<S-Space>" can be entered by typing
100 <C-K><S-Space> (two keys). Neither char is considered for
101 mapping. {not in Vi}
103 CTRL-N Find next keyword (see |i_CTRL-N|). {not in Vi}
104 CTRL-P Find previous keyword (see |i_CTRL-P|). {not in Vi}
106 CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#*+:.-=} *i_CTRL-R*
107 Insert the contents of a register. Between typing CTRL-R and
108 the second character, '"' will be displayed to indicate that
109 you are expected to enter the name of a register.
110 The text is inserted as if you typed it, but mappings and
111 abbreviations are not used. If you have options like
112 'textwidth', 'formatoptions', or 'autoindent' set, this will
113 influence what will be inserted. This is different from what
114 happens with the "p" command and pasting with the mouse.
115 Special registers:
116 '"' the unnamed register, containing the text of
117 the last delete or yank
118 '%' the current file name
119 '#' the alternate file name
120 '*' the clipboard contents (X11: primary selection)
121 '+' the clipboard contents
122 '/' the last search pattern
123 ':' the last command-line
124 '.' the last inserted text
125 '-' the last small (less than a line) delete
126 '=' the expression register: you are prompted to
127 enter an expression (see |expression|)
128 Note that 0x80 (128 decimal) is used for
129 special keys. E.g., you can use this to move
130 the cursor up:
131 CTRL-R ="\<Up>"
132 Use CTRL-R CTRL-R to insert text literally.
133 When the result is a |List| the items are used
134 as lines. They can have line breaks inside
135 too.
136 See |registers| about registers. {not in Vi}
138 CTRL-R CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#*+/:.-=} *i_CTRL-R_CTRL-R*
139 Insert the contents of a register. Works like using a single
140 CTRL-R, but the text is inserted literally, not as if typed.
141 This differs when the register contains characters like <BS>.
142 Example, where register a contains "ab^Hc": >
143 CTRL-R a results in "ac".
144 CTRL-R CTRL-R a results in "ab^Hc".
145 < Options 'textwidth', 'formatoptions', etc. still apply. If
146 you also want to avoid these, use "<C-R><C-O>r", see below.
147 The '.' register (last inserted text) is still inserted as
148 typed. {not in Vi}
150 CTRL-R CTRL-O {0-9a-z"%#*+/:.-=} *i_CTRL-R_CTRL-O*
151 Insert the contents of a register literally and don't
152 auto-indent. Does the same as pasting with the mouse
153 |<MiddleMouse>|.
154 Does not replace characters!
155 The '.' register (last inserted text) is still inserted as
156 typed. {not in Vi}
158 CTRL-R CTRL-P {0-9a-z"%#*+/:.-=} *i_CTRL-R_CTRL-P*
159 Insert the contents of a register literally and fix the
160 indent, like |[<MiddleMouse>|.
161 Does not replace characters!
162 The '.' register (last inserted text) is still inserted as
163 typed. {not in Vi}
165 *i_CTRL-T*
166 CTRL-T Insert one shiftwidth of indent at the start of the current
167 line. The indent is always rounded to a 'shiftwidth' (this is
168 vi compatible). {Vi: only when in indent}
169 *i_CTRL-D*
170 CTRL-D Delete one shiftwidth of indent at the start of the current
171 line. The indent is always rounded to a 'shiftwidth' (this is
172 vi compatible). {Vi: CTRL-D works only when used after
173 autoindent}
174 *i_0_CTRL-D*
175 0 CTRL-D Delete all indent in the current line. {Vi: CTRL-D works
176 only when used after autoindent}
177 *i_^_CTRL-D*
178 ^ CTRL-D Delete all indent in the current line. The indent is
179 restored in the next line. This is useful when inserting a
180 label. {Vi: CTRL-D works only when used after autoindent}
182 *i_CTRL-V*
183 CTRL-V Insert next non-digit literally. For special keys, the
184 terminal code is inserted. It's also possible to enter the
185 decimal, octal or hexadecimal value of a character
186 |i_CTRL-V_digit|.
187 The characters typed right after CTRL-V are not considered for
188 mapping. {Vi: no decimal byte entry}
189 Note: When CTRL-V is mapped (e.g., to paste text) you can
190 often use CTRL-Q instead |i_CTRL-Q|.
192 *i_CTRL-Q*
193 CTRL-Q Same as CTRL-V.
194 Note: Some terminal connections may eat CTRL-Q, it doesn't
195 work then. It does work in the GUI.
197 CTRL-X Enter CTRL-X mode. This is a sub-mode where commands can
198 be given to complete words or scroll the window. See
199 |i_CTRL-X| and |ins-completion|. {not in Vi}
201 *i_CTRL-E*
202 CTRL-E Insert the character which is below the cursor. {not in Vi}
203 *i_CTRL-Y*
204 CTRL-Y Insert the character which is above the cursor. {not in Vi}
205 Note that for CTRL-E and CTRL-Y 'textwidth' is not used, to be
206 able to copy characters from a long line.
208 *i_CTRL-_*
209 CTRL-_ Switch between languages, as follows:
210 - When in a rightleft window, revins and nohkmap are toggled,
211 since English will likely be inserted in this case.
212 - When in a norightleft window, revins and hkmap are toggled,
213 since Hebrew will likely be inserted in this case.
215 CTRL-_ moves the cursor to the end of the typed text.
217 This command is only available when the 'allowrevins' option
218 is set.
219 Please refer to |rileft.txt| for more information about
220 right-to-left mode.
221 {not in Vi}
222 Only if compiled with the |+rightleft| feature.
224 *i_CTRL-^*
225 CTRL-^ Toggle the use of typing language characters.
226 When language |:lmap| mappings are defined:
227 - If 'iminsert' is 1 (langmap mappings used) it becomes 0 (no
228 langmap mappings used).
229 - If 'iminsert' has another value it becomes 1, thus langmap
230 mappings are enabled.
231 When no language mappings are defined:
232 - If 'iminsert' is 2 (Input Method used) it becomes 0 (no
233 Input Method used).
234 - If 'iminsert' has another value it becomes 2, thus the Input
235 Method is enabled.
236 When set to 1, the value of the "b:keymap_name" variable, the
237 'keymap' option or "<lang>" appears in the status line.
238 The language mappings are normally used to type characters
239 that are different from what the keyboard produces. The
240 'keymap' option can be used to install a whole number of them.
241 {not in Vi}
243 *i_CTRL-]*
244 CTRL-] Trigger abbreviation, without inserting a character. {not in
245 Vi}
247 *i_<Insert>*
248 <Insert> Toggle between Insert and Replace mode. {not in Vi}
249 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
251 *i_backspacing*
252 The effect of the <BS>, CTRL-W, and CTRL-U depend on the 'backspace' option
253 (unless 'revins' is set). This is a comma separated list of items:
255 item action ~
256 indent allow backspacing over autoindent
257 eol allow backspacing over end-of-line (join lines)
258 start allow backspacing over the start position of insert; CTRL-W and
259 CTRL-U stop once at the start position
261 When 'backspace' is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used. You cannot
262 backspace over autoindent, before column 1 or before where insert started.
264 For backwards compatibility the values "0", "1" and "2" are also allowed, see
265 |'backspace'|.
267 If the 'backspace' option does contain "eol" and the cursor is in column 1
268 when one of the three keys is used, the current line is joined with the
269 previous line. This effectively deletes the <EOL> in front of the cursor.
270 {Vi: does not cross lines, does not delete past start position of insert}
272 *i_CTRL-V_digit*
273 With CTRL-V the decimal, octal or hexadecimal value of a character can be
274 entered directly. This way you can enter any character, except a line break
275 (<NL>, value 10). There are five ways to enter the character value:
277 first char mode max nr of chars max value ~
278 (none) decimal 3 255
279 o or O octal 3 377 (255)
280 x or X hexadecimal 2 ff (255)
281 u hexadecimal 4 ffff (65535)
282 U hexadecimal 8 7fffffff (2147483647)
284 Normally you would type the maximum number of characters. Thus to enter a
285 space (value 32) you would type <C-V>032. You can omit the leading zero, in
286 which case the character typed after the number must be a non-digit. This
287 happens for the other modes as well: As soon as you type a character that is
288 invalid for the mode, the value before it will be used and the "invalid"
289 character is dealt with in the normal way.
291 If you enter a value of 10, it will end up in the file as a 0. The 10 is a
292 <NL>, which is used internally to represent the <Nul> character. When writing
293 the buffer to a file, the <NL> character is translated into <Nul>. The <NL>
294 character is written at the end of each line. Thus if you want to insert a
295 <NL> character in a file you will have to make a line break.
297 *i_CTRL-X* *insert_expand*
298 CTRL-X enters a sub-mode where several commands can be used. Most of these
299 commands do keyword completion; see |ins-completion|. These are not available
300 when Vim was compiled without the |+insert_expand| feature.
302 Two commands can be used to scroll the window up or down, without exiting
303 insert mode:
305 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-E*
306 CTRL-X CTRL-E scroll window one line up.
307 When doing completion look here: |complete_CTRL-E|
309 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-Y*
310 CTRL-X CTRL-Y scroll window one line down.
311 When doing completion look here: |complete_CTRL-Y|
313 After CTRL-X is pressed, each CTRL-E (CTRL-Y) scrolls the window up (down) by
314 one line unless that would cause the cursor to move from its current position
315 in the file. As soon as another key is pressed, CTRL-X mode is exited and
316 that key is interpreted as in Insert mode.
319 ==============================================================================
320 2. Special special keys *ins-special-special*
322 The following keys are special. They stop the current insert, do something,
323 and then restart insertion. This means you can do something without getting
324 out of Insert mode. This is very handy if you prefer to use the Insert mode
325 all the time, just like editors that don't have a separate Normal mode. You
326 may also want to set the 'backspace' option to "indent,eol,start" and set the
327 'insertmode' option. You can use CTRL-O if you want to map a function key to
328 a command.
330 The changes (inserted or deleted characters) before and after these keys can
331 be undone separately. Only the last change can be redone and always behaves
332 like an "i" command.
334 char action ~
335 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
336 <Up> cursor one line up *i_<Up>*
337 <Down> cursor one line down *i_<Down>*
338 CTRL-G <Up> cursor one line up, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_<Up>*
339 CTRL-G k cursor one line up, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_k*
340 CTRL-G CTRL-K cursor one line up, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_CTRL-K*
341 CTRL-G <Down> cursor one line down, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_<Down>*
342 CTRL-G j cursor one line down, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_j*
343 CTRL-G CTRL-J cursor one line down, insert start column *i_CTRL-G_CTRL-J*
344 <Left> cursor one character left *i_<Left>*
345 <Right> cursor one character right *i_<Right>*
346 <S-Left> cursor one word back (like "b" command) *i_<S-Left>*
347 <C-Left> cursor one word back (like "b" command) *i_<C-Left>*
348 <S-Right> cursor one word forward (like "w" command) *i_<S-Right>*
349 <C-Right> cursor one word forward (like "w" command) *i_<C-Right>*
350 <Home> cursor to first char in the line *i_<Home>*
351 <End> cursor to after last char in the line *i_<End>*
352 <C-Home> cursor to first char in the file *i_<C-Home>*
353 <C-End> cursor to after last char in the file *i_<C-End>*
354 <LeftMouse> cursor to position of mouse click *i_<LeftMouse>*
355 <S-Up> move window one page up *i_<S-Up>*
356 <PageUp> move window one page up *i_<PageUp>*
357 <S-Down> move window one page down *i_<S-Down>*
358 <PageDown> move window one page down *i_<PageDown>*
359 <MouseDown> scroll three lines down *i_<MouseDown>*
360 <S-MouseDown> scroll a full page down *i_<S-MouseDown>*
361 <MouseUp> scroll three lines up *i_<MouseUp>*
362 <S-MouseUp> scroll a full page up *i_<S-MouseUp>*
363 CTRL-O execute one command, return to Insert mode *i_CTRL-O*
364 CTRL-\ CTRL-O like CTRL-O but don't move the cursor *i_CTRL-\_CTRL-O*
365 CTRL-L when 'insertmode' is set: go to Normal mode *i_CTRL-L*
366 CTRL-G u break undo sequence, start new change *i_CTRL-G_u*
367 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
369 Note: If the cursor keys take you out of Insert mode, check the 'noesckeys'
370 option.
372 The CTRL-O command sometimes has a side effect: If the cursor was beyond the
373 end of the line, it will be put on the last character in the line. In
374 mappings it's often better to use <Esc> (first put an "x" in the text, <Esc>
375 will then always put the cursor on it). Or use CTRL-\ CTRL-O, but then
376 beware of the cursor possibly being beyond the end of the line.
378 The shifted cursor keys are not available on all terminals.
380 Another side effect is that a count specified before the "i" or "a" command is
381 ignored. That is because repeating the effect of the command after CTRL-O is
382 too complicated.
384 An example for using CTRL-G u: >
386 :inoremap <C-H> <C-G>u<C-H>
388 This redefines the backspace key to start a new undo sequence. You can now
389 undo the effect of the backspace key, without changing what you typed before
390 that, with CTRL-O u.
392 Using CTRL-O splits undo: the text typed before and after it is undone
393 separately. If you want to avoid this (e.g., in a mapping) you might be able
394 to use CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. E.g., to call a function: >
395 :imap <F2> <C-R>=MyFunc()<CR>
397 When the 'whichwrap' option is set appropriately, the <Left> and <Right>
398 keys on the first/last character in the line make the cursor wrap to the
399 previous/next line.
401 The CTRL-G j and CTRL-G k commands can be used to insert text in front of a
402 column. Example: >
403 int i;
404 int j;
405 Position the cursor on the first "int", type "istatic <C-G>j ". The
406 result is: >
407 static int i;
408 int j;
409 When inserting the same text in front of the column in every line, use the
410 Visual blockwise command "I" |v_b_I|.
412 ==============================================================================
413 3. 'textwidth' and 'wrapmargin' options *ins-textwidth*
415 The 'textwidth' option can be used to automatically break a line before it
416 gets too long. Set the 'textwidth' option to the desired maximum line
417 length. If you then type more characters (not spaces or tabs), the
418 last word will be put on a new line (unless it is the only word on the
419 line). If you set 'textwidth' to 0, this feature is disabled.
421 The 'wrapmargin' option does almost the same. The difference is that
422 'textwidth' has a fixed width while 'wrapmargin' depends on the width of the
423 screen. When using 'wrapmargin' this is equal to using 'textwidth' with a
424 value equal to (columns - 'wrapmargin'), where columns is the width of the
425 screen.
427 When 'textwidth' and 'wrapmargin' are both set, 'textwidth' is used.
429 If you don't really want to break the line, but view the line wrapped at a
430 convenient place, see the 'linebreak' option.
432 The line is only broken automatically when using Insert mode, or when
433 appending to a line. When in replace mode and the line length is not
434 changed, the line will not be broken.
436 Long lines are broken if you enter a non-white character after the margin.
437 The situations where a line will be broken can be restricted by adding
438 characters to the 'formatoptions' option:
439 "l" Only break a line if it was not longer than 'textwidth' when the insert
440 started.
441 "v" Only break at a white character that has been entered during the
442 current insert command. This is mostly Vi-compatible.
443 "lv" Only break if the line was not longer than 'textwidth' when the insert
444 started and only at a white character that has been entered during the
445 current insert command. Only differs from "l" when entering non-white
446 characters while crossing the 'textwidth' boundary.
448 Normally an internal function will be used to decide where to break the line.
449 If you want to do it in a different way set the 'formatexpr' option to an
450 expression that will take care of the line break.
452 If you want to format a block of text, you can use the "gq" operator. Type
453 "gq" and a movement command to move the cursor to the end of the block. In
454 many cases, the command "gq}" will do what you want (format until the end of
455 paragraph). Alternatively, you can use "gqap", which will format the whole
456 paragraph, no matter where the cursor currently is. Or you can use Visual
457 mode: hit "v", move to the end of the block, and type "gq". See also |gq|.
459 ==============================================================================
460 4. 'expandtab', 'smarttab' and 'softtabstop' options *ins-expandtab*
462 If the 'expandtab' option is on, spaces will be used to fill the amount of
463 whitespace of the tab. If you want to enter a real <Tab>, type CTRL-V first
464 (use CTRL-Q when CTRL-V is mapped |i_CTRL-Q|).
465 The 'expandtab' option is off by default. Note that in Replace mode, a single
466 character is replaced with several spaces. The result of this is that the
467 number of characters in the line increases. Backspacing will delete one
468 space at a time. The original character will be put back for only one space
469 that you backspace over (the last one). {Vi does not have the 'expandtab'
470 option}
472 *ins-smarttab*
473 When the 'smarttab' option is on, a <Tab> inserts 'shiftwidth' positions at
474 the beginning of a line and 'tabstop' positions in other places. This means
475 that often spaces instead of a <Tab> character are inserted. When 'smarttab
476 is off, a <Tab> always inserts 'tabstop' positions, and 'shiftwidth' is only
477 used for ">>" and the like. {not in Vi}
479 *ins-softtabstop*
480 When the 'softtabstop' option is non-zero, a <Tab> inserts 'softtabstop'
481 positions, and a <BS> used to delete white space, will delete 'softtabstop'
482 positions. This feels like 'tabstop' was set to 'softtabstop', but a real
483 <Tab> character still takes 'tabstop' positions, so your file will still look
484 correct when used by other applications.
486 If 'softtabstop' is non-zero, a <BS> will try to delete as much white space to
487 move to the previous 'softtabstop' position, except when the previously
488 inserted character is a space, then it will only delete the character before
489 the cursor. Otherwise you cannot always delete a single character before the
490 cursor. You will have to delete 'softtabstop' characters first, and then type
491 extra spaces to get where you want to be.
493 ==============================================================================
494 5. Replace mode *Replace* *Replace-mode* *mode-replace*
496 Enter Replace mode with the "R" command in normal mode.
498 In Replace mode, one character in the line is deleted for every character you
499 type. If there is no character to delete (at the end of the line), the
500 typed character is appended (as in Insert mode). Thus the number of
501 characters in a line stays the same until you get to the end of the line.
502 If a <NL> is typed, a line break is inserted and no character is deleted.
504 Be careful with <Tab> characters. If you type a normal printing character in
505 its place, the number of characters is still the same, but the number of
506 columns will become smaller.
508 If you delete characters in Replace mode (with <BS>, CTRL-W, or CTRL-U), what
509 happens is that you delete the changes. The characters that were replaced
510 are restored. If you had typed past the existing text, the characters you
511 added are deleted. This is effectively a character-at-a-time undo.
513 If the 'expandtab' option is on, a <Tab> will replace one character with
514 several spaces. The result of this is that the number of characters in the
515 line increases. Backspacing will delete one space at a time. The original
516 character will be put back for only one space that you backspace over (the
517 last one). {Vi does not have the 'expandtab' option}
519 ==============================================================================
520 6. Virtual Replace mode *vreplace-mode* *Virtual-Replace-mode*
522 Enter Virtual Replace mode with the "gR" command in normal mode.
523 {not available when compiled without the +vreplace feature}
524 {Vi does not have Virtual Replace mode}
526 Virtual Replace mode is similar to Replace mode, but instead of replacing
527 actual characters in the file, you are replacing screen real estate, so that
528 characters further on in the file never appear to move.
530 So if you type a <Tab> it may replace several normal characters, and if you
531 type a letter on top of a <Tab> it may not replace anything at all, since the
532 <Tab> will still line up to the same place as before.
534 Typing a <NL> still doesn't cause characters later in the file to appear to
535 move. The rest of the current line will be replaced by the <NL> (that is,
536 they are deleted), and replacing continues on the next line. A new line is
537 NOT inserted unless you go past the end of the file.
539 Interesting effects are seen when using CTRL-T and CTRL-D. The characters
540 before the cursor are shifted sideways as normal, but characters later in the
541 line still remain still. CTRL-T will hide some of the old line under the
542 shifted characters, but CTRL-D will reveal them again.
544 As with Replace mode, using <BS> etc will bring back the characters that were
545 replaced. This still works in conjunction with 'smartindent', CTRL-T and
546 CTRL-D, 'expandtab', 'smarttab', 'softtabstop', etc.
548 In 'list' mode, Virtual Replace mode acts as if it was not in 'list' mode,
549 unless "L" is in 'cpoptions'.
551 Note that the only times characters beyond the cursor should appear to move
552 are in 'list' mode, and occasionally when 'wrap' is set (and the line changes
553 length to become shorter or wider than the width of the screen), or
554 momentarily when typing over a CTRL character. A CTRL character takes up two
555 screen spaces. When replacing it with two normal characters, the first will
556 be inserted and the second will replace the CTRL character.
558 This mode is very useful for editing <Tab> separated columns in tables, for
559 entering new data while keeping all the columns aligned.
561 ==============================================================================
562 7. Insert mode completion *ins-completion*
564 In Insert and Replace mode, there are several commands to complete part of a
565 keyword or line that has been typed. This is useful if you are using
566 complicated keywords (e.g., function names with capitals and underscores).
568 These commands are not available when the |+insert_expand| feature was
569 disabled at compile time.
571 Completion can be done for:
573 1. Whole lines |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|
574 2. keywords in the current file |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-N|
575 3. keywords in 'dictionary' |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|
576 4. keywords in 'thesaurus', thesaurus-style |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|
577 5. keywords in the current and included files |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|
578 6. tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]|
579 7. file names |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-F|
580 8. definitions or macros |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
581 9. Vim command-line |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-V|
582 10. User defined completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
583 11. omni completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
584 12. Spelling suggestions |i_CTRL-X_s|
585 13. keywords in 'complete' |i_CTRL-N|
587 All these (except 2) are done in CTRL-X mode. This is a sub-mode of Insert
588 and Replace modes. You enter CTRL-X mode by typing CTRL-X and one of the
589 CTRL-X commands. You exit CTRL-X mode by typing a key that is not a valid
590 CTRL-X mode command. Valid keys are the CTRL-X command itself, CTRL-N (next),
591 and CTRL-P (previous).
593 Also see the 'infercase' option if you want to adjust the case of the match.
595 *complete_CTRL-E*
596 When completion is active you can use CTRL-E to stop it and go back to the
597 originally typed text. The CTRL-E will not be inserted.
599 *complete_CTRL-Y*
600 When the popup menu is displayed you can use CTRL-Y to stop completion and
601 accept the currently selected entry. The CTRL-Y is not inserted. Typing a
602 space, Enter, or some other unprintable character will leave completion mode
603 and insert that typed character.
605 When the popup menu is displayed there are a few more special keys, see
606 |popupmenu-keys|.
608 Note: The keys that are valid in CTRL-X mode are not mapped. This allows for
609 ":map ^F ^X^F" to work (where ^F is CTRL-F and ^X is CTRL-X). The key that
610 ends CTRL-X mode (any key that is not a valid CTRL-X mode command) is mapped.
611 Also, when doing completion with 'complete' mappings apply as usual.
613 Note: While completion is active Insert mode can't be used recursively.
614 Mappings that somehow invoke ":normal i.." will generate an E523 error.
616 The following mappings are suggested to make typing the completion commands
617 a bit easier (although they will hide other commands): >
618 :inoremap ^] ^X^]
619 :inoremap ^F ^X^F
620 :inoremap ^D ^X^D
621 :inoremap ^L ^X^L
623 As a special case, typing CTRL-R to perform register insertion (see
624 |i_CTRL-R|) will not exit CTRL-X mode. This is primarily to allow the use of
625 the '=' register to call some function to determine the next operation. If
626 the contents of the register (or result of the '=' register evaluation) are
627 not valid CTRL-X mode keys, then CTRL-X mode will be exited as if those keys
628 had been typed.
630 For example, the following will map <Tab> to either actually insert a <Tab> if
631 the current line is currently only whitespace, or start/continue a CTRL-N
632 completion operation: >
634 function! CleverTab()
635 if strpart( getline('.'), 0, col('.')-1 ) =~ '^\s*$'
636 return "\<Tab>"
637 else
638 return "\<C-N>"
639 endfunction
640 inoremap <Tab> <C-R>=CleverTab()<CR>
644 Completing whole lines *compl-whole-line*
646 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L*
647 CTRL-X CTRL-L Search backwards for a line that starts with the
648 same characters as those in the current line before
649 the cursor. Indent is ignored. The matching line is
650 inserted in front of the cursor.
651 The 'complete' option is used to decide which buffers
652 are searched for a match. Both loaded and unloaded
653 buffers are used.
654 CTRL-L or
655 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching line. This line
656 replaces the previous matching line.
658 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching line. This line
659 replaces the previous matching line.
661 CTRL-X CTRL-L After expanding a line you can additionally get the
662 line next to it by typing CTRL-X CTRL-L again, unless
663 a double CTRL-X is used.
665 Completing keywords in current file *compl-current*
667 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-P*
668 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-N*
669 CTRL-X CTRL-N Search forwards for words that start with the keyword
670 in front of the cursor. The found keyword is inserted
671 in front of the cursor.
673 CTRL-X CTRL-P Search backwards for words that start with the keyword
674 in front of the cursor. The found keyword is inserted
675 in front of the cursor.
677 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
678 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
680 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
681 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
683 CTRL-X CTRL-N or
684 CTRL-X CTRL-P Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-N or CTRL-X CTRL-P will
685 copy the words following the previous expansion in
686 other contexts unless a double CTRL-X is used.
688 If there is a keyword in front of the cursor (a name made out of alphabetic
689 characters and characters in 'iskeyword'), it is used as the search pattern,
690 with "\<" prepended (meaning: start of a word). Otherwise "\<\k\k" is used
691 as search pattern (start of any keyword of at least two characters).
693 In Replace mode, the number of characters that are replaced depends on the
694 length of the matched string. This works like typing the characters of the
695 matched string in Replace mode.
697 If there is not a valid keyword character before the cursor, any keyword of
698 at least two characters is matched.
699 e.g., to get:
700 printf("(%g, %g, %g)", vector[0], vector[1], vector[2]);
701 just type:
702 printf("(%g, %g, %g)", vector[0], ^P[1], ^P[2]);
704 The search wraps around the end of the file, the value of 'wrapscan' is not
705 used here.
707 Multiple repeats of the same completion are skipped; thus a different match
708 will be inserted at each CTRL-N and CTRL-P (unless there is only one
709 matching keyword).
711 Single character matches are never included, as they usually just get in
712 the way of what you were really after.
713 e.g., to get:
714 printf("name = %s\n", name);
715 just type:
716 printf("name = %s\n", n^P);
717 or even:
718 printf("name = %s\n", ^P);
719 The 'n' in '\n' is skipped.
721 After expanding a word, you can use CTRL-X CTRL-P or CTRL-X CTRL-N to get the
722 word following the expansion in other contexts. These sequences search for
723 the text just expanded and further expand by getting an extra word. This is
724 useful if you need to repeat a sequence of complicated words. Although CTRL-P
725 and CTRL-N look just for strings of at least two characters, CTRL-X CTRL-P and
726 CTRL-X CTRL-N can be used to expand words of just one character.
727 e.g., to get:
728 México
729 you can type:
730 M^N^P^X^P^X^P
731 CTRL-N starts the expansion and then CTRL-P takes back the single character
732 "M", the next two CTRL-X CTRL-P's get the words "é" and ";xico".
734 If the previous expansion was split, because it got longer than 'textwidth',
735 then just the text in the current line will be used.
737 If the match found is at the end of a line, then the first word in the next
738 line will be inserted and the message "word from next line" displayed, if
739 this word is accepted the next CTRL-X CTRL-P or CTRL-X CTRL-N will search
740 for those lines starting with this word.
743 Completing keywords in 'dictionary' *compl-dictionary*
745 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K*
746 CTRL-X CTRL-K Search the files given with the 'dictionary' option
747 for words that start with the keyword in front of the
748 cursor. This is like CTRL-N, but only the dictionary
749 files are searched, not the current file. The found
750 keyword is inserted in front of the cursor. This
751 could potentially be pretty slow, since all matches
752 are found before the first match is used. By default,
753 the 'dictionary' option is empty.
754 For suggestions where to find a list of words, see the
755 'dictionary' option.
757 CTRL-K or
758 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
759 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
761 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
762 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
764 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T*
765 CTRL-X CTRL-T Works as CTRL-X CTRL-K, but in a special way. It uses
766 the 'thesaurus' option instead of 'dictionary'. If a
767 match is found in the thesaurus file, all the
768 remaining words on the same line are included as
769 matches, even though they don't complete the word.
770 Thus a word can be completely replaced.
772 For an example, imagine the 'thesaurus' file has a
773 line like this: >
774 angry furious mad enraged
775 < Placing the cursor after the letters "ang" and typing
776 CTRL-X CTRL-T would complete the word "angry";
777 subsequent presses would change the word to "furious",
778 "mad" etc.
779 Other uses include translation between two languages,
780 or grouping API functions by keyword.
782 CTRL-T or
783 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
784 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
786 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
787 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
790 Completing keywords in the current and included files *compl-keyword*
792 The 'include' option is used to specify a line that contains an include file
793 name. The 'path' option is used to search for include files.
795 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I*
796 CTRL-X CTRL-I Search for the first keyword in the current and
797 included files that starts with the same characters
798 as those before the cursor. The matched keyword is
799 inserted in front of the cursor.
801 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching keyword. This
802 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
803 Note: CTRL-I is the same as <Tab>, which is likely to
804 be typed after a successful completion, therefore
805 CTRL-I is not used for searching for the next match.
807 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching keyword. This
808 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
810 CTRL-X CTRL-I Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-I will copy the words
811 following the previous expansion in other contexts
812 unless a double CTRL-X is used.
814 Completing tags *compl-tag*
815 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]*
816 CTRL-X CTRL-] Search for the first tag that starts with the same
817 characters as before the cursor. The matching tag is
818 inserted in front of the cursor. Alphabetic
819 characters and characters in 'iskeyword' are used
820 to decide which characters are included in the tag
821 name (same as for a keyword). See also |CTRL-]|.
822 The 'showfulltag' option can be used to add context
823 from around the tag definition.
824 CTRL-] or
825 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching tag. This tag
826 replaces the previous matching tag.
828 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching tag. This tag
829 replaces the previous matching tag.
832 Completing file names *compl-filename*
833 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-F*
834 CTRL-X CTRL-F Search for the first file name that starts with the
835 same characters as before the cursor. The matching
836 file name is inserted in front of the cursor.
837 Alphabetic characters and characters in 'isfname'
838 are used to decide which characters are included in
839 the file name. Note: the 'path' option is not used
840 here (yet).
841 CTRL-F or
842 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching file name. This
843 file name replaces the previous matching file name.
845 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching file name.
846 This file name replaces the previous matching file
847 name.
850 Completing definitions or macros *compl-define*
852 The 'define' option is used to specify a line that contains a definition.
853 The 'include' option is used to specify a line that contains an include file
854 name. The 'path' option is used to search for include files.
856 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D*
857 CTRL-X CTRL-D Search in the current and included files for the
858 first definition (or macro) name that starts with
859 the same characters as before the cursor. The found
860 definition name is inserted in front of the cursor.
861 CTRL-D or
862 CTRL-N Search forwards for next matching macro name. This
863 macro name replaces the previous matching macro
864 name.
866 CTRL-P Search backward for previous matching macro name.
867 This macro name replaces the previous matching macro
868 name.
870 CTRL-X CTRL-D Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-D will copy the words
871 following the previous expansion in other contexts
872 unless a double CTRL-X is used.
875 Completing Vim commands *compl-vim*
877 Completion is context-sensitive. It works like on the Command-line. It
878 completes an Ex command as well as its arguments. This is useful when writing
879 a Vim script.
881 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-V*
882 CTRL-X CTRL-V Guess what kind of item is in front of the cursor and
883 find the first match for it.
884 Note: When CTRL-V is mapped you can often use CTRL-Q
885 instead of |i_CTRL-Q|.
886 CTRL-V or
887 CTRL-N Search forwards for next match. This match replaces
888 the previous one.
890 CTRL-P Search backwards for previous match. This match
891 replaces the previous one.
893 CTRL-X CTRL-V Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-V will do the same as
894 CTRL-V. This allows mapping a key to do Vim command
895 completion, for example: >
896 :imap <Tab> <C-X><C-V>
898 User defined completion *compl-function*
900 Completion is done by a function that can be defined by the user with the
901 'completefunc' option. See below for how the function is called and an
902 example |complete-functions|.
904 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U*
905 CTRL-X CTRL-U Guess what kind of item is in front of the cursor and
906 find the first match for it.
907 CTRL-U or
908 CTRL-N Use the next match. This match replaces the previous
909 one.
911 CTRL-P Use the previous match. This match replaces the
912 previous one.
915 Omni completion *compl-omni*
917 Completion is done by a function that can be defined by the user with the
918 'omnifunc' option. This is to be used for filetype-specific completion.
920 See below for how the function is called and an example |complete-functions|.
921 For remarks about specific filetypes see |compl-omni-filetypes|.
922 More completion scripts will appear, check www.vim.org. Currently there is a
923 first version for C++.
925 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O*
926 CTRL-X CTRL-O Guess what kind of item is in front of the cursor and
927 find the first match for it.
928 CTRL-O or
929 CTRL-N Use the next match. This match replaces the previous
930 one.
932 CTRL-P Use the previous match. This match replaces the
933 previous one.
936 Spelling suggestions *compl-spelling*
938 A word before or at the cursor is located and correctly spelled words are
939 suggested to replace it. If there is a badly spelled word in the line, before
940 or under the cursor, the cursor is moved to after it. Otherwise the word just
941 before the cursor is used for suggestions, even though it isn't badly spelled.
943 NOTE: CTRL-S suspends display in many Unix terminals. Use 's' instead. Type
944 CTRL-Q to resume displaying.
946 *i_CTRL-X_CTRL-S* *i_CTRL-X_s*
947 CTRL-X CTRL-S or
948 CTRL-X s Locate the word in front of the cursor and find the
949 first spell suggestion for it.
950 CTRL-S or
951 CTRL-N Use the next suggestion. This replaces the previous
952 one. Note that you can't use 's' here.
954 CTRL-P Use the previous suggestion. This replaces the
955 previous one.
958 Completing keywords from different sources *compl-generic*
960 *i_CTRL-N*
961 CTRL-N Find next match for words that start with the
962 keyword in front of the cursor, looking in places
963 specified with the 'complete' option. The found
964 keyword is inserted in front of the cursor.
966 *i_CTRL-P*
967 CTRL-P Find previous match for words that start with the
968 keyword in front of the cursor, looking in places
969 specified with the 'complete' option. The found
970 keyword is inserted in front of the cursor.
972 CTRL-N Search forward for next matching keyword. This
973 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
975 CTRL-P Search backwards for next matching keyword. This
976 keyword replaces the previous matching keyword.
978 CTRL-X CTRL-N or
979 CTRL-X CTRL-P Further use of CTRL-X CTRL-N or CTRL-X CTRL-P will
980 copy the words following the previous expansion in
981 other contexts unless a double CTRL-X is used.
984 FUNCTIONS FOR FINDING COMPLETIONS *complete-functions*
986 This applies to 'completefunc' and 'omnifunc'.
988 The function is called in two different ways:
989 - First the function is called to find the start of the text to be completed.
990 - Later the function is called to actually find the matches.
992 On the first invocation the arguments are:
993 a:findstart 1
994 a:base empty
996 The function must return the column where the completion starts. It must be a
997 number between zero and the cursor column "col('.')". This involves looking
998 at the characters just before the cursor and including those characters that
999 could be part of the completed item. The text between this column and the
1000 cursor column will be replaced with the matches. Return -1 if no completion
1001 can be done.
1003 On the second invocation the arguments are:
1004 a:findstart 0
1005 a:base the text with which matches should match; the text that was
1006 located in the first call (can be empty)
1008 The function must return a List with the matching words. These matches
1009 usually include the "a:base" text. When there are no matches return an empty
1010 List.
1011 *complete-items*
1012 Each list item can either be a string or a Dictionary. When it is a string it
1013 is used as the completion. When it is a Dictionary it can contain these
1014 items:
1015 word the text that will be inserted, mandatory
1016 abbr abbreviation of "word"; when not empty it is used in
1017 the menu instead of "word"
1018 menu extra text for the popup menu, displayed after "word"
1019 or "abbr"
1020 info more information about the item, can be displayed in a
1021 preview window
1022 kind single letter indicating the type of completion
1023 icase when non-zero case is to be ignored when comparing
1024 items to be equal; when omitted zero is used, thus
1025 items that only differ in case are added
1026 dup when non-zero this match will be added even when an
1027 item with the same word is already present.
1029 All of these except 'icase' must be a string. If an item does not meet these
1030 requirements then an error message is given and further items in the list are
1031 not used. You can mix string and Dictionary items in the returned list.
1033 The "menu" item is used in the popup menu and may be truncated, thus it should
1034 be relatively short. The "info" item can be longer, it will be displayed in
1035 the preview window when "preview" appears in 'completeopt'. The "info" item
1036 will also remain displayed after the popup menu has been removed. This is
1037 useful for function arguments. Use a single space for "info" to remove
1038 existing text in the preview window.
1040 The "kind" item uses a single letter to indicate the kind of completion. This
1041 may be used to show the completion differently (different color or icon).
1042 Currently these types can be used:
1043 v variable
1044 f function or method
1045 m member of a struct or class
1046 t typedef
1047 d #define or macro
1049 When searching for matches takes some time call |complete_add()| to add each
1050 match to the total list. These matches should then not appear in the returned
1051 list! Call |complete_check()| now and then to allow the user to press a key
1052 while still searching for matches. Stop searching when it returns non-zero.
1054 The function is allowed to move the cursor, it is restored afterwards. This
1055 option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for security
1056 reasons.
1058 An example that completes the names of the months: >
1059 fun! CompleteMonths(findstart, base)
1060 if a:findstart
1061 " locate the start of the word
1062 let line = getline('.')
1063 let start = col('.') - 1
1064 while start > 0 && line[start - 1] =~ '\a'
1065 let start -= 1
1066 endwhile
1067 return start
1068 else
1069 " find months matching with "a:base"
1070 let res = []
1071 for m in split("Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec")
1072 if m =~ '^' . a:base
1073 call add(res, m)
1074 endif
1075 endfor
1076 return res
1077 endif
1078 endfun
1079 set completefunc=CompleteMonths
1080 <
1081 The same, but now pretending searching for matches is slow: >
1082 fun! CompleteMonths(findstart, base)
1083 if a:findstart
1084 " locate the start of the word
1085 let line = getline('.')
1086 let start = col('.') - 1
1087 while start > 0 && line[start - 1] =~ '\a'
1088 let start -= 1
1089 endwhile
1090 return start
1091 else
1092 " find months matching with "a:base"
1093 for m in split("Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec")
1094 if m =~ '^' . a:base
1095 call complete_add(m)
1096 endif
1097 sleep 300m " simulate searching for next match
1098 if complete_check()
1099 break
1100 endif
1101 endfor
1102 return []
1103 endif
1104 endfun
1105 set completefunc=CompleteMonths
1106 <
1108 INSERT COMPLETION POPUP MENU *ins-completion-menu*
1109 *popupmenu-completion*
1110 Vim can display the matches in a simplistic popup menu.
1112 The menu is used when:
1113 - The 'completeopt' option contains "menu" or "menuone".
1114 - The terminal supports at least 8 colors.
1115 - There are at least two matches. One if "menuone" is used.
1117 The 'pumheight' option can be used to set a maximum height. The default is to
1118 use all space available.
1120 There are three states:
1121 1. A complete match has been inserted, e.g., after using CTRL-N or CTRL-P.
1122 2. A cursor key has been used to select another match. The match was not
1123 inserted then, only the entry in the popup menu is highlighted.
1124 3. Only part of a match has been inserted and characters were typed or the
1125 backspace key was used. The list of matches was then adjusted for what is
1126 in front of the cursor.
1128 You normally start in the first state, with the first match being inserted.
1129 When "longest" is in 'completeopt' and there is more than one match you start
1130 in the third state.
1132 If you select another match, e.g., with CTRL-N or CTRL-P, you go to the first
1133 state. This doesn't change the list of matches.
1135 When you are back at the original text then you are in the third state. To
1136 get there right away you can use a mapping that uses CTRL-P right after
1137 starting the completion: >
1138 :imap <F7> <C-N><C-P>
1139 <
1140 *popupmenu-keys*
1141 In the first state these keys have a special meaning:
1142 <BS> and CTRL-H Delete one character, find the matches for the word before
1143 the cursor. This reduces the list of matches, often to one
1144 entry, and switches to the second state.
1145 Any non-special character:
1146 Stop completion without changing the match and insert the
1147 typed character.
1149 In the second and third state these keys have a special meaning:
1150 <BS> and CTRL-H Delete one character, find the matches for the shorter word
1151 before the cursor. This may find more matches.
1152 CTRL-L Add one character from the current match, may reduce the
1153 number of matches.
1154 any printable, non-white character:
1155 Add this character and reduce the number of matches.
1157 In all three states these can be used:
1158 CTRL-Y Yes: Accept the currently selected match and stop completion.
1159 CTRL-E End completion, go back to what was there before selecting a
1160 match (what was typed or longest common string).
1161 <PageUp> Select a match several entries back, but don't insert it.
1162 <PageDown> Select a match several entries further, but don't insert it.
1163 <Up> Select the previous match, as if CTRL-P was used, but don't
1164 insert it.
1165 <Down> Select the next match, as if CTRL-N was used, but don't
1166 insert it.
1167 <Space> or <Tab> Stop completion without changing the match and insert the
1168 typed character.
1170 The behavior of the <Enter> key depends on the state you are in:
1171 first state: Use the text as it is and insert a line break.
1172 second state: Insert the currently selected match.
1173 third state: Use the text as it is and insert a line break.
1175 In other words: If you used the cursor keys to select another entry in the
1176 list of matches then the <Enter> key inserts that match. If you typed
1177 something else then <Enter> inserts a line break.
1180 The colors of the menu can be changed with these highlight groups:
1181 Pmenu normal item |hl-Pmenu|
1182 PmenuSel selected item |hl-PmenuSel|
1183 PmenuSbar scrollbar |hl-PmenuSbar|
1184 PmenuThumb thumb of the scrollbar |hl-PmenuThumb|
1186 There are no special mappings for when the popup menu is visible. However,
1187 you can use an Insert mode mapping that checks the |pumvisible()| function to
1188 do something different. Example: >
1189 :inoremap <Down> <C-R>=pumvisible() ? "\<lt>C-N>" : "\<lt>Down>"<CR>
1191 You can use of <expr> in mapping to have the popup menu used when typing a
1192 character and some condition is met. For example, for typing a dot: >
1193 inoremap <expr> . MayComplete()
1194 func MayComplete()
1195 if (can complete)
1196 return ".\<C-X>\<C-O>"
1197 endif
1198 return '.'
1199 endfunc
1201 See |:map-<expr>| for more info.
1204 FILETYPE-SPECIFIC REMARKS FOR OMNI COMPLETION *compl-omni-filetypes*
1206 The file used for {filetype} should be autoload/{filetype}complete.vim
1207 in 'runtimepath'. Thus for "java" it is autoload/javacomplete.vim.
1210 C *ft-c-omni*
1212 Completion of C code requires a tags file. You should use Exuberant ctags,
1213 because it adds extra information that is needed for completion. You can find
1214 it here: http://ctags.sourceforge.net/ Version 5.6 or later is recommended.
1216 For version 5.5.4 you should add a patch that adds the "typename:" field:
1217 ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/unstable/patches/ctags-5.5.4.patch
1218 A compiled .exe for MS-Windows can be found at:
1219 http://georgevreilly.com/vim/ctags.html
1221 If you want to complete system functions you can do something like this. Use
1222 ctags to generate a tags file for all the system header files: >
1223 % ctags -R -f ~/.vim/systags /usr/include /usr/local/include
1224 In your vimrc file add this tags file to the 'tags' option: >
1225 set tags+=~/.vim/systags
1227 When using CTRL-X CTRL-O after a name without any "." or "->" it is completed
1228 from the tags file directly. This works for any identifier, also function
1229 names. If you want to complete a local variable name, which does not appear
1230 in the tags file, use CTRL-P instead.
1232 When using CTRL-X CTRL-O after something that has "." or "->" Vim will attempt
1233 to recognize the type of the variable and figure out what members it has.
1234 This means only members valid for the variable will be listed.
1236 When a member name already was complete, CTRL-X CTRL-O will add a "." or
1237 "->" for composite types.
1239 Vim doesn't include a C compiler, only the most obviously formatted
1240 declarations are recognized. Preprocessor stuff may cause confusion.
1241 When the same structure name appears in multiple places all possible members
1242 are included.
1245 CSS *ft-css-omni*
1247 Complete properties and their appropriate values according to CSS 2.1
1248 specification.
1251 HTML *ft-html-omni*
1252 XHTML *ft-xhtml-omni*
1254 CTRL-X CTRL-O provides completion of various elements of (X)HTML files. It is
1255 designed to support writing of XHTML 1.0 Strict files but will also works for
1256 other versions of HTML. Features:
1258 - after "<" complete tag name depending on context (no div suggestion inside
1259 of an a tag); '/>' indicates empty tags
1260 - inside of tag complete proper attributes (no width attribute for an a tag);
1261 show also type of attribute; '*' indicates required attributes
1262 - when attribute has limited number of possible values help to complete them
1263 - complete names of entities
1264 - complete values of "class" and "id" attributes with data obtained from
1265 <style> tag and included CSS files
1266 - when completing value of "style" attribute or working inside of "style" tag
1267 switch to |ft-css-omni| completion
1268 - when completing values of events attributes or working inside of "script"
1269 tag switch to |ft-javascript-omni| completion
1270 - when used after "</" CTRL-X CTRL-O will close the last opened tag
1272 Note: When used first time completion menu will be shown with little delay
1273 - this is time needed for loading of data file.
1274 Note: Completion may fail in badly formatted documents. In such case try to
1275 run |:make| command to detect formatting problems.
1278 HTML flavor *html-flavor*
1280 The default HTML completion depends on the filetype. For HTML files it is
1281 HTML 4.01 Transitional ('filetype' is "html"), for XHTML it is XHTML 1.0
1282 Strict ('filetype' is "xhtml").
1284 When doing completion outside of any other tag you will have possibility to
1285 choose DOCTYPE and the appropriate data file will be loaded and used for all
1286 next completions.
1288 More about format of data file in |xml-omni-datafile|. Some of the data files
1289 may be found on the Vim website (|www|).
1291 Note that b:html_omni_flavor may point to a file with any XML data. This
1292 makes possible to mix PHP (|ft-php-omni|) completion with any XML dialect
1293 (assuming you have data file for it). Without setting that variable XHTML 1.0
1294 Strict will be used.
1297 JAVASCRIPT *ft-javascript-omni*
1299 Completion of most elements of JavaScript language and DOM elements.
1301 Complete:
1303 - variables
1304 - function name; show function arguments
1305 - function arguments
1306 - properties of variables trying to detect type of variable
1307 - complete DOM objects and properties depending on context
1308 - keywords of language
1310 Completion works in separate JavaScript files (&ft==javascript), inside of
1311 <script> tag of (X)HTML and in values of event attributes (including scanning
1312 of external files.
1314 DOM compatibility
1316 At the moment (beginning of 2006) there are two main browsers - MS Internet
1317 Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. These two applications are covering over 90% of
1318 market. Theoretically standards are created by W3C organisation
1319 (http://www.w3c.org) but they are not always followed/implemented.
1321 IE FF W3C Omni completion ~
1322 +/- +/- + + ~
1323 + + - + ~
1324 + - - - ~
1325 - + - - ~
1327 Regardless from state of implementation in browsers but if element is defined
1328 in standards, completion plugin will place element in suggestion list. When
1329 both major engines implemented element, even if this is not in standards it
1330 will be suggested. All other elements are not placed in suggestion list.
1333 PHP *ft-php-omni*
1335 Completion of PHP code requires a tags file for completion of data from
1336 external files and for class aware completion. You should use Exuberant ctags
1337 version 5.5.4 or newer. You can find it here: http://ctags.sourceforge.net/
1339 Script completes:
1341 - after $ variables name
1342 - if variable was declared as object add "->", if tags file is available show
1343 name of class
1344 - after "->" complete only function and variable names specific for given
1345 class. To find class location and contents tags file is required. Because
1346 PHP isn't strongly typed language user can use @var tag to declare class: >
1348 /* @var $myVar myClass */
1349 $myVar->
1350 <
1351 Still, to find myClass contents tags file is required.
1353 - function names with additional info:
1354 - in case of built-in functions list of possible arguments and after | type
1355 data returned by function
1356 - in case of user function arguments and name of file were function was
1357 defined (if it is not current file)
1359 - constants names
1360 - class names after "new" declaration
1363 Note: when doing completion first time Vim will load all necessary data into
1364 memory. It may take several seconds. After next use of completion delay
1365 should not be noticeable.
1367 Script detects if cursor is inside <?php ?> tags. If it is outside it will
1368 automatically switch to HTML/CSS/JavaScript completion. Note: contrary to
1369 original HTML files completion of tags (and only tags) isn't context aware.
1372 RUBY *ft-ruby-omni*
1374 Completion of Ruby code requires that vim be built with |+ruby|.
1376 Ruby completion will parse your buffer on demand in order to provide a list of
1377 completions. These completions will be drawn from modules loaded by 'require'
1378 and modules defined in the current buffer.
1380 The completions provided by CTRL-X CTRL-O are sensitive to the context:
1382 CONTEXT COMPLETIONS PROVIDED ~
1384 1. Not inside a class definition Classes, constants and globals
1386 2. Inside a class definition Methods or constants defined in the class
1388 3. After '.', '::' or ':' Methods applicable to the object being
1389 dereferenced
1391 4. After ':' or ':foo' Symbol name (beginning with 'foo')
1393 Notes:
1394 - Vim will load/evaluate code in order to provide completions. This may
1395 cause some code execution, which may be a concern. This is no longer
1396 enabled by default, to enable this feature add >
1397 let g:rubycomplete_buffer_loading = 1
1398 <- In context 1 above, Vim can parse the entire buffer to add a list of
1399 classes to the completion results. This feature is turned off by default,
1400 to enable it add >
1401 let g:rubycomplete_classes_in_global = 1
1402 < to your vimrc
1403 - In context 2 above, anonymous classes are not supported.
1404 - In context 3 above, Vim will attempt to determine the methods supported by
1405 the object.
1406 - Vim can detect and load the Rails environment for files within a rails
1407 project. The feature is disabled by default, to enable it add >
1408 let g:rubycomplete_rails = 1
1409 < to your vimrc
1412 SYNTAX *ft-syntax-omni*
1414 Vim has the ability to color syntax highlight nearly 500 languages. Part of
1415 this highlighting includes knowing what keywords are part of a language. Many
1416 filetypes already have custom completion scripts written for them, the
1417 syntaxcomplete plugin provides basic completion for all other filetypes. It
1418 does this by populating the omni completion list with the text Vim already
1419 knows how to color highlight. It can be used for any filetype and provides a
1420 minimal language-sensitive completion.
1422 To enable syntax code completion you can run: >
1423 setlocal omnifunc=syntaxcomplete#Complete
1425 You can automate this by placing the following in your vimrc (after any
1426 ":filetype" command): >
1427 if has("autocmd") && exists("+omnifunc")
1428 autocmd Filetype *
1429 \ if &omnifunc == "" |
1430 \ setlocal omnifunc=syntaxcomplete#Complete |
1431 \ endif
1432 endif
1434 The above will set completion to this script only if a specific plugin does
1435 not already exist for that filetype.
1437 Each filetype can have a wide range of syntax items. The plugin allows you to
1438 customize which syntax groups to include or exclude from the list. Let's have
1439 a look at the PHP filetype to see how this works.
1441 If you edit a file called, index.php, run the following command: >
1442 :syntax list
1444 First thing you will notice is there are many different syntax groups. The
1445 PHP language can include elements from different languages like HTML,
1446 JavaScript and many more. The syntax plugin will only include syntax groups
1447 that begin with the filetype, "php", in this case. For example these syntax
1448 groups are included by default with the PHP: phpEnvVar, phpIntVar,
1449 phpFunctions.
1451 The PHP language has an enormous number of items which it knows how to syntax
1452 highlight. This means these items will be available within the omni
1453 completion list. Some people may find this list unwieldy or are only
1454 interested in certain items.
1456 There are two ways to prune this list (if necessary). If you find certain
1457 syntax groups you do not wish displayed you can add the following to your
1458 vimrc: >
1459 let g:omni_syntax_group_exclude_php = 'phpCoreConstant,phpConstant'
1461 Add as many syntax groups to this list by comma separating them. The basic
1462 form of this variable is: >
1463 let g:omni_syntax_group_exclude_{filetype} = 'comma,separated,list'
1465 For completeness the opposite is also true. Creating this variable in your
1466 vimrc will only include the items in the phpFunctions and phpMethods syntax
1467 groups: >
1468 let g:omni_syntax_group_include_php = 'phpFunctions,phpMethods'
1470 You can create as many of these variables as you need, varying only the
1471 filetype at the end of the variable name.
1473 The plugin uses the isKeyword option to determine where word boundaries are
1474 for the syntax items. For example, in the Scheme language completion should
1475 include the "-", call-with-output-file. Depending on your filetype, this may
1476 not provide the words you are expecting. Setting the
1477 g:omni_syntax_use_iskeyword option to 0 will force the syntax plugin to break
1478 on word characters. This can be controlled adding the following to your
1479 vimrc: >
1480 let g:omni_syntax_use_iskeyword = 0
1483 SQL *ft-sql-omni*
1485 Completion for the SQL language includes statements, functions, keywords.
1486 It will also dynamically complete tables, procedures, views and column lists
1487 with data pulled directly from within a database. For detailed instructions
1488 and a tutorial see |omni-sql-completion|.
1490 The SQL completion plugin can be used in conjunction with other completion
1491 plugins. For example, the PHP filetype has it's own completion plugin.
1492 Since PHP is often used to generate dynamic website by accessing a database,
1493 the SQL completion plugin can also be enabled. This allows you to complete
1494 PHP code and SQL code at the same time.
1497 XML *ft-xml-omni*
1499 Vim 7 provides a mechanism for context aware completion of XML files. It
1500 depends on a special |xml-omni-datafile| and two commands: |:XMLns| and
1501 |:XMLent|. Features are:
1503 - after "<" complete the tag name, depending on context
1504 - inside of a tag complete proper attributes
1505 - when an attribute has a limited number of possible values help to complete
1506 them
1507 - complete names of entities (defined in |xml-omni-datafile| and in the
1508 current file with "<!ENTITY" declarations)
1509 - when used after "</" CTRL-X CTRL-O will close the last opened tag
1511 Format of XML data file *xml-omni-datafile*
1513 XML data files are stored in the "autoload/xml" directory in 'runtimepath'.
1514 Vim distribution provides examples of data files in the
1515 "$VIMRUNTIME/autoload/xml" directory. They have a meaningful name which will
1516 be used in commands. It should be a unique name which will not create
1517 conflicts. For example, the name xhtml10s.vim means it is the data file for
1518 XHTML 1.0 Strict.
1520 Each file contains a variable with a name like g:xmldata_xhtml10s . It is
1521 a compound from two parts:
1523 1. "g:xmldata_" general prefix, constant for all data files
1524 2. "xhtml10s" the name of the file and the name of the described XML
1525 dialect; it will be used as an argument for the |:XMLns|
1526 command
1528 Part two must be exactly the same as name of file.
1530 The variable is a |Dictionary|. Keys are tag names and each value is a two
1531 element |List|. The first element of the List is also a List with the names
1532 of possible children. The second element is a |Dictionary| with the names of
1533 attributes as keys and the possible values of attributes as values. Example: >
1535 let g:xmldata_crippled = {
1536 \ "vimxmlentities": ["amp", "lt", "gt", "apos", "quot"],
1537 \ 'vimxmlroot': ['tag1'],
1538 \ 'tag1':
1539 \ [ ['childoftag1a', 'childoftag1b'], {'attroftag1a': [],
1540 \ 'attroftag1b': ['valueofattr1', 'valueofattr2']}],
1541 \ 'childoftag1a':
1542 \ [ [], {'attrofchild': ['attrofchild']}],
1543 \ 'childoftag1b':
1544 \ [ ['childoftag1a'], {'attrofchild': []}],
1545 \ "vimxmltaginfo": {
1546 \ 'tag1': ['Menu info', 'Long information visible in preview window']},
1547 \ 'vimxmlattrinfo': {
1548 \ 'attrofchild': ['Menu info', 'Long information visible in preview window']}}
1550 This example would be put in the "autoload/xml/crippled.vim" file and could
1551 help to write this file: >
1553 <tag1 attroftag1b="valueofattr1">
1554 <childoftag1a attrofchild>
1555 & <
1556 </childoftag1a>
1557 <childoftag1b attrofchild="5">
1558 <childoftag1a>
1559 > ' "
1560 </childoftag1a>
1561 </childoftag1b>
1562 </tag1>
1564 In the example four special elements are visible:
1566 1. "vimxmlentities" - a special key with List containing entities of this XML
1567 dialect.
1568 2. If the list containing possible values of attributes has one element and
1569 this element is equal to the name of the attribute this attribute will be
1570 treated as boolean and inserted as 'attrname' and not as 'attrname="'
1571 3. "vimxmltaginfo" - a special key with a Dictionary containing tag
1572 names as keys and two element List as values, for additional menu info and
1573 the long description.
1574 4. "vimxmlattrinfo" - special key with Dictionary containing attribute names
1575 as keys and two element List as values, for additional menu info and long
1576 description.
1578 Note: Tag names in the data file MUST not contain a namespace description.
1579 Check xsl.vim for an example.
1580 Note: All data and functions are publicly available as global
1581 variables/functions and can be used for personal editing functions.
1584 DTD -> Vim *dtd2vim*
1586 On |www| is the script |dtd2vim| which parses DTD and creates an XML data file
1587 for Vim XML omni completion.
1589 dtd2vim: http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=1462
1591 Check the beginning of that file for usage details.
1592 The script requires perl and:
1594 perlSGML: http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/perlsgml
1597 Commands
1599 :XMLns {name} [{namespace}] *:XMLns*
1601 Vim has to know which data file should be used and with which namespace. For
1602 loading of the data file and connecting data with the proper namespace use
1603 |:XMLns| command. The first (obligatory) argument is the name of the data
1604 (xhtml10s, xsl). The second argument is the code of namespace (h, xsl). When
1605 used without a second argument the dialect will be used as default - without
1606 namespace declaration. For example to use XML completion in .xsl files: >
1608 :XMLns xhtml10s
1609 :XMLns xsl xsl
1612 :XMLent {name} *:XMLent*
1614 By default entities will be completed from the data file of the default
1615 namespace. The XMLent command should be used in case when there is no default
1616 namespace: >
1618 :XMLent xhtml10s
1620 Usage
1622 While used in this situation (after declarations from previous part, | is
1623 cursor position): >
1625 <|
1627 Will complete to an appropriate XHTML tag, and in this situation: >
1629 <xsl:|
1631 Will complete to an appropriate XSL tag.
1634 The script xmlcomplete.vim, provided through the |autoload| mechanism,
1635 has the xmlcomplete#GetLastOpenTag() function which can be used in XML files
1636 to get the name of the last open tag (b:unaryTagsStack has to be defined): >
1638 :echo xmlcomplete#GetLastOpenTag("b:unaryTagsStack")
1642 ==============================================================================
1643 8. Insert mode commands *inserting*
1645 The following commands can be used to insert new text into the buffer. They
1646 can all be undone and repeated with the "." command.
1648 *a*
1649 a Append text after the cursor [count] times. If the
1650 cursor is in the first column of an empty line Insert
1651 starts there. But not when 'virtualedit' is set!
1653 *A*
1654 A Append text at the end of the line [count] times.
1656 <insert> or *i* *insert* *<Insert>*
1657 i Insert text before the cursor [count] times.
1658 When using CTRL-O in Insert mode |i_CTRL-O| the count
1659 is not supported.
1661 *I*
1662 I Insert text before the first non-blank in the line
1663 [count] times.
1664 When the 'H' flag is present in 'cpoptions' and the
1665 line only contains blanks, insert start just before
1666 the last blank.
1668 *gI*
1669 gI Insert text in column 1 [count] times. {not in Vi}
1671 *gi*
1672 gi Insert text in the same position as where Insert mode
1673 was stopped last time in the current buffer.
1674 This uses the |'^| mark. It's different from "`^i"
1675 when the mark is past the end of the line.
1676 The position is corrected for inserted/deleted lines,
1677 but NOT for inserted/deleted characters.
1678 When the |:keepjumps| command modifier is used the |'^|
1679 mark won't be changed.
1680 {not in Vi}
1682 *o*
1683 o Begin a new line below the cursor and insert text,
1684 repeat [count] times. {Vi: blank [count] screen
1685 lines}
1686 When the '#' flag is in 'cpoptions' the count is
1687 ignored.
1689 *O*
1690 O Begin a new line above the cursor and insert text,
1691 repeat [count] times. {Vi: blank [count] screen
1692 lines}
1693 When the '#' flag is in 'cpoptions' the count is
1694 ignored.
1696 These commands are used to start inserting text. You can end insert mode with
1697 <Esc>. See |mode-ins-repl| for the other special characters in Insert mode.
1698 The effect of [count] takes place after Insert mode is exited.
1700 When 'autoindent' is on, the indent for a new line is obtained from the
1701 previous line. When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on, the indent for a line
1702 is automatically adjusted for C programs.
1704 'textwidth' can be set to the maximum width for a line. When a line becomes
1705 too long when appending characters a line break is automatically inserted.
1708 ==============================================================================
1709 9. Ex insert commands *inserting-ex*
1711 *:a* *:append*
1712 :{range}a[ppend][!] Insert several lines of text below the specified
1713 line. If the {range} is missing, the text will be
1714 inserted after the current line.
1715 Adding [!] toggles 'autoindent' for the time this
1716 command is executed.
1718 *:i* *:in* *:insert*
1719 :{range}i[nsert][!] Insert several lines of text above the specified
1720 line. If the {range} is missing, the text will be
1721 inserted before the current line.
1722 Adding [!] toggles 'autoindent' for the time this
1723 command is executed.
1725 These two commands will keep on asking for lines, until you type a line
1726 containing only a ".". Watch out for lines starting with a backslash, see
1727 |line-continuation|.
1728 When these commands are used with |:global| or |:vglobal| then the lines are
1729 obtained from the text following the command. Separate lines with a NL
1730 escaped with a backslash: >
1731 :global/abc/insert\
1732 one line\
1733 another line
1734 The final "." is not needed then.
1735 NOTE: ":append" and ":insert" don't work properly in between ":if" and
1736 ":endif", ":for" and ":endfor", ":while" and ":endwhile".
1738 *:start* *:startinsert*
1739 :star[tinsert][!] Start Insert mode just after executing this command.
1740 Works like typing "i" in Normal mode. When the ! is
1741 included it works like "A", append to the line.
1742 Otherwise insertion starts at the cursor position.
1743 Note that when using this command in a function or
1744 script, the insertion only starts after the function
1745 or script is finished.
1746 This command does not work from |:normal|.
1747 {not in Vi}
1748 {not available when compiled without the +ex_extra
1749 feature}
1751 *:stopi* *:stopinsert*
1752 :stopi[nsert] Stop Insert mode as soon as possible. Works like
1753 typing <Esc> in Insert mode.
1754 Can be used in an autocommand, example: >
1755 :au BufEnter scratch stopinsert
1756 <
1757 *replacing-ex* *:startreplace*
1758 :startr[eplace][!] Start Replace mode just after executing this command.
1759 Works just like typing "R" in Normal mode. When the
1760 ! is included it acts just like "$R" had been typed
1761 (ie. begin replace mode at the end-of-line). Other-
1762 wise replacement begins at the cursor position.
1763 Note that when using this command in a function or
1764 script that the replacement will only start after
1765 the function or script is finished.
1766 {not in Vi}
1767 {not available when compiled without the +ex_extra
1768 feature}
1770 *:startgreplace*
1771 :startg[replace][!] Just like |:startreplace|, but use Virtual Replace
1772 mode, like with |gR|.
1773 {not in Vi}
1774 {not available when compiled without the +ex_extra
1775 feature}
1777 ==============================================================================
1778 10. Inserting a file *inserting-file*
1780 *:r* *:re* *:read*
1781 :r[ead] [++opt] [name]
1782 Insert the file [name] (default: current file) below
1783 the cursor.
1784 See |++opt| for the possible values of [++opt].
1786 :{range}r[ead] [++opt] [name]
1787 Insert the file [name] (default: current file) below
1788 the specified line.
1789 See |++opt| for the possible values of [++opt].
1791 *:r!* *:read!*
1792 :[range]r[ead] !{cmd} Execute {cmd} and insert its standard output below
1793 the cursor or the specified line. A temporary file is
1794 used to store the output of the command which is then
1795 read into the buffer. 'shellredir' is used to save
1796 the output of the command, which can be set to include
1797 stderr or not. {cmd} is executed like with ":!{cmd}",
1798 any '!' is replaced with the previous command |:!|.
1800 These commands insert the contents of a file, or the output of a command,
1801 into the buffer. They can be undone. They cannot be repeated with the "."
1802 command. They work on a line basis, insertion starts below the line in which
1803 the cursor is, or below the specified line. To insert text above the first
1804 line use the command ":0r {name}".
1806 After the ":read" command, the cursor is left on the first non-blank in the
1807 first new line. Unless in Ex mode, then the cursor is left on the last new
1808 line (sorry, this is Vi compatible).
1810 If a file name is given with ":r", it becomes the alternate file. This can be
1811 used, for example, when you want to edit that file instead: ":e! #". This can
1812 be switched off by removing the 'a' flag from the 'cpoptions' option.
1814 Of the [++opt] arguments one is specifically for ":read", the ++edit argument.
1815 This is useful when the ":read" command is actually used to read a file into
1816 the buffer as if editing that file. Use this command in an empty buffer: >
1817 :read ++edit filename
1818 The effect is that the 'fileformat', 'fileencoding', 'bomb', etc. options are
1819 set to what has been detected for "filename". Note that a single empty line
1820 remains, you may want to delete it.
1822 *file-read*
1823 The 'fileformat' option sets the <EOL> style for a file:
1824 'fileformat' characters name ~
1825 "dos" <CR><NL> or <NL> DOS format
1826 "unix" <NL> Unix format
1827 "mac" <CR> Mac format
1828 Previously 'textmode' was used. It is obsolete now.
1830 If 'fileformat' is "dos", a <CR> in front of an <NL> is ignored and a CTRL-Z
1831 at the end of the file is ignored.
1833 If 'fileformat' is "mac", a <NL> in the file is internally represented by a
1834 <CR>. This is to avoid confusion with a <NL> which is used to represent a
1835 <NUL>. See |CR-used-for-NL|.
1837 If the 'fileformats' option is not empty Vim tries to recognize the type of
1838 <EOL> (see |file-formats|). However, the 'fileformat' option will not be
1839 changed, the detected format is only used while reading the file.
1840 A similar thing happens with 'fileencodings'.
1842 On non-MS-DOS, Win32, and OS/2 systems the message "[dos format]" is shown if
1843 a file is read in DOS format, to remind you that something unusual is done.
1844 On Macintosh, MS-DOS, Win32, and OS/2 the message "[unix format]" is shown if
1845 a file is read in Unix format.
1846 On non-Macintosh systems, the message "[Mac format]" is shown if a file is
1847 read in Mac format.
1849 An example on how to use ":r !": >
1850 :r !uuencode binfile binfile
1851 This command reads "binfile", uuencodes it and reads it into the current
1852 buffer. Useful when you are editing e-mail and want to include a binary
1853 file.
1855 *read-messages*
1856 When reading a file Vim will display a message with information about the read
1857 file. In the table is an explanation for some of the items. The others are
1858 self explanatory. Using the long or the short version depends on the
1859 'shortmess' option.
1861 long short meaning ~
1862 [readonly] {RO} the file is write protected
1863 [fifo/socket] using a stream
1864 [fifo] using a fifo stream
1865 [socket] using a socket stream
1866 [CR missing] reading with "dos" 'fileformat' and a
1867 NL without a preceding CR was found.
1868 [NL found] reading with "mac" 'fileformat' and a
1869 NL was found (could be "unix" format)
1870 [long lines split] at least one line was split in two
1871 [NOT converted] conversion from 'fileencoding' to
1872 'encoding' was desired but not
1873 possible
1874 [converted] conversion from 'fileencoding' to
1875 'encoding' done
1876 [crypted] file was decrypted
1877 [READ ERRORS] not all of the file could be read
1880 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: